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With over 23 million users, Robinhood has become one of the most popular platforms for beginner investors — especially those looking for simplicity, low fees, and mobile-first access.
Unlike some traditional brokerages, Robinhood does not offer access to gold mutual funds or physical gold purchases.
However, it does provide an easy way to invest in gold-backed ETFs and mining stocks, making it possible to get gold exposure directly through your phone.
If you're already a Robinhood user, buying gold-related assets takes just a few taps.
How to Buy Gold on Robinhood: A Step-by-Step Guide
Robinhood doesn't sell gold bars or coins, and it doesn’t offer commodity futures. But you can gain exposure to gold prices by investing in ETFs and mining companies — all through the app or web platform.
Let’s walk through each option step by step.
How to Buy Gold ETFs on Robinhood
Gold ETFs are one of the simplest ways to invest in gold without physically owning it. These funds track the price of gold or hold physical bullion in secure vaults.
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Follow These Steps
Once you're logged into the Robinhood app or website, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Search for a gold ETF: Tap the browse icon and enter a popular gold ETF symbol like GLD (SPDR Gold Shares) or IAU (iShares Gold Trust). You’ll see a real-time chart, fund overview, and analyst ratings.
- Step 2: Tap ‘Trade’: On the ETF’s profile page, tap the ‘Trade’ button. You can choose to enter a dollar amount or buy whole shares.
- Step 3: Select order type and confirm: Choose between a market order (buys at current price) or limit order (buys at a specific price). Tap ‘Review’, then swipe up or tap to submit your order.
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Popular Gold ETFs Available on Robinhood
ETF Name | Ticker | Type | Expense Ratio | What It Tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SPDR Gold Shares | GLD | Physical Gold ETF | 0.40% | Price of physical gold bullion |
iShares Gold Trust | IAU | Physical Gold ETF | 0.25% | Price of physical gold bullion |
VanEck Gold Miners ETF | GDX | Mining Stock ETF | 0.51% | Index of global gold mining companies |
VanEck Junior Gold Miners | GDXJ | Mining Stock ETF | 0.52% | Smaller-cap gold mining companies |
Aberdeen Physical Gold ETF | SGOL | Physical Gold ETF | 0.17% | Gold stored in Swiss vaults |
How to Buy Gold Stocks on Robinhood
Gold mining stocks can be more volatile than gold ETFs but may offer higher upside potential when gold prices rise.
Robinhood gives you access to well-known gold companies directly through the app.
Consider diversifying by investing in multiple mining companies, or start with a gold-focused ETF that already holds a basket of miners.
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Follow These Steps
Here's how to do it:
- Step 1: Search for gold mining stocks: Use the search bar to look up companies like Newmont Corporation (NEM), Barrick Gold (GOLD), or Franco-Nevada (FNV). These are among the largest publicly traded gold producers.
- Step 2: Review company details: Each stock page includes financials, recent news, analyst ratings, and performance charts. This helps you decide which companies fit your risk profile.
- Step 3: Place your trade: Tap ‘Buy’, enter the amount or number of shares, choose your order type (market or limit), then confirm the trade.
Understanding Robinhood’s Gold Investment Fees & Costs
Robinhood charges zero commissions on stock and ETF trades, including gold-related assets. This is the good news.
However, Gold ETFs like GLD and IAU have annual fees ranging from 0.25% to 0.40%. These are deducted automatically from the fund’s assets.
There are no account minimums, custodial fees, or trading commissions for regular trades on Robinhood.
Tips for Investing in Gold on Robinhood
Whether you’re buying GLD or Barrick Gold, here are some tips to get more from your Robinhood gold investments:
Define Your Strategy: Are you looking for long-term inflation protection or a short-term trade? ETFs may suit passive investors; stocks might be better for growth-minded ones.
Start Small: With Robinhood’s fractional shares feature, you can invest as little as $1 in gold ETFs or stocks to test the waters.
Use Watchlists: Add multiple gold-related assets to your Robinhood watchlist to track prices, news, and analyst ratings over time.
Stay Diversified: Gold shouldn’t be your only investment. Combine it with stocks, bonds, and other assets to balance risk.
Review Analyst Ratings: Robinhood includes Morningstar and other analyst ratings on most stocks and ETFs — use them to understand risk levels and projected performance.
Can I Invest in Gold IRA via Robinhood?
Yes, you can invest in gold within a Robinhood IRA — but only through paper gold, not physical bullion.
Robinhood offers both Traditional and Roth IRAs, and you can hold gold-backed ETFs (like GLD or IAU) and gold mining stocks (like Newmont or Barrick Gold) inside your IRA.
hese options give you exposure to gold prices while benefiting from tax advantages — like tax-deferred growth or tax-free withdrawals, depending on the account type.
However, Robinhood does not support physical gold purchases or self-directed IRAs that allow you to store actual gold coins or bars.
If your goal is to hold physical gold in a retirement account, you'll need to open a self-directed Gold IRA with a specialized provider.
FAQ
No, thanks to fractional shares, you can invest in gold ETFs or mining stocks with as little as $1. This makes it easy to get started without a large upfront cost.
Yes, Robinhood offers real-time trading during market hours. You can sell your gold-related holdings whenever the market is open, with no lock-in period.
Robinhood doesn’t offer a gold-specific ETF screener, but you can manually search for gold ETFs and review key metrics like expense ratios, holdings, and performance.
If you're subscribed to Robinhood Gold and approved for margin trading, you can use margin to buy gold ETFs or stocks. However, margin increases risk and interest costs.
Gold ETFs like GLD typically don’t pay dividends. However, some gold mining companies may pay dividends depending on profitability and payout policies.
You can invest in ETFs and mining stocks tied to silver, platinum, and other metals. Just search for ETFs like SLV (for silver) or relevant mining companies.
