TradeStation vs Ally Invest 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.
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.
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 |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | No | No |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | Yes | No |
Crypto Trading | No | No |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 0 |
Range of Investments |
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Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
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 |
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Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 341 | 10 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 294 | 120 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 23 | 36 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
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 |
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | No | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | No | Yes |
Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Videos | Yes | No |
Webinars | Yes | No |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
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 |
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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 | 45 | 0 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
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 |
|
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.60 | $0.50 |
Options Exercise Fee | $14.95 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $5.95 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $35.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Closure Fee | $50.00 | $25.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
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 |
|
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Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No |
Streaming TV | No | 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 2025 for Beginners and Active Traders
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 |
|
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Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | No | Yes |
Research - Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
Research - Fixed Income | No | Yes |
Screener - Fixed Income | No | Yes |
Research |
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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 |
|
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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 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.
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
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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0 of 5Overall Rating | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Customer Service |
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Education |
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Ease of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | TradeStation Review | Ally Invest Review |
Broker Screenshots | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
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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) | $0.60 | $0.50 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | $1.50 | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | $20 |
Margin Rates | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
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Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.0% | 12% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.0% | 11.75% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12.5% | 11% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.0% | 9.75% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 12.0% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 7.5% | 8.25% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 7.5% | 7.5% |
Account Fees | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
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IRA Annual Fee | $35.00 | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $50.00 | $25.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $125.00 | $50.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $125.00 | $50.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $14.95 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $5.95 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | No | No | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
Forex Trading | No | No | |
Crypto Trading | No | No | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 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) | 0 | 0 |
Order Types | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | No | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | No | Yes | |
Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes | |
Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
Investor Dictionary | No | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Videos | Yes | No | |
Webinars | Yes | No | |
Progress Tracking | No | No | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
Stock Trading Apps | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | No | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 45 | 0 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | No |
Trading Platforms | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | TradeStation 10 | N/A | |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Trade Journal | No | No | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 341 | 10 |
Stock Chart Features | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 294 | 120 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 23 | 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 | 12 | 8 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
Day Trading | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
Streaming TV | No | 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 | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Fixed Income | No | Yes | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - ETFs | No | Yes | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
Screener - Fixed Income | No | Yes | |
Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
Stock Research | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | No | No | |
ETFs - Ratings | No | Yes | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
Mutual Fund Research | TradeStation | 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 | Yes | 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 | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No |
Banking | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | Ally Invest | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Education |
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Ease of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | TradeStation Review | Ally Invest Review |