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E*TRADE vs Ally Invest 2024

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

January 31, 2024

Is E*TRADE better than Ally Invest? After testing 18 of the best online brokers, our analysis finds that E*TRADE (96.6%) is better than Ally Invest (84.6%). E*TRADE is a top-performing broker whose highlights include $0 trades, two excellent mobile apps and the Power E*TRADE platform. Crypto, however, is not available.

Select Brokers

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  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlly Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCiti Self Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxE*TRADE
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFidelity
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFirstrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxJ.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMerrill Edge
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPublic.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRobinhood
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSoFi Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxtastytrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTD Ameritrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradeStation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradier
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVanguard
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxWebull

Compare

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Overall Rating E*TRADE Ally Invest
Overall 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Customer Service 4.0/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review E*TRADE Review Ally Invest Review
Broker Screenshots E*TRADE Ally Invest
Trading Platform & Tools Gallery (click to expand)
Research Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees E*TRADE Ally Invest
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $6.95 info $4.95 info
Mutual Fund Trade Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.65 $0.50
Futures (Per Contract) $1.50 (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee $25 $20
Margin Rates E*TRADE Ally Invest
Margin Rate Under $25,000 14.2% info 13%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 13.7% 12.75%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 13.2% 12%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 12.7% 10.75%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 12.2% 9.75%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 Varies info 9.25%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 Varies info 8.5%
Account Fees E*TRADE Ally Invest
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $0.00 $25.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $0.00 $50.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $75.00 $50.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options E*TRADE Ally Invest
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares info No No
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs info 4 4
Futures Trading info Yes No
Forex Trading info No Yes
Crypto Trading info No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 0 0
Mutual Funds (No Load) info 6486 13000
Mutual Funds (Total) info 7242 14000
Bonds (US Treasury) info Yes Yes
Bonds (Corporate) info Yes Yes
Bonds (Municipal) info Yes Yes
Traditional IRAs info Yes Yes
Roth IRAs info Yes Yes
Advisor Services info Yes Yes
International Countries (Stocks) info 0 0
Order Types E*TRADE Ally Invest
Order Type - Market info Yes Yes
Order Type - Limit info Yes Yes
Order Type - After Hours info Yes Yes
Order Type - Stop info Yes Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop info Yes No
Order Type - OCO info Yes No
Order Type - OTO info Yes No
Order Type - Broker Assisted info Yes Yes
Beginners E*TRADE Ally Invest
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Bonds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator info Yes No
Investor Dictionary info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes No
Videos info Yes No
Webinars info Yes No
Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Progress Tracking info No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info No No
Stock Trading Apps E*TRADE Ally Invest
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info Yes No
Trading - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trading - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Trading - Simple Options info Yes Yes
Trading - Complex Options info Yes Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes info Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes info Yes No
Stock App Features E*TRADE Ally Invest
Market Movers (Top Gainers) info Yes Yes
Stream Live TV info Yes No
Videos on Demand info No No
Stock Alerts info Yes No
Option Chains Viewable info Yes Yes
Watch List (Real-time) info Yes Yes
Watch List (Streaming) info Yes No
Watch Lists - Create & Manage info Yes Yes
Watch Lists - Column Customization info Yes No
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 43 21
Stock App Charting E*TRADE Ally Invest
Charting - After-Hours info Yes No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info Yes Yes
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 107 17
Charting - Study Customizations info Yes No
Charting - Stock Comparisons info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms E*TRADE Ally Invest
Active Trading Platform info Power E*TRADE N/A
Desktop Trading Platform info No No
Desktop Platform (Mac) info No No
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes No
Trade Journal info No No
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 43 21
Stock Chart Features E*TRADE Ally Invest
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 121 117
Charting - Drawing Tools info 37 36
Charting - Notes info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Historical Trades info Yes No
Charting - Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Custom Date Range info Yes No
Charting - Custom Time Bars info No No
Charting - Automated Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Study Customizations info 8 5
Charting - Custom Studies info No No
Day Trading E*TRADE Ally Invest
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes No
Streaming TV info Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks info Yes No
Ladder Trading info No No
Trade Hot Keys info Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes info No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No No
Short Locator info No No
Order Liquidity Rebates info No No
Research Overview E*TRADE Ally Invest
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Screener - Stocks info Yes No
Screener - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Screener - Bonds info Yes Yes
Misc - Portfolio Allocation info Yes No
Stock Research E*TRADE Ally Invest
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 8 2
Stock Research - Earnings info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Social info Yes Yes
Stock Research - News info Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG info No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings info Yes Yes
ETF Research E*TRADE Ally Invest
ETFs - Strategy Overview info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure info Yes No
ETFs - Risk Analysis info Yes Yes
ETFs - Ratings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap info Yes No
ETFs - PDF Reports info Yes Yes
Mutual Fund Research E*TRADE Ally Invest
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart info No Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Prospectus info Yes No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation info Yes No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap info Yes No
Options Trading E*TRADE Ally Invest
Option Chains - Basic View info Yes Yes
Option Chains - Strategy View info Yes Yes
Option Chains - Streaming info Yes Yes
Option Chains - Total Columns info 32 8
Option Chains - Greeks info 5 1
Option Chains - Quick Analysis info Yes Yes
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes Yes
Option Probability Analysis info Yes Yes
Option Probability Analysis Adv info Yes No
Option Positions - Greeks info Yes Yes
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming info Yes No
Option Positions - Adv Analysis info Yes Yes
Option Positions - Rolling info Yes Yes
Option Positions - Grouping info Yes Yes
Banking E*TRADE Ally Invest
Bank (Member FDIC) info Yes Yes
Checking Accounts info Yes Yes
Savings Accounts info Yes Yes
Credit Cards info Yes No
Debit Cards info Yes Yes
Mortgage Loans info Yes Yes
Customer Service E*TRADE Ally Invest
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) info Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
Email Support info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) info No Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
24/7 Support info Yes Yes
Overall E*TRADE Ally Invest
Overall 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review E*TRADE Review Ally Invest Review
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E*TRADE vs Ally Invest Comparison

Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. We spend hundreds of hours each year testing the platforms, mobile apps, trading tools and general ease of use among online brokerages, as well as comparing commissions and fees, to find the best online broker.

Though many U.S. brokers offer basic trading features, such as an app, charting tools, stock research and educational content, the depth of those features can vary widely. Let's compare E*TRADE vs Ally Invest.

Is E*TRADE or Ally Invest better for beginners?

In stock trading, the more you know, the better you’ll do. Taking advantage of resources like articles, webinars, videos and interactive elements is a great way to shorten the learning curve. In our analysis, we examine the availability of several different types of educational materials.

For 2024, our review finds that E*TRADE offers more comprehensive new investor education for beginning investors than Ally Invest. E*TRADE offers investors access to Paper Trading, Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (ETFs), Education (Options), Education (Mutual Funds), Education (Bonds) and Education (Retirement), while Ally Invest offers investors access to Education (Stocks), Education (ETFs), Education (Options), Education (Mutual Funds), Education (Bonds) and Education (Retirement).

What about E*TRADE vs Ally Invest pricing?

E*TRADE and Ally Invest charge the same amount for regular stock trades, $0.00. Option contracts are pricier at E*TRADE, costing $0.65 per contract versus $0.50 per contract at Ally Invest. For futures, E*TRADE charges $1.50 per contract and Ally Invest charges (Not offered) per contract. For a deeper dive, see our best brokers for free stock trading or options trading guides

Does E*TRADE or Ally Invest offer a wider range of investment options?

Looking at a full range of investment options, including order types and international trading, our research has found that E*TRADE offers a more comprehensive offering than Ally Invest. E*TRADE ranks #4 out of 18 brokers for our Investment Options category, while Ally Invest ranks #8.

E*TRADE offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds, Futures Trading and Advisor Services, while Ally Invest offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds, Forex Trading and Advisor Services. Neither have Fractional Shares Looking at Mutual Funds, Ally Invest trails E*TRADE in its offering of no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds, with E*TRADE offering 4377 and Ally Invest offering 3900.

Do E*TRADE and Ally Invest offer cryptocurrency?

