Robinhood vs PayPal: fees, withdrawals, safety and which to use
A $1,000 bank-transfer purchase costs less with Robinhood: $0. PayPal charges $18.
Robinhood vs PayPal fees
In dollars, Robinhood and PayPal fees for $1,000, taken from each exchange's own pages.
| $1,000 and the basics | Robinhood | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Buy by bank transfer (ACH) | $0 | $18 |
| Buy by wire | $0 | – |
| Buy with PayPal | – | $18 |
| Sell and send to your bank (ACH) | $9.50 | – |
| Cash out to your bank (ACH) | $0 | – |
| Cash out by wire | $25 | – |
| Cash out instantly to a debit card | $17.50 | – |
| States it does not serve | Serves every state | Hawaii |
| Serves New York | Yes | Yes |
| Bank withdrawal | Free | – |
| NYDFS licence | Yes | Yes |
| App Store rating (ratings) | 4.3 (4,899,968) | 4.8 (6,299,060) |
| Google Play rating (ratings) | – | 4.2 (3,740,000) |
| Coins listed | 92 | – |
When a row shows a dash, the exchange publishes no number; "Not offered" means that method isn't supported.
Robinhood vs PayPal in your state
PayPal doesn't serve Hawaii, but Robinhood does.
Robinhood vs PayPal withdrawals
You can withdraw money from Robinhood to a bank free of charge.
The pages we read don't show a PayPal bank withdrawal fee or time.
Robinhood vs PayPal safety
Robinhood's New York licence or charter comes from NYDFS.
The New York licence or charter held by PayPal comes from NYDFS.
Robinhood vs PayPal apps and coins
On the App Store, the Robinhood app has a 4.3 out of 5 score based on 4,899,968 ratings.
The App Store gives PayPal 4.8 out of 5, with 6,299,060 ratings. Its Google Play rating is 4.2, with 3,740,000 ratings.
Which should you choose, Robinhood or PayPal?
- Choose Robinhood when you'll use its order book along with Exchange routing fee tiers, or when you live in a state that others don't serve.
- Choose PayPal for its app and simple buy screen.
We earn a commission if you open an account through our links. It does not change the fees you pay or our score.