Years ago, "investing" was only associated with traditional stocks or bonds; that's no longer true. Today, you can invest in real estate, stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrency, venture capital, and even art! Even better, it is easier now, more than ever, for anyone to start investing for as little as a few bucks. However, it's imperative to research to determine the best investment opportunity for you.

Below are key points on some investment platforms available in 2025, so continue reading to learn more about them and how they differ!

Acorns

Overview

Acorns is an easy platform for anyone beginning their investment journey, as it offers users a way to invest passively. It acts as a robo-advisor that invests your spare change, and any other contributions you make, into a selection of about 25 low-cost, diversified ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds).

An ETF is an investment fund and exchange-traded product that combines features of mutual funds and individual stocks. ETFs are designed to track the performance of a specific index, commodity, bond, or basket of assets (like BlackRock's iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, which aims to replicate the performance of the S&P 500 index). With a debit or credit card linked to an Acorn account, investors can participate in the Acorns Round-Ups® program to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and watch their money go safely into an accretive ETF or fund their accounts through recurring or on-demand deposits.

Minimum Investment

To invest with Acorns, you will need a minimum of $5 to start investing.

Fees

Acorns invests your savings into ETFs selected based on your financial goals and risk-comfortability, and they allow users to contribute as little as $5 to their account with monthly flat fee rates between $3, $6, and $12, depending on your tier selection. 

Investor Type

Anyone can invest with Acorns.

Advantages

Acorns is relatively inexpensive and very approachable. Round-Ups® make it easy to put investing on autopilot. Because your contributions can be so small with this tool, investing becomes very accessible. For example, Acorns seems to be the perfect way for young people to put money away towards their future goals.

Roots

Overview

Roots, through its REIT (real estate investment trust), offers a portfolio of residential properties focused on the workforce housing segment currently in Atlanta and Augusta, GA, with expansion plans across the Southeast. Roots has a unique model in which renters of Roots' properties can get invested in the fund for being good renters. By simply paying rent on time, taking care of their property, and being a good neighbor, a Roots renter can earn rebates to invest in the fund. That opportunity is something that's incredibly important to find in a country where one in four Americans has less than $1,000 in savings. This program has led to low vacancy, low turnover costs, and great returns for its investors.

As a REIT, Roots is required to distribute at least 90% of its profits and allows investors to liquidate, quarterly. Since the fund's inception, Roots has distributed over $3.7 million (7/1/21-5/6/25).

Minimum Investment

Roots allows you to invest with a minimum of $100.

Fees

Roots has a low fee structure, with only a $5 transaction fee per investment, which drops a $3 transaction fee on any recurring investment. With Roots+, there are no transaction fees, so more of your money goes to work. Roots offers the ability to liquidate quarterly as well, $100k or up to 5% of the fund. If you need to liquidate your funds before one year, there is a 6% early withdrawal fee, but there are no withdrawal fees after the one-year point.

Type of Investor

Any US citizen who files taxes in the US can invest with Roots.

Advantages

Roots targets annual returns of 12-15%. However, Roots' average annual return is 17.20% (July 1, 2021-May 6, 2025), and the fund has returned 12.60% in the last year (5/7/24-5/6/2025). In Q1 of 2025 alone, Roots distributed $672,941 to its investors.

Beyond the returns, Roots gives you a way to invest in housing that aligns with your values. Through its Live In It Like You Own It® program, Roots renters can get invested in the fund simply by paying their rent on time and taking care of the property, aligning the incentives of everyone involved. Roots is on a mission to give everyone the opportunity to invest in real estate, even the renters who live in the properties.

Masterworks

Overview

Masterworks allows investors (accredited and non-accredited) to invest in fractional shares of fine, contemporary art pieces. Then, if said pieces are sold for profit, investors will see their investment returns. Masterworks has completed 23 successful sales as of January 1, 2025, after purchasing at least 415 pieces.

Masterworks charges a 1.5% annual management fee and 20% of any profits once a painting sells. Along with the substantial capital required to begin your investment and the subsequent fees investors pay after joining, investments can also take longer periods to pay off (due to the nature of art purchasing). That being said, they historically return between 10%-20% after fees.

Minimum Investment

Masterworks has a minimum investment of $15,000. However, on a case-by-case basis, this minimum can be waived.

Fees

Masterworks charges a 1.5% annual management fee and a one-time "expense allocation" fee. The company also takes 20% of any profits from an artwork’s sale. Other applicable fees may apply, which are detailed in the offering documentation that investors receive.

Type of Investor

Masterworks has the highest barriers to entry on this list. To invest with Masterworks, you need to be able to afford the costly first investment and pass a quick interview process, not nearly as inclusive as investing with Acorns or Roots, but perfect for the experienced investor or art connoisseur.

Advantages

While Masterworks may not be the first choice for most middle-class, novice investors, it's a great concept. Between 1995 and 2022, Contemporary Art specifically appreciated at a compound annual growth rate of 12.6%, outperforming the S&P 500. Masterworks has become the first platform to offer art investment products to the retail investing public. The company has sold almost two dozen paintings, all at a profit after fees. For those who are high-earners and want to diversify their portfolio, Masterworks is a unique solution with historically high returns.

Robinhood

Overview

Robinhood is a financial services platform that offers commission-free trading of stocks, options, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and cryptocurrencies. Robinhood’s app is made for everyday investors, offering a smooth, user-friendly experience right from your phone.

Robinhood appeals to the masses because their investment minimum is $1, and they don't have high annual management fees, making it perfect for anyone who likes to trade frequently. Robinhood pays investors an interest rate of 0.01% on uninvested capital in their account, 4% if you elect to pay $5 per month for Robinhood Gold, their premium account tier, which is actually a higher yield compared to several other similar brokers.

Minimum Investment

Robinhood has a $1 investment minimum.

Fees

Robinhood has a transaction fee of $0.000166 per share (equity sells) and $0.00279 per contract (options sells). The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is required to pay this fee to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by law. To generate the funds necessary to do so, FINRA passes the fee on to its members, including Robinhood, which passes this fee along to its customers (except for sales of 50 shares or less).

Type of Investor

Anyone can be an investor with Robinhood.

Advantages

The company is consistently one of the top downloaded finance apps on the App Store, and it's arguably the most accessible app to use for trading stocks because of its straightforward interface. Since there is almost no account minimum and it offers premium users a high interest rate on uninvested cash, it's a great app for learning how to buy and sell stocks.

Ready To Start Your Real Estate Investment Journey? Invest With Roots

Imagine owning real estate where the renters want it to succeed as much as you do.

Start investing with as little as $100, and own a piece of the only real estate fund that creates wealth for both its investors and its renters. It took us years to build Roots, but you can invest in as little as 5 minutes.

---

Sources

• Roots - Social Impact
• Roots - Performance
• Acorns - Investment Account
• Acorns - Pricing
• Acorns - Forms
• Masterworks
• Masterworks FAQ
• Masterworks Review 2024
• Masterworks review: Invest in art with fractional shares
• Masterworks Review 2025: Investing in Fine Art Made Effortless
• Ways to invest with Masterworks
• What’s Robinhood Gold?
• Robinhood
• Robinhood - Trading fees
• Robinhood - Invest
• 10 Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of June 2025: Up to 3.85% APY

The Roots Logo® are trademarks of Seed InvestCo, LLC. All other trademarks shown are the property of their respective owners.