Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of TradeStation vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
TradeStation vs eToro: pick TradeStation if you want a wider mix of traditional investments and account types, and choose eToro if you want crypto and fractional shares. TradeStation is rated 4.5/5 stars for Range of Investments by StockBrokers.com (ranked #5 of 14), while eToro earns 2.5/5 stars (ranked #14). That gap reflects TradeStation’s broader lineup across stocks, funds, and derivatives, versus eToro’s focus on crypto access and small-dollar stock investing.
Both brokers offer stock and options trading, and neither supports forex. TradeStation adds margin trading, OTC (over-the-counter) stocks, mutual funds, and futures. eToro does not offer margin, OTC stocks, mutual funds, or futures, but it does provide fractional shares. For digital assets, eToro offers crypto trading with 104 supported coins, while TradeStation does not offer crypto trading.
Account features also differ: TradeStation supports Traditional and Roth IRA accounts; eToro does not offer IRAs. Neither firm provides advisor services. If you want more ways to invest across stocks, mutual funds, and futures—plus the option to use margin—TradeStation is the stronger fit. If your priority is crypto variety and buying slices of shares, eToro makes that straightforward.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | No | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 104 |
| 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
When choosing between TradeStation and eToro for online trading platforms and tools, it's essential to consider what you value most in a trading experience. TradeStation stands out with a high user rating of 4.5 stars and offers a range of advanced features that cater to professional traders. It provides a robust Windows desktop platform along with a web-based option. On the other hand, eToro, rated at 2.5 stars, primarily offers a web-based platform, which may appeal to those looking for a simpler and more social trading environment. While TradeStation ranks third among 14 brokers for its platforms and features according to StockBrokers.com, eToro trails behind at the 12th position.
TradeStation delivers a comprehensive trading suite that includes the ability to adjust open orders directly on charts, 294 technical indicators, and 23 drawing tools. Its web platform also allows for extensive watch list customization with 341 columns, enabling detailed tracking of market trends. Traders can save multiple chart profiles, show historical trades, and display corporate events on their charts, offering a deep dive into market analysis. For those who need to customize their chart studies further, TradeStation provides the capability to create custom studies, perfect for tailoring the trading interface to individual strategies.
Conversely, eToro offers a streamlined web-based platform that integrates social trading features, which lets users engage with other traders. However, eToro’s platform presents fewer customization options compared to TradeStation, with 46 technical indicators, 48 drawing tools, and very limited watch list fields. It does not support desktop installations, nor does it allow users to directly adjust open orders on stock charts like TradeStation. eToro also lacks the ability to show historical trades or corporate events on its charts, which might be a consideration for traders looking for in-depth chart analysis. Despite these limitations, eToro allows traders to add notes to charts and save multiple profiles, maintaining some level of personalization.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 341 | 7 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 294 | 46 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 23 | 48 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
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If you’re a new investor comparing online brokers, both TradeStation and eToro offer stock and options education, educational videos, and a paper trading account to practice risk-free. TradeStation adds live webinars, while eToro does not. On the other hand, eToro includes ETF and bonds education, two areas TradeStation doesn’t cover. Neither broker provides mutual funds education, quizzes, or tools to track your learning progress.
For learning priorities: choose eToro if ETF or bond education matters most; choose TradeStation if you want scheduled webinars alongside videos and paper trading. According to StockBrokers.com, TradeStation earns 3 out of 5 stars for education and ranks 13th of 14 brokers, while eToro earns 2.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 14th. TradeStation edges out eToro overall, but your pick should match the topics you want to study.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | No | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When it comes to choosing between TradeStation and eToro for stock trading apps, both platforms exhibit unique strengths. TradeStation shines with its higher ranking on StockBrokers.com, landing at #8, compared to eToro's #11 position. Both apps boast identical 4.5-star ratings, making them equally appealing in user experience. However, their differences in charting and customizability may sway traders depending on personal preferences and trading habits.
Both TradeStation and eToro offer iPhone and Android apps, catering to a wide range of mobile users. They provide after-hours stock trading and mobile options trading, ensuring traders have continuous access to the market. While both apps support streaming quotes and stock alerts, eToro expands its offerings with videos on demand, missing from TradeStation's features. Both enable users to create custom watch lists, but TradeStation takes the lead with customizable watch list columns, a feature eToro lacks. Despite both providing after-hours charting, neither platform supports viewing charts in landscape mode.
Charting capabilities also highlight differences between these two platforms. While both apps allow traders to view multiple time frames for charting, eToro offers a whopping 103 technical studies compared to TradeStation’s 45. Furthermore, eToro excels by enabling stock comparisons on charts, a functionality not available in TradeStation's app. Ultimately, users preferring more advanced charting tools might lean towards eToro, while those valuing customizable watch lists could find TradeStation more advantageous.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 45 | 103 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
Here’s the quick takeaway on TradeStation vs eToro fees. eToro is the cheaper pick for options and transfers, with $0 stock commissions, $0 per options contract, and no fees for options exercise or assignment, plus lower account transfer (ACAT) charges. TradeStation stands out for a $0 minimum deposit, published margin rates, and IRA availability, but it adds per‑contract and options event fees and higher transfer costs. If you need margin or an IRA, TradeStation fits; if you want zero‑fee stock and options trading and lower transfer fees, eToro fits.
