Yes, Robinhood offers after-hours trading, but only for stocks and only during specific windows, with lower volume and wider bid-ask spreads than regular market hours

Robinhood allows you to trade stocks during extended hours — before the market opens and after it closes — through its Extended Hours feature. You cannot trade options, cryptocurrencies, or fractional shares during these windows. The extended trading sessions run from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET (pre-market) and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET (after-hours), though not all stocks are available during these times.

Extended hours trading exists because major news often breaks outside regular market hours — earnings announcements, economic data, or company statements. If you want to trade on that news before the 9:30 a.m. ET open, you need access to these sessions. The tradeoff is that fewer traders are active, so prices can move more sharply and it may take longer to fill your order at the price you want.

Key Takeaways

  • Robinhood's extended hours run from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET (pre-market) and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET (after-hours), but not all stocks trade during these windows.
  • You can only trade stocks during extended hours on Robinhood — options, cryptocurrencies, and fractional shares are not available.
  • After-hours prices often differ from closing prices because fewer traders are active, and your order may take longer to fill or fill at a different price than you expected.
  • Robinhood does not charge commission on extended hours trades, but the wider spreads between buy and sell prices mean you may pay more to buy or receive less to sell.

How to place an after-hours trade on Robinhood

To trade during extended hours, open the Robinhood app or website and search for the stock you want to trade. When you tap or click to place an order, look for the order type selector — it usually shows "Market" or "Limit" by default. Tap or click on that selector and you will see an option for "Extended Hours." Select it, then place your order as you normally would.

Not every stock is available for extended hours trading. Robinhood restricts extended hours access to stocks with sufficient volume and liquidity — typically larger, more actively traded companies. If you search for a stock and the Extended Hours option does not appear, that stock is not available during those sessions on Robinhood.

You must have a Robinhood account with at least $2,000 in account value to trade during extended hours. This is a Robinhood-specific requirement, separate from the pattern day trader rule that applies to regular market hours.

Price differences between regular hours and extended hours

After-hours prices often move differently than closing prices because the traders active during those hours are a smaller, different group than those trading during the day. A stock might close at $50 during regular hours but trade at $51 or $49 after the market closes, depending on news or sentiment among the traders active at that time.

The bid-ask spread — the gap between what buyers will pay and what sellers will accept — widens significantly during extended hours. During regular trading, a popular stock might have a spread of just a few cents. After hours, that same stock might have a spread of 50 cents or more. This means if you place a market order to buy, you may pay more than you expected, and if you sell, you may receive less.

For this reason, many traders use limit orders during extended hours, specifying the exact price they will accept. A limit order to buy at $50.50 will not fill if the lowest asking price is $51, but it protects you from overpaying. The tradeoff is that your order may not fill at all if the price never reaches your limit.

Risks specific to after-hours trading

Lower volume means your order can move the price more than it would during regular hours. If you place a large market order to buy during after-hours, you might fill part of it at $50, part at $50.50, and part at $51 — paying an average price higher than you intended. Smaller orders are less likely to have this problem, but it remains a risk.

News that moves a stock after hours may reverse or change meaning by the time regular trading opens. A company might announce earnings after the close, the stock might jump 5% in after-hours trading, and then at the 9:30 a.m. open, institutional traders and analysts weigh in and the stock reverses. If you bought at the after-hours high, you could be underwater before you have a chance to sell.

Robinhood's extended hours trading is not connected to other brokers' extended hours sessions in the same way regular market hours are. You are trading on Robinhood's internal system, which may have different prices and liquidity than other platforms. This can create situations where a price you see on Robinhood does not match what you see elsewhere.

What you cannot trade during extended hours on Robinhood

Options cannot be traded during extended hours on any broker, including Robinhood. Options markets do not have official pre-market or after-hours sessions. If you want to trade options on news that breaks after hours, you must wait for the regular market to open at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Cryptocurrencies trade 24/7 on Robinhood, so there is no separate "extended hours" window — you can buy and sell them anytime. However, the crypto markets on Robinhood operate independently from stock extended hours.

Fractional shares cannot be purchased during extended hours, even if the full share is available. You can only trade whole shares during pre-market and after-hours sessions.

How extended hours orders carry over to regular market hours

If you place an order during extended hours and it does not fill before the regular market closes at 4:00 p.m. ET, your order does not automatically carry into the after-hours session. Instead, Robinhood cancels unfilled extended hours orders at the end of each session. You must place a new order if you want to continue trading after the market closes.

Similarly, if you place an order during pre-market (4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET) and it does not fill, it cancels before regular market hours begin. You would need to place a new order during regular hours if you still want to trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade options during extended hours on Robinhood?

No. Options do not have official pre-market or after-hours trading sessions on any broker. You can only trade options during regular market hours, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.

Do I pay commission on after-hours trades with Robinhood?

No. Robinhood does not charge commission on stock trades during extended hours, just as it does not during regular hours. However, the wider bid-ask spreads during extended hours mean you may pay more to buy or receive less to sell than you would during regular market hours.

What happens if I place an after-hours order and it does not fill?

Robinhood cancels unfilled extended hours orders at the end of each session. If your order did not fill during pre-market or after-hours, you must place a new order if you want to continue trading. Your order does not carry over to the next session.

Why is the bid-ask spread so wide after hours?

Fewer traders are active during extended hours, so there is less competition to buy or sell at tight prices. Market makers and active traders who normally narrow the spread are less active, which widens the gap between what buyers will pay and what sellers will accept.

Can I see after-hours prices on Robinhood before I trade?

Yes. When you search for a stock on Robinhood, the price chart shows extended hours prices if you are viewing the app or website during those sessions. You can see real-time bid and ask prices during pre-market and after-hours windows.