- Best Brokers: Cheap Trading
- Best Brokers: Long Term Trading
- Best Brokers: Options Trading
- Best Brokers: Trade Platforms
- Best Brokers: Active Trading
- Best Brokers: Customer Service
- Best Brokers: Penny Stock Trading
- Best Brokers: International Trading
- Best Brokers: Forex Trading
- StockBrokers.com 2012 Review
- StockBrokers.com 2011 Review
- StockBrokers.com 2010 Review
- Barron's 2012: Best Online Brokers
- Barron's 2011: Best Online Brokers
- Barron's 2010: Best Online Brokers
- Barron's 2009: Best Online Brokers
- SmartMoney 2012: Best Brokers
- SmartMoney 2011: Best Brokers
- SmartMoney 2010: Best Brokers
- SmartMoney 2009: Best Brokers
- Kiplinger 2011: Best Online Brokers
- Kiplinger 2009: Best Online Brokers
Best Online Brokers, StockBrokers.com 2012
Search › Compare › Trade
The StockBrokers.com 2012 Online Broker Review took several hundred hours of research to complete and includes broker ratings for eight different categories: Commissions & Fees, Ease-of-Use, Platforms & Tools, Research, Customer Service, Offering of Investments, Education, and Mobile Trading.
The results for each of these categories, alongside "Best in Class" award winners and overall scores, can be found on on the full review page. A summary of the final rankings is below:
TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade Review
- Trade free for 60 days and receive up to $600 cash with any new account.
- Gain access to over 100 commission free ETFs.
ETRADE
ETRADE Review
- Trade for free your first 60 days (up to 500 free trades) with any newly funded account of atleast $2,000 (Learn more).
- Rated the #1 Online Broker by SmartMoney for three straight years**
optionsXpress
optionsXpress Review
- Acquired by Charles Schwab, giving clients an even more thorough broker offering.
- Receive $100 when you fund a new optionsXpress account with $500 (Learn More).
Scottrade
Scottrade Review
- Straight forward commissions for both stocks and options.
- Gain access to over 500 local branch offices throughout the United States.
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab Review
- Offers $8.95 flat-rate trades regardless of trade size, account balance, or share price.
- Was rated highest in investor satisfaction with self-directed services by J.D. Power and Associates, 2009.
TradeKing
TradeKing Review
- Rated #1 Online Broker for Customer Service in the StockBrokers.com 2012 Review.
- Transfer your broker account to TradeKing and have up to $150 in transfer fees reimbursed (Learn More).
Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments Review
- Online trades only $7.95, all the time.
- 25 different iShares ETFs available for commission-free trading.
Zecco
Zecco Review
- $4.95 equity trades.
- ZeccoShare Community home to over 200,000 traders sharing investment research and ideas.
TradeStation Securities
TradeStation Securities Review
- Direct market access for equity, options, futures, and forex trading.
- Award winning automated trading platform.
Merrill Edge
Merrill Edge Review
- Receive up to 30 free trades per month with a $25,000 minimum balance.
- Link any Merrill Edge account to any Bank of America bank account.
tradeMONSTER
tradeMONSTER Review
- Rated "Best in Class: Options Trading" in the 2012 StockBrokers.com Broker Review.
- Practice trading with a tradeMONSTER paperTRADE account (Learn More)
MB Trading
MB Trading Review
- Top Rated 4.5 out of 5 Stars in the Barron's 2012 Review of Online Brokers.
- One of few online brokers offering flat per contract options trades with no base fees.
OptionsHouse
OptionsHouse Review
- Receive 100 commission free stock trades for opening a new account (Learn More).
- Trade Options up to 5 contracts for $5 ($1 each thereafter) or $8.50 + $.15 per contract.
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers Review
- Trade on over 80 different exchanges and market centers in 19 countries.
- Equity trades are $.005 per share with a minimum of $1.00 and a maximum of .5% of trade value.
ShareBuilder
ShareBuilder Review
- Transfer your broker account to ShareBuilder and have up to $100 in transfer fees reimbursed.
- One Month Free Trial with all new accounts.
Firstrade
Firstrade Review
- Fund your new account with $1,000 or more and receive 250 free trades (Learn More).
- Over 11,000 mutual funds to choose from.
Cobra Trading
Cobra Trading Review
- No additional charge for broker assisted trades.
- Six trade platforms supported.
Just2Trade
Just2Trade Review
- $2.50 equity trades.
- Trade platform updated in January 2011.
Lightspeed Trading
Lightspeed Trading Review
- Stock trades as low as $.0045 per share.
- A leading provider of direct market access trading technology.
Muriel Siebert
Muriel Siebert Review
- Large selection of fixed income securities.
- Advanced order types supported.
SpeedTrader
SpeedTrader Review
- Commissions as low as $2.95 if trading 1500+ times per month.
- Options only $1 per contract with no base fee.
ChoiceTrade
ChoiceTrade Review
- Rated Four Stars for five straight years (2005 - 2009) in the Barron's Annual Broker Review**
- Flat fee trading with unlimited shares as well as no Penny Stock surcharges
SogoTrade
SogoTrade Review
- 100 Free Trades when you open a new Sogotrade Account.
- $100 Account Transfer refund when you move your account to Sogotrade.
Vanguard
Vanguard Review
- Access to Vanguard funds and ETFs.
- Discounted commissions available for portfolios over $50,000 in total assets.
