Stock Trading App Development: The Whys and Hows
By Shrikant Srivastava
August 1, 2019 5 min read
Last update on: August 1, 2019

There was a time when investors had to call up the stock exchange who would then put them on hold as they were connected to a stockbroker who would in return charge money to buy stocks for the investors. 

The time is now gone. For good. 

Today, brokerage firms and other investment platforms have brought the whole process of stock buying and selling on mobile. This has given the investors the opportunity to trade in their own time, without any unnecessary guidance, right on the move. 

In this article, we are going to walk you through the process of how to get started with stock trading application development – giving you the reasons why it should be done and the process of how to make a stock market app. 

Let us set the base of the article with insight into which countries are topping the stock markets along with the age group of investors who are driving the shift from offline to online. 

Here are the countries that are leading the stock trading app market –

Distribution of countries with largest stock market

Let’s move on to the investors’ age range now. 

According to statistics shared by Statista, the online stock trading industry has found a very strong user base in the Millennials age group in 2018. 

Share-of-americans

Now that we have looked into the users’ age group and their geography, let us move on to the next part of the business – The need to invest in stock trading app development. 

Why Should you invest in Stock Trading App Development?

Aside from the obvious factor that there is a massive user base for the app category, across age groups, the ease that they offer are too big to overlook when listing down the benefits of developing stock trading app

Stock trading apps make it possible for busy investors to be updated on how their portfolios are moving. And in return of this ease, they easily agree to become the paid members of the app. 

All in all, the scope to benefit both in terms of money and fame is high when you think of stock trading app development. 

With the reason of why you should build stock trading app like Robinhood and E-Trade now known, let us move on to the next step that you will have to consider when thinking of starting your own stock trading app business. 

The competitors you will soon be leveling the grounds with. 

The Top 3 Stock Trading Apps of 2019

Top 3 Stock Trading Companies of 2019

Robinhood Stock Trading App

By offering free stock trades, Robinhood has become one of the best stock trading apps present today. The primary features of the app revolve around tracking the stocks that you own, searching, and trading stocks, etc. 

The free version of the application gives you access to stocks, ETFs, and Bitcoin but if you wish to invest in and out of Mutual Funds, you will have to take up the paid version. 

By offering a wide set of supreme features in its free version, Robinhood has become a classic example of how to develop a free stock trading app. 

Stash Stock Trading App

This app, which is also one of the best stock trading apps of 2019 is primarily for newbies who wish to make their own investment decision by playing safe along the way. It lets you invest as little as $5, while constantly educating you on how the investment world moves. 

The apps come loaded with a series of tips and articles to make the whole investment journey all the easier.

E-Trade

E-Trade used to be a pioneer in the online investing world. Based out of Silicon Valley, the brokerage started offering online trade with the help of America Online (AOL) and Compuserve. And soon they launched one of the best stock trading app – E-Trade app.

The app lets you view investments or enter trades for ETFs, stocks, and mutual funds, etc. 

These are only the cream of the stock market business apps that you will be aiming to reach once you enter the space. The actual list of operative apps is much extensive. 

Let us now look at the stock trading app features set that would help you take the journey and reach the stage where the top apps are at. These features are your answer to how to develop stock trading app similar to Robinhood and E-Trade

Features That Make Up For a Successful Stock Trading App

Features That Make Up For a Successful Stock Trading App

1. The check-in process

The authorization process has to be extremely easy and non-burdening for the users. It is at this stage when you should offer users multiple check-in options – use of pin code, biometrics, etc. This way, you will be able to ensure that their experience is safe. 

2. User profile 

Users should be given the option to save their personal information and preferences related to notifications or simply the frequency in which they want their account to get debited. 

3. Putting trades on stocks 

The one obvious feature that should be added in your stock trading app development process is giving the users the functionality to execute orders and monitor their flow of funds. 

4. Real-Time portfolios 

Nothing is deemed more beneficial than real-time updates when your users invest in stock trading app, through their time and money. Users should be given the ease to view their portfolios in real-time and they should be timely updated to give them a very clear idea of where they stand investment-wise. 

5. Deposits

Using this feature investors will be able to see the status of their deposits in real-time with minimal efforts. 

6. Search 

In your stock trading app for investors, your users should be given the option to search for active stocks and their present rate in the market. 

7. Analytics

The stock market participants would appreciate the opportunity to look at the statistics and analyze the end result of their trades, transactions, etc. 

8. Push Notifications

Another must-have part of your stock trading app development process would be to integrate push notifications. You should give your users notification of how their stocks have moved, but they should be timed in a way that they are not bothersome for the busy investors. 

Now when you are familiar with the stock trading app market and the feature set that it comes with, it is time to figure out your buyers personas. Knowing who you are developing the app for can be a real game-changer when you invest in stock trading app. 

Having worked on a number of stock trading applications, we have gathered insights into the people who are most likely to use an online stock trading application. And here’s what we found. 

Who Will Use Your Stock Trading App?

There are four categories of users that you will be majorly focusing your design, development, and promotion efforts on –

  • Young people who are still trying to figure out whether the stock investment game is for them
  • First-time investors who have very fewer skills but wish to start their trade journey right away. 
  • Professionals who value their time and want to have a quick in and out experience
  • Tech-savvy users who want to have all of their information and statistics in one place. 

At this stage, you are all set to take that next move and start planning the technicalities of how your stock trading application would run. The next thing to know is how much would it cost you to develop a stock trading app and the necessary tech stack that would go behind it. We will be covering that very soon in our next article. 

So be hooked to this space to get updated on when it will be up. 

Meanwhile, if you cannot wait for the information to come, get in touch with our FinTech app developers by filling the form below. 

FAQs About Stock Trading App Development

Which is the best stock trading mobile app?

There are a number of different options when you are looking to invest in stock trading app. Depending on your experience level, you can either go with Robinhood app  – if you are an experienced investor or with Stash, if you are a newbie. 

How to use stock trading apps?

This is the process that stock trading apps normally work on – 

  1. Link your bank account
  2. Set up a one-time transfer or periodic deposits into your Robinhood account 
  3. For trading a specific stock or for keeping it in the Watchlist, you will have to click on the Search option. 
  4. Once the stock and its current trade come up on the screen, you can choose to buy it which takes you to the page you actually have to buy the stock off of. 
  5. The selling option works almost the same as the Buying option.

Summary of Stock Trading App Development

Shrikant Srivastava
Shrikant Srivastava
VP Technology
In search for strategic sessions?
Let us understand your business thoroughly and help you
strategies your digital product.

Related Articles: