Best Brokers for AI Trading in 2026
Last updated October 2026
Short answer
For most investors, the best way to trade with AI is to keep a broker you already use and add Walnut: it connects several brokers, gives each holding a keep, trim or exit read against the S&P 500, and places the trades you approve at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple, Webull Canada and Webull US, in Walnut, Claude or ChatGPT. For API-driven AI agents, Alpaca and Interactive Brokers expose the most open programmatic access, with Alpaca maintaining an official MCP server and a free paper-trading sandbox. In 2026 seven brokers launched official AI connectors for their own accounts: IBKR (the AI drafts orders you submit), Robinhood (plus in-app Robinhood Agents), Webull, Public, tastytrade, Moomoo and TradeStation. If all your money is at one of them, its connector is a fine choice. Charles Schwab and Fidelity lead among full-service brokers with deep research; Schwab is rolling out its own in-app assistant, Charley, and neither has a connector for Claude or ChatGPT that we know of, so Walnut connects them read-only, for analysis rather than trading.
“Best broker for AI trading” sounds like one ranking, but it splits into three different questions. Do you want to write code so an AI agent trades programmatically? Do you want AI features built into the broker's own app? Or do you want to keep your current broker and add an AI layer on top? This guide covers eleven brokers (Interactive Brokers, Alpaca, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Robinhood, Webull, Public, SoFi, tastytrade, Moomoo and TradeStation) on the same fields, ranks them by use-case, and explains where Walnut fits as the AI layer you run over a broker rather than a broker itself. We are honest about where each one, including Walnut, is the wrong fit.
The three ways a broker meets AI trading
Before comparing brokers, it helps to name the three patterns, because a broker that is great for one is often weak for another.
- API-driven AI agents. The broker exposes a programmatic API (and sometimes an MCP server) so a bot or LLM agent reads data and places orders directly. Alpaca and Interactive Brokers lead here, and in 2026 most large brokers added an official MCP connector for their own accounts.
- Built-in broker AI. The AI lives inside the broker's own app. Public's Alpha, Robinhood's Cortex and the new Robinhood Agents are examples. It is the easiest to use, but the AI is confined to that broker.
- An AI layer across brokers. A separate tool connects the brokers you already have (with your login staying at each broker) and adds AI analysis and chat across all of them. Walnut is this kind. You keep your broker; the layer reads it and, where supported, trades it with your approval.
The right broker is the one that matches the pattern you actually want. For most investors that pattern is the third: keep your broker and add a layer that reads every account and trades only with your approval.
What makes a broker good for AI trading
When a broker claims to support AI trading, these are the specific things worth checking. A strong fit covers the ones that match your approach; a weak fit only gestures at AI in marketing.
- Open API or MCP access. Whether an outside agent can read data and place trades programmatically. Alpaca offers an official MCP server, and IBKR, Robinhood, Webull, Public, tastytrade, Moomoo and TradeStation launched official AI connectors in 2026. Schwab and Fidelity have none we know of.
- Third-party trade permission. Whether a connected tool can actually place orders, not just read. Through Walnut, E*Trade, moomoo, Public, tastytrade, Webull and others support trading, while Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity and IBKR are read-only. A broker's own connector may trade where Walnut cannot, but only on that broker.
- Built-in AI quality. If you prefer in-app AI, whether the assistant answers real questions about stocks and your account (Public's Alpha, Robinhood's Cortex) rather than restating a help article.
- Fractional shares. Essential when an AI builds a multi-stock portfolio from a fixed dollar amount. Most brokers here support fractional shares; Public adds a per-order minimum.
- Cost. Commissions (mostly zero on US stocks here), margin rates, premium AI tiers (like Robinhood Gold), and fund expenses. The headline price is rarely the whole cost.
- Read-only vs trade-enabled, and approval. Whether an AI can ever place an order without you confirming it. Autonomous bots and approval-gated assistants are different risk profiles.
- Security and data handling. The safer connections never store your broker login and default to read-only access through a regulated aggregator.
The brokers worth knowing for AI trading
Each broker below is described on the same six fields, so you can scan across them: what it is, its AI features, how an API or AI assistant can access it, fractional support and cost, who it suits, and one honest limitation. Walnut follows as the AI layer you run on top of these brokers rather than a broker itself.
