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: choose tastytrade if you want multi-asset trading with options, futures, forex, crypto (17 coins), and fractional shares; choose Ally Invest if you want mutual funds, OTC stocks, and access to advisor services. Both brokers offer stock trading, options, margin, and Traditional and Roth IRAs. For Range of Investments, StockBrokers.com rates Ally Invest 4.5 stars (ranked #8 of 14) and tastytrade 4 stars (ranked #10 of 14).
Investment products compared: tastytrade supports stocks, options, margin, fractional shares, forex, futures, and crypto with 17 coins, but it does not offer OTC stocks or mutual funds. Ally Invest supports stocks, options, margin, OTC stocks, and mutual funds, but it does not offer fractional shares, forex, futures, or crypto.
Account types and help: tastytrade and Ally Invest both provide Traditional and Roth IRA accounts. Ally Invest also offers advisor services for clients who want guidance, while tastytrade is a self-directed platform without advisor services. That makes Ally Invest appealing for long-term investors who want fund choices and advice, and tastytrade appealing for active traders who want access to derivatives, forex, and crypto alongside stocks.
| 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 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
Tastytrade edges out Ally Invest for trading platforms and tools. Tastytrade earns 4 stars and a #8 ranking from StockBrokers.com, while Ally Invest sits at 3 stars and #10. Tastytrade’s strengths are its desktop apps (Windows and Mac), deeper charting, flexible watch lists, a built-in trading journal, and support for custom studies. Ally Invest offers a solid browser platform with automated chart pattern detection and a few more drawing tools, but it lacks desktop software and several chart features many active traders value.
Platform access and workflow: Tastytrade offers downloadable platforms for both Windows and Mac, plus a browser platform; Ally Invest is browser-only. Neither broker provides paper trading. Tastytrade includes a trading journal; Ally Invest does not. Watch lists are more detailed on Tastytrade (33 columns) versus Ally Invest (10). You can adjust open orders directly on charts with Tastytrade, which Ally Invest doesn’t support. Both let you save multiple chart profiles.
Charting and analysis: Tastytrade supplies 308 technical indicators and 31 drawing tools; Ally Invest provides 120 indicators and 36 drawing tools. Both allow notes on charts. Tastytrade can show your historical trades and corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) and lets you set custom date ranges; Ally Invest lacks those three capabilities. Ally Invest does offer automated chart pattern recognition, which Tastytrade does not. When editing an SMA, Ally Invest has 8 customization fields versus 7 for Tastytrade. For power users, Tastytrade supports creating custom studies; 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 |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 33 | 10 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 308 | 120 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 31 | 36 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
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For beginner investors comparing education, both tastytrade and Ally Invest cover the basics with lessons on stocks, ETFs, and options. The big split comes in format and breadth. Tastytrade leans into multimedia, offering educational videos, live and recorded webinars, and the ability to track your learning progress—useful if you like structured, on-demand content. Ally Invest, meanwhile, broadens the subject matter with education on mutual funds and bonds (which tastytrade doesn’t cover), but it doesn’t provide videos, webinars, or progress tracking. Neither broker offers paper trading or quizzes.
In terms of third-party reviews, both tastytrade and Ally Invest earn 4 out of 5 stars for education. According to StockBrokers.com, Ally Invest ranks #7 out of 14 for education, while tastytrade ranks #9 out of 14. If you want multimedia lessons and a way to track what you’ve learned, tastytrade has the edge. If you’re looking for education that includes mutual funds and bonds alongside stocks, ETFs, and options, Ally Invest is the better fit.
| 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 |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Videos | Yes | No |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
Bottom line: for a mobile stock trading app, tastytrade edges out Ally Invest. Both apps cover the basics, but tastytrade adds more helpful touches for active monitoring—mobile after-hours trading (confirmed), stock alerts, customizable watch‑list columns, and extra chart views like after‑hours and landscape mode. That aligns with its higher StockBrokers.com app rating (4.5 stars versus Ally Invest’s 4) and better placement in the rankings (#10 vs. #13 out of 14).
App access is similar on the surface: tastytrade and Ally Invest both offer iPhone and Android apps, and neither supports Apple Watch. Each app includes options trading and streaming quotes. Neither provides streaming live TV or videos on demand. Note: Ally Invest’s availability for mobile after-hours trading isn’t specified here, while tastytrade’s is confirmed.
Charts and personalization are where the tastytrade vs Ally Invest comparison widens. Both apps let you view multiple time frames, include zero technical studies, and do not support stock comparison overlays. However, tastytrade includes after-hours charting and landscape chart views (Ally Invest does not), plus stock alerts and the ability to customize watch‑list columns. Both support creating custom watch lists.
| 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 2025
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 2025
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 2025 for Beginners and Active Traders
Bottom line: Ally Invest offers broader market research than tastytrade. If you want research on mutual funds, OTC/Pink Sheets, and bonds, Ally is the better fit, and it also layers in social media sentiment for stocks. Tastytrade may suit traders who mostly focus on stocks and ETFs and want to see their portfolio split by asset class. Reflecting this, StockBrokers.com rates Ally Invest 3.5 out of 5 stars (8th of 14) versus tastytrade at 1.5 out of 5 stars (13th of 14) for market research.
Both brokers provide stock and ETF research, and neither supplies downloadable PDF reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds. Ally Invest adds research for mutual funds, OTC/Pink Sheets, and bonds—areas tastytrade does not cover. Neither platform offers ESG research. For extras, Ally Invest includes social media sentiment on stocks, while tastytrade stands out for letting you view portfolio allocation by asset class; Ally does not.
For finding ideas, both platforms feature stock and ETF screeners and also include a bond screener. Neither offers a mutual fund screener.
| 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 2025
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 80.1%, while Ally Invest finished with a score of 80.1%.
tastytrade isn’t for every investor, but its platform is ideal for frequent options and futures traders, offering efficient workflow, useful risk management tools, killer design, and online content that makes you feel like you’re on a trading desk.
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 2025
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 2025
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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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| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - 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 | |
| Watch Lists - 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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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | tastytrade Review | Ally Invest Review |
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