Stock market exchanges operate within fixed trading hours – the period during which the market is open and you can buy and sell securities. For example, the regular trading hours of the two largest stock exchanges by market cap, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq, are 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time (ET) on regular weekdays.
However, it’s also possible to trade securities outside of regular hours through what’s known as extended-hours trading: the pre-market session (typically 4:00am-9:30am ET) and the after-hours session (typically 4:00pm-8:00pm ET). As the names suggest, pre-market trading lets you buy and sell securities before regular trading opens, while after-hours trading covers the window after the market closes.
Extended-hours trading can be useful for reacting to earnings announcements, overnight news, or international developments that move stock prices outside regular sessions. However, it comes with important trade-offs – typically lower liquidity, wider bid-ask spreads, and higher volatility – so it’s not for everyone.
Below, you’ll find our shortlist of the best brokers for pre-market and after-hours trading.
Best brokers and trading apps for pre-market and after-hours trading
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers offers one of the best trading apps in the market, featuring the possibility of trading during the pre-market or after-hours market. The firm has more than 40 years of service in the industry and is known for being trustworthy. The broker is recommended for professional investors and beginners with a wide range of financial products, low fees, and sophisticated services.
Webull
Webull is an investment app from the US with commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs. The broker platform was founded in 2017 and offers a modern investment app where you can enjoy the longest extended-hours trading time on this list. On the platform, you can buy and sell stocks between 04:00 am Eastern Time and 08:00 pm Eastern Time.
E*TRADE
E*TRADE is a traditional trading platform from the US with zero commission for trading some securities, a large offering of tradable securities, and a great mobile app.
Robinhood
This trading platform was founded in 2013 and allows you to invest in commission-free stocks, ETFs, derivatives, and cryptocurrencies. On the platform, you will also be able to enjoy extended-hours trading.
Firstrade
Firstrade is a low-cost, zero-commission stock and options trading platform. With this platform, you can set orders before and after the market opens without any extra charge in a consistent trading platform.
Interactive Brokers at a glance
Interactive Brokers is one of the most reliable online brokers in the world, with over 45 years of experience (founded in 1978) and listed on NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR) as part of the S&P 500 since 2024. The broker offers a complete trading platform across desktop, web, and mobile – including Trader Workstation (TWS) and IBKR Desktop on the desktop side, Client Portal on the web, and two mobile apps: IBKR Mobile and IBKR GlobalTrader.
Each platform serves a different audience. IBKR GlobalTrader is an easy-to-use app well suited to beginners (we consider it one of the best trading apps on the market), while IBKR Mobile and TWS are aimed at experienced investors and can feel overwhelming for newcomers. You can check our full Interactive Brokers review for more.
The extended-hours trading windows available depend on your IBKR account type. With IBKR Pro, you get full extended-hours access from 4:00am to 8:00pm ET. With IBKR Lite (available for US residents only), pre-market trading begins at 7:00am ET, with the same 8:00pm ET close. There are no extra fees for pre-market or after-hours trading on either plan.
IBKR also requires no minimum deposit (the long-standing minimum was eliminated in 2021), making it accessible to traders of all account sizes.
Webull at a glance
Webull is a low-cost broker offering commission-free trading across stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and crypto. The mobile app is comprehensive and well-designed, with no minimum deposit required to open a cash account. Webull is publicly listed on NASDAQ (ticker: BULL) following its 2025 SPAC merger and now serves over 20 million users globally.
Webull earns its second spot on this list for two reasons. First, pre-market and after-hours trading are completely free, with no extra commissions or fees. Second, Webull offers full extended-hours sessions from 4:00am to 8:00pm ET – a 16-hour trading day that matches IBKR Pro’s window and is one of the longest available in the retail brokerage space.
The combination of zero commissions, one of the longest trading days available, and a polished, well-designed platform makes Webull a strong choice if you regularly want to trade outside regular market hours.
E*TRADE at a glance
E*TRADE was founded in 1982 and is one of the largest US online brokers – now part of Morgan Stanley following the 2020 acquisition. The platform offers an extensive range of investment choices, with two mobile apps, a desktop program, and an online platform – all featuring strong trading tools and intuitive usability suitable for both beginners and experienced traders. The available securities span mainstream stocks alongside less-known penny stocks.
Stocks and ETFs are commission-free, with small fees on other instruments. E*TRADE supports commission-free extended-hours trading, with pre-market hours from 7:00am to 9:30am ET and after-hours sessions from 4:00pm to 8:00pm ET. The total extended-hours window is shorter than IBKR Pro or Webull, but is consistent with most major US brokers.