Interactive Brokers (IBKR)
A professional-grade broker with the broadest market access in the category: US and international stocks, options, futures, bonds, and currencies, with low margin rates and deep order types.
- AI features: An official AI connector: certified Claude and ChatGPT connectors by June 8, 2026, opened to any MCP client on July 28, 2026. The AI drafts orders into an "AI Instructions" area and you submit them. Its documented trading APIs (TWS and Client Portal) remain the route for fully programmatic trading.
- API or AI-assistant access: Official AI connector (read plus drafted orders you submit) and a full programmatic API for read and trade. Read-only through Walnut.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares; very low commissions and margin rates, though the fee schedule is more complex than the zero-commission consumer apps.
- Best for: Advanced and international investors who want programmatic, API-driven AI trading with the widest instrument coverage.
- One honest limitation: Powerful but complex, and its AI connector stops at drafts: you submit every order. It covers IBKR accounts only.
Alpaca
A developer-first, commission-free brokerage built API-first, designed for programmatic trading rather than a consumer trading app. It is the broker most often wired directly into trading bots and AI agents.
- AI features: An official Alpaca MCP server that gives AI agents real-time market data, paper trading, and live execution; rich REST and streaming APIs that LLM-based agents call directly.
- API or AI-assistant access: Full API for read, trade, and paper trading, plus a maintained official MCP server, so connecting an AI agent is first-class rather than an afterthought.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares; commission-free on US stocks and ETFs, with a free paper-trading environment to test agents safely.
- Best for: Developers and quant-minded investors building AI agents that read data and place trades programmatically.
- One honest limitation: Developer-first: it expects you to write code or run an MCP server, so it is not a point-and-click app for non-technical users.
Charles Schwab
A large, full-service US broker (which absorbed TD Ameritrade) offering stocks, ETFs, options, and mutual funds, with deep research, banking, and a robo-advisor (Schwab Intelligent Portfolios).
- AI features: Charley, a generative AI assistant announced September 30, 2026 and rolling out in phases from October on Schwab.com and Schwab Mobile, answers account questions by voice or text and completes select tasks such as watchlists and alerts. Portfolio Insights (May 2026) summarizes portfolio moves and market news, and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios automates a diversified allocation. Schwab has no connector for Claude or ChatGPT that we know of.
- API or AI-assistant access: Trading API access for approved developers; connectable to AI assistants through tools like Walnut for reading only, not trading.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares of S&P 500 stocks (Schwab Stock Slices); commission-free US stock and ETF trades.
- Best for: Investors who want a large, established broker with research depth plus an automated-allocation option.
- One honest limitation: Charley works only inside Schwab and its launch announcement does not list placing trades; Schwab has no connector for outside assistants that we know of, and outside AI tools can read a Schwab account but not trade it.
Fidelity
A large, full-service US broker known for low-cost index funds (including zero-expense-ratio funds), strong research, and a wide product range across brokerage, retirement, and cash management.
- AI features: Deep research, screeners, and planning tools, and a robo-advisor (Fidelity Go); Fidelity has experimented with AI-assisted research and customer features, but has no first-party AI connector that we know of.
- API or AI-assistant access: Connectable to third-party AI tools such as Walnut for reading and analysis only; no official connector lets an outside AI agent trade.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares (Stocks by the Slice); commission-free US stock and ETF trades and notably low-cost funds.
- Best for: Long-term investors who want low-cost funds, strong research, and an automated option, and who connect AI tools mainly for analysis.
- One honest limitation: Less open as a programmatic trading platform for AI agents, so AI use leans toward analysis rather than agent-driven execution.
Robinhood
A mobile-first, commission-free broker that popularized fractional shares and simple investing, with stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto and a paid Gold tier.
- AI features: Cortex for market and stock context, an official Agentic Trading MCP (May 27, 2026) that lets an outside assistant trade equities, options and crypto, and Robinhood Agents (September 30, 2026), in-app agents that can analyze markets, build strategies and trade, with Loops standing instructions.
- API or AI-assistant access: Its own official connector can place orders on Robinhood accounts. Through Walnut and other aggregated tools it connects for reading only.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares; commission-free trading, with the deepest AI features reserved for the paid Gold tier.
- Best for: Investors who keep everything at Robinhood and want an AI agent that can trade there, in the app or from Claude or ChatGPT.
