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Interactive Brokers vs E*TRADE 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs E*TRADE, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65 info
E*TRADE
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4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE both offer comprehensive investment options, but Interactive Brokers takes the lead, especially in terms of variety. Ranked first for range of investments by StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers allows users to trade a wider array of asset classes, including fractional shares, forex, and a selection of 11 cryptocurrencies. E*TRADE, ranked fourth in the same category, excels with its advisor services but lacks offerings such as fractional shares, forex, and cryptocurrency trading.

Both Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE provide users with access to core investment services like stock trading, margin trading, mutual funds, options, futures, and OTC stocks, making them strong contenders for individuals seeking diverse trading opportunities. Recognized for their comprehensive investment portfolios, both platforms also offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts, catering to long-term investors looking to grow retirement savings.

However, when it comes to specialized investments, Interactive Brokers offers a broader spectrum of choices. The ability to trade in fractional shares allows investors greater flexibility and access to expensive stocks with smaller investments. While E*TRADE offers beneficial advisor services for personalized investment guidance, it doesn't include some of the more modern investment offerings available through Interactive Brokers, potentially limiting options for investors interested in cryptocurrencies and forex.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes No
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Futures Trading info Yes Yes
Crypto Trading info Yes info No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 11 info 0
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers vs. E*TRADE: For trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead. It earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 14 at StockBrokers.com, while E*TRADE earns 4/5 stars and ranks #6. If you want the most options for analysis and data, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. E*TRADE is still a solid, easy-to-use choice that covers the key features most traders expect.

Both brokers offer desktop platforms for Windows and Mac, plus a browser-based platform. Each supports paper trading, lets you adjust open orders right on a chart, shows historical trades and corporate events, allows custom date ranges, highlights automated chart patterns, and saves multiple chart layouts. Only Interactive Brokers includes a built-in trading journal. Neither broker lets you create your own custom studies.

Interactive Brokers provides far more data and chart tools: up to 659 watchlist columns versus E*TRADE’s 43, along with 155 technical indicators and 85 drawing tools (E*TRADE offers 121 indicators and 37 drawing tools). Both let you add notes to charts. E*TRADE’s SMA study editor has 8 customization fields compared with Interactive Brokers’ 6, but overall Interactive Brokers delivers the wider toolkit for traders who want more ways to analyze markets.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 43
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 121
Charting - Drawing Tools info 85 37
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026

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Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE both offer beginner-friendly and investor education. Each broker covers stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, and both provide hands-on practice with paper trading. You’ll also find educational videos and live webinars from each, so you can learn on your schedule.

The key differences are in learning tools. Interactive Brokers includes quizzes and lets you track your learning progress, while E*TRADE does not. Both earn 4 out of 5 stars for education, yet StockBrokers.com ranks Interactive Brokers #3 out of 14 for education and E*TRADE #5. If you want structured feedback as you learn, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you just want practical lessons with paper trading, videos, and webinars, either platform works.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes Yes
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026

Stock trading apps

Interactive Brokers vs E*TRADE: both deliver capable stock trading apps, but Interactive Brokers gets the nod. It’s rated 5 stars and ranked #2 out of 14 by StockBrokers.com, topping E*TRADE’s 4.5 stars and #5 rank. Key edges for Interactive Brokers include confirmed mobile after-hours trading and videos on demand, while E*TRADE answers with a larger set of technical studies. For most traders, Interactive Brokers is the slightly stronger all-around pick; chart enthusiasts may lean toward E*TRADE.

Both brokers offer iPhone, Android, and Apple Watch apps. Each provides streaming quotes, streaming live TV, stock alerts, mobile options trading, and the ability to build custom watch lists and customize watch list columns. Charting is well covered on both: after-hours charting, landscape mode, multiple time frames, and side-by-side stock comparisons are available in each app.

Where they differ: Interactive Brokers includes videos on demand, while E*TRADE does not. Interactive Brokers also supports mobile after-hours stock trading; the information provided did not confirm whether E*TRADE supports mobile after-hours trading. For chart tools, E*TRADE lists 107 technical studies versus 97 for Interactive Brokers. If you want the highest overall rating, Interactive Brokers leads; if you value the largest built-in set of indicators, E*TRADE has the edge there.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 97 107
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026

Fees

Interactive Brokers vs E*TRADE: both deliver $0 minimum deposits, $0 stock commissions, and a $0.65 per-options-contract fee, plus no IRA annual or closure fees. The key differences show up with margin and transfers. Interactive Brokers’ margin rates are far lower across common balance tiers, and it charges $0 for a full ACAT transfer, while E*TRADE’s margin rates are notably higher and it assesses a $75 fee for a full ACAT. If you plan to use margin or think you might move your account later, Interactive Brokers is likely the cheaper pick; for basic stock or options trading, either platform keeps core trading costs low.

