Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
How to Invest on eToro: A Complete Beginner’s Guide (2026)
Ruby Layram
16th Jun 2026
If you’re new to investing, eToro is one of the easiest platforms to get started with.
The platform gives you access to thousands of investments, including stocks, ETFs, commodities, cryptocurrencies and ready-made portfolios. Best of all, the interface is designed for beginners, which means you don’t need a finance degree to place your first investment.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to invest on eToro, using an ETF as an example. By the end, you’ll know how to open an account, deposit funds, choose an investment and manage your portfolio.
What Is eToro?
eToro is an online investment platform that allows users to buy and sell investments from around the world.
Through eToro, you can invest in:
- ETFs
- UK stocks
- US stocks
- Commodities
- Cryptocurrencies
- Ready-made portfolios
Many beginner investors start with ETFs because they offer instant diversification and require very little ongoing management.
For this guide, we’ll use an ETF as our example investment.
Step 1: Open an eToro Account
The first step is creating your account.
Visit eToro’s website and click Join Now or Sign Up.
You’ll be asked to provide:
- Your name
- Email address
- Password
- Phone number
You can also sign up using a Google or Apple account.
Once you’ve created your account, eToro will ask a series of questions about:
- Your investing experience
- Your financial situation
- Your investment objectives
Don’t worry. This is a standard regulatory requirement.
The purpose is simply to help ensure the platform is suitable for you.
Step 2: Verify Your Identity
Before you can invest, you’ll need to verify your account.
This usually involves uploading:
- A photo ID (passport or driving licence)
- Proof of address (such as a utility bill or bank statement)
Verification is typically completed within a short period, although times can vary.
Once approved, you’ll have full access to the platform.
Step 3: Deposit Funds
Next, you’ll need to add money to your account.
Click the Deposit Funds button.
You’ll then be able to choose from several payment methods, including:
- Bank transfer
- Debit card
- Credit card
- Online payment services
Enter the amount you’d like to deposit and confirm the transaction.
Your money will then appear in your available cash balance.
At this stage, you’re ready to start investing.
Step 4: Explore the Different Investment Options
One of the first things you’ll notice about eToro is the huge range of available investments.
On the left-hand menu, you’ll see sections such as:
Stocks
Individual companies including:
- Apple
- Nvidia
- Microsoft
- Amazon
- Tesla
ETFs
Funds that track a basket of investments.
Popular examples include:
Crypto
Digital assets such as:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Solana
Commodities
Including:
Smart Portfolios
Ready-made portfolios managed around specific themes and strategies.
For beginners, ETFs are often the simplest place to start.
Step 5: Find an ETF
Let’s say you want to invest in an S&P 500 ETF.
At the top of the platform, you’ll find a search bar.
Simply type: “S&P 500”
eToro will display a list of matching ETFs.
When you click on an ETF, you’ll be able to see:
- Historical performance
- Holdings
- Risk information
- Charts
- Research data
Take a few minutes to understand what the ETF actually invests in before proceeding.
A good rule of thumb is: Never buy an investment you don’t understand.
Step 6: Place Your First Investment
Once you’ve chosen an ETF, click the Invest button.
A new order window will appear.
You’ll need to decide:
How Much to Invest
Enter the amount you’d like to invest.
For example:
- £100
- £500
- £1,000
You don’t need to buy an entire ETF unit. eToro allows fractional investing, meaning you can start with relatively small amounts.
Market Order vs Limit Order
You’ll usually see two options:
Market Order
Buys the investment immediately at the current market price.
Most beginners use this option.
Limit Order
Allows you to specify the maximum price you’re willing to pay.
The order will only execute if the ETF reaches that price.
For long-term investors making their first purchase, a market order is often the simplest choice.
Once you’ve entered your investment amount, click Open Trade.
Congratulations.
You’ve just made your first investment.
Step 7: Monitor Your Portfolio
After investing, your ETF will appear in your portfolio section.
This is where you can see:
- Current value
- Profit or loss
- Percentage return
- Portfolio allocation
One of the biggest mistakes beginner investors make is checking their portfolio every hour.
Successful investing is usually about patience rather than constant activity.
Remember:
You bought the ETF because you believed in its long-term potential.
A few days of market fluctuations shouldn’t change that.
Step 8: Add to Your Investments Over Time
Many investors don’t stop after making a single investment.
Instead, they continue adding money regularly.
For example:
- £100 per month
- £250 per month
- £500 per month
This approach is often called pound-cost averaging.
It helps smooth out market volatility because you’re investing at different prices over time.
For long-term investors, consistency is often more important than trying to perfectly time the market.
Common Mistakes New eToro Investors Make
Investing Without a Plan
Before buying anything, know:
- Why you’re investing
- How long you’re investing for
- What your goal is
Chasing Trending Assets
Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s a good investment.
Many beginners lose money by buying investments purely because they are trending on social media.
Investing Money You’ll Need Soon
The stock market can be volatile.
Only invest money that you won’t need in the near future.
Checking Your Portfolio Constantly
Daily market movements are mostly noise.
Long-term investors focus on years, not days.
A Simple Beginner Portfolio Example
If I were starting from scratch on eToro today, I’d keep things simple.
I might:
- Put most of my money into a broad market ETF
- Add to it every month
- Ignore short-term market noise
- Focus on building wealth over the long term
Many successful investors follow surprisingly simple strategies.
The difference is that they stick with them.
Is eToro Good for Beginners?
In my opinion, yes.
The platform is intuitive, easy to navigate and provides access to a wide range of investments.
What I particularly like is that beginners can start with a simple ETF and gradually learn more about investing over time.
You don’t need to become an expert overnight.
You simply need to get started.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to invest on eToro is much easier than many people expect.
The process can be broken down into a few simple steps:
- Open an account.
- Verify your identity.
- Deposit funds.
- Choose an ETF.
- Place your order.
- Monitor your portfolio.
- Invest consistently over time.
For most beginners, the hardest part isn’t understanding how to invest.
It’s taking the first step.
Once you’ve made that first investment, you’ll quickly realise that successful investing is usually less about complexity and more about patience, consistency and time.
MoneyMagpie is not a financial adviser. This article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, and you may get back less than you invest.
Leave a Reply