How to Create an Investing App in 2026: Must-Have Features and Cost

The investing market includes several distinct product models, each built around different user goals and asset classes. When planning investment app development, you need to define the segment you target, as licensing and feature sets vary significantly across these categories.

Below are examples of investment apps across the most common categories.

Investment app development requires preparations. It’s better to decide on the apSelf-directed platforms that enable users to trade public equities and ETFs with real-time data, advanced order execution, technical charting, and portfolio analytics. Designed for active or semi-active investors who require direct market access and execution control.

Example: Robinhood, ETRADE, Charles Schwab, Fidelity.

Automated investing platforms that build and rebalance portfolios based on user goals and risk tolerance. These solutions simplify long-term investing through algorithmic asset allocation, sometimes complemented by optional human advisory services.

Example: Betterment, Wealthfront, SoFi Invest, Nutmeg, Ellevest.

Comprehensive systems designed for high-net-worth individuals and professional investors. They support portfolio management, financial planning, tax optimization, and consolidated reporting across multiple accounts within a regulated framework.

Example: Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, UBS Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management, JPMorgan Private Bank.

Platforms that enable users to trade and manage digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, often incorporating custody solutions, staking features, and regulatory compliance mechanisms. In regulated markets, integration with traditional finance infrastructure is increasingly common.

Example: Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Gemini, Crypto.com.

Platforms that provide retail access to non-traditional assets such as real estate or art through fractional ownership models. These apps focus on long-term growth and portfolio diversification.

Example: Fundrise, Yieldstreet, Masterworks, Republic, CrowdStreet.

Integrated platforms that allow users to manage multiple asset classes within a single interface, combining equities, funds, crypto, and selected alternatives. This unified model increases engagement and centralizes portfolio oversight.

Example: eToro, Revolut, Public, Interactive Brokers, M1 Finance.

Building an investment product requires structured planning. If you are researching how to create an investing app that complies with financial regulations, you need a clear execution roadmap. Below is a practical framework that reflects how real FinTech platforms move from idea to launch.

Start by defining your target audience, as it directly affects the depth of features and the infrastructure load. Your target audience also determines which investment options your platform should support in the MVP, such as stocks, ETFs, crypto assets, or other instruments. For instance:

• Beginners expect automation and simple interfaces.
• Day traders demand advanced charts and complex order types.
• Long-term investors prioritize diversification and low fees.

Analyze direct competitors such as Robinhood, Acorns, eToro, or Betterment. Study their positioning, asset coverage, onboarding flow, and monetization structure. Your goal is not replication but differentiation. Combine competitor insights with emerging market trends to define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

You must also select a monetization model at this stage. The most common models include:

Monetization impacts licensing requirements and even database architecture. For example, robo-advisory apps often rely on AUM-based fees, while trading platforms may focus on spreads or subscription tiers.

In the United States, investment apps operating as broker-dealers must register with the SEC and become members of FINRA. In the European Union, the GDPR governs the handling of personal data, while MiFID II may apply depending on the services offered. Cryptocurrency platforms often face additional AML, KYC, and custody regulations that vary by jurisdiction.

Your legal obligations depend on your target markets, the asset classes you offer, and whether you operate as a broker, intermediary, or technology provider. Compliance planning must begin before development because it affects integrations, reporting logic, audit trails, and user data storage.

If you are unsure how regulatory requirements affect your architecture, our IT consulting services can help you define the right compliance and security strategy before development begins.

Choosing the right development partner reduces operational risk and accelerates delivery. Evaluate vendors based on five key factors:

• FinTech delivery experience
• Security and compliance expertise
• Integration capabilities with KYC
• Payment and brokerage systems
• Transparency in estimation and roadmap planning

Cleveroad has more than 15 years of experience delivering FinTech and investment solutions, including investment applications, for startups, SMBs, and enterprise businesses. We design secure architectures aligned with regulatory frameworks and implement platforms capable of handling high transaction volumes. Our clients consistently leave positive feedback about our collaboration, highlighting the team’s professionalism and strong dedication to achieving the best results.

One of our FinTech clients, Kirk Donohoe, CPO at Mangopay, shared their experience collaborating with us in this video testimonial:

Launching a focused Minimum Viable Product (MVP) reduces financial and regulatory risk. Core features of an investing app MVP typically include:

• User registration
• Identity verification through KYC
• Portfolio tracking dashboards
• Bank account linkage via providers such as Plaid
• Basic buy and sell flows with transaction history

Each feature must be documented as acceptance criteria that define expected behavior and edge cases. Advanced functionality such as social trading, derivatives support, tax optimization, or algorithmic trading tools should be scheduled for later releases. Clear prioritization protects the budget and accelerates time-to-market.

When you develop an investment app, you need a secure and scalable infrastructure. Select backend infrastructure capable of handling low-latency transaction processing and ensuring transactional consistency, and cloud infrastructure that supports high availability.

Integration planning is equally critical. Most platforms rely on third-party services such as KYC providers, payment processors, brokerage APIs, and real-time market data feeds from providers like Bloomberg or Yahoo Finance. API reliability directly affects user trust, while integration pricing models influence long-term operational costs.

Development typically follows agile iterations with continuous QA involvement. Testing must include functional validation, security verification, and load testing under peak trading conditions.

FinTech products require production-like staging environments before release. Final readiness checks should include security audits and penetration testing to ensure protection against unauthorized access and transaction manipulation.

