You have probably heard about the Robinhood app on YouTube and want to know if it’s available in Singapore, right?
Robinhood is a modern and easy-to-use investment app from the US, which has introduced the concept of commission-free trading in financial products such as stocks and ETFs.
Do you want to know if the Robinhood app is available in Singapore, what its expansion plans are, and what alternatives are available in Singapore? We’ve got you covered!
What is Robinhood?
Robinhood was founded in 2013. Since then, it has played a major role in disrupting the brokerage industry by allowing US retail investors to trade with no commissions, alongside its biggest rival, Webull. Robinhood is defined as a commission-free online broker that offers the possibility of trading stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies.
The results are clear: over 25 million users! The competitors of Robinhood have been monitoring this exponential growth closely, and, in October 2019, some major well-established brokers in the US, such as E*TRADE, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab, announced in quick succession that they were eradicating trading fees.
Is Robinhood available in Singapore?
Unfortunately, Robinhood is not yet available in Singapore. However, outside of the US, it has already launched in the UK.
But do not lose hope! Meantime, you can still find some Robinhood Singapore alternatives that have proven reliable (and perhaps even more reliable than Robinhood!). The COVID-19 stock crash during the first quarter of 2020 showed some vulnerabilities in the Robinhood platform. The app collapsed several times, and investors could not trade during the most volatile markets in history.
Besides, Robinhood has faced several security breaches in revealing sensitive information about its clients, and, at one point, it even allowed “infinite leverage” that was shortly corrected afterwards. Still, it did not avoid significant losses for some clients.
Robinhood Singapore alternatives
To help us answer this question, we focused on low-cost online brokers available in Singapore. Given that, here are our suggestions:
Interactive Brokers
Founded in 1978, IBKR is one of the world’s most trustworthy brokers. It offers an enormous range of financial products (stocks, ETFs, Options,…), and low currency conversion fees (FX fees).
💡 Interactive Brokers also launched IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile trading app to trade Stocks, Options and ETFs, ideal for novice investors.
Capital.com
A 0% commission platform that provides low overnight fees, tight spreads, and no currency conversion fees! With access to over 6,100 markets, It offers stocks and ETFs plus CFD trading in indices, shares, cryptos, commodities and Forex.
Disclaimer: 78.1% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Interactive Brokers at a glance
Founded in 1978 and publicly listed in NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR), Interactive Brokers is a global online broker which surpassed major financial crises, showing resilience and a rigorous risk management process.
Interactive Brokers offers an advanced investment platform that includes a wide range of products (stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs, futures, bonds, and currencies) from 150 markets, solid trade execution (IB SmartRouting), and a set of technical and fundamental tools to help you in your investment decisions.
Beginners and intermediate investors have educational tools to explore, but the learning curve will be steep. That´s why we mainly endorse it to more advanced traders. Besides, the customer service gives crystal clear answers to your doubts, so there is no need to go back and forth.
On the downside, Interactive Brokers’ fee structure is quite complex, the registration process is lengthy but fully online, and the broker doesn’t offer commission-free trading. However, when considering FX fees, narrower spreads, and the stock loan program, Interactive Brokers’ clients still get significant savings compared to most brokers.
Interactive Brokers also launched IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile trading app to trade Stocks, Options and ETFs, ideal for beginner investors. Some of the features of IBKR GlobalTrader include automatic currency conversions, fractional shares, demo account, and more.
Want to know more about Interactive Brokers? Check our Interactive Brokers Review.
Capital.com at a glance
78.10% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Founded in 2016, Capital.com is a fintech group of companies committed to building the world’s best trading experience. They utilise AI-enabled technology and integrations with the likes of Trading view to offer a unique trading experience.
With 500,000+ active users, Capital.com is a commission-free broker in stocks, ETFs and CFDs in indices, shares, cryptos, commodities and Forex. The only charges you will notice are spreads (the difference between the buy and sell prices) and overnight fees (only if you have leveraged positions).
The trading platforms on desktop and mobile are highly customised to your individual trading preferences. You have access to news feeds, extended trading hours and a wide range of orders types. Investors also have lots of educational content to explore, the minimum deposit is only €20 (except for a wire transfer: €250), and the customer service is available 24/7 through different channels (live chat, e-mail, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger,…).
Besides, Capital.com is supervised by top tier regulators such as FCA, CySEC, ASIC and NBRB. You are under Investment Protection Schemes, Negative Balance Protection, segregated funds, two-factor authentification and data protection.
On the downside, stock and ETF trading is not available in all countries, the platform does not offer Options or Bonds, and it may be overwhelming for beginners.
Want to know more about Capital.com? Check our Capital.com review.
Which platform should you choose?
Some factors you should know when choosing an online broker are the fees charged, if it is regulated by top-tier institutions such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the range of products it allows you to trade (not all platforms allow you to trade options in Singapore or Singapore-listed stocks), among others.
The best online broker in your specific case will depend on your profile, preference, and objectives. Explore the websites above and decide for yourself!
A reminder that the above should not be seen as investment advice and should be considered information only. Investors should do their own research and diligence about the services and opportunities best suited for their risk, returns, and impact strategy.
Happy investments!
Other FAQs
Is Webull available in Singapore?
Yes, Webull (Robinhood’s biggest competitor in the US) is available in Singapore.
Is Acorns available in Singapore?
No, Acorns is also not available in Singapore. Acorns is only available for US citizens.
What about other US-based investment platforms? Are Acorns, M1 Finance, and E*Trade available in Singapore?
No, Acorns, M1 Finance, and E*Trade are not available in Singapore either. Only US citizens/Green Card holders are eligible to open an account on these platforms.
How exactly does Robinhood make money?
The online broker earns money from interest earned on customers’ cash balances (money in your account not invested) by selling order information to third parties (high-frequency traders, for instance) and margin lending.
Regarding selling orders, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is still investigating Robinhood for not fully disclosing its practice of selling clients’ orders to high-speed trading firms.
Until October 2018, Robinhood would not clearly state that it was receiving payments for order flows. By law, any financial company must reveal all the material facts an investor would want to know before making any investment decision.
