Interactive Brokers vs Fidelity 2025
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Fidelity, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Fidelity, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When it comes to a diverse range of investment options, both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity excel, though there are some key differences that may influence an investor's choice. Interactive Brokers is praised for its wide array of offerings, including futures trading and a larger selection of cryptocurrencies, which may appeal to those looking for more variety in cryptocurrency trading. On the other hand, Fidelity provides strong advisory services, which is a crucial component for many investors seeking guidance on their investment journey. Both platforms receive top marks for their range of investments, but Interactive Brokers has an edge, securing the number one spot in rankings by StockBrokers.com, compared to Fidelity's third-place ranking.
Interactive Brokers and Fidelity both provide stock and margin trading, ensuring that investors have the flexibility to employ diverse strategies. Fractional shares trading is also available on both platforms, allowing you to invest in high-value stocks with smaller amounts of money. Additionally, investing in mutual funds, options, and OTC stocks is accessible through both brokers. While Forex trading is supported by both, Interactive Brokers offers the added benefit of futures trading, a feature not available with Fidelity. This distinction is vital for investors interested in hedging and speculative opportunities.
In the realm of retirement savings, both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts, catering to investors planning for their financial futures. Furthermore, both firms have embraced the digital currency trend, offering crypto trading. However, Interactive Brokers stands out by providing a greater variety of cryptocurrencies to trade. If access to personalized guidance is paramount, Fidelity’s advisory services may be an attractive choice. In summary, the best platform for you will depend on the specific features and services you value most, whether it’s the breadth of investment options or the guidance for your financial strategy.
Feature |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | Yes | No |
Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 3 |
Range of Investments |
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Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
In comparing the trading platforms and tools of Interactive Brokers and Fidelity, Interactive Brokers stands out slightly more in certain aspects, receiving a 5-star rating compared to Fidelity's 4.5 stars according to StockBrokers.com. Ranked #2 out of 14 brokers, Interactive Brokers offers features that are agile and expansive, like a remarkable number of fields for watchlists and multiple customization options for technical analysis. Fidelity, on the other hand, ranks #4 and provides a solid, user-friendly platform with extensive features, but lacks some advanced capabilities like paper trading availability.
Both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity offer downloadable trading platforms for both Windows and Mac, and also include browser-based options, making them accessible across devices. While each supports the ability to adjust open orders directly on stock charts and save multiple chart profiles, Interactive Brokers excels with 155 technical indicators and 85 drawing tools, as compared to Fidelity's 129 indicators and 38 drawing tools. Additionally, Interactive Brokers allows traders to engage in paper trading, although both platforms support trading journals for meticulous record-keeping.
Chart analysis is straightforward on both platforms, with each offering the capability to show corporate events, historical trades, and custom date ranges. However, Interactive Brokers offers an edge with more customization fields for simple moving averages. While neither broker provides the option to create custom studies, both exhibit robust automated technical analysis to assist traders in recognizing patterns. Overall, both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity deliver powerful trading platforms, but Interactive Brokers offers more advanced features for traders seeking a highly customizable and feature-rich experience.
Feature |
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|
---|---|---|
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 659 | 92 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 129 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 38 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
When comparing Interactive Brokers and Fidelity for beginner and investor education, both platforms offer comprehensive resources covering critical investment areas. Interactive Brokers and Fidelity provide educational content on stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds. Both brokers also offer engaging learning tools such as educational videos, webinars, and quizzes. Furthermore, they allow users to track their learning progress, helping beginners and seasoned investors alike to navigate their educational journeys effectively. However, one notable difference is that Interactive Brokers offers paper trading, an invaluable feature for beginners to practice investing without real financial risk, while Fidelity does not offer this option.
Despite minor differences, both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity receive high praise for their educational offerings, each earning a perfect five-star rating for education. According to the rankings by StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is ranked third out of 14 brokers for educational prowess, while Fidelity slightly edges ahead, securing the second spot. This ranking reflects Fidelity's strong emphasis on investor education, although both brokers remain outstanding choices for investors seeking comprehensive educational support.
Feature |
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Videos | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
Interactive Brokers vs. Fidelity: both deliver excellent stock trading apps, each earning 5 stars from StockBrokers.com. Interactive Brokers is ranked #2 out of 14 brokers and Fidelity is #3. The biggest practical differences are in charting depth and one mobile extra: Fidelity offers more built‑in technical indicators (128 vs. 97), while Interactive Brokers is confirmed here to support after‑hours trading from its mobile app (Fidelity’s mobile after‑hours availability isn’t specified in this data). If you prioritize the largest indicator library, lean Fidelity; if you want confirmed after‑hours trading on the go, lean Interactive Brokers.
On core features, both apps check the same boxes: iPhone and Android apps are available, and each supports Apple Watch. You get streaming quotes, streaming live TV, videos on demand, mobile options trading, stock alerts, and the ability to create custom watchlists with customizable columns. In short, either app covers daily trading needs and real‑time monitoring across devices.
Charting is strong on both platforms: after‑hours charting, landscape view, multiple time frames, and the ability to compare stocks on the same chart are all available. The main split is total indicators—Interactive Brokers offers 97 technical studies, while Fidelity offers 128. If your workflow relies on a wide range of built‑in studies, Fidelity has the edge; otherwise, either app provides capable charts for research and execution.
