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TradeStation vs Ally Invest 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025

In this head to head comparison of TradeStation vs Ally Invest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

TradeStation
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.60
Ally Invest
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.50

Range of investments

When deciding between TradeStation and Ally Invest for your online brokerage needs, it boils down to your individual preferences for specific investment opportunities. Both platforms offer a wide range of options, including stock and mutual fund trading, with identical ratings of 4.5 stars in the Range of Investments category. However, meanwhile they both lack in fractional shares and crypto trading, TradeStation takes the lead with the availability of futures trading, setting it apart for investors interested in this option. On the flip side, Ally Invest uniquely provides advisor services, a beneficial feature for those seeking some guidance in managing their investments.

TradeStation and Ally Invest both support stock and margin trading, as well as options and mutual fund trading, ensuring that fundamental investment types are well-covered. Each platform offers the opportunity to trade over-the-counter (OTC) stocks, catering to investors looking to diversify their portfolios with these specific types of equities. While neither platform offers fractional shares trading or the ability to trade cryptocurrency, their comprehensive coverage of stocks, options, and mutual funds makes them suitable for most investors.

For retirement planning, both TradeStation and Ally Invest provide options for traditional and Roth IRAs, therefore catering to those planning their financial future post-retirement. However, where TradeStation excels in futures trading, Ally Invest compensates with personalized advisor services, a notable perk for hands-off investors who desire professional insights. Accordingly, while StockBrokers.com ranks TradeStation slightly higher at #5 compared to Ally Invest's #8 ranking for the range of investments, the decision ultimately rests with the investor's specific interests and required services.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info No No
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Futures Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading info No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 0 0
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market

Trading platforms and tools

When weighing TradeStation against Ally Invest for trading platforms and tools, TradeStation emerges as the clear frontrunner. It garners an impressive 4.5-star rating and is ranked third by StockBrokers.com out of 14 brokers for its trading capabilities, while Ally Invest receives a moderate 3-star rating and places tenth. This higher rating is largely due to features such as a downloadable Windows desktop platform, extensive options for charting with 294 technical indicators, and custom study creation. In contrast, Ally Invest lacks a desktop platform and many advanced functionalities that active traders might value.

TradeStation provides both Windows desktop and browser-based platforms, offering users flexibility based on their trading preferences. While both TradeStation and Ally Invest offer browser-based options, TradeStation stands out with its paper trading feature, allowing new investors to practice without financial risk. Meanwhile, Ally Invest lacks paper trading capabilities. TradeStation also supports complex watch lists with 341 fields, dwarfing Ally Invest's 10, providing traders with a more thorough stock monitoring experience.

When it comes to charting abilities, TradeStation significantly outdoes Ally Invest. It includes features like adjusting open orders on stock charts, showing historical trades, and displaying corporate events, options that are not available on Ally Invest. TradeStation has 12 customization fields for editing an SMA study, providing more options than Ally Invest's eight. Furthermore, TradeStation allows for creating custom studies and saving multiple chart profiles, giving traders a more tailored and insightful trading experience. Overall, TradeStation's comprehensive tools make it a preferred choice for traders seeking advanced functionality.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) info No No
Paper Trading info Yes No
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 341 10
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 294 120
Charting - Drawing Tools info 23 36
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025

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Beginners and education

When comparing beginner investor education at TradeStation and Ally Invest, both platforms provide stock and options education. However, Ally Invest goes further by offering educational resources on ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds—areas where TradeStation falls short. A unique advantage for TradeStation is the availability of paper trading, allowing beginners to practice trading without real-world risks. Moreover, TradeStation offers educational videos and webinars, which provide a more interactive learning experience, whereas these features are absent in Ally Invest.

