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Interactive Brokers vs E*TRADE 2019
The StockBrokers.com annual review (9 years running) takes six months to complete and produces over 30,000 words of research each year. Here's how we test.
Is E*TRADE better than Interactive Brokers? Based on over 4,000 data points from our 2019 annual broker review, E*TRADE (83.68%) is better than Interactive Brokers (80.99%). Founded in 1982, E*TRADE is a full-service online broker that charges $6.95 for stock trades with discounts for active traders. While E*TRADE may not offer the cheapest trades, the Power E*TRADE platform is excellent for options trading, and the broker offers two great mobile apps.
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Exclusive Offer
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Promo Offer
Trade commission-free for 60 days & get up to $600. Join E*TRADE today! Open Account
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| Open Account | Open Account |
Overall Rating
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
| Overall | ||
| Interactive Brokers Review | E*TRADE Review |
Trading Fees
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $500.00 |
| Stock Trade Fee (per trade) | N/A | $6.95 |
| ETF Trade Fee | $0.01 | $6.95 |
| Options Base Fee | $0.00 | $6.95 |
| Options Per Contract Fee | $0.70 | $0.75 |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | $19.99 |
| Broker Assisted Trades Fee | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Margin Rates
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
Open Account |
E*TRADE
Open Account |
| Under $24,999.99 | 3.68% | 10.50% |
| $25,000.00 to $49,999.99 | 3.68% | 10.25% |
| $50,000.00 to $99,999.99 | 3.68% | 9.75% |
| $100,000.00 to $249,999.99 | 3.18% | 9.25% |
| $250,000.00 to $499,999.99 | 3.18% | 8.75% |
| $500,000.00 to $999,999.99 | 3.18% | 8.25% |
| Above $1,000,000.00 | 2.68% | 7.25% |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Account Fees
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $60.00 |
| Returned ACH Fee | N/A | $0.00 |
| Returned Wire Fee | N/A | $0.00 |
| Stock Certificate Processing Fee | N/A | $0.00 |
| Stock Certificate Delivery Fee | N/A | $75.00 |
| Paper Statement Fee | N/A | $2.00 |
| Paper Confirmation Fee | N/A | $0.00 |
| Domestic Wire Fee | $10.00 | $25.00 |
| International Wire Fee | $10.00 | $25.00 |
| Commissions & Fees |
Investment Options
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Stock Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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OTCBB / Pink Sheets |
Yes | Yes |
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Options Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Complex Options Max Legs |
4 | 4 |
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Futures Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Forex Trading |
No | No |
| Commission-Free ETFs | 48 | 295 |
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Mutual Funds (No Load) |
7558 | 6266 |
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Mutual Funds (Total) |
11000 | 9062 |
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Bonds (US Treasury) |
Yes | Yes |
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Bonds (Corporate) |
Yes | Yes |
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Bonds (Municipal) |
Yes | Yes |
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Advisor Services |
No | Yes |
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International Trading |
Yes | No |
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Order Types
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Order Type - Market |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Limit |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Stop |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Trailing Stop |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Contingent |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - MultiContingent |
Yes | No |
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Order Type - OCO |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - OTO |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - OTOCO |
Yes | Yes |
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading Platforms
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Desktop Platform (Windows) |
Yes | Yes |
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Desktop Platform (Mac) |
Yes | Yes |
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Web Platform |
Yes | Yes |
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Paper Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Trade Journal |
Yes | No |
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Watch Lists - Total Fields |
453 | 125 |
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Two-Factor Authentication Login |
Yes | Yes |
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Heat Mapping |
Yes | No |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Charting Features
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Charting - Trade Off Chart |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies |
121 | 118 |
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Charting - Drawing Tools |
9 | 33 |
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Charting - Historical Trades |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Corporate Events |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Automated Analysis |
No | No |
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Charting - Save Profiles |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Study Customizations |
6 | 6 |
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Charting - Custom Studies |
No | No |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Day Trading
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Stock Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Alerts - Advanced Fields |
No | No |
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Streaming Time & Sales |
Yes | Yes |
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Streaming TV |
Yes | Yes |
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Direct Market Routing - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Direct Market Routing - Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Ladder Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Trade Hot Keys |
Yes | Yes |
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Level 2 Quotes - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Level 2 Quotes - Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Trade Ideas - Backtesting |
Yes | Yes |
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Short Locator |
Yes | No |
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Client Liquidity Rebates |
Yes | No |
| Winner | check_circle |
Mobile Trading Apps
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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iPhone App |
Yes | Yes |
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Android App |
Yes | Yes |
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Apple Watch App |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - After-Hours |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Conditional Orders |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Mutual Funds |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Simple Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Complex Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Option Rolling |
No | No |
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Touch / Face ID |
Yes | Yes |
| Winner | check_circle |
Mobile App Features
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Watch List Syncing |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - After Hours |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Drawing |
No | No |
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Charting - Study Customizations |
Yes | Yes |
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Customizable Homescreen |
No | Yes |
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Heatmapping |
No | Yes |
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Stream Live TV |
Yes | Yes |
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Barcode Lookup |
No | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Research Overview
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Research - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Research - ETFs |
Yes | Yes |
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Research - Mutual Funds |
No | Yes |
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Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB |
Yes | Yes |
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Research - Fixed Income |
Yes | Yes |
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Screener - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Screener - ETFs |
Yes | Yes |
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Screener - Mutual Funds |
No | Yes |
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Screener - Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Screener - Bonds |
Yes | Yes |
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Misc - Portfolio Builder |
