You know you need to teach your kids basic skills like reading, writing, and math, but don’t overlook the need to teach about saving and investing early with some of the best stock apps for kids.
The more natural you make investments, and the more you talk about it at a young age, the easier it will be for your kids to adapt to adult life.
What Are Stock Apps for Kids?
Stock apps for kids let kids invest with a parent’s help. Most apps require a parent to have an account first, but a few are strictly for kids (under a parent’s name).
The apps let kids choose investments or contribute funds to a prebuilt portfolio, allowing their funds to grow early.
Many stock apps for kids offer a variety of assets, including stocks, bonds, and ETFs, and some even offer cryptocurrency.
Kids can use stock apps to learn how to save and invest at an early age and to reach their financial goals, such as paying for college or buying a car.
Letting kids have the reins and figure out how much money to save, invest, and spend is the key to helping them build financial literacy.
11 Best Stock Apps for Kids (With Parent Approval)
Read on for the best stock apps available for children to start learning about and investing with today:
- Greenlight App
- Stockpile App
- Acorns Early App
- UNest App
- EarlyBird App
- Fidelity Youth App
- BusyKid App
- Learn Stocks: Investor’s Guide App
- Stash101 Fantasy Investing App
- Trading Game: Stocks & Forex App
- The Stock Market Game App
1. Greenlight App
- Cost: Greenlight Max $9.98/mo, Greenlight Infinity $14.98/mo
- Age: No minimum age requirement since the parent submits all trades
Parents can open a custodial investment account for kids with the Greenlight Max or Greenlight Infinity Plan.
Greenlight also includes a free debit card that kids can use for spending. Parents have complete control over where kids use the card and how much they spend
On Greenlight, kids have access to trading in real life, but all trades must get parent approval before they go through. Greenlight provides all the tools kids need to learn about investing in stocks and ETFs in an age-appropriate manner, so it’s easy to digest.
The educational content also includes professional quizzes and articles to give kids a taste of real-life investing as an adult.
Kids can start investing with as little as $1 and no trading fees. Kids also have the option to buy fractional shares of their favorite companies.
2. Stockpile App
- Cost: Stockpile has one plan that’s $4.95 per month for one adult and up to five kids
- Age: Children don’t have to be a certain age if they have a custodial account underneath a parent
Stockpile is an online brokerage program that offers custodial accounts for kids under 18. Stockpile offers a user-friendly interface for kids to learn to invest, but all investments must first get parental approval.
The app helps parents teach kids how to invest while letting kids make important decisions. Kids make their trades, and once a parent approves them, the trades occur. Kids can invest in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and fractional shares.
Each adult account includes up to give kids’ accounts, and parents can also buy kids’ gift cards that they can redeem for stocks or crypto.
3. Acorns Early App
- Cost: Free with an Acorns Family account, which is $5/month.
- Age: Kids don’t need to be a certain age because parents handle the investing for them, but kids can take over the account when they reach majority age in their state.
Acorns Early is a spinoff of the app for adults. With Acorns Early, parents can invest for their children, and when the children turn 18, they can take over the account.
Acorns Early invests kids’ funds in an aggressive portfolio automatically. If you want something less aggressive, it will trigger a taxable event because they must sell the current assets and buy new assets for a less aggressive portfolio.
Parents can set up recurring contributions or a one-time investment. You can also set up round-ups to automatically invest your spare change.
The funds are set up as a UTMA/UGMA so kids can use the account how they want; they don’t have to only use the funds for college or educational expenses.
4. UNest App
- Cost: Core $5/mo, Plus $5.98/mo
- Age: No minimum age since parents run the account; however, the account can’t be turned over until the child reaches maturity age
UNest is an investment account for kids. With UNest, you can create an account for kids’ major milestones, including college, buying a car, or their first house.
UNest is a custodial account managed by parents for kids. Anyone can contribute to the account, including friends and relatives, and as you add money to your children’s accounts, you may receive bonuses from partner companies like Disney and Doordash.
UNest offers nine portfolios, from conservative to very aggressive. A couple of options include:
- A conservative portfolio with fixed-income and bond ETFs
- Age-based portfolios
- Socially responsible age-based portfolios
- Aggressive option
The minimum monthly contribution is $25, and you can invest up to $15,000 annually. In addition, subscribers to the premium membership may also invest in cryptocurrency.
5. EarlyBird App
- Cost: $2.95 per month for one child, $4.95 a month for multiple children
- Age: No minimum age requirement
EarlyBird is a simple-to-use investment account for kids. You can set up an account before your baby is even born and share the link on your baby registry to receive early contributions for your baby’s future.
Friends and relatives can continue contributing to your child’s future by providing future gifts in the app. They can even provide a video message with the contribution to make the gift seem more personal.
A minimum $15 monthly contribution is required when you open the account, but you can adjust your contributions in the future. EarlyBird uses a fixed-portfolio model made up of ETFs. In addition, EarlyBird offers five portfolios ranging in risk levels based on the child’s age.
If you start an account before your baby is born to use on your registry, the account is free until your baby is born and you fund the account.
6. Fidelity Youth App
- Cost: $0, but parents must have a Fidelity account
- Age: 13 to 17
The Fidelity Youth app is for teens interested in saving and investing. This brokerage account allows teens to trade stocks, ETFs, and Fidelity mutual funds.
To qualify, parents must have (or open) a Fidelity account. While teens can make their trade decisions, parents have plenty of controls, including:
- Online account access
- Access to monthly statements and trade confirmations
- Customized alerts
Teens receive a $50 bonus when they download the Fidelity Youth app and start an account, and there’s no monthly minimum requirement. In addition, teens can invest with as little as $1 and choose fractional shares.
All accounts come with a free debit card, helping teens learn to manage their money wisely, and they can even link their mobile payment apps, such as Venmo.