TradeStation is rated 3 out of 5 stars for education, ranking 13th out of 14 brokers by StockBrokers.com. In contrast, Ally Invest earns a higher rating of 4 stars, securing the 7th spot in the same review. Although Ally Invest lacks features like paper trading and educational videos, its broader range of educational topics provides a more well-rounded experience for beginner investors. This difference makes Ally Invest a more favorable choice for those seeking comprehensive investor education.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info No Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info No Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info No Yes
Paper Trading info Yes No
Videos info Yes No
Webinars info Yes No
Education 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025

Stock trading apps

When comparing TradeStation and Ally Invest, TradeStation emerges as a favorite for stock traders looking for advanced app features. Rated 4.5 stars, TradeStation holds the 8th spot out of 14 brokers in StockBrokers.com's rankings, highlighting its well-rounded offerings. Meanwhile, Ally Invest, with a 4-star rating and a 13th position ranking, provides a solid but slightly less advanced experience. Both platforms offer essential trading capabilities, but TradeStation's edge in advanced functionalities makes it a preferred choice for more experienced traders.

Both TradeStation and Ally Invest offer iPhone and Android apps, ensuring broad accessibility for users. While both lack an Apple Watch app, they provide after-hours stock trading and mobile options trading. TradeStation separates itself by offering unique features like stock alerts, after-hours charting, and the ability to customize watch list columns, whereas Ally Invest does not. Both platforms enable creating custom watch lists and viewing multiple time frames in charts, although neither permits viewing charts in landscape mode or displaying stock comparisons on charts.

For traders who value technical studies in charting, TradeStation offers a significant advantage with 45 available studies, compared to zero offered by Ally Invest. Additionally, both platforms support streaming quotes but do not offer streaming live TV or videos on demand. While Ally Invest provides a reliable trading experience, TradeStation's extra features and customization options make it more appealing for traders looking to enjoy a rich mobile trading experience.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info No No
Stock Alerts info Yes No
Charting - After-Hours info Yes No
Charting - Technical Studies info 45 0
Mobile Trading Apps 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025

Fees

When it comes to choosing between TradeStation and Ally Invest for brokerage accounts, investors will find both platforms offer a $0 minimum deposit and commission-free stock trades. However, differences arise in options trading, where Ally Invest charges $0.50 per contract, slightly undercutting TradeStation's $0.60 fee. For investors looking at margin trading, Ally Invest also displays more favorable rates, particularly for balances below $100,000. Additionally, Ally Invest offers more attractive fees related to IRAs and account transfers, including no fees for IRA maintenance and lower account transfer charges than TradeStation.

For margin balances under $25,000, Ally Invest charges a 12% rate compared to TradeStation's 13%. This trend of lower percentages continues with balances between $25,000 to $49,999, where Ally Invest charges 11.75% and TradeStation still remains at 13%. Beyond this, for balances between $50,000 to $99,999, Ally Invest's lower rate of 11% edges out TradeStation's 12.5%. These distinctions provide substantial considerations for those looking to engage in margin trading.

In terms of ancillary fees, Ally Invest continues to show advantages with IRA and transfer fees. While TradeStation imposes a $35 annual fee for IRAs and charges $50 for closure, Ally Invest refrains from any IRA annual fees and charges only $25 for closure. Furthermore, Ally Invest's approach to account transfers is significantly lighter on the wallet, with both partial and full ACAT fees at $50, compared to TradeStation's consistent $125 fee. Finally, those involved in options exercises and assignments will benefit from Ally Invest's $0 charges, contrasting sharply with TradeStation's $14.95 and $5.95 fees, respectively. Overall, Ally Invest appears to provide a cost-effective solution across several facets of investing.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.60 $0.50
Options Exercise Fee info $14.95 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee info $5.95 $0.00
IRA Annual Fee info $35.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $50.00 $25.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025

Day Trading

When evaluating day trading platforms tailored for active traders, TradeStation and Ally Invest often find themselves compared. TradeStation shines in features critical for day trading, offering streaming time and sales for stocks, allowing for real-time data crucial for making informed decisions. While Ally Invest lacks this feature, TradeStation also provides direct market routing, ladder trading, and trading hotkeys, enhancing control and speed in executing trades. Furthermore, both platforms do not offer streaming live TV, but TradeStation offers level 2 quotes, a vital tool for day traders seeking in-depth market data to refine their strategies.

