Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Ally Invest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: In the Interactive Brokers vs Ally Invest matchup, Interactive Brokers has the wider range of investments and earns 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #1 of 14 by StockBrokers.com). Ally Invest covers the core choices and includes advisor services, earning 4 stars (ranked #11). Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the most asset types and trading choices; consider Ally Invest if you prefer straightforward investing with access to advice.
Both brokers offer stock trading, including OTC stocks, as well as mutual funds, options trading, and margin. Interactive Brokers adds fractional shares, forex, futures, and crypto trading with 11 coins available. Ally Invest does not offer fractional shares, forex, futures, or crypto.
For account types, both support Traditional and Roth IRAs. A key difference is service: Interactive Brokers does not provide advisor services, while Ally Invest does. If you need guidance, Ally Invest may fit better; if you want the broadest market access and instruments, Interactive Brokers stands out.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | No |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 0 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Bottom line: In the Interactive Brokers vs Ally Invest comparison for trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers is the clear winner. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 of 14 brokers at StockBrokers.com, while Ally Invest scores 1.5 stars and ranks #10. If you want full-featured platforms, deep watch lists, and flexible charting with on-chart order control and practice trading, choose Interactive Brokers; Ally Invest fits basic web trading but lacks many advanced features and any desktop software.
Platforms and core tools: Interactive Brokers offers downloadable platforms for both Windows and Mac, plus a browser-based platform. Ally Invest is browser-only with no desktop apps for Windows or Mac. Interactive Brokers also provides paper trading and a built-in trading journal; Ally Invest offers neither. Watch lists are far more detailed on Interactive Brokers (up to 659 fields) versus Ally Invest (10). You can drag and adjust open orders directly on stock charts at Interactive Brokers; you cannot do this at Ally.
Charting and analysis: Interactive Brokers includes 155 technical indicators and 85 drawing tools; Ally Invest offers 120 indicators and 36 drawing tools. Both let you add notes, run automated chart pattern recognition, and save multiple chart profiles. Interactive Brokers goes further by showing your past trades on charts, displaying corporate events like earnings and dividends, and letting you set custom date ranges; Ally Invest lacks those. Editing a simple moving average has six fields on Interactive Brokers and eight on Ally Invest, but neither broker lets you build fully custom studies.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 10 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 120 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 36 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Interactive Brokers vs Ally Invest for education: both brokers cover the basics across stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, which is helpful for beginners who want to learn each asset type. The big differences show up in how you learn. Interactive Brokers adds hands-on and guided tools—paper trading, educational videos, webinars, quizzes, and the ability to track your learning progress—while Ally Invest does not include these extras.
If you want practice and structured learning, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick, earning 4 stars and ranking #3 of 14 for education (StockBrokers.com). Ally Invest provides core education but fewer interactive tools, reflected in its 3-star score and #12 of 14 ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | No |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers clearly outperforms Ally Invest for stock trading apps. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 of 14 at StockBrokers.com, while Ally Invest scores 3 stars and ranks #14. Both apps cover the basics, but Interactive Brokers layers on far more trading tools, market data, and customization. It also supports mobile after-hours trading, whereas Ally’s mobile after-hours availability wasn’t confirmed in the provided data.
Both Interactive Brokers and Ally Invest offer iPhone and Android apps, plus mobile options trading and streaming quotes. Interactive Brokers goes further with an Apple Watch app, streaming live TV, videos on demand, and stock alerts—none of which Ally Invest provides. Each broker lets you build custom watch lists, but only Interactive Brokers lets you customize watch list columns.
Charting is a major differentiator. Interactive Brokers supports after-hours charting, landscape charts, multiple time frames, stock-to-stock comparisons on charts, and a deep library of 97 technical studies. Ally Invest supports multiple time frames but does not offer after-hours charting, landscape charts, chart comparisons, or any technical studies.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 0 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers generally offers lower overall costs than Ally Invest thanks to far cheaper margin interest and no fees for transfers or IRA closures, while Ally can be the better pick if your main expense is options contract fees. Both brokers have a $0 minimum deposit, $0 commissions for stock trades, and $0 fees for options exercise and assignment. If you plan to use margin or might move your account, Interactive Brokers is likely to be more cost‑effective; if you trade lots of options contracts and don’t use margin, Ally’s per‑contract pricing can save money.
Trading and IRA fees: Interactive Brokers and Ally Invest both require a $0 minimum deposit and charge $0 for regular stock trades. For options, Interactive Brokers is $0.65 per contract, while Ally Invest is $0.50 per contract. Options exercise and assignment are $0 at both. IRA annual fees are $0 at both; IRA closure is $0 at Interactive Brokers and $25 at Ally Invest.