As far as education, the Fidelity Youth app offers a learning center to help teens learn good financial habits.
7. BusyKid App
- Cost: $3.99 a month and includes accounts and debit cards for up to five kids
- Age: 5 to 16
BusyKid is a platform to help parents teach kids how to save and invest, integrating chores and allowance in this investing app.
Parents set up the chores and preset allowance, and when kids earn money, it goes into three buckets – save, spend, and share. Then, parents determine how the money gets divvied up and can lock the money transfer feature so kids can’t move the funds if they don’t think they’re ready.
Within the ‘save’ bucket, kids can choose to invest in stocks, and there are no commissions. The app has hundreds of stocks and ETFs to choose from, and the dashboard is easy for kids to review and understand how their investments perform.
Kids need approval for any transactions on the app, but there are push notifications to parents that can accept or deny them in real-time.
Kids also have access to a free debit card to help them learn how to manage their money.
8. Learn Stocks: Investor’s Guide App
- Cost: Free
- Age: Available for any age, but probably best for pre-teens to teens
Learn Stocks is a guide that breaks down stock market investing into 40 easy-to-digest lessons. The app is meant for beginning investors and is a great way to introduce kids to investing.
Some of the most popular lessons kids can learn include:
- Buy and hold strategies
- Save first, then invest
- The art of diversification
- Learning to invest in what you believe in
- Building investing habits into your routine
Stock Apps for Kids That Simulate Stock Market Investing
If you want to introduce your children to investing without using real money, consider these stock apps for kids that simulate stock market investing.
Kids learn best by doing, so this can be an effective way to teach them.
9. Stash101 Fantasy Investing App
- Cost: Free
- Age: No minimum age to play, but you must be 18 to cash out the gift cards if they win
You’ve heard of Fantasy Football; now there’s Fantasy Investing with the Stash 101 app. Each week, players create a portfolio that includes one bond, three stocks, and one ETF. The game starts Monday morning and ends Friday afternoon.
Kids earn points for their portfolio’s performance throughout the week. The top ten point earners win a gift card, but you must be 18 years old to collect.
10. Trading Game: Stocks & Forex App
- Cost: Free
- Age: No minimum age, but best for pre-teens and teens
The Trading Game is for more advanced players who understand the basics of the stock market and are ready to learn more advanced trades, such as forex, crypto, commodities, stock, and ETF trading.
Each player receives $10,000 in virtual money and is encouraged to double the money with their choices.
Throughout the game, players have access to pro tips, user-friendly guides, and trading examples to help them make decisions.
Kids can even take quizzes on the information they learn to see what they’ve digested and where they may need more help.
11. The Stock Market Game App
- Cost: Free
- Age: No minimum age, but parents or teachers must sign up for the account
The Stock Market Game app was created by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation. Only parents or educators can sign up for the game, but it can help kids learn about the stock market.
Kids receive $10,000 virtually and can compete alone or as a team.
Reasons for Kids’ Stock Apps
You might think letting kids have stock apps is too early, but it’s never too early to invest.
Financial literacy is one of the best things you can teach a child, and if you can help them get comfortable with investing at an early age, it will feel normal when they grow up, enabling them to make tough investing decisions as they get older.
It will also help your kids build a solid nest egg for big goals like paying for college or a car.
Empower Generations to Come
The younger kids learn about investing, the more likely they are to invest when they’re older.
Kids that grow up with a good money story will pass those stories along to their kids, building future generations capable of investing and financially literate.
Build Knowledge and Educate
Helping kids understand the importance of saving, investing, and spending is important.
Kids at a young age can understand more than we realize, and making saving, investing, and spending a normal occurrence will make it much easier for kids to make tough financial decisions when they are on their own.
Giving kids access to real-life money decisions is one of the best ways to educate them. Kids often learn when they can be hands-on rather than listening to lectures or stories.
With parental guidance in each of these apps, your kids can get a taste of what it’s like to be an adult while still having parental protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kids are never too young to learn about finances. So keep it age-appropriate and let them feel empowered, and you’ll be amazed at what they can accomplish.
What should parents look for in a kid’s investing app?
Parents should look for a kids’ investing app that is age-appropriate and provides the level of protection they want. If you want complete control, look for that, or if you want to let your kids make their decisions while you oversee it and discuss the mistakes, look for that level of protection.
Of course, consider the cost and the types of investments kids can choose to ensure you’re comfortable with their decisions.
Are kids able to invest in the stock market?
Kids can invest in the stock market in a custodial account. Of course, this means the account is in the parent’s name, but kids can make the decisions with some apps. With all apps, though, parents have the final say and must approve the trade for it to occur.
How can I teach a child about the stock market?
You don’t have to use real money to teach kids about the stock market. Many free stock simulation apps allow you to teach kids about stocks. Of course, teaching them hands-on with their money can be a great way to teach them; just make sure you keep it age-appropriate so they don’t get overwhelmed.
What is the best stock you can buy for a child?
Any stock you buy for a child can be the best stock. You might consider, for example, buying a fractional share of Amazon or Disney. Talk to your kids about investing in what they believe in and see what they come up with – you might be surprised, as kids have many great ideas.
How do you open a custodial account?
You open a custodial account just like your adult account. Typically you need an adult account with the brokerage first, and then you can add your children. You must provide their personal identifying information, including their Social Security number and birthdate, and then must fund the account.
Should You Use Stock Apps for Kids?
Stock apps are a great way to build financial literacy and empower kids. The more natural we make handling money and making decisions, the easier it is for kids to transition into adulthood.
When you have a custodial account set up for your child, they’ll have a nice nest egg to start their adult lives. Teaching financial literacy is one of the most important skills you can teach your children.
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