Yes | Yes |
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Misc - Portfolio Allocation |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Stock Research
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Stock Research - Reports |
1 | 4 |
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Stock Research - Earnings |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - Insiders |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - Metric Comp |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - SEC Filings |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - Social |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - Balance Sheet |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - Cash Flows |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - News |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - ESG |
Yes | No |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
ETF Research
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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ETFs - Strategy Overview |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Top 10 Holdings |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Sector Exposure |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Risk Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Performance Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Ratings |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap |
No | Yes |
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ETFs - Reports |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Mutual Fund Research
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview |
No | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Prospectus |
Yes | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Reports |
Yes | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown |
Yes | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings |
No | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation |
No | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation |
No | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Country Allocation |
No | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - StyleMap |
No | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings |
No | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Options Trading
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Option Chains - Streaming |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Chains - Total Columns |
37 | 30 |
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Option Chains - Greeks |
4 | 5 |
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Option Chains - Quick Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Analysis - P&L Charts |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Probability Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Probability Analysis Adv |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Positions - Greeks |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Positions - Adv Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Positions - Rolling |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Positions - Grouping |
Yes | Yes |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Beginners
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Has Education - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - ETFs |
No | Yes |
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Has Education - Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - Mutual Funds |
No | Yes |
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Has Education - Fixed Income |
No | Yes |
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Has Education - Retirement |
No | Yes |
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Paper Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Videos |
Yes | Yes |
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Webinars (Monthly Avg) |
20 | 12 |
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Webinars (Archived) |
Yes | Yes |
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Live Seminars |
No | Yes |
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Progress Tracking |
Yes | No |
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Interactive Learning - Quizzes |
Yes | Yes |
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Investor Magazine |
Yes | No |
| Education | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Banking
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
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Retail Locations |
0 | 30 |
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Member FDIC |
No | Yes |
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Checking Accounts |
Yes | Yes |
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Savings Accounts |
No | Yes |
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Credit Cards |
No | No |
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Debit Cards |
Yes | Yes |
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Mortgage Loans |
No | No |
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No Fee Banking |
No | No |
| Banking | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Overall
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE |
| Interactive Brokers Review | E*TRADE Review | |
| Overall | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
The StockBrokers.com annual broker review assesses more than a dozen different brokers over six months, surfacing the best online stock brokers. This review compares E*TRADE vs Interactive Brokers. Is E*TRADE or Interactive Brokers a better online broker?
First, we will make a comparison of the stock and option trading fees for trading with both brokers. E*TRADE charges $6.95 per stock trade which is $6.95 more than Interactive Brokers which charges customers $0 (the broker charges a per share rate instead) per trade. Looking at trading options, Interactive Brokers's base fee is $0 while E*TRADE's is $6.95. Interactive Brokers's per contract rate of $0.70 is less than E*TRADE which charges $0.75. Note that some brokers charge a per-share fee instead of a flat-fee commission. For a full breakdown of commissions, read our online broker reviews.
For our next comparison of these two brokers, being able to trade the way you want is a must. E*TRADE alongside Interactive Brokers offer clients Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading. When it comes to mutual funds, E*TRADE trails Interactive Brokers by 1,938 total mutual funds, with Interactive Brokers offering 11000 and E*TRADE offering 9062.
Last but not least, by breaking down important features, tools, etc that each broker offers, we can really help to separate the two. E*TRADE alongside Interactive Brokers offer virtual trading. For mobile trading, E*TRADE along with Interactive Brokers both support the iPhone App, iPad App and Android App. Furthermore, some investors like to bank online, and multiple brokerages provide these services to clients. Clients can have Checking Accounts and Debit Cards at Interactive Brokers while customers at E*TRADE can have Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts and Debit Cards.
Overall, between E*TRADE and Interactive Brokers, E*TRADE is the winner.
E*TRADE Review
Interactive Brokers Review
First, we will make a comparison of the stock and option trading fees for trading with both brokers. E*TRADE charges $6.95 per stock trade which is $6.95 more than Interactive Brokers which charges customers $0 (the broker charges a per share rate instead) per trade. Looking at trading options, Interactive Brokers's base fee is $0 while E*TRADE's is $6.95. Interactive Brokers's per contract rate of $0.70 is less than E*TRADE which charges $0.75. Note that some brokers charge a per-share fee instead of a flat-fee commission. For a full breakdown of commissions, read our online broker reviews.
For our next comparison of these two brokers, being able to trade the way you want is a must. E*TRADE alongside Interactive Brokers offer clients Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading. When it comes to mutual funds, E*TRADE trails Interactive Brokers by 1,938 total mutual funds, with Interactive Brokers offering 11000 and E*TRADE offering 9062.
Last but not least, by breaking down important features, tools, etc that each broker offers, we can really help to separate the two. E*TRADE alongside Interactive Brokers offer virtual trading. For mobile trading, E*TRADE along with Interactive Brokers both support the iPhone App, iPad App and Android App. Furthermore, some investors like to bank online, and multiple brokerages provide these services to clients. Clients can have Checking Accounts and Debit Cards at Interactive Brokers while customers at E*TRADE can have Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts and Debit Cards.
Overall, between E*TRADE and Interactive Brokers, E*TRADE is the winner.
E*TRADE Review
Interactive Brokers Review
All pricing data was obtained from a published web site as of 02/18/2019 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. For stock trade rates, advertised pricing is for a standard order size of 500 shares of stock priced at $30 per share. For options orders, an options regulatory fee per contract may apply.