Margin and transfer fees: Interactive Brokers lists a 6.83% margin rate for balances under $25,000, $25,000–$49,999, and $50,000–$99,999. Ally Invest’s margin rates are higher at 12% (under $25,000), 11.75% ($25,000–$49,999), and 11% ($50,000–$99,999). For ACAT transfers, Interactive Brokers charges $0 for partial and full transfers, while Ally Invest charges $50 for both partial and full transfers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.50 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $25.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
Interactive Brokers and Ally Invest cater to traders in different ways, but when it comes to day trading features, Interactive Brokers holds a significant edge. Traders using Interactive Brokers enjoy a range of advantages such as streaming time and sales for stocks, access to streaming live TV, and direct market routing. These features aid in quick decision-making, crucial in day trading. Additionally, Interactive Brokers provides ladder trading, keyboard shortcuts for fast trade entries, and level 2 quotes, all of which empower traders with instant and in-depth market information.
For those interested in strategy building and optimization, Interactive Brokers is a favorable choice, offering both basic and advanced strategy backtesting. In contrast, Ally Invest lacks these capabilities, which might be limiting for active traders seeking a technical edge. Furthermore, only Interactive Brokers offers a short locator tool, essential for traders involved in short selling, and provides order liquidity rebates. With these tools and offers, Interactive Brokers stands out as a comprehensive platform for day traders, while Ally Invest may be more suitable for those with simpler trading needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
| Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
Interactive Brokers vs. Ally Invest for market research: Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick for investors who want deeper tools and more report options. Both brokers cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, OTC/pink sheets, and bonds, and both provide idea screeners, but Interactive Brokers layers on more advanced features and more downloadable research. That edge helps Interactive Brokers earn 4.5 out of 5 stars and rank 5th out of 14 brokers for research on StockBrokers.com, while Ally Invest holds 3 out of 5 stars and ranks 9th.
On core coverage, both platforms offer research for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets/OTC, and bonds. Each also includes stock, ETF, and bond screeners for trade ideas, plus stock research that taps social media sentiment data. The key split comes with mutual fund screening: Interactive Brokers includes a mutual fund screener, while Ally Invest does not.
The biggest difference is in depth and downloads. Interactive Brokers provides 17 downloadable PDF stock research reports and also offers PDF reports for ETFs and mutual funds. Ally Invest offers no downloadable PDF reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds. Interactive Brokers also lets you view portfolio allocation by asset class and includes ESG research; Ally Invest lacks both of these. If you need extensive reports, ESG insights, and allocation views, Interactive Brokers is the better fit; if basic research and standard screeners are enough, Ally Invest can do the job.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
| Research |
|
|
Interactive Brokers vs. Ally Invest: for banking features, Ally Invest clearly offers more. Ally Invest provides checking and savings accounts, a debit card for everyday purchases, credit cards, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs). Interactive Brokers does not offer checking or savings accounts, debit cards, or mortgage loans, but it does offer credit cards and CDs. If you want investing and everyday banking under one roof, Ally Invest is the more complete choice, while Interactive Brokers fits those who mainly need investing plus a credit card and CD option.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | Yes |
| Savings Accounts | No | Yes |
| Debit Cards | No | Yes |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Ally Invest. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 90.6%, while Ally Invest finished with a score of 56.0%.
Interactive Brokers is a go-to choice for professionals because of its institutional-grade desktop trading platform, high-quality trade executions and low margin rates.
Interactive Brokers provides crypto trading with access to 11 coins, whereas Ally Invest does not offer any crypto trading services.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Interactive Brokers and Ally Invest both offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees; however, Interactive Brokers stands out with no closure fees, while Ally Invest charges $25 for closing IRA accounts.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Ally Invest Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
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| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.01 | $4.95 | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | $0.00 | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.50 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $0.85 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | Varies | $20 |
| Margin Rates | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 6.83% | 12% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 6.83% | 11.75% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 6.83% | 11% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 6.83% | 9.75% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 6.83% | 8.75% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 6.83% | 8.25% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 6.83% | 7.5% |
| Account Fees | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $25.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | No | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 6 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 0 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 36 | 0 |
| Order Types | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
| Beginners | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Videos | Yes | No | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | No |
| Stock App Features | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Streaming) | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes | No |
| Stock App Charting | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) | N/A | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 10 |
| Stock Chart Features | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 120 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 36 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 8 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | Yes | No |
| Research Overview | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 17 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
| ETF Research | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No |
| Banking | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | Yes | |
| Checking Accounts | No | Yes | |
| Savings Accounts | No | Yes | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | No | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
| Customer Service | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Ally Invest | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Ally Invest Review |
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