Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Ally Invest vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When choosing between Ally Invest and eToro based on investment options, it’s important to match their offerings with your personal needs. Ally Invest excels with a 4.5-star rating and a commendable 8th place ranking among 14 brokers by StockBrokers.com for its range of investments. In contrast, eToro earns a 2.5-star rating and ranks 14th, primarily due to its limited selection in traditional investment options. Whether you prioritize stock trading, IRA accounts, or diving into cryptocurrency, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each platform can guide you to the right choice for your financial goals.
Ally Invest offers a broad range of investment options including stock trading, margin trading, OTC stocks, mutual funds, and options trading. Additionally, Ally Invest provides traditional and Roth IRA accounts, allowing users to focus on retirement planning. Those keen on guidance can benefit from their advisor services, adding another layer of support for investors. However, Ally Invest does not currently offer cryptocurrency trading or the ability to trade fractional shares, which might limit some investors looking for diversification in these fields.
eToro, on the other hand, stands out with its cryptocurrency trading option, featuring access to 26 different coins, making it a more appealing choice for those interested in the digital currency market. The platform also supports stock trading and options trading, as well as fractional shares, uniquely positioning it for those who want to start investing with smaller amounts. However, eToro lacks certain traditional investment avenues such as OTC stocks, mutual funds, and IRAs, and does not provide margin trading or advisor services, which might be drawbacks for more seasoned investors looking for a more comprehensive offering.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | No | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 26 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
When evaluating trading platforms and tools, Ally Invest appears to have a slight edge over eToro. Both platforms lack downloadable desktop applications for Windows and Mac, but provide browser-based experiences. Ally Invest excels in offering more customization options for technical analysis with 120 indicators and 36 drawing tools compared to eToro's 46 indicators and 48 drawing tools. Furthermore, Ally Invest offers features like automated technical analysis and a greater number of customization fields when editing a simple moving average study. These advantages contribute to Ally Invest's higher rating of 3 stars compared to eToro's 2.5 stars.
In terms of watch list functionality, Ally Invest accommodates 10 columns for organizing fields, surpassing eToro's 7-column capability. However, eToro stands out by offering a paper trading feature, which allows users to practice trading strategies without financial risk, a functionality lacking in Ally Invest. Both platforms enable users to add notes to charts and save multiple chart profiles, but neither provides the ability to adjust open orders directly on charts or display historical trades and corporate events on charts.
For traders prioritizing technical indicators and drawing tool availability, Ally Invest may be the ideal choice. With StockBrokers.com rankings placing Ally at #10 and eToro at #12 out of 14 brokers for trading platforms and tools, Ally Invest is recognized as the more favorable option for those seeking a comprehensive charting and customization experience. Nonetheless, traders seeking a platform with a practice mode should consider eToro for its paper trading capabilities.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 | 7 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 | 46 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 | 48 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
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Ally Invest and eToro both provide stock education, but they differ significantly in other areas of investor education. Ally Invest offers a comprehensive suite of educational resources, including guidance on ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds. In contrast, eToro lacks educational content in these areas but distinguishes itself with paper trading and a variety of educational videos. While neither platform offers educational quizzes or progress tracking features, Ally Invest does provide webinars, enhancing its educational offering for beginners and experienced investors alike.
When evaluated for education, Ally Invest earns a solid 4-star rating and ranks 7th out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com. This indicates a strong commitment to investor education. Conversely, eToro receives a 2.5-star rating and ranks at the bottom, suggesting room for improvement. For those prioritizing a wider educational foundation, Ally Invest may be the preferred choice. Meanwhile, eToro could appeal to those interested in engaging, video-based learning and practicing trading with virtual funds.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | No |
| Education (Options) | Yes | No |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes |
| Videos | No | Yes |
| Webinars | No | |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When it comes to stock trading apps, both Ally Invest and eToro provide reliable mobile platforms, yet they cater to different preferences and needs. eToro is slightly ahead in the competitive landscape, boasting a rating of 4.5 stars compared to Ally Invest's 4 stars. On the list of 14 brokers ranked by StockBrokers.com, eToro occupies the 11th spot, while Ally Invest comes in at 13th. Although both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, as well as the ability to trade options on mobile, eToro offers additional features that can enhance the trading experience, which might account for its higher ranking and rating.
For those seeking a more feature-rich experience, eToro offers several advantages. It provides streaming quotes and video on demand, which are not available with Ally Invest. eToro also excels in charting capabilities, offering 103 technical studies compared to Ally Invest's lack of such features. Additionally, eToro supports after-hours charting and allows for stock comparisons on charts, further enhancing its analytical tools. Although both platforms support creating custom watch lists, eToro's broader set of features may appeal more to traders who value in-depth analysis and alerts.
Despite some limitations, Ally Invest still offers robust mobile trading for users with basic trading requirements. It provides essential tools like after-hours stock trading and allows viewing of multiple time frames in charting. However, for traders focused on advanced charting and real-time updates, eToro stands out as a more comprehensive option. Ultimately, the choice between Ally Invest and eToro will depend on individual needs, particularly whether one prioritizes advanced analysis and real-time data over simplicity and straightforwardness.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No | No |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 103 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When comparing Ally Invest and eToro, it's clear that both have their strengths depending on your investment needs. Ally Invest stands out with its $0 minimum deposit requirement, making it particularly attractive for beginners looking to dip their toes into investing without upfront financial commitment. Additionally, Ally Invest offers more comprehensive margin trading with a tiered interest structure, although eToro does not provide this option. Meanwhile, eToro boasts fee-free options contracts, which can be appealing for traders focused on options trading. Notably, both platforms offer commission-free stock trading, which is a big win for cost-conscious investors.
