Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of tastytrade 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: If you’re choosing between tastytrade and Ally Invest, your pick hinges on the markets you want to access and whether you want guidance. tastytrade suits traders who want options, futures, forex, and crypto (17 coins) plus fractional shares. Ally Invest fits investors who want mutual funds, OTC stocks, and advisor services. Both offer stocks, options, margin, and Traditional and Roth IRAs. For Range of Investments, each earns 4 out of 5 stars, with StockBrokers.com ranking tastytrade #9 of 14 and Ally Invest #11.
On available investments, tastytrade offers stock trading, options, margin, fractional shares, forex, futures, and crypto (17 coins). It does not provide OTC stocks, mutual funds, or advisor services. Ally Invest offers stock trading, options, margin, OTC stocks, mutual funds, and advisor services, but it does not offer fractional shares, forex, futures, or crypto (0 coins). Both brokers support Traditional IRA and Roth IRA accounts.
Choose tastytrade if you plan to trade options, futures, or crypto and want fractional share investing. Pick Ally Invest if you want mutual funds, access to OTC stocks, or prefer optional advice. Either way, both platforms cover core stock and options trading with margin and support for retirement accounts.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | No |
| OTC Stocks | No | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 17 | 0 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Bottom line: tastytrade clearly outpaces Ally Invest for trading platforms and tools. StockBrokers.com rates tastytrade 4 stars and ranks it #5 of 14, while Ally Invest earns 1.5 stars and ranks #10. If you want downloadable desktop platforms for both Windows and Mac, richer charting, bigger watchlists, and a built-in trading journal, tastytrade is the stronger fit. Ally Invest is simpler and browser-only, but it does offer automated chart pattern detection and slightly more drawing tools.
Platforms and workflow: tastytrade provides downloadable desktop platforms for Windows and Mac plus a browser-based platform; Ally Invest offers only a browser platform. Neither broker offers paper trading. Tastytrade includes a trading journal; Ally Invest does not. For watchlists, tastytrade supports 33 columns versus 10 at Ally Invest, making it easier to track more data points. Tastytrade also lets you adjust open orders directly on a chart, a convenience Ally Invest lacks.
Charting and analysis: tastytrade supplies 308 technical indicators versus 120 at Ally Invest. Drawing tools tilt the other way, with Ally Invest at 36 and tastytrade at 31. Both let you add notes to charts and save multiple chart profiles. Tastytrade can display historical trades, corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), and custom date ranges; Ally Invest cannot. For automation, Ally Invest can show chart patterns, while tastytrade cannot. Editing an SMA study reveals 7 customization fields at tastytrade versus 8 at Ally Invest. Power users will appreciate that tastytrade supports creating custom studies, which Ally Invest does not.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 33 | 10 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 308 | 120 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 31 | 36 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Comparing online broker education for beginners, both tastytrade and Ally Invest teach the basics of stocks, ETFs, and options. The big difference is in learning tools: tastytrade offers educational videos, live webinars, and a way to track your learning progress, while Ally Invest does not provide videos, webinars, or progress tracking. Neither platform includes paper trading or quizzes. If you want lessons on more asset types, Ally Invest adds education on mutual funds and bonds, which tastytrade does not cover.
For education quality, both brokers earn 3 out of 5 stars. In StockBrokers.com’s ranking of 14 brokers, tastytrade places #11 and Ally Invest #12. Choose tastytrade if you prefer video-based learning, webinars, and progress tracking; choose Ally Invest if you want guidance on mutual funds and bonds alongside stock, ETF, and options topics.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | No |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
Bottom line: for a mobile stock trading app, tastytrade edges out Ally Invest. StockBrokers.com rates tastytrade 4 stars and ranks it 12th out of 14 brokers, while Ally Invest earns 3 stars and ranks 14th. Both offer iPhone and Android apps, but tastytrade adds more on-the-go tools, especially for charting, alerts, and after-hours activity. Neither broker supports Apple Watch, streaming live TV, or videos on demand.
On trading features, both the tastytrade app and the Ally Invest app support options trading and deliver streaming quotes. tastytrade supports mobile after-hours stock trading; Ally Invest’s mobile after-hours availability is not specified. For alerts and watchlists, tastytrade provides stock alerts and lets you customize watchlist columns, while Ally Invest lacks alerts and does not allow column customization. Both let you create custom watchlists.
Charting on tastytrade is stronger for active monitoring: it offers after-hours charting and landscape mode, which Ally Invest does not. Both apps let you view multiple time frames, but neither includes built-in technical studies or the ability to compare multiple stocks on a chart. If you value alerts, after-hours trading, and flexible charts, tastytrade has the edge; if you just need basic trading with streaming quotes on iPhone or Android, Ally Invest can still get the job done.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
When comparing tastytrade and Ally Invest, both platforms offer attractive features, especially when it comes to stock trading with no minimum deposit required and no fees for regular stock trades. However, deciding between them often comes down to specific cost considerations such as charges related to options and margin rates. Tastytrade offers slightly better rates for margin loans under $100,000, but Ally Invest stands out for having no fees for options exercise or assignment. Your choice may hinge on how you prioritize these fees in your investment strategy.
With both tastytrade and Ally Invest, investors enjoy commission-free trading on stocks and require no minimum deposit to open an account, making them accessible options for all types of traders. If you trade options, expect to pay $0.50 per contract with either broker. For those interested in margin trading, tastytrade tends to offer slightly more competitive rates, particularly for higher balances. Both brokers eliminate IRA annual fees, though Ally Invest has a lower IRA closure fee, charging only $25 compared to tastytrade's $60.