In our analysis of top U.S. brokerages, we research whether each broker offers the ability to trade cash cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and ethereum. Though crypto has risen steadily in popularity, availability still varies from broker to broker. Our review finds that neither E*TRADE and Ally Invest offer crypto trading.

Which trading platform is better: E*TRADE or Ally Invest?

To compare the day trading platforms of E*TRADE and Ally Invest, we focused on trading tools and functionality across both web and desktop-based platforms. Popular day trading platform tools include streaming real-time quotes, stock alerts, trading hotkeys, direct market routing, streaming time and sales, customizable watch lists, backtesting, and fully functional charting packages, among many others. For day trading, E*TRADE offers a better experience.

Does E*TRADE or Ally Invest offer a better stock trading app?

After testing 25 features across the stock trading apps of E*TRADE and Ally Invest, we found E*TRADE to be better overall. The best stock market apps are easy to use, have excellent design, and deliver a fully featured online trading experience. E*TRADE ranks #2 out of 18 brokers, while Ally Invest ranks #13.

E*TRADE Trading App Gallery

Ally Invest Trading App Gallery

Which broker is better for researching stocks?

For research, E*TRADE offers superior market research than Ally Invest. E*TRADE ranks #3 and Ally Invest ranks #7.

Over the years, we've found that the best brokers provide rich market commentary, a variety of third-party research reports, and thorough quote screens that are not just easy to navigate, but that also include a comprehensive selection of fundamental data. Robust stock, ETFs, and mutual fund screeners are also must-haves for trade idea generation.

How do E*TRADE and Ally Invest compare in terms of minimum deposit required?

E*TRADE requires a minimum deposit of $0.00, while Ally Invest requires a minimum deposit of $0.00. From our testing, we found that SoFi is the only broker that requires a minimum deposit.

Which broker offers better margin rates for accounts under $25,000?

E*TRADE charges 14.2% for accounts under $25,000 while Ally Invest charges a margin rate of 13%. The industry average of the 18 brokers we track is 9%.

Does E*TRADE offer fractional shares? Does Ally Invest?

Fractional shares are not offered by either broker. Our research has found that 39% of brokers offer fractional shares investing. Fractional shares allow traders to buy a part of a whole share of stock. For example, if Amazon is trading at $1,000, you could buy half a share for $500.

Can you trade penny stocks with E*TRADE or Ally Invest?

Both E*TRADE and Ally Invest allow you to trade penny stocks. E*TRADE charges $6.95 per trade while Ally Invest charges $4.95. Penny stocks are companies whose shares trade for under $5 and are listed over the counter (OTC). For brokers that do offer penny stock trades, the average commission is $3.

Does either broker offer banking?

Online banking can be a benefit for investors, and some brokerages do provide banking services to customers. Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards, Credit Cards and Mortgage Loans are offered by E*TRADE while Ally Invest offers Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards and Mortgage Loans.

Which broker offers stronger customer service?

StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research group Confero to conduct phone tests from locations across the United States to thoroughly evaluate the quality and speed of brokerage customer service. (Read more about How We Test.) Here are the results of our current testing.

E*TRADE was rated 8th out of 13 brokers, with an overall score of 7.87 out of 10.

Ally Invest was rated 4th out of 13 brokers, with an overall score of 8.69 out of 10.

Is E*TRADE good?

E*TRADE is a top-performing broker whose highlights include $0 trades, two excellent mobile apps and the Power E*TRADE platform. Crypto, however, is not available.

In the 2024 StockBrokers.com Annual Awards, E*TRADE was ranked No. 1 for Investor App and Web Trading Platform. E*TRADE also placed among Best in Class for Commissions & Fees, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading Apps, Investment Options, Education, Ease of Use, Bank Brokerage, Beginners, Futures Trading, IRA Accounts, Options Trading, Penny Stock Trading, High Net Worth Investors, and Overall.

Is Ally Invest good?

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.

In the 2024 StockBrokers.com Annual Awards, Ally Invest ranked among Best in Class for Bank Brokerage and Customer Service.

E*TRADE vs Ally Invest Winner

Overall winner: E*TRADE

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