App store release requires legal disclosures and operational readiness. After launch, teams must monitor transaction accuracy, API reliability, and user engagement to ensure operational stability.

Ongoing maintenance includes feature updates, regulatory adjustments, and regular security patches. Maintenance planning should be included in the initial budget, as investment platforms operate in dynamic financial and regulatory environments that demand continuous adaptation.

A competitive investment platform must balance usability, security, and regulatory compliance from the first release. The features below form the operational foundation of a reliable investing app.

Secure registration with KYC and identity checks ensures compliance with financial regulations and reduces fraud risks from day one. This flow typically includes document verification, biometric validation, AML screening, and secure data storage aligned with regional legal standards.

Access to real-time or near-real-time quotes and basic analytics helps users explore investment opportunities before placing trades. Reliable data feeds and transparent price updates directly influence user confidence and engagement.

Users need a clear and structured overview of their assets, balances, historical performance, and transaction records across supported instruments. A well-designed dashboard improves trust and helps investors understand allocation, returns, and portfolio diversification at a glance within the app.

Core buy-and-sell functionality must support common order types, such as market and limit orders, with clear confirmations and real-time transaction status tracking. Fast and accurate execution is critical for both active traders and long-term investors.

Secure integration with banks supports funding an investment account and internal transfers. Services such as Plaid are commonly used to simplify bank connectivity while maintaining security and regulatory alignment.

Investment apps must implement strong encryption, secure authentication mechanisms, multi-factor verification, and role-based access controls. Continuous monitoring protects against unauthorized activity and suspicious transactions. Academic research also emphasizes that cybersecurity frameworks and risk-based access control significantly improve trust in digital financial platforms (Source: Journal of Securities Operations & Custody).

Built-in regulatory reporting, audit logs, and automated document generation help businesses meet obligations imposed by financial authorities. Transparent reporting also improves credibility with users and partners.

Timely push notifications and in-app alerts inform users about executed trades, portfolio changes, price movements, or compliance-related updates. Real-time communication increases engagement and prevents missed market events.

An internal dashboard allows operational teams to monitor transactions, manage user accounts, and resolve disputes. This layer supports daily operations and reduces manual workload.

Backend architecture must support peak trading activity and high data volumes without performance degradation. Continuous system health monitoring ensures uptime stability and protects user experience during market volatility.

Investment app development costs typically range from $90,000 to $250,000+, depending on complexity, regulatory scope, integrations, and security requirements. A simple stock-trading MVP with basic onboarding and portfolio tracking sits closer to the lower range. A multi-asset platform with advanced analytics and robust compliance controls falls into the upper range.

Below is an approximate MVP cost breakdown based on core investment app features.

These numbers reflect an average blended development rate and assume a cross-functional team including backend and frontend engineers, QA specialists, and a project manager.

If you plan to add advanced features such as robo-advisory logic, social trading, AI-based recommendations, or multi-region regulatory support, the total investment increases accordingly.

Cleveroad is a FinTech software development company with more than 15 years of experience delivering secure and scalable digital products. We build custom financial platforms for startups, SMBs, and enterprises, including investment apps, digital banking systems, payment solutions, lending platforms, and crypto products. Our teams support clients through the entire product lifecycle, covering business analysis, UI/UX design, backend engineering, DevOps, and compliance expertise to launch regulated FinTechfintech solutions across global markets.

Here what benefits you’ll receive by cooperating with Cleveroad:

• FinTech domain expertise with regulatory awareness: We understand how SEC-related obligations, GDPR, AML requirements, and financial reporting standards shape product architecture.
• Security-first development approach: Cleveroad operates under ISO-certified processes, including ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 standards, ensuring structured quality management and information security practices.
• End-to-end product delivery: From market research and MVP definition to scalable backend architecture and post-launch support, we provide full-cycle development services
• Reliable third-party integrations: Our engineers have hands-on experience integrating complex financial APIs while maintaining performance and cost control.
• Scalable architecture for growth: We design cloud-native systems that handle peak trading loads, high transaction volumes, and real-time data streams. Our DevOps teams ensure continuous monitoring, performance optimization, and secure infrastructure scaling.
• Transparent collaboration and predictable delivery: We provide structured estimations, clear documentation, and regular reporting throughout development. Clients receive full visibility into timelines, milestones, and budget allocation.

To demonstrate our expertise in investment software development, we’d like to show you one of our recent projects - a micro-investment platform for the Middle East market.

One of our clients, an investment company established in 1988, aimed to launch a micro-investment platform for retail users with limited capital. The company wanted to make investing accessible through small, automated contributions while ensuring regulatory compliance and secure financial operations. They approached Cleveroad to design and develop a scalable platform that would support fractional investments and integration with financial institutions.

To meet our customer’s business goals, we built a secure micro-investment platform with streamlined user registration and identity verification flows aligned with KYC requirements. Our team implemented automated portfolio allocation logic and integrations with banking and payment providers to enable seamless deposits and withdrawals. We designed an intuitive dashboard that allowed users to track their investments and transaction history in real time. The backend architecture was built to support secure transaction processing and future scalability.

As a result, the client received a fully functional investment platform ready for market entry, with secure infrastructure and a clear path for scaling the user base. The solution enabled retail investors to start investing with small amounts, simplified portfolio management through automation, and provided the technical foundation necessary to expand features and enter new markets.