How to Cancel Robinhood Gold in 2026 (Keep Free Trading, Ditch the $5/Month)
Updated 2026-02-22 · 6 min read
✅ Free Trading Stays After Canceling Gold
Canceling Robinhood Gold does NOT affect your ability to trade stocks, ETFs, or crypto commission-free. Free trading is the base Robinhood product. Gold just adds margin, higher APY, research reports, and bigger instant deposits.
What Robinhood Gold Includes ($5/month)
4.5% APY on uninvested cash (Gold members only; non-Gold gets ~1.5%)
Morningstar research reports (available free on many broker platforms)
Level II market data (Nasdaq TotalView — useful for active traders only)
Bigger instant deposits ($50K vs $1K for free accounts)
Margin investing (borrow against your portfolio — risky for beginners)
3% IRA match on new contributions (this is actually valuable)
Should You Cancel? The Math
The decision depends on how much cash you keep in Robinhood:
$0-1,500 in cash: Cancel Gold. The 3% extra APY on $1,500 = $45/year, but Gold costs $60/year. You're losing money.
$2,000+ in cash: Gold's extra APY earns more than the $60/year fee. Keep it — or move cash to a HYSA earning 5%+ instead.
Using the 3% IRA match: If you contribute to a Robinhood IRA, the 3% match can be worth hundreds/year. This alone may justify Gold.
Using margin: If you actively use margin, Gold gives a lower rate. But margin investing is risky — most beginners shouldn't use it.
How to Cancel Robinhood Gold
Open the Robinhood app
Tap your profile icon (bottom right)
Tap "Robinhood Gold"
Scroll down and tap "Cancel Gold Subscription"
Confirm cancellation
⚠️ Check for Margin Balance First
If you're using margin (borrowed money to invest), you must pay off your margin balance before canceling Gold. Canceling Gold triggers a margin call — Robinhood will sell your positions to cover the borrowed amount. Check Account → Investing → Margin to see if you have an outstanding balance.
What Changes When You Cancel Gold
Cash APY drops from 4.5% to ~1.5%
Instant deposits limited to $1,000 (was up to $50K)
No more Morningstar reports or Level II data
Margin access revoked (existing margin must be repaid)
IRA match drops from 3% to 1%
✅ Free stock/ETF/crypto trading continues
✅ All your investments stay intact
Better Alternatives for Your Cash
If the high APY was your main reason for Gold, consider moving your cash:
Fidelity money market (SPAXX): ~5% APY, no subscription fee, SIPC protected, same-day transfers to your Fidelity brokerage
Wealthfront Cash Account: 4.5-5% APY, no fees, FDIC insured up to $8M through partner banks
SoFi Checking: 4.5% APY with direct deposit, no account minimums or fees
Treasury bills: 4.5-5.3% yield, state tax exempt, buy directly through TreasuryDirect.gov or through your brokerage
The Bigger Question: Should You Leave Robinhood Entirely?
Robinhood's gamified interface encourages frequent trading, which hurts long-term returns. If you're a long-term investor, consider transferring to Fidelity or Schwab:
Free trading (same as Robinhood)
Better order execution (Fidelity regularly gets better prices per trade)
IRAs with no subscription fee
Research, tools, and customer service that Robinhood can't match
ACAT transfer moves your positions without selling (no tax event)
🔍 Fintech Subscriptions Eat Your Returns
Robinhood Gold, Acorns, Stash, Betterment, stock research tools — investment app subscriptions can cost $10-50/month, which directly reduces your investment returns. JustCancel scans your bank statement to find every recurring charge, including the fintech ones eating your portfolio.