14-day practice trial · No card required

Open a trading account. Stocks. Options. Fractional shares.

One online trading platform for US and Canadian investors who want zero commissions, live charts, and a place to practice before risking real cash.

Serving Boston, Toronto, and remote clients across both countries since 2017.

0

Funded accounts opened

$0

Commission on US equity trades

0

Avg. quote refresh on fiber

0

Avg. onboarding satisfaction

What you get

Four ways people actually use Northlane

Not a kitchen-sink app. Four clear lanes — pick the one that matches how you invest.

Everyday stock trading

Buy and sell listed equities and ETFs with $0 commissions. Fractional shares from $5 — so you're not stuck buying whole shares of expensive names.

Extended-hours windows on major US listings. Canadian TSX names settle through our Toronto routing desk.

Options trading desk

Equity options chains with multi-leg builders for spreads and covered calls. Risk shown before you submit — max loss, breakeven, probability sketch.

  • — Single-leg and multi-leg tickets
  • — Paper mode mirrors live option Greeks

Paper trading practice

Same charts. Same order tickets. Fake cash. Practice for as long as you want before funding — honestly, some people stay on paper for months, and that's fine.

AI market briefs

Morning notes on movers you watch — not auto-trading. Look, we don't claim a bot picks winners. It summarizes earnings chatter and unusual volume so you can decide faster.

Toggle it off anytime. Your call.

One honest boundary: we don't offer crypto or futures yet. Stocks, ETFs, and equity options first — expanding product lines only when the clearing stack is ready.

Getting started

From signup to first order

01

Claim your trial

Email, name, experience level. Under three minutes if you have your ID nearby.

02

Verify once

Standard KYC for US and Canada. Most reviews clear the same business day. Weekends take longer — we say that up front.

03

Practice first

Paper account loads with $100k virtual. Run your strategies. Break things. No fees for practice fills.

04

Fund when ready

ACH, wire, or Interac e-Transfer for Canadian accounts. Minimum to go live: $50. That's it.

Investor stories

Results in their words

Day 11

"Honestly? I thought paper trading would feel fake. It doesn't. The fills lag a bit vs live — which, yes, surprised us too — but I stopped guessing my order size."

Priya Nair · Product designer · Toronto

−38% fees

"Switched my covered-call routine over in February. Setup took longer than the site promised — closer to an afternoon than ten minutes — but the multi-leg ticket stuck."

Marcus Ellison · Small-business owner · Austin

"Opened with $200 in fractional tech names for my kid's education bucket. Charts are dense. Not pretty. But I can read levels without opening three other tabs."

Elena Cho · Nurse practitioner · Portland, OR

Ready to practice before you fund?

Fourteen days on the full platform. Cancel anytime. No sales script on the phone unless you ask.

Start Free Trial

FAQ

Questions we actually get

How long does account approval take?

Same business day for most US applicants with a clear ID match. Canadian SIN verification averages about 26 hours. Holidays queue differently.

Is the free trial a funded account?

No. It's paper trading with live market data. You fund later if you want. Fair question.

Do you charge commissions?

$0 commission on US-listed stock and ETF trades. Options: $0.45 per contract. Regulatory and exchange fees still apply — we pass those through at cost and show them before you confirm.

Can beginners use advanced charting?

Yes. Default layout is simple: price, volume, one moving average. Flip to advanced for drawings, multi-pane indicators, and saved templates. The thing is, nobody forces the advanced view on day one.

What if I only invest $50 a month?

Works. Fractional shares exist for that reason. No inactivity fee under $25k average equity. Over that, still none — we just don't nickel-and-dime dormant accounts.

How do I close the account?

Settings → Close account. Liquidate or transfer first. ACATS outbound is free once per year. Done.

Free trial

Try Northlane for 14 days

Paper trading with the same charts and tickets as live. Prefer talking? Call +1 (617) 391-8542 weekdays 8am–7pm ET.

  • Real-time quotes during market hours
  • Options chains included
  • No payment method to start

Northlane Markets LLC

100 Federal Street, Suite 2400

Boston, MA 02110

hello@northlanemarkets.com

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