TradeStation further distinguishes itself with its comprehensive backtesting capabilities, supporting both basic and advanced strategies, which allow traders to test their ideas against historical data. This is complemented by a short locator tool, providing real-time availability of shares available to short—another feature absent in Ally Invest. Traders on TradeStation can also benefit from order liquidity rebates, adding a financial incentive to their trading activities. In contrast, Ally Invest does not offer these features, making TradeStation a more formidable option for individuals or day traders needing a feature-rich environment.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes No
Streaming TV info No No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info Yes No
Short Locator info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2025 for Beginners and Active Traders

Market Research

When it comes to market research capabilities, Ally Invest slightly edges out TradeStation, providing a broader range of resources for investors. Both platforms offer stock and ETF research and support research for Pink Sheets and OTCBB. However, Ally Invest extends its offerings to include mutual funds and bonds research, which TradeStation does not provide. In addition, Ally Invest incorporates social media sentiment into its stock research, adding a layer of insight that TradeStation lacks.

TradeStation does offer some helpful tools like viewing portfolio allocation by asset class, an advantage over Ally Invest, which does not have this feature. Both platforms lack downloadable PDF research reports for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds, yet each presents a stock screener to generate trade ideas. Where Ally Invest pulls ahead once again is with its ETF and bond screeners, tools that TradeStation does not offer.

The differences in features between the two platforms are reflected in their market research ratings. Ally Invest receives a 3.5-star rating and ranks 8th among 14 brokers reviewed by StockBrokers.com, demonstrating a relatively superior capability in delivering market research. In contrast, TradeStation earns a 2-star rating and sits at 11th place, indicating more limited research offerings. Overall, if extensive research tools and resources are a priority, Ally Invest may prove to be the more suitable option.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info No Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info No Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds info No No
Research - Fixed Income info No Yes
Screener - Fixed Income info No Yes
Research 2/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Banking

When comparing the banking capabilities of TradeStation and Ally Invest, there are clear differences. Ally Invest shines in this area, offering a wide range of banking services that TradeStation does not. If you're looking for a company that supports checking and savings accounts, Ally Invest is your go-to as it provides both. Additionally, Ally Invest also offers debit and credit cards, which are not available through TradeStation. For those interested in mortgage loans, Ally Invest again has the upper hand, providing options that TradeStation lacks. Lastly, if you're considering certificates of deposit (CDs) as a savings option, you'll find them at Ally Invest, but not at TradeStation. Overall, Ally Invest proves to be the stronger choice for anyone seeking a comprehensive suite of banking services alongside their investment platform.

Feature TradeStation logoTradeStation
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No Yes
Debit Cards info No Yes
Credit Cards info No Yes
Mortgage Loans info No Yes
Brokerage CDs info No Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that TradeStation is better than Ally Invest. TradeStation finished with an overall score of 80.2%, while Ally Invest finished with a score of 80.1%.

TradeStation supports casual traders through its web-based platform and active traders through its desktop platform. We like the web-based platform and mobile app, but the flagship desktop platform could use a refresh.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with TradeStation or Ally Invest?

Both TradeStation and Ally Invest do not offer crypto trading, providing zero coins for investors interested in digital currencies.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025

Does TradeStation or Ally Invest offer IRAs?