In terms of fees beyond trading, Ally Invest and eToro differ with regard to account transfer charges. For those looking to move their investments, Ally Invest's fees are generally lower at $50 for both partial and full account transfers, while eToro charges $75 for the same services. Examining retirement accounts, Ally Invest doesn’t charge an annual fee, but does require a $25 closure fee, whereas detailed fee information for IRAs at eToro remains unspecified. This could be a consideration for those thinking long-term about retirement investments.
While both brokerages offer commission-free trading on stocks and no fees for options exercises or assignments, the best choice depends on your individual needs. Ally Invest may be more appealing for investors who value low entry requirements and have varied investing preferences, including margin trading within a wider financial strategy. On the other hand, if options trading without additional fees is your main interest, eToro might be more appealing despite its higher account transfer fees. Each platform has distinct benefits that cater to different investor priorities, so reflecting on your financial goals is key.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $25.00 |
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When it comes to day trading capabilities, Ally Invest and eToro present a somewhat limited set of tools for traders. Neither platform offers features like ladder trading, trading hotkeys, or advanced backtesting, which might be crucial for more active traders. While Ally Invest does not provide streaming time and sales data for stocks, eToro fills the gap with this feature, potentially giving traders access to real-time data they may need. It's important to note that both platforms lack direct market routing and level 2 quotes, which could impact the decision-making process for day traders looking to execute more sophisticated strategies.
For those considering order flexibility, it's worth noting that neither Ally Invest nor eToro provides order liquidity rebates. Additionally, neither platform offers a short locator tool, which can be a significant limitation for traders needing to score real-time availability of shares for shorting. In terms of additional media resources, both platforms are on equal footing as neither offers streaming live TV. Traders need to carefully weigh these factors when choosing between Ally Invest and eToro, especially if their trading strategy relies heavily on access to more advanced tools and resources.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | Yes |
| Streaming TV | No | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
| Short Locator | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
When comparing the market research capabilities of Ally Invest and eToro, it becomes clear that Ally Invest offers a more comprehensive set of tools and resources for investors. With its ability to research stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets, and bonds, Ally Invest provides investors with a wide range of insights. Additionally, Ally allows users to view portfolio allocation by asset class and offers several screeners for generating trade ideas. On the other hand, eToro, while incorporating social media sentiment and ESG research, lacks many of the foundational research tools, making Ally Invest the more versatile option for investors seeking in-depth market analysis.
Ally Invest's strength in market research is evident in its offerings for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds, as well as its unique tools such as social media sentiment analysis and a stock screener for trade ideas. In contrast, eToro's offerings are more limited, focusing primarily on social media sentiment and ESG research but lacking in foundational research areas like mutual funds and bonds. Both platforms offer zero downloadable PDF research reports, highlighting an area for potential improvement.
Ranked by StockBrokers.com, Ally Invest sits comfortably at a respectable #8 spot among 14 brokers, with a 3.5-star rating for market research. This contrasts sharply with eToro, which ranks at the bottom of the list at #14, holding a modest 1.5-star rating. Despite some unique tools, eToro's market research capabilities are significantly less comprehensive than those of Ally Invest, making it less appealing for those requiring extensive research options for investment decisions.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Research |
|
|
When it comes to banking capabilities, Ally Invest outshines eToro by providing a comprehensive range of financial services. Ally Invest supports a full suite of banking options, including checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, as well as mortgage loans. Additionally, Ally Invest offers certificates of deposit (CDs), giving customers more opportunities to grow their savings. In stark contrast, eToro lacks these banking offerings entirely, as it does not provide checking or savings accounts, debit or credit cards, mortgage loans, or CDs. For those seeking an online broker with extensive banking features, Ally Invest clearly holds a significant advantage over eToro.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | Yes | |
| Savings Accounts | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | No |
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 Ally Invest is better than eToro. Ally Invest finished with an overall score of 80.1%, while eToro finished with a score of 66.1%.
For current Ally customers looking to invest in stocks, Ally's universal-accounts experience and easy-to-use website offer a convenient solution. Its website is far stronger than the mobile app.
When comparing online brokers, eToro stands out for cryptocurrency enthusiasts by offering trading in 26 different coins, while Ally Invest does not provide any options for crypto trading.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Ally Invest offers both traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fee, but imposes a $25 closure fee, whereas eToro does not provide IRA accounts, making Ally Invest the favorable choice for IRA services.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Ally Invest | eToro | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Ally Invest Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Trading Fees | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $4.95 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0.00 | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $20 | $0 |
| Margin Rates | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.75% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 10.75% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9.75% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.25% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.5% | Not offered |
| Account Fees | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
| IRA Closure Fee | $25.00 | ||
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $50.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | No | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 0 | |
| Futures Trading | No | No | |
| Forex Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 26 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
| Order Types | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | No | Yes | |
| Order Type - OCO | No | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | No | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | No | |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
| Videos | No | Yes | |
| Webinars | No | ||
| Progress Tracking | No | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | No | No | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | No | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | No | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Streaming) | No | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | No | No |
| Stock App Charting | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 103 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | N/A | N/A | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
| Trade Journal | No | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 | 7 |
| Stock Chart Features | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 | 46 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 | 48 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | No | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | No | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 8 | 5 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | Yes | |
| Streaming TV | No | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
| Short Locator | No | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No |
| Research Overview | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | Yes |
| ETF Research | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | No | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | No | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | No |
| Options Trading | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 4 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | No | No |
| Banking | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes | ||
| Checking Accounts | Yes | ||
| Savings Accounts | Yes | ||
| Credit Cards | Yes | ||
| Debit Cards | Yes | ||
| Mortgage Loans | Yes |
| Customer Service | Ally Invest | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | No | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | No |
| Overall | Ally Invest | eToro | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Ally Invest Review | eToro Review |
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