Core trading costs: both brokers offer $0 stock trades. Minimum deposit is $0 at TradeStation versus $50 at eToro. For options, TradeStation charges $0.60 per contract and adds $14.95 for exercise and $5.95 for assignment. eToro lists $0 per contract and $0 for both exercise and assignment.
Margin and other account fees: TradeStation posts margin rates of 12.5% up to $49,999 and 11.5% for $50,000–$99,999; eToro does not offer margin. TradeStation’s IRA fees are $35 annually with a $50 closure fee, while eToro’s IRA fees are not provided. For account transfers (ACAT), TradeStation charges $125 for partial or full transfers; eToro lists $75 for partial or full transfers.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.60 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $14.95 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.95 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $35.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $50.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to day trading, TradeStation and eToro offer different features that cater to various trader preferences. For traders keen on deep market insights and control, TradeStation shines with features like direct market routing and ladder trading. These options provide traders with more precision and flexibility in executing trades. Additionally, TradeStation supports trading hotkeys for quick trade execution, level 2 quotes for better market depth, and both basic and advanced strategy backtesting, helping traders fine-tune their strategies effectively. The availability of a short locator tool is another advantage, offering real-time insights into shares available for shorting, combined with order liquidity rebates, enhancing the trading experience further.
On the other hand, eToro provides a more simplified approach to day trading. While it may not have the same extensive toolset as TradeStation, it does offer essential streaming time and sales data for stocks, which is crucial for monitoring market activity. However, absence of features like direct market routing, ladder trading, and trading hotkeys might make it less appealing to those who seek detailed market engagement. eToro lacks strategy backtesting tools and a short locator, which could limit traders looking for comprehensive trading analysis and strategies. In essence, TradeStation's platform is tailored for traders who require extensive tools and features, whereas eToro focuses on a more straightforward trading experience.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
| 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
Bottom line: For market research, TradeStation beats eToro. Both cover stocks and ETFs, but TradeStation adds Pink Sheets/OTC research, built-in stock and ETF screeners, and portfolio allocation by asset class. eToro shines with social sentiment and ESG data, yet its lack of screeners and OTC coverage keeps it behind. That gap shows up in independent scores: TradeStation earns 2 stars and ranks 11th of 14 brokers for research, while eToro scores 1.5 stars and ranks 14th.
Research coverage: TradeStation and eToro both offer stock and ETF research. Neither provides mutual fund or bond research, and neither offers downloadable PDF reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds. For Pink Sheets/OTCBB, TradeStation has research access; eToro does not.
Research tools and analytics: TradeStation supplies trade-idea screeners for stocks and ETFs, but no screeners for mutual funds or bonds. eToro does not provide screeners. TradeStation also lets you view your portfolio allocation by asset class, while eToro lacks this view. On the flip side, eToro includes social media sentiment and ESG insights for stocks, which TradeStation does not.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | No |
| Research |
|
|
When comparing the banking features of online brokers TradeStation and eToro, it's clear both platforms focus more on trading than traditional banking services. TradeStation doesn't provide any banking facilities like checking or savings accounts, debit or credit cards, mortgage loans, or certificates of deposit (CDs). Similarly, eToro also lacks these conventional banking products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, debit and credit cards, mortgage loans, and CDs. For users primarily interested in comprehensive banking options alongside trading, other platforms might better suit their needs, as both TradeStation and eToro focus specifically on investment and trading services.
| Feature |
TradeStation
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | |
| Debit Cards | No | |
| Credit Cards | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | |
| Brokerage CDs | No | 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 TradeStation is better than eToro. TradeStation finished with an overall score of 80.2%, while eToro finished with a score of 66.1%.
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.
In the TradeStation vs eToro crypto trading comparison, TradeStation offers no cryptocurrency trading (0 coins). eToro supports crypto trading with access to 104 coins.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
In comparing online brokers, TradeStation distinguishes itself by offering both traditional and Roth IRA accounts, with an annual fee of $35.00 and a $50.00 closure fee, whereas eToro does not provide IRA options, making TradeStation the favorable choice for individuals seeking retirement account offerings.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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| Review | TradeStation Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | TradeStation | eToro | |
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| Trading Fees | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.01 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.60 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $1.50 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | $0 |
| Margin Rates | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.5% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.5% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.5% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.5% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 12.0% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 7.5% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 7.5% | Not offered |
| Account Fees | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $35.00 | ||
| IRA Closure Fee | $50.00 | ||
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $125.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $125.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $14.95 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.95 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | No | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 0 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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) | No | No | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | No | No | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | No | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 45 | 103 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Trade Journal | No | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 341 | 7 |
| Stock Chart Features | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 294 | 46 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 23 | 48 | |
| 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 | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 12 | 5 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
| Day Trading | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | Yes |
| ETF Research | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | No | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | No | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | No | No | |
| 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 | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | No |
| Options Trading | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 4 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No |
| Banking | TradeStation | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | ||
| Checking Accounts | No | ||
| Savings Accounts | No | ||
| Credit Cards | No | ||
| Debit Cards | No | ||
| Mortgage Loans | No |
| Customer Service | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | eToro | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | TradeStation Review | eToro Review |
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