In terms of additional charges, Ally Invest emerges as the more cost-effective choice, especially when considering account transfer and option-related fees. While both brokers allow for efficient account transfers, Ally Invest charges less, with full or partial transfers costing $50 as opposed to tastytrade's $75 fees. Additionally, Ally Invest does not charge for options exercise or assignment, whereas tastytrade imposes a $5 fee for each. These distinctions can significantly impact your overall investment costs, making Ally Invest a potentially more budget-friendly option for those particularly concerned with such fees.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.50 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $60.00 | $25.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
Comparing tastytrade vs Ally Invest for day trading, tastytrade offers more trader-focused tools. It includes streaming live TV for market news, ladder trading for fast order entry, advanced strategy backtesting to test ideas, and a short locator tool to check real-time share availability for shorts. Ally Invest lacks all four of those features, making it a simpler choice for stock trading but less equipped for frequent intraday moves.
Both brokers do not provide streaming time and sales for stocks, Level 2 quotes, direct market routing, trading hotkeys, basic strategy backtesting, or maker/taker rebates. If you rely on the tape (time & sales), depth-of-book (Level 2), routing control, or hotkeys, neither platform will meet those needs. For day traders who want integrated research, quick order entry via a ladder, advanced backtesting, and a short borrow checker, tastytrade is the stronger pick; Ally Invest fits casual traders who don’t need those day trading tools.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
| Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
For market research, Ally Invest has the edge over tastytrade. Both cover stocks and ETFs, but Ally adds research for mutual funds, OTC/pink sheets, and bonds, plus social media sentiment for stocks. That broader scope aligns with StockBrokers.com’s 3-star rating and #9 ranking for Ally Invest, compared with tastytrade’s 2-star rating and #13 ranking. Choose Ally Invest if you want wider asset-class coverage and sentiment inputs; pick tastytrade if seeing portfolio allocation by asset class is a priority.
Feature by feature, the differences are clear. Tastytrade and Ally Invest both provide stock and ETF research, and neither offers ESG research or downloadable PDF reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds. Only Ally Invest includes research on mutual funds, OTC/pink sheets, and bonds, and it also adds social media sentiment to stock research. Tastytrade counters with a built-in view of your portfolio allocation by asset class, which Ally Invest lacks.
For trade ideas, both platforms include stock and ETF screeners, and each offers a bond screener; neither provides a mutual fund screener. If you mainly need screeners and straightforward equity and ETF research, either broker can fit the bill. If you want wider research coverage or social sentiment data, Ally Invest is the better match, while tastytrade stands out for portfolio allocation insights.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | Yes |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
| Research |
|
|
When it comes to banking capabilities, Ally Invest stands out with a wide range of services that tastytrade does not offer. Ally Invest provides traditional banking options such as checking and savings accounts, along with debit and credit cards, which can make day-to-day transactions easier for their customers. Additionally, Ally Invest includes mortgage loans and Certificates of Deposit (CDs) as part of their offerings, giving users more ways to manage and grow their finances. In contrast, tastytrade does not provide any of these banking services, focusing instead on investment opportunities. Therefore, if you're looking for a blend of investment and banking services, Ally Invest may be the more comprehensive choice.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | Yes |
| Savings Accounts | No | Yes |
| Debit Cards | No | Yes |
| Credit Cards | No | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
| Brokerage CDs | No | 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 tastytrade is better than Ally Invest. tastytrade finished with an overall score of 64.0%, while Ally Invest finished with a score of 56.0%.
tastytrade is a specialist brokerage best known for its options trading platform, risk-focused analytics, and pricing structure built specifically for active derivatives traders.
tastytrade stands out by offering crypto trading with access to 17 different coins, whereas Ally Invest does not provide any options for crypto trading.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Both tastytrade and Ally Invest offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees, but tastytrade charges a $60 closure fee while Ally Invest charges only $25 for closing IRA accounts.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
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| Review | tastytrade Review | Ally Invest Review |
| Broker Screenshots | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Trading Fees | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | N/A | $4.95 | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | N/A | $0.00 | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.50 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $1.00 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $0 | $20 |
| Margin Rates | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 11% | 12% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 10.5% | 11.75% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 10% | 11% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 9.5% | 9.75% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9% | 8.75% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 8.5% | 8.25% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8% | 7.5% |
| Account Fees | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $60.00 | $25.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $75.00 | $50.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $75.00 | $50.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | No | |
| OTC Stocks | No | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 17 | 0 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | No | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | No | Yes | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
| Order Types | tastytrade | 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 | No | No | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
| Beginners | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | No | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | No | 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 | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | 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 | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | tastytrade | N/A | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 33 | 10 |
| Stock Chart Features | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 308 | 120 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 31 | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 7 | 8 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
| Day Trading | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | No | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | Yes | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | No | No | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
| ETF Research | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | No | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | No | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | No | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | No | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | No |
| Options Trading | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No |
| Banking | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | Yes | |
| Checking Accounts | No | Yes | |
| Savings Accounts | No | Yes | |
| Credit Cards | No | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | No | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
| Customer Service | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | No | Yes |
| Overall | tastytrade | Ally Invest | |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | tastytrade Review | Ally Invest Review |
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