- One honest limitation: Its connector and agents cover Robinhood accounts only, and through Walnut Robinhood is read-only.
Webull
A commission-free broker with advanced charting and an active-trader feel, covering US stocks, ETFs, options, and (in many regions) crypto, popular with more hands-on traders.
- AI features: Advanced charting, indicators, screening and AI-assisted market features in-app, plus, from August 2026, an official MCP and native ChatGPT, Claude and Grok connectors with order caps and a read-only mode.
- API or AI-assistant access: Its own official connectors for Webull accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and (with your approval) trade Webull US and Webull Canada accounts.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares; commission-free US stock and ETF trades, with a more trading-oriented interface than the beginner apps.
- Best for: Active traders who want advanced charts and a broker that third-party AI tools can actually trade in.
- One honest limitation: The interface and feature set lean toward active trading, which can be more than a hands-off, long-term investor needs.
Public
A modern investing app for stocks, ETFs, bonds, and a high-yield cash option, with a clean interface and a focus on transparency, including AI-assisted context on companies inside the app.
- AI features: An in-app AI assistant (Alpha), plus Agentic Brokerage (launched March 31, 2026): an official hosted MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity that lets an outside assistant act on a Public account.
- API or AI-assistant access: Its own hosted connector for Public accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and place trades with your approval. Public enforces a per-order minimum on fractional trades.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares; commission-free equity trades. Fractional orders carry a small per-order minimum, so very tiny single-stock buys are not possible.
- Best for: Investors who want a clean modern app with in-app AI and an official hosted connector for outside assistants.
- One honest limitation: The per-order fractional minimum means each leg of a many-stock portfolio has to clear that floor, which matters for small accounts.
SoFi (SoFi Invest)
An all-in-one money app bundling brokerage, automated investing, banking, and lending, aimed at beginners who want investing alongside the rest of their finances.
- AI features: Automated investing plus an AI-flavored financial coach inside the app; the AI is oriented toward guidance and the broader money product rather than open agent access.
- API or AI-assistant access: Primarily an in-app experience; third-party AI-agent and trading-API access is limited compared with Alpaca or IBKR.
- Fractional and cost: Supports fractional shares; commission-free stock and ETF trades; automated investing charges 0.25% of account value a year (as of October 2026).
- Best for: Beginners who want investing, banking, and automated portfolios in one app with light AI guidance.
- One honest limitation: Lighter on deep research and on open access for outside AI agents, so it suits in-app use more than programmatic AI trading.
Walnut (the AI layer on top)
Not a broker: the free AI layer that adds AI trading to brokers you already use. It connects several brokerages securely and then acts on them with you, in Walnut, Claude or ChatGPT, with every trade routed back through your own broker after you approve it. A broker's own connector covers only that broker.
- AI features: A keep, trim or exit read on each holding against the S&P 500, a thesis turned into a basket with target weights, trades you approve at 10 brokers, and recurring buys toward those target weights that spend cash already in your brokerage account.
- API or AI-assistant access: Sits on top of many brokers; your login stays with your broker. Read-only by default; it places trades only with your approval, at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple, Webull Canada and Webull US. Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard and IBKR are read-only; Alpaca and TradeStation are not offered.
- Fractional and cost: Free, with no commissions from Walnut; uses your broker's fractional support and pricing.
- Best for: Investors who want AI trading without changing brokers: approved trades at 10 brokers, and analysis across all of them.
- One honest limitation: It is a layer, not a broker, so you must connect an existing account, and trades route to one default trading account. Broker feeds rarely pass cost basis (returns are framed as window returns, not realized profit and loss).
tastytrade
An options-focused US broker built for active, derivatives-minded traders.
- AI features: An official self-hosted MCP server, released in September 2026, that connects an assistant to a tastytrade account.
- API or AI-assistant access: Its own self-hosted server for tastytrade accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and place trades with your approval.
- Fractional and cost: Pricing not compared here; check tastytrade's own pricing page.
- Best for: Options traders comfortable running a small server, or who want tastytrade inside a cross-broker view.
- One honest limitation: Its own connector is self-hosted and covers tastytrade accounts only; check its documentation for which actions it exposes.
Moomoo
An active-trader app known for deep market data and analysis tools.
- AI features: An official hosted MCP, one of the first-party broker connectors launched in 2026, with nothing for you to run.
