Firstrade vs eToro 2025
In this head to head comparison of Firstrade vs eToro, 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 Firstrade vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: In the Firstrade vs eToro comparison, Firstrade offers a wider range of traditional investments and retirement accounts, making it the better all-around pick for most stock-market investors. StockBrokers.com rates Firstrade 4.5/5 stars and ranks it #6 of 14 for Range of Investments, while eToro earns 2.5/5 stars and ranks #14. Choose Firstrade if you want the most options for building and managing a long-term portfolio; pick eToro if crypto access is your top priority.
Both brokers support stock and options trading, including fractional shares. Firstrade adds margin trading, OTC stocks, and mutual funds, plus Traditional and Roth IRA accounts. eToro does not offer margin trading, OTC stocks, mutual funds, or IRAs. Neither broker provides forex, futures, or advisor services.
Crypto is the key separator: eToro offers cryptocurrency trading with 104 coins, while Firstrade has no crypto offering. If you want a platform that mixes stocks, options, and a large crypto menu, eToro fits that niche. If your focus is stocks, funds, and retirement accounts with more ways to invest, Firstrade is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 104 |
| 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
In a comparison between Firstrade and eToro's trading platforms and tools, Firstrade emerges as the better option overall. While both brokers lack downloadable platforms for Windows and Mac, they do offer user-friendly browser-based trading interfaces. Firstrade edges out eToro with a slightly higher rating of 3 stars compared to eToro’s 2.5 stars, and is ranked one position higher in the StockBrokers.com reviews for trading platforms and tools.
Firstrade offers a comprehensive selection of 102 technical indicators for charting, significantly more than eToro's 46. However, eToro compensates by providing 48 drawing tools, whereas Firstrade offers only 8. Another advantage for eToro is its paper trading feature, which Firstrade lacks, giving potential users a risk-free environment to try out strategies. Additionally, eToro allows users to add notes to charts and save multiple chart profiles, making it easier to personalize and organize trading research.
Despite some of eToro's appealing features, Firstrade continues to maintain an edge with its ability to show automated technical analysis on charts, an option that eToro does not offer. Furthermore, Firstrade provides 6 customization fields for editing an SMA study, slightly more than eToro’s 5 fields. Both platforms miss out on certain functions like customizable date ranges and historical trade displays on charts. Ultimately, choosing between Firstrade and eToro comes down to prioritizing technical indicator variety or drawing tool and customization features.
| Feature |
|
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|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 50 | 7 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 102 | 46 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 48 |
| Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
Firstrade vs eToro for education comes down to what you want to learn and how you like to learn. Both brokers offer stock and options education with video content. Firstrade adds live webinars but skips ETF and bond topics and does not offer paper trading. eToro, on the other hand, includes ETF and bond education and gives beginners a paper trading account to practice, but it does not host webinars. Neither broker offers quizzes or a way to track learning progress, and both lack mutual fund education.
For overall quality, Firstrade earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #12 of 14 for education on StockBrokers.com, while eToro earns 2.5 stars and ranks #14. Choose Firstrade if you value webinars and a higher-rated learning experience. Pick eToro if ETF and bond education plus hands-on practice with paper trading are more important to you.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | No | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When comparing the stock trading app capabilities of Firstrade and eToro, both platforms cater to iPhone and Android users and offer essential features for mobile trading. They allow after-hours trading, options trading, and provide streaming quotes and stock alerts. Both also empower users to create custom watch lists, but while Firstrade allows custom watch list columns, eToro does not. A notable distinction is eToro's video on demand feature, absent in Firstrade, and eToro's greater number of technical studies. Despite their differences, both platforms share a 4.5-star rating in stock trading app reviews, though Firstrade has a slightly higher ranking at 9 compared to eToro's 11 by StockBrokers.com.
For chart enthusiasts, Firstrade provides the ability to view charts in landscape mode and to accommodate multiple time frames, aligning with eToro’s offerings in the latter area. However, eToro surpasses Firstrade in after-hours charting capabilities, a convenient feature for those interested in tracking stock performance beyond standard market hours. Although Firstrade supports stock comparisons on charts like eToro, eToro slightly edges out with a broad range of analytic studies, boasting 103 technical studies over Firstrade's 81. This versatility might appeal to more seasoned traders who rely heavily on detailed charting analysis.
Both Firstrade and eToro deliver solid stock trading app solutions equipped with competitive features that cater to a variety of investor needs. While Firstrade might be more appealing to users who prioritize customizable elements in their trading experience, eToro attracts those who seek comprehensive charting tools and educational resources, like videos on demand. Ultimately, the choice between the two can boil down to personal preferences in user experience and specific feature importance.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 81 | 103 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When comparing Firstrade and eToro in terms of account fees and charges, each platform offers distinct advantages, catering to different investor needs. Firstrade stands out with its $0 minimum deposit and absence of trading fees for stocks and options, making it ideal for cost-conscious investors. While eToro also offers free stock and options trading, it requires a $50 minimum deposit, potentially making it less accessible for some users compared to Firstrade. However, eToro's unique platform features could still appeal to those who appreciate its social trading environment.
In terms of advanced trading, particularly for those interested in margin trading, Firstrade offers this capability with varying interest rates based on the balance amount, starting at 12.75% for balances below $25,000. eToro does not provide margin trading options, making Firstrade the clear choice for margin traders. Both platforms, however, charge similar fees for full account transfers, with Firstrade charging $75 for full ACAT transfers and eToro matching that price.