Both TradeStation and Ally Invest offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts, making them viable options for retirement planning. However, potential investors should note that TradeStation charges a $35 annual fee and a $50 closure fee for IRA accounts, whereas Ally Invest offers free management with no annual fees and a lower closure fee of $25, providing a more cost-effective solution for users.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating TradeStation Ally Invest
Overall 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 2/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review TradeStation Review Ally Invest Review
Broker Screenshots TradeStation Ally Invest
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees TradeStation Ally Invest
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $0.01 info $4.95 info
Mutual Fund Trade Fee info $14.95 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.60 $0.50
Futures (Per Contract) info $1.50 (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee info $25 $20
Margin Rates TradeStation Ally Invest
Margin Rate Under $25,000 info 13.0% 12%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 info 13.0% 11.75%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 info 12.5% 11%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 info 12.0% 9.75%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 info 12.0% 8.75%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 info 7.5% info 8.25%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 info 7.5% info 7.5%
Account Fees TradeStation Ally Invest
IRA Annual Fee info $35.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $50.00 $25.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $125.00 $50.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $125.00 $50.00
Options Exercise Fee info $14.95 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee info $5.95 $0.00
Investment Options TradeStation Ally Invest
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) 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 No
Crypto Trading info No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 0 0
Fixed Income (Treasurys) info Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) info Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) info Yes Yes
Traditional IRAs info Yes Yes
Roth IRAs info Yes Yes
Advisor Services info No Yes
International Countries (Stocks) info 0 0
Order Types TradeStation 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 TradeStation Ally Invest
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info No Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info No Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info No Yes
Education (Retirement) info No Yes
Retirement Calculator info No No
Investor Dictionary info No Yes
Paper Trading info Yes No
Videos info Yes No
Webinars info Yes No
Progress Tracking info No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info No No
Stock Trading Apps TradeStation Ally Invest
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info No 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 TradeStation Ally Invest
Market Movers (Top Gainers) info Yes Yes
Stream Live TV info No 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
Stock App Charting TradeStation Ally Invest
Charting - After-Hours info Yes No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info No No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 45 0
Charting - Study Customizations info Yes No
Charting - Stock Comparisons info No No
Trading Platforms TradeStation Ally Invest
Active Trading Platform info TradeStation 10 N/A
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes 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 341 10
Stock Chart Features TradeStation Ally Invest
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 294 120
Charting - Drawing Tools info 23 36
Charting - Notes 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 Yes No
Charting - Automated Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info Yes No
Charting - Study Customizations info 12 8
Charting - Custom Studies info Yes No
Day Trading TradeStation Ally Invest
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes No
Streaming TV info No No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes No
Ladder Trading info Yes No
Trade Hot Keys info Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info Yes No
Short Locator info Yes No
Order Liquidity Rebates info Yes No
Research Overview TradeStation Ally Invest
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info No Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB info Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income info No Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info No Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds info No No
Screener - Fixed Income info No Yes
Portfolio Asset Allocation info Yes No
Stock Research TradeStation Ally Invest
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 0 0
Stock Research - Earnings info No No
Stock Research - Insiders info No Yes
Stock Research - Social info No Yes
Stock Research - News info Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG info No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings info No No
ETF Research TradeStation Ally Invest
ETFs - Investment Objective info No No
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date info No No
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio info No Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets info No Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings info No No
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings info No Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure info No No
ETFs - Risk Analysis info No No
ETFs - Ratings info No Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap info No No
ETFs - PDF Reports info No No
Mutual Fund Research TradeStation Ally Invest
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective info No Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart info No Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis info No No
Mutual Funds - Prospectus info No No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown info No No
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings info No Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation info No No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation info No Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation info No No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap info No No
Options Trading TradeStation Ally Invest
Option Chains - Total Greeks info 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes No
Banking TradeStation Ally Invest
Bank (Member FDIC) info No Yes
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No Yes
Credit Cards info No Yes
Debit Cards info No Yes
Mortgage Loans info No Yes
Customer Service TradeStation Ally Invest
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) info Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
Email Support info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) info Yes No
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
24/7 Support info No Yes
Overall TradeStation Ally Invest
Overall 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 2/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review TradeStation Review Ally Invest Review
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