- API or AI-assistant access: Its own hosted connector for Moomoo accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and place trades with your approval.
- Fractional and cost: Pricing not compared here; check Moomoo's own pricing page.
- Best for: Moomoo customers who want an assistant on their account without hosting anything.
- One honest limitation: Its connector covers Moomoo accounts only; check its documentation for which actions it exposes.
TradeStation
An active-trader and strategy platform with a long history of automated trading tools.
- AI features: An official MCP, launched in January 2026, one of the earliest broker AI connectors.
- API or AI-assistant access: Its own connector for TradeStation accounts, which needs a $10,000 account balance and a paid Claude or ChatGPT plan. Not offered through Walnut.
- Fractional and cost: Pricing not compared here; check TradeStation's own pricing page.
- Best for: Established TradeStation customers who already meet the balance requirement.
- One honest limitation: The $10,000 balance and paid-plan requirements rule out smaller accounts, and the connector covers TradeStation accounts only.
At a glance
| Broker | AI / third-party access | Fractional & cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut (the AI layer on top) | Sits on top of many brokers; your login stays with your broker. Read-only by default; it places trades only with your approval, at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple, Webull Canada and Webull US. Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard and IBKR are read-only; Alpaca and TradeStation are not offered | Free, with no commissions from Walnut; uses your broker's fractional support and pricing | Investors who want AI trading without changing brokers: approved trades at 10 brokers, and analysis across all of them |
| Alpaca | Full API for read, trade, and paper trading, plus a maintained official MCP server, so connecting an AI agent is first-class rather than an afterthought | Supports fractional shares; commission-free on US stocks and ETFs, with a free paper-trading environment to test agents safely | Developers and quant-minded investors building AI agents that read data and place trades programmatically |
| Interactive Brokers (IBKR) | Official AI connector (read plus drafted orders you submit) and a full programmatic API for read and trade. Read-only through Walnut | Supports fractional shares; very low commissions and margin rates, though the fee schedule is more complex than the zero-commission consumer apps | Advanced and international investors who want programmatic, API-driven AI trading with the widest instrument coverage |
| Charles Schwab | Trading API access for approved developers; connectable to AI assistants through tools like Walnut for reading only, not trading | Supports fractional shares of S&P 500 stocks (Schwab Stock Slices); commission-free US stock and ETF trades | Investors who want a large, established broker with research depth plus an automated-allocation option |
| Fidelity | Connectable to third-party AI tools such as Walnut for reading and analysis only; no official connector lets an outside AI agent trade | Supports fractional shares (Stocks by the Slice); commission-free US stock and ETF trades and notably low-cost funds | Long-term investors who want low-cost funds, strong research, and an automated option, and who connect AI tools mainly for analysis |
| Robinhood | Its own official connector can place orders on Robinhood accounts. Through Walnut and other aggregated tools it connects for reading only | Supports fractional shares; commission-free trading, with the deepest AI features reserved for the paid Gold tier | Investors who keep everything at Robinhood and want an AI agent that can trade there, in the app or from Claude or ChatGPT |
| Webull | Its own official connectors for Webull accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and (with your approval) trade Webull US and Webull Canada accounts | Supports fractional shares; commission-free US stock and ETF trades, with a more trading-oriented interface than the beginner apps | Active traders who want advanced charts and a broker that third-party AI tools can actually trade in |
| Public | Its own hosted connector for Public accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and place trades with your approval. Public enforces a per-order minimum on fractional trades | Supports fractional shares; commission-free equity trades. Fractional orders carry a small per-order minimum, so very tiny single-stock buys are not possible | Investors who want a clean modern app with in-app AI and an official hosted connector for outside assistants |
| SoFi (SoFi Invest) | Primarily an in-app experience; third-party AI-agent and trading-API access is limited compared with Alpaca or IBKR | Supports fractional shares; commission-free stock and ETF trades; automated investing charges 0.25% of account value a year (as of October 2026) | Beginners who want investing, banking, and automated portfolios in one app with light AI guidance |
| tastytrade | Its own self-hosted server for tastytrade accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and place trades with your approval | Pricing not compared here; check tastytrade's own pricing page | Options traders comfortable running a small server, or who want tastytrade inside a cross-broker view |
| Moomoo | Its own hosted connector for Moomoo accounts, and connectable through Walnut, which can read and place trades with your approval | Pricing not compared here; check Moomoo's own pricing page | Moomoo customers who want an assistant on their account without hosting anything |
| TradeStation | Its own connector for TradeStation accounts, which needs a $10,000 account balance and a paid Claude or ChatGPT plan. Not offered through Walnut | Pricing not compared here; check TradeStation's own pricing page | Established TradeStation customers who already meet the balance requirement |
Ranked by how you want to use AI
For most investors the first group is the answer: AI trading on top of the brokers you already use, where Walnut leads. Coding an agent, a broker's own AI, and a full-service broker with research are different needs, ranked separately below with the stronger fit first.