Robinhood at a glance
Robinhood is a relatively recent but now well-established US online trading platform built on two core premises: commission-free trading and easy usability. Founded in 2013 and publicly listed on NASDAQ since July 2021 (ticker: HOOD), Robinhood now serves over 25 million users and has significantly expanded its product range beyond its early days – now offering stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, futures, retirement accounts, and 24/5 trading on select assets.
The platform is still primarily designed for beginners and casual traders, with a clean, mobile-first interface; more advanced traders may find the trading tools light compared to specialist platforms. For extended-hours, Robinhood offers pre-market and after-hours trading on a broad selection of stocks and ETFs – and since 2023, the firm has also rolled out 24/5 trading on selected liquid US-listed stocks, letting clients trade nearly around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday evening. Combined with the $0 commission, this makes Robinhood a strong choice for retail-focused traders who want extended access without complex platform overhead.
Firstrade at a glance
Firstrade is a long-established US broker founded in 1985 that pivoted to commission-free online trading for stocks, ETFs, and options. The broker is considered safe, with a long track record that has weathered multiple market crises and oversight from top-tier US regulators (SEC, FINRA, SIPC).
Firstrade offers the shortest extended-hours window on this list – roughly 5 hours combined (pre-market typically 7:00am-9:30am ET, after-hours typically 4:00pm-6:30pm ET, depending on the security). The upside is that, beyond commission-free trading, Firstrade also lets you earn passive income by lending your stocks to other financial institutions through its fully paid securities lending programme – a useful additional yield source for long-term holders.
Pros and cons of extended-hours trading
We want you to make responsible and well-informed investments. So it is important to call your attention to a few risks you might bear when trading outside of regular market hours.
Pros
- Flexibility: for multiple reasons, you may not be able to trade during regular market hours. Extended hours allow you to have flexibility and invest at different times.
- React to late announcements or news: companies do not report their earnings during market hours because it could make their equity volatile. Extended market hours allow you to react to these reports as quickly as possible. The same idea applies to news that affects the market and government announcements.
Cons
- Lack of liquidity: the pre-market and after-hours trading markets have a much smaller number of participants. Therefore, these markets generally have less liquidity, which can affect the prices of securities, making them more volatile.
- Bid/ask spread: as a consequence of the low liquidity, the bid and ask spread will likely be larger, which makes trading more expensive.
- Different prices from regular trading hours: most investors do not trade securities outside trading hours. So, due to multiple different factors such as news, announcements, etc, the price of the instrument at the opening of the market may not be the same as it was during the after-hours market.
Should I trade during extended trading hours?
The decision to trade during pre-market or after-hours sessions should be entirely yours. We encourage you to do thorough due diligence on both the specific trade and on whether extended-hours trading suits your overall strategy. As covered earlier, there are real trade-offs: extended-hours sessions typically offer thinner liquidity, wider spreads, and higher volatility, but also let you respond to earnings announcements, overnight news, and international market moves outside regular hours.
For long-term investors, extended-hours trading often introduces more risk than reward – prices in thin sessions can move sharply and reverse once liquidity returns at the open. For active traders with a clear edge and disciplined risk management, the additional access can be valuable. Either way, it’s worth starting small, using limit orders rather than market orders, and being aware that the conditions you trade in outside regular hours are fundamentally different from the regular session.
Bottom line
To sum it up, these are our top picks:
- Interactive Brokers: Most complete platform, full extended trading hours
- Webull: Longest after-hours and pre-market trading period
- E*TRADE: Largest and most diverse offering of securities
- Robinhood: Most beginner-friendly platform
- Firstrade: Best option for an extra passive income
We encourage you to perform well-informed investments, and it is up to you to choose which platform to use. We hope the article was helpful, and we wish you good luck with your investments!
Other FAQs
When does the pre-market and the after-hours trading take place?
In the US, pre-market hours may be set between 4:00 am and 9:30 am, and the after-hours market may be set between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm Eastern Time (ET). The exact time will vary according to the broker you choose. The only brokers in the list that support full extended trading hours are Interactive Brokers and Webull.
Which financial instruments can I trade during the pre-market and the after-hours market?
Generally speaking, you will be able to trade stocks and ETFs during the extended-hours market. Depending on the case, ETFs may have longer trading hours, as they may be traded overnight, 24 hours, and 5 days a week. You can also trade in the Foreign Exchange Market 24 hours and 5 days a week. Cryptocurrencies can be traded at any time, without trading hours.
Can I buy stocks during the weekend?
No, there are no extended market hours on weekends.
What are the risks of trading during extended market hours?
When trading during the pre-market or after-hours, you will have to face liquidity risk, since there are fewer traders at these periods, and price risk, considering that regular trading hours have more influence on the price of the asset than extended trading hours.
