How to buy

Brokers that offer Bitcoin ETFs

Every major US broker now carries spot crypto ETFs. We compare commissions, fractional trading, IRA access and direct crypto, plus what to do if you are outside the US.

Two and a half years ago this page would have been a short list with a lot of asterisks. Vanguard refused to carry the funds at all. Several platforms allowed sells but not buys. Advisory channels applied suitability screens that blocked most clients.

That era is over. As of September 2026 every major US brokerage carries spot crypto ETFs, and the differences between them have shifted from access to details — fractional trading, retirement account handling, and whether you can also buy the coins themselves on the same login.

Every major broker compared

Broker-by-broker walkthroughs

Each of these covers the specific order screen, account types, crypto availability and quirks of that platform.

What actually differs between them

Since commissions are zero everywhere and the funds themselves are identical, the meaningful variables are narrow. Here they are, roughly in order of how much they will affect you.

Fractional share support

This is the biggest practical difference for smaller accounts. Fidelity and Robinhood support dollar-based investing, so you can buy $50 of a fund regardless of its share price. Vanguard, E*TRADE and Merrill Edge require whole shares. At IBIT's price of roughly $43.74 on 2 September 2026 that is not a barrier, but on a higher-priced fund it constrains position sizing and makes regular contributions awkward.

Whether you can buy the coins too

Fidelity Crypto offers bitcoin and ether trading alongside the funds. Robinhood has traded crypto for years. Schwab announced direct bitcoin and ether trading in April 2026 to compete with Robinhood, and Morgan Stanley planned a retail crypto rollout on E*TRADE for the first half of 2026. Interactive Brokers offers crypto through a partner.

One caution worth repeating: broker-integrated crypto usually carries a wider spread than a dedicated exchange, offers fewer assets, and in some cases does not permit on-chain withdrawal at all. If withdrawal is not available, you have bought a fund-like product with worse tax paperwork. Check that specifically — the comparison is in buying crypto directly.

Order routing and tools

For most buyers this is irrelevant, and for active traders it matters. Schwab's thinkorswim offers genuine routing control and analytics. Interactive Brokers provides direct market access and tiered pricing. Everyone else routes through a standard retail wholesaler arrangement, which is fine for a limit order in a liquid fund and less good if you are working a large position.

Retirement account access

Every broker in the table supports crypto ETFs in self-directed IRAs, both Roth and traditional. This is the strongest argument for the ETF wrapper existing at all, since holding actual crypto in a retirement account requires a specialist custodian and considerably more friction.

Employer 401(k) plans are a different question entirely. The investment menu is chosen by the plan sponsor, and many still exclude crypto ETPs. If yours does, a self-directed IRA opened separately is the usual route, subject to contribution limits. Robinhood offers an IRA with a contribution match, which is unusual and worth pricing against its other trade-offs. Detail in Bitcoin ETF in a Roth IRA or 401(k).

Fractional shares in practice

Worth a note because the terminology varies and it trips people up.

Dollar-based investing at Fidelity and Robinhood lets you specify an amount rather than a share count, and the broker allocates a fractional position. This works for regular contributions of any size.

Schwab Stock Slices is fractional but restricted to S&P 500 companies, so it does not apply to crypto ETPs. Schwab customers buy whole shares.

Whole shares only at Vanguard, E*TRADE and Merrill Edge. Not an obstacle at $43 a share; a genuine constraint if you want precise position sizing or automated small contributions.

If you are outside the United States

US-listed spot crypto ETPs are not registered for retail distribution in many jurisdictions, and the answer depends heavily on where you are.

• Interactive Brokers serves the widest range of countries and handles multi-currency accounts, and is the most common route for non-US residents who can access US-listed products.
• UK residents can buy crypto ETNs on FCA-recognised exchanges since 8 October 2025 — but the ban on crypto ETFs and derivatives for retail clients remains. See crypto ETNs in the UK.
• Canada has had domestically listed spot crypto ETFs since 2021, which is usually simpler than reaching for US products. See Bitcoin ETFs in Canada.
• India has no domestic route, the GIFT City channel was restricted for residents in September 2025, and the LRS position on crypto is unsettled. See Bitcoin ETFs from India.
• Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore each have their own arrangements — covered in Bitcoin ETFs by country.

How to choose, in three questions

1. Where is your money already?

   With zero commissions and identical funds, the default answer is your existing broker. Opening a second account for a product you can buy at the first is friction with no payoff.

2. Do you need an IRA?

   If yes, confirm your platform supports crypto ETPs in retirement accounts before anything else. This is the only variable large enough to justify moving.

3. Do you want the coins as well?

   If you want both fund shares and spot crypto on one login, Fidelity, Robinhood, Schwab and Interactive Brokers are the shortlist — with the withdrawal caveat above. If self-custody matters, use a dedicated exchange rather than a broker.