Best for AI trading without changing brokers
If you want to keep the broker you already use and add AI that can act on it, the question is which layer reads your account and places the trades you approve.
- Walnut (the AI layer on top). Several brokers in one assistant: a keep, trim or exit read on each holding against the S&P 500, baskets built from a thesis, and trades you approve at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple and Webull, including recurring buys toward target weights. Works in Walnut, Claude or ChatGPT.
Best for API-driven, agent-built AI trading
If you want to write code or run an MCP server so an AI agent reads data and places trades directly, these expose the most open programmatic access.
- Alpaca. API-first and commission-free, with an official MCP server for real-time data, paper trading, and live execution, so wiring up an AI agent is first-class.
- Interactive Brokers (IBKR). Documented trading APIs and the broadest instrument coverage, plus an official AI connector that drafts orders for you to submit.
Best for the broker's own AI, in the app or as an official connector
If all your money is at one broker, its own AI is the shortest path. These have the most developed first-party AI as of October 2026.
- Robinhood. Cortex, an official Agentic Trading MCP, and in-app Robinhood Agents that can analyze, build strategies and trade.
- Public. In-app Alpha plus a hosted MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity (Agentic Brokerage).
- Webull. Native ChatGPT, Claude and Grok connectors with order caps and a read-only mode.
Best full-service broker with research and an automated option
If you want a large, established broker with deep research and the option of automated allocation, with AI used mainly for analysis, these lead.
- Charles Schwab. Research depth, the new Charley assistant inside Schwab, and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios for automated allocation; outside AI tools connect for analysis only.
- Fidelity. Low-cost funds, strong research, and Fidelity Go for automation; best connected to AI tools for analysis rather than agent-driven trading.
Which brokers have built-in AI?
A handful build AI directly into their own apps, which is the easiest way to use it but keeps the AI confined to that broker. Public has an in-app assistant called Alpha that answers plain-language questions about stocks and the market. Robinhood has Cortex for market and stock context and, since September 30, 2026, Robinhood Agents that can analyze markets, build strategies and trade, with Loops standing instructions. SoFi pairs automated investing with an AI-flavored financial coach inside its all-in-one money app. Charles Schwab and Fidelity lean more on deep research tools and robo-advisors (Schwab Intelligent Portfolios and Fidelity Go) than on a conversational chatbot over your specific holdings. If you want AI without leaving your broker, Robinhood and Public have the most visible native features today.
Can I connect a broker to an AI assistant?
Yes, in more ways than a year ago. Claude on its own cannot see your holdings. ChatGPT can for US users who link accounts through its Finances feature, but it cannot make trades or work toward target weights. Seven brokers now run official connectors for their own accounts (IBKR, Robinhood, Webull, Public, tastytrade, Moomoo, TradeStation), and if all your money is at one of them, that connector is a fine choice. If it is spread across brokers, a tool like Walnut is one connection across them, keeps your login with each broker, and gives the assistant read access to your real positions: your concentration, your performance versus the S&P 500, what has changed. Through Walnut, trading with your approval is supported at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple, Webull Canada and Webull US, while Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard and IBKR connect read-only. Developers also have Alpaca's official MCP server.
Which broker is best for AI trading?
The honest answer is that it splits by approach, so the “best” broker is the one matching how you want to use AI. For building an AI agent that trades programmatically, Alpaca is the strongest fit: it is API-first, commission-free, and ships an official MCP server plus a free paper-trading sandbox to test agents safely. Interactive Brokers offers the broadest market access with documented trading APIs and an official AI connector that drafts orders for you to submit. For a broker's own AI with no setup, Robinhood, Public and Webull lead. For a full-service broker with research and an automated option, Charles Schwab and Fidelity lead. And if you would rather keep the brokers you already use and add AI across all of them, which is what most investors want, start with Walnut: one connection across several brokers, with the trades you approve placed at 10 of them.