Feature |
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iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 128 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers and Fidelity look very similar on most everyday costs—both have a $0 minimum deposit, $0 commissions for online stock trades, and $0.65 per options contract. The big gap is margin interest. If you plan to use margin (borrowed funds), Interactive Brokers’ rates are much lower across balances under $100,000. If you don’t use margin, their fees are nearly a wash.
Head-to-head pricing: Minimum deposit is $0 at both brokers. Online stock trades are $0 at both. Options trades cost $0.65 per contract at both. Margin rates, however, differ a lot: Interactive Brokers lists 6.83% for balances below $25,000, $25,000–$49,999, and $50,000–$99,999. Fidelity lists 12.575% below $25,000, 12.075% for $25,000–$49,999, and 11.125% for $50,000–$99,999.
Other common fees are also aligned. Both brokers charge $0 for IRA annual fees and $0 for IRA closure. Account transfers (ACAT) are $0 whether partial or full at both firms. Options exercise and assignment fees are also $0. In short, transfers, IRAs, and routine stock and options activity won’t add extra costs at either place; margin interest is the main difference.
Feature |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
Interactive Brokers and Fidelity both provide essential tools and features for day traders, making them leading choices for active investors. Both platforms offer streaming time and sales data, live TV, direct market routing, level 2 quotes, and trading hotkeys, ensuring traders have real-time information and flexible trading options at their fingertips. While both allow for basic strategy backtesting and have a short locator tool to check real-time share availability for short selling, differences emerge when we look deeper into their offerings.
Interactive Brokers stands out with its advanced strategy backtesting capabilities, ladder trading, and order liquidity rebates, which can be crucial for sophisticated traders looking to refine their trading strategies and reduce costs. On the other hand, Fidelity, although lacking in these areas, still provides a solid platform for day trading with its comprehensive selection of core tools. Ultimately, the choice between the two will depend on the specific needs and preferences of traders seeking either simplified operations or more advanced trading functionalities.
Feature |
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|
---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
Streaming TV | Yes | Yes |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
Interactive Brokers and Fidelity both deliver excellent market research. Each earns 5 out of 5 stars, with StockBrokers.com ranking Fidelity #3 of 14 and Interactive Brokers #4. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the most downloadable reports (17 stock PDFs and downloadable mutual fund PDFs). Choose Fidelity if that slightly higher independent ranking is your tie‑breaker.
Feature coverage is nearly identical. Both brokers offer research for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, Pink Sheets/OTC, and bonds. Each lets you see portfolio allocation by asset class, includes stock research with social media sentiment and ESG data, and provides screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. Both also offer downloadable PDF research reports for ETFs.
The main differences are in downloadable research depth. Interactive Brokers provides 17 downloadable stock research reports versus Fidelity’s 7, and it offers downloadable mutual fund reports, which Fidelity does not. If saving and comparing analyst PDFs—especially for mutual funds—is important to you, Interactive Brokers has the edge; otherwise, both platforms deliver similar tools and coverage.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Research |
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When comparing the banking features of Interactive Brokers and Fidelity, there are some key differences to consider. Neither Interactive Brokers nor Fidelity provide checking or savings accounts, but Fidelity takes the lead in terms of other banking services. While Interactive Brokers does not offer debit or credit cards, Fidelity provides both, making it more versatile for everyday payment needs. Furthermore, Fidelity offers mortgage loans, an area where Interactive Brokers does not. However, both platforms offer Certificates of Deposit (CDs), a solid choice for savers looking to grow their money with a guaranteed return. For comprehensive financial services, especially in banking, Fidelity holds an advantage over Interactive Brokers.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Checking Accounts | No | No |
Savings Accounts | No | No |
Debit Cards | No | Yes |
Credit Cards | No | Yes |
Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
Brokerage CDs | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Fidelity. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 96.9%, while Fidelity finished with a score of 96.2%.
Interactive Brokers is a go-to choice for professionals because of its institutional-grade desktop trading platform, high-quality trade executions and rock-bottom margin rates.
Interactive Brokers provides crypto trading with access to 11 different coins, whereas Fidelity supports crypto trading with just 3 coins.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity offer Traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, providing cost-effective investment options for retirement savings.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Customer Service |
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Education |
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Ease of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Fidelity Review |
Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.01 | $0.00 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | Varies | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | $0.85 | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | Varies | $32.95 |
Margin Rates | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 6.83% | 12.575% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 6.83% | 12.075% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 6.83% | 11.125% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 6.83% | 11.075% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 6.83% | 10.825% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 6.83% | 8.500% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 6.83% | 8.250% |
Account Fees | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 6 | 4 | |
Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
Forex Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 3 | |
Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Advisor Services | No | Yes | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 36 | 25 |
Order Types | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OCO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OTO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
Beginners | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | Yes | Yes | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | Yes | Yes | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | Yes |
Stock Trading Apps | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
Stock App Features | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | Yes | Yes | |
Videos on Demand | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 128 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | Trader Workstation (TWS) | Active Trader Pro | |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Trade Journal | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 659 | 92 |
Stock Chart Features | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 129 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 38 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 5 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
Day Trading | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
Streaming TV | Yes | Yes | |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes | |
Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
Trade Hot Keys | Yes | Yes | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | Yes | No |
Research Overview | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
Stock Research | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 17 | 7 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | Yes |
ETF Research | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Fund Research | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
Banking | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
Checking Accounts | No | No | |
Savings Accounts | No | No | |
Credit Cards | No | Yes | |
Debit Cards | No | Yes | |
Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
Customer Service | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
Overall | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Education |
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Ease of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Fidelity Review |