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Online Brokerage Comparison Tool

StockBrokers.com | October 9th, 2019

The StockBrokers.com annual review (9 years running) takes six months to complete and produces over 30,000 words of research each year. Here's how we test.

Use the StockBrokers.com online brokerage comparison tool to compare over 150 different account features and fees across 16 online brokers: Ally Invest, Charles Schwab, Chase You Invest Trade, ChoiceTrade, Cobra Trading, E*TRADE, Fidelity, Firstrade, Interactive Brokers, Just2Trade, Lightspeed, Merrill Edge, Robinhood, SogoTrade, SpeedTrader, TD Ameritrade, and TradeStation. Compare trading commissions, account fees, trading tools and platforms, market research functionality, mobile apps, beginner education, and current special offers.


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Open Account	Open Account	Open Account	Open Account

Overall Rating

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Overall	4.5	4.5	4	4	4
	TD Ameritrade Review	Fidelity Review	Interactive Brokers Review	E*TRADE Review	Merrill Edge Review

Trading Fees

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Minimum Deposit	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Stock Trade Fee (per trade)	$0.00	$0.00	N/A	$0.00	$6.95
ETF Trade Fee	$0.00	$0.00	$0.01	$0.00	$6.95
Options Base Fee	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$6.95
Options Per Contract Fee	$0.65	$0.65	$0.70	$0.65	$0.75
Mutual Fund Trade Fee	$49.99	$49.95	$14.95	$19.99	$19.95
Broker Assisted Trades Fee	$44.99	$32.95	$30.00	$25.00	$29.95
Commissions & Fees	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4
Winner

Margin Rates

Feature	TD Ameritrade Open Account	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers Open Account	*ETRADE** Open Account	Merrill Edge Open Account
Under $24,999.99	10.25%	9.58%	3.68%	10.50%	10.63%
$25,000.00 to $49,999.99	10.00%	9.08%	3.68%	10.25%	9.50%
$50,000.00 to $99,999.99	9.00%	8.13%	3.68%	9.75%	9.50%
$100,000.00 to $249,999.99	8.75%	8.08%	3.18%	9.25%	8.13%
$250,000.00 to $499,999.99	8.50%	7.83%	3.18%	8.75%	8.13%
$500,000.00 to $999,999.99	8.50%	5.50%	3.18%	8.25%	7.88%
Above $1,000,000.00	7.75%	5.25%	2.68%	7.25%	7.25%
Commissions & Fees	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4
Winner

Account Fees

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
IRA Annual Fee	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
IRA Closure Fee	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$60.00	$49.95
Returned ACH Fee	$25.00	$0.00	N/A	$0.00	$30.00
Returned Wire Fee	$25.00	$0.00	N/A	$0.00	N/A
Stock Certificate Processing Fee	$0.00	$0.00	N/A	$0.00	$500.00
Stock Certificate Delivery Fee	$500.00	$100.00	N/A	$75.00	N/A
Paper Statement Fee	$0.00	$0.00	N/A	$2.00	$5.00
Paper Confirmation Fee	$0.00	$0.00	N/A	$0.00	$3.00
Domestic Wire Fee	$25.00	$0.00	$10.00	$25.00	$24.95
International Wire Fee	$25.00	$0.00	$10.00	$25.00	$24.95
Commissions & Fees	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4

Investment Options

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Stock Trading	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
OTCBB / Pink Sheets	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Options Trading	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Complex Options Max Legs	4	4	4	4	2
Futures Trading	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Forex Trading	Yes	No	No	No	No
Commission-Free ETFs	571	all	48	all	0
Mutual Funds (No Load)	5185	4031	7558	6266	2471
Mutual Funds (Total)	12418	11782	11000	9062	3709
Bonds (US Treasury)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bonds (Corporate)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bonds (Municipal)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Advisor Services	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
International Trading	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Offering of Investments	4.5	4.5	5	4.5	3
Winner

Order Types

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Order Type - Market	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Order Type - Limit	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Order Type - Stop	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Order Type - Contingent	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Order Type - MultiContingent	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Order Type - OCO	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Order Type - OTO	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Order Type - OTOCO	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Offering of Investments	4.5	4.5	5	4.5	3
Winner