How we evaluated these
We limited the field to brokers (plus the layer that sits on top of them) that have a real AI-trading angle, whether that is an API for agents, native in-app AI, or third-party connectability. Within that set we weighed a few things specific to AI trading:
- Access model: whether an outside AI agent can read and trade via an API, MCP server or official connector, and whether it places orders or only drafts them.
- Built-in AI depth: how far the broker's own assistant goes past marketing into real questions about stocks and your account.
- Trade permissions and approval: read-only vs trade-enabled through aggregators, and whether anything can trade without your confirmation.
- Fractional support and total cost: commissions, margin, premium AI tiers, fund expenses, and per-order minimums.
- Honesty of the marketing: we marked down anything implying AI guarantees market-beating returns, because no broker or tool can promise that.
For most investors we put Walnut first, because it adds AI trading to the brokers they already use; the broker picks depend on how you want to use AI and how hands-on you are. Features, pricing, and supported-broker lists change; treat the specifics here as a starting point and verify on each provider's site.
Where Walnut fits
To be upfront, since this is our site: Walnut is not a broker. It is the AI layer you run on top of the broker you already use, and for an investor who wants AI trading without changing brokers it is the first pick. It also runs recurring buys toward a basket's target weights, spending cash already in your brokerage account (Walnut never moves money). A broker's own connector covers that one broker; Walnut is one connection across many, with your login staying at each broker, and lets you analyze and manage what you hold by talking through Claude, ChatGPT, or a built-in assistant. Its dashboard frames each holding's return against the S&P 500 and classifies it as outperforming, in line, or lagging, alongside momentum and concentration reads, and you can build thematic portfolios around a thesis and invest into them. Because broker feeds rarely pass cost basis, Walnut uses a window-return framing rather than realized profit and loss, and says so. It is read-only by default, every trade needs your approval, and it can place trades at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple, Webull Canada and Webull US; Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard and IBKR connect read-only. If all your money is at one broker with its own connector, that connector is a fine choice. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
Where Walnut is the wrong choice
Just as importantly, here is when going to a broker directly fits the job better:
- You want to build an AI agent that trades programmatically. Alpaca is API-first with an official MCP server and paper trading; Walnut is a no-code layer, not a developer platform.
- You want the broadest instrument coverage with deep programmatic control. Interactive Brokers spans global stocks, options, futures, and bonds with documented APIs; Walnut focuses on US equities and ETFs through your broker.
- All your money is at one broker with its own AI. Robinhood (MCP and Robinhood Agents), Public, Webull, IBKR, tastytrade, Moomoo and TradeStation each have an official connector for their own accounts.
- You do not have a brokerage account yet. Walnut sits on top of one, so you would open an account at a broker like Public, Schwab, Fidelity, or Alpaca first.
- You want a robo-advisor to run your money for you. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Fidelity Go, or SoFi's automated investing manage a portfolio; Walnut keeps you in control with approval on every trade.
- Your only broker is Robinhood and you want an AI to trade it. Robinhood is read-only through Walnut; Robinhood's own Agentic Trading MCP or Robinhood Agents can trade it.
From a connected account you can dig into a specific stock, an ETF you hold, or a theme you want exposure to. For the wider field, see the best AI investing apps roundup, or how to connect your brokerage to an AI assistant.
Get a recommendation for your situation
Walnut is the AI that knows your portfolio: ask anything in plain English, research any fund, and get an honest second opinion. On the broker you already use, read-only, and you approve every trade. Walnut is not a registered investment adviser.
FAQ
What is the best broker for AI trading in 2026?
For most investors, the best setup is the broker you already use plus Walnut: it places the trades you approve at 10 brokers (including E*Trade, Public, tastytrade and Webull), reads every connected account against the S&P 500, and works in Claude or ChatGPT. For coding your own agent, Alpaca and Interactive Brokers. Seven brokers also launched official AI connectors in 2026, each for its own accounts.
Which brokers have built-in AI?
