Best Solo 401k Providers
You went independent for a reason—more control over your work, your schedule, your life. Why hand that control back to Wall Street for your retirement? Here's how to pick a Solo 401k provider that lets you decide where your hard-earned money goes.
Choose Fidelity or Schwab for zero setup and annual fees with commission-free trading.
Choose Rocket Dollar or MySolo401k for crypto, real estate, and checkbook control.
The best Solo 401(k) providers include Fidelity (no fees, easiest setup), Charles Schwab (no fees, broad investment options), and Rocket Dollar ($15-$30/month for self-directed alternative assets). Free providers limit you to stocks/bonds/funds; paid providers like Rocket Dollar and Directed IRA allow real estate, crypto, and precious metals.
- Fidelity and Schwab: $0 fees but stocks/bonds/funds only
- Rocket Dollar: $15-30/month but allows real estate, crypto, gold
- All Solo 401(k)s require no employees (except spouse)
Traditional Brokerage Providers
Best for most self-employed investors. Zero fees, easy setup, traditional stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
Fidelity
Best for: Most self-employed investors
- Zero account fees
- Commission-free trading
- Excellent research tools
- Strong mobile app
- •No loan provision
- •Limited to Fidelity investments
- •No alternative investments
Charles Schwab
Best for: Hands-on investors wanting research
- No account minimums
- 24/7 customer support
- Wide investment selection
- Integrated banking services
- •No loan provision
- •No checkbook control
- •Limited to traditional assets
Vanguard
Best for: Index fund investors
- Industry-low expense ratios
- Excellent index funds
- Fee waived with $50K+ or e-statements
- Strong long-term track record
- •Higher fees for non-Vanguard funds
- •Less intuitive platform
- •No loan provision
E*TRADE
Best for: Active traders
- Advanced trading platform
- No commissions on stocks/ETFs
- Good options trading tools
- Now part of Morgan Stanley
- •No loan provision
- •Options fees can add up
- •No alternative investments
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Self-Directed Solo 401k Providers
For investors wanting checkbook control and alternative investments like real estate, crypto, private equity, and more.
Rocket Dollar
Best for: Alternative investments (crypto, real estate)
- Checkbook control
- Invest in crypto, real estate, startups
- Loan provision available
- Modern, easy platform
- •Higher annual fees
- •Setup fee required
- •You manage investments directly
MySolo401k
Best for: Maximum flexibility and control
- Full checkbook control
- All alternative investments allowed
- Loan provision included
- Experienced SDIRA specialist
- •Higher setup cost
- •More administrative responsibility
- •Less hand-holding
Nabers Group
Best for: One-time fee structure
- No annual fees after setup
- Full checkbook control
- All investment types allowed
- Good for long-term holders
- •Higher upfront cost
- •Limited ongoing support
- •DIY maintenance required
Quick Feature Comparison
Compare key features across all Solo 401k providers at a glance.
| Provider | Setup Fee | Annual Fee | Roth | Loans | Checkbook | Alt Invest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | $0 | $0 | — | — | — | |
| Charles Schwab | $0 | $0 | — | — | — | |
| Vanguard | $0 | $20/fund (waivable) | — | — | — | |
| E*TRADE | $0 | $0 | — | — | — | |
| Rocket Dollar | $360 | $180/yr (Silver) or $360/yr (Gold) | ||||
| MySolo401k | $550 | $125/yr | ||||
| Nabers Group | $999 | $0 (one-time fee) |
How to Choose the Right Provider
Choose Free Brokerage If...
- You want to invest in stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds
- You prefer zero fees and simple setup
- You don't need to borrow from your account
- You want a well-known, established provider
Choose Self-Directed If...
- You want to invest in crypto, real estate, or startups
- You want checkbook control over investments
- You may need to take a loan from your 401k
- You're comfortable managing investments yourself
Our Top Recommendations
Zero fees, great research tools, and commission-free trading for most investors.
Modern platform, checkbook control, and great for crypto and real estate.
Industry-low expense ratios for long-term passive investors.