Top 10 Online Stock Brokers

Choosing an online stock broker is one of the most important decisions you'll make as in investor. Every investor has a different investment style that can help determine which online broker may be the best fit.

The staff at StockBrokers.com has compiled a quick review of the 10 top online stock brokers. Every broker is known for something different which makes it unique to its competitors. The goal of this review is to exploit those unique factors whether it be discounted trades, great customer service, or an overall highly rated platform.

Alongside reviewing the broker recommendations below, we recommend reading our 2012 Online Broker Review and our full Stock Broker Reviews on the site.

1. TD Ameritrade - Rated #1 Online Broker Overall in our 2012 Review, TD Ameritrade offers one of the largest varieties of trade tools through its desktop based Thinkorswim and web based Trade Architect platforms. The broker also boasts Best in Class ratings for numerous categories including Research and Customer Service.

Current Offer: Trade free for 60 days + get up to $600 cash.


2. ETRADE- ETRADE was voted the #1 Online Broker in our 2011 Review, finishing 2nd this year 2012 after a very close finish. ETRADE Mobile Pro offers arguably the best mobile trading platform today and the broker offers great access to quality research, trade tools, education, and more. A very well rounded broker to say the least.

Current Offer: Trade free for 60 days + get up to $500 with your new account!


3. TradeKing - Rated as the #1 Online Broker for Customer Service 2012. Their online investor community, the Trader Network, is home to over 200,000 traders sharing ideas and research. For investors looking for discounted stock trades and fantastic customer service, TradeKing is a great match.




4. OptionsHouse - Offers $3.95 flat fee stock trades and options trades for either "$8.50 + $.15 per contract" or "up to 5 contracts for $5". OptionsHouse was the only broker in 2012 to receive 5 Star Ratings for both Ease of Use and Commissions & Fees in our StockBrokers.com Review.

Current Offer: Receive 100 free trades by opening a new account today.


5. MB Trading - Advanced trading platforms with direct market access to major indexes and its own proprietary routing system, MBTX. MB Trading has two commissions plans with its flat rate plan offering $4.95 equity trade commissions. Designed for active traders, the broker not only supports stocks and options trading, but also forex, futures, and was rated #1 Overall for Forex Trading in our 2011 Forex Review.



6. Scottrade - Offers its clients $7 flat fee trades and over 500 local branch offices. Scottrade is an easy to use broker that makes the client experience fantastic as clients have access to live representatitive assistance throughout the day. The broker also offers real-time streaming watch lists alongside a variety of other tools and research.




7. OptionsXpress - Acquired by Charles Schwab in 2011, OptionsXpress is known for its feature rich platform, Xtend, and large variety of quality tools for options traders. The broker also provides their clients with a wide spectrum of investments including equities, options, mutual funds, futures, ETFs, and bonds.




8. tradeMONSTER - Receiving Best in Class for Options Trading 2012, tradeMONSTER gives clients access to an easy to use platform with a diverse selection of options tool. The broker also received the award for Best Trade Simulator, allowing clients to trade with virtual funds for practicing alongside making live trades. All stock trades are a flat $7.50 and all options trades have no base fee and are just $.50 per contract with a $12.50 minimum.



9. Zecco - Originally known as the broker offering free stock trades traders, Zecco has increased its pricing over the last few years but now offers its clients access to a well established trader community and one of the most visually appealing research platforms. Zecco has flat fee commissions at $4.95 per trade and options trades for $4.95 + $.65 per contract.



10. Interactive Brokers - Designed for seasoned investors who trade for a living alongside International clients, Interactive Brokers stands out with equity trades costing just $.005 per share with a minimum of $1.00 and a maximum of .5% of trade value. The broker also offers clients access to 80 different exchanges worldwide for International Trading. The broker requires a $10,000 minimum deposit for new clients.

When looking for any new online stock broker it is important to make sure to meet your most important needs as an investor. Are low cost trade commissions most important? What about customer service, the trade platform, mobile trading, active trading, or a community to trade alongside? With many brokers specializing in different areas comparing all the possibilities is key.

To read full broker reviews of the above brokers, you can do so by visiting their respective review pages here on StockBrokers.com: TD Ametirade Review, Etrade Review, TradeKing Review, OptionsHouse Review, MB Trading Review, Scottrade Review, OptionsXpress Review, tradeMONSTER review, Zecco Review, Interactive Brokers Review.

Broker Comparison Tool

Compare online brokers with the stock brokers comparison chart! Included are easy to read star ratings, pricing and fees information, and even a features overview section to see what every broker has to offer.

 

Need Help Deciding Which Broker?

If you need help decided which broker to choose or have a broker specific questions please feel free to email our team.