Several layer AI inside their own apps. Public has Alpha. Robinhood has Cortex and, since September 30, 2026, Robinhood Agents that can analyze markets, build strategies and trade. SoFi pairs automated investing with an AI-flavored coach. Beyond the apps, IBKR, Robinhood, Webull, Public, tastytrade, Moomoo and TradeStation all launched official connectors for Claude, ChatGPT or other assistants in 2026. Schwab announced Charley on September 30, 2026, an in-app assistant that answers account questions and completes select tasks, and Fidelity runs a virtual assistant; both still lean on research tools and robo-advisors (Intelligent Portfolios, Fidelity Go) for hands-off investing.
Can I connect a broker to an AI assistant like Claude or ChatGPT?
Yes. Claude on its own cannot see your holdings. ChatGPT can for US users who link accounts through its Finances feature, though it cannot make trades and may miss holdings at some institutions. Seven brokers now offer official connectors for their own accounts. Walnut connects several brokers, keeps your login with each broker, and gives the assistant read access to your real positions through its connector; the trades you approve are placed in the Walnut app at 10 brokers.
Which broker is best for AI trading?
It splits by approach. Alpaca is the strongest API-first choice for building an AI agent that trades programmatically, with an official MCP server and a free paper-trading sandbox. Interactive Brokers offers the broadest market access, with an official AI connector that drafts orders for you to submit. Robinhood's MCP and in-app agents can trade on Robinhood accounts. If your money is at several brokers, an AI layer like Walnut sits on top of all of them. Match the broker to whether you want to code, use in-app AI, or add a layer.
Does Alpaca support AI trading?
Yes, more directly than most. Alpaca is a developer-first, commission-free broker built API-first, and it maintains an official MCP server that gives AI agents real-time data, paper trading, and live execution. That makes it the broker most often wired straight into trading bots and AI agents. The trade-off is that it expects you to write code or run a server, so it is not a point-and-click app.
Can I trade my Robinhood account with an AI tool?
Yes, through Robinhood's own tools. Its official Agentic Trading MCP (May 27, 2026) lets an assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT trade equities, options and crypto on a Robinhood account, and Robinhood Agents (September 30, 2026) can trade inside the app. Through Walnut and other aggregated tools, Robinhood is read-only, so they can analyze it next to your other brokers but not trade it.
Which brokers can a third-party AI tool actually place trades in?
It depends on the route. Through Walnut, trades (with your approval) are supported at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple, Webull Canada and Webull US; Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard and IBKR are read-only. Separately, brokers' own connectors let an assistant trade or draft orders on that broker only, for example Robinhood, Webull and Public, while IBKR's AI drafts orders you submit. Access changes, so verify before relying on it.
Do I have to switch brokers to use AI for investing?
No. Many brokers now ship their own AI, in the app or as an official connector, and if your broker is one of them you can use that. If it is not, or your money is at several brokers, a tool like Walnut connects the accounts you already have securely and adds conversational analysis on top, read-only by default, so you keep your existing accounts.
What is the cheapest broker for AI trading?
Most consumer brokers here are commission-free on US stocks and ETFs (Alpaca, Schwab, Fidelity, Robinhood, Webull, Public, SoFi), so cost differences are usually in margin rates, premium tiers, and fund expenses rather than per-trade commissions. Alpaca is free and includes a paper-trading sandbox for testing agents. Watch for paid AI tiers (such as Robinhood Gold) and any per-order fractional minimums (such as Public's).
Is an AI trading bot the same as an AI investing assistant?
No. An AI trading bot runs an automated strategy and places trades on its own, which suits API-first brokers like Alpaca. An AI investing assistant is conversational: you ask questions about your holdings and it explains, suggests, or (with approval) helps you act. Walnut is the assistant kind, read-only by default, with any trade requiring your approval, rather than an autonomous bot.
How does Walnut work with these brokers?
Walnut is not a broker; it is the AI layer you run on top of one, with one connection across many brokers. Your login stays with each broker; Walnut reads your holdings and lets you analyze and manage them by talking through Claude, ChatGPT, or a built-in assistant, with each holding framed against the S&P 500. It is read-only by default and places trades only with your approval, at E*Trade, moomoo, Public, Questrade, Stake Australia, tastytrade, Trading212, Wealthsimple, Webull Canada and Webull US. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
Walnut is informational and is not an investment adviser. Broker features, pricing, supported-broker lists, and availability change; verify current details on each provider's site before deciding. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or to use any particular broker or product.