Trading Platforms

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Desktop Platform (Windows)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Web Platform	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paper Trading	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Trade Journal	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Watch Lists - Total Fields	514	91	453	125	285
Two-Factor Authentication Login	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Heat Mapping	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Platforms & Tools	5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4
Winner

Charting Features

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Charting - Trade Off Chart	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies	411	166	121	118	95
Charting - Drawing Tools	22	22	9	33	22
Charting - Historical Trades	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Charting - Corporate Events	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Charting - Automated Analysis	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Charting - Save Profiles	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Charting - Study Customizations	9	5	6	6	8
Charting - Custom Studies	Yes	No	No	No	No
Platforms & Tools	5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4
Winner

Day Trading

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Stock Alerts - Basic Fields	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Alerts - Advanced Fields	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Streaming Time & Sales	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Streaming TV	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Direct Market Routing - Options	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Ladder Trading	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Trade Hot Keys	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Options	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Short Locator	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Client Liquidity Rebates	No	No	Yes	No	No
Winner

Mobile Trading Apps

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
iPhone App	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Android App	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Apple Watch App	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trading - Stocks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trading - After-Hours	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trading - Conditional Orders	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Trading - Mutual Funds	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trading - Simple Options	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trading - Complex Options	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trading - Option Rolling	Yes	No	No	No	No
Touch / Face ID	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Winner

Mobile App Features

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Watch List Syncing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Alerts - Basic Fields	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Charting - After Hours	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Charting - Drawing	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Charting - Study Customizations	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customizable Homescreen	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Heatmapping	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Stream Live TV	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Barcode Lookup	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Mobile Trading	4.5	4.5	4.5	5	4.5
Winner

Research Overview

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Research - Stocks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Research - ETFs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Research - Mutual Funds	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Research - Fixed Income	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Screener - Stocks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Screener - ETFs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Screener - Options	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Screener - Bonds	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Misc - Portfolio Builder	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Misc - Portfolio Allocation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Research	5	5	3.5	4.5	4.5
Winner

Stock Research

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Stock Research - Reports	7	12	1	4	3
Stock Research - Earnings	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Research - Insiders	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Research - Metric Comp	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Stock Research - SEC Filings	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Research - Social	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Stock Research - Balance Sheet	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Research - Cash Flows	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Research - News	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock Research - ESG	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Research	5	5	3.5	4.5	4.5
Winner

ETF Research

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
ETFs - Strategy Overview	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ETFs - Risk Analysis	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ETFs - Performance Analysis	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ETFs - Ratings	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
ETFs - Reports	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Research	5	5	3.5	4.5	4.5
Winner

Mutual Fund Research

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - Prospectus	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - Reports	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - StyleMap	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Research	5	5	3.5	4.5	4.5
Winner

Options Trading

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Option Chains - Streaming	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Option Chains - Total Columns	33	26	37	30	69
Option Chains - Greeks	5	5	4	5	5
Option Chains - Quick Analysis	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Option Analysis - P&L Charts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Option Probability Analysis	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Option Probability Analysis Adv	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Option Positions - Greeks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Option Positions - Adv Analysis	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Option Positions - Rolling	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Option Positions - Grouping	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Platforms & Tools	5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4
Winner

Beginners

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Has Education - Stocks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Has Education - ETFs	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Has Education - Options	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Has Education - Mutual Funds	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Has Education - Fixed Income	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Has Education - Retirement	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Paper Trading	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Videos	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Webinars (Monthly Avg)	500	8	20	12	0
Webinars (Archived)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Live Seminars	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Progress Tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Investor Magazine	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Education	5	5	3	4.5	4.5
Winner

Banking

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
Retail Locations	364	197	0	30	4400
Member FDIC	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Checking Accounts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Savings Accounts	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Credit Cards	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Debit Cards	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mortgage Loans	No	No	No	No	Yes
No Fee Banking	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Banking	3	4	2	4	5
Winner

Overall

Feature	TD Ameritrade	Fidelity	Interactive Brokers	*ETRADE**	Merrill Edge
	TD Ameritrade Review	Fidelity Review	Interactive Brokers Review	E*TRADE Review	Merrill Edge Review
Overall	4.5	4.5	4	4	4
Winner

All pricing data was obtained from a published web site as of 02/18/2019 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. For stock trade rates, advertised pricing is for a standard order size of 500 shares of stock priced at $30 per share. For options orders, an options regulatory fee per contract may apply.

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