Focusing on retirement account management, Firstrade again maintains its fee-free stance with no charges for IRA annual or closure fees. This can be a significant draw for those planning their retirement portfolios. Conversely, eToro does not offer specific IRA fees or accounts, which might mean moving to Firstrade could provide more comprehensive options for long-term investment planning. Overall, choosing between these two platforms will heavily depend on individual trading needs and financial strategies.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to day trading capabilities, Firstrade and eToro each have their own strengths and limitations. For traders requiring streaming time and sales data for stocks, eToro has the edge, offering this feature while Firstrade does not. However, both platforms lack other advanced trading features such as live streaming TV, direct market routing for stocks, ladder trading, and trading hotkeys for keyboard entry. Essential tools like level 2 quotes and both basic and advanced strategy backtesting are also unavailable with both platforms. This could affect traders who rely on detailed market analytics and simulation tools for their trading strategies.
Neither Firstrade nor eToro provides a short locator tool, which means traders aiming to view real-time availability of shares for short selling will need alternative solutions. Additionally, lacking order liquidity rebates, both platforms might not fully satisfy traders looking for incentives related to maker/taker fees. While eToro’s offering of streaming time and sales for stocks may be beneficial for some day traders, those in need of a more comprehensive suite of trading tools might find both platforms lacking in features that support high-frequency trading or in-depth market analysis.
| Feature |
|
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|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | Yes |
| Streaming TV | No | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
| Short Locator | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2025 for Beginners and Active Traders
When it comes to market research capabilities, Firstrade outpaces eToro significantly. Firstrade offers a comprehensive suite of research tools and assets, allowing investors to delve into stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets, OTCBB, and bonds. Investors can also explore a wide range of portfolio allocation insights by asset class, augmented by social media sentiment and ESG research data. Most notably, Firstrade provides downloadable PDF reports for stocks and ETFs, along with an array of screeners for trade ideas across several asset types, making it a strong choice for research-driven investors. Conversely, eToro covers stock and ETF research but lacks in-depth resources across mutual funds, bonds, and other critical investment categories, limiting its research capabilities. This disparity is reflected in ratings, with Firstrade earning 4.5 stars against eToro's 1.5 stars, and StockBrokers.com ranking Firstrade #6 and eToro #14 out of 14 brokers.
Firstrade excels at providing a wide array of research tools, making it an ideal platform for investors who require detailed market insights. With capabilities such as a stock screener, ETF screener, and mutual fund screener, investors can easily generate trade ideas tailored to their investment strategy. Firstrade's inclusion of downloadable PDF reports offers valued documentation and insights, although it doesn't extend to mutual funds. Additionally, the ability to view portfolio allocations by asset class further empowers investors with control and precision.
In contrast, eToro provides a less comprehensive approach to market research. While it does offer basic stock and ETF research enhanced with social media sentiment and ESG analysis, it falls short in mutual fund and bond research, lacking the depth that investors might need for informed decision-making. The absence of downloadable PDF reports and trade idea screeners is also a downside for research-inclined users. Overall, eToro's market research features are geared towards a more casual investor demographic, one that might not require as much detailed analysis as Firstrade offers.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Research |
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When comparing the banking features of online brokers Firstrade and eToro, you'll find some noteworthy differences. Firstrade provides checking accounts, which are a versatile tool for those looking to manage their everyday finances efficiently. In addition, Firstrade offers access to Certificates of Deposit (CDs), allowing users to benefit from potentially higher interest rates on their savings over time. For added convenience, Firstrade also issues debit cards, facilitating seamless transactions and cash withdrawals. However, Firstrade does not extend its offerings to include savings accounts, credit cards, or mortgage loans. On the other hand, eToro's focus leans more towards trading and investment functionalities, without offering checking or savings accounts, debit or credit cards, mortgage loans, or CDs to its users. This distinction means that while Firstrade supports basic banking needs alongside trading functions, eToro concentrates primarily on providing a comprehensive trading platform without additional banking services. This makes Firstrade a more complete choice for those seeking integrated banking and trading in one place, whereas eToro is well-suited for those looking purely for a trading-focused service.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | Yes | |
| Savings Accounts | No | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | |
| Credit Cards | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | No |
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 Firstrade is better than eToro. Firstrade finished with an overall score of 81.8%, while eToro finished with a score of 66.1%.
With steady innovation and a growing feature set, Firstrade is quickly climbing the ranks to earn its place among the best online brokers. Firstrade’s $0 contract fee, no exercise/assignment fees, and top-tier options trade ticket make it one of the most cost-effective and well-designed platforms for options trading.
In the Firstrade vs eToro comparison for crypto trading, Firstrade offers no cryptocurrency trading (0 coins), while eToro supports crypto trading with access to 104 coins. If crypto is a priority, eToro provides far broader coverage than Firstrade.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Firstrade offers both traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, whereas eToro does not provide traditional or Roth IRA options.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Firstrade | eToro | |
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| Review | Firstrade Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Trading Fees | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0 | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $19.95 | $0 |
| Margin Rates | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.75% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.50% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12.00% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.50% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 11.25% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.35% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.75% | Not offered |
| Account Fees | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | ||
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $55.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $75.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 0 | |
| Futures Trading | No | No | |
| Forex Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 104 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
| Order Types | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | No | |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | No | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | No | No | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | No | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes | No |
| Stock App Charting | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 81 | 103 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | N/A | N/A | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
| Trade Journal | No | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 50 | 7 |
| Stock Chart Features | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 102 | 46 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 48 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | No | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | No | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | No | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 5 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | Yes | |
| Streaming TV | No | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
| Short Locator | No | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 1 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | Yes |
| ETF Research | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 4 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No |
| Banking | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | ||
| Checking Accounts | Yes | ||
| Savings Accounts | No | ||
| Credit Cards | No | ||
| Debit Cards | Yes | ||
| Mortgage Loans | No |
| Customer Service | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | No | No |
| Overall | Firstrade | eToro | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Firstrade Review | eToro Review |