Trading costs are straightforward on both platforms: $0 commissions for regular stock trades and $0.65 per options contract at both Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE. Options exercise and assignment fees are $0 at both brokers. Account setup is easy with a $0 minimum deposit either way, and retirement savers will appreciate that both brokers charge $0 for IRA annual fees and $0 for IRA closures.

The biggest cost gap is margin pricing and transfers. Interactive Brokers lists a 6.83% margin rate for balances under $25,000, $25,000–$49,999, and $50,000–$99,999. E*TRADE’s corresponding rates are 12.95%, 12.7%, and 12.2%. For account transfers, both charge $0 for partial ACATs; however, Interactive Brokers charges $0 for a full ACAT, while E*TRADE charges $75. These differences can add up if you borrow on margin or later decide to move your account.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 info $0.65
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $0.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026

Day Trading

When considering online brokers for day trading, Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE both stand out for providing essential services like streaming time and sales data and level 2 quotes. Both platforms offer streaming live TV, direct market routing for stocks, and trading hotkeys, which are crucial for timely decision-making and quick execution. However, Interactive Brokers takes a significant lead with additional features that enhance the trading experience. It offers ladder trading, basic and advanced strategy backtesting, and a short locator tool for real-time short-selling opportunities. These features can greatly benefit traders looking to employ more advanced trading strategies.

In stark contrast, E*TRADE lacks some of these advanced tools, notably ladder trading and both types of strategy backtesting. It also does not provide a short locator tool or order liquidity rebates, which Interactive Brokers offers to its users. These differences could be pivotal for traders who are keen on maximizing their day trading efficiency and strategy integration. While both platforms are reliable for fundamental day trading needs, Interactive Brokers provides a more comprehensive suite of tools and features that could cater to more complex trading strategies, making it a potentially more attractive option for active day traders seeking to take advantage of advanced functionalities.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes Yes
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes info
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info Yes No
Short Locator info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders

Market Research

Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE are both strong picks for market research, each earning 4.5 stars. E*TRADE holds the higher spot in StockBrokers.com’s rankings (#3 of 14) versus Interactive Brokers (#5 of 14). That said, Interactive Brokers includes ESG research (which E*TRADE lacks) and offers more downloadable stock research PDFs (17 vs 8). If you want the higher-ranked platform, pick E*TRADE; if ESG insights and a larger set of stock reports matter most, go with Interactive Brokers.

Both brokers cover the core categories: research for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, and OTC/pink-sheet securities. Each lets you view your portfolio allocation by asset class and includes social media sentiment data in stock research. Both also provide downloadable PDF research for ETFs and mutual funds alongside their stock reports.

For idea generation, Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE each supply screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. No matter which you choose, you’ll have wide research coverage and practical tools to find and evaluate investments.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Screener - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Banking

When you compare the banking capabilities of online brokers Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE, E*TRADE looks more like a full-service option: it offers checking and savings accounts, a debit card, credit cards, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs). Interactive Brokers is more limited on banking: it does not provide checking or savings accounts, a debit card, or mortgage loans, but it does offer a credit card and CDs. For everyday money management—spending, bill pay, and earning interest on cash—E*TRADE is the easier fit, while Interactive Brokers may suit investors who only need a brokerage with access to a credit card and CDs.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No Yes
Debit Cards info No Yes
Credit Cards info Yes Yes
Mortgage Loans info No Yes
Brokerage CDs info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than E*TRADE. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 90.6%, while E*TRADE finished with a score of 86.0%.

Interactive Brokers is a go-to choice for professionals because of its institutional-grade desktop trading platform, high-quality trade executions and low margin rates.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or E*TRADE?

Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading with access to 11 different coins, while E*TRADE does not provide any crypto trading options.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Interactive Brokers or E*TRADE offer IRAs?

Both Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts without any annual or closure fees, providing cost-effective retirement saving solutions.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Overall 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review E*TRADE Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $0.01 $6.95 info
Mutual Fund Trade Fee info $14.95 info $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 info $0.65
Futures (Per Contract) info $0.85 info $1.50
Broker Assisted Trade Fee info Varies info $25
Margin Rates Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Margin Rate Under $25,000 info 6.83% info 12.95% info
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 info 6.83% info 12.7%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 info 6.83% info 12.2%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 info 6.83% info 11.7%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 info 6.83% info 11.2%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 info 6.83% info Varies info
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 info 6.83% info Varies info
Account Fees Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $0.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $0.00 $75.00
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes No
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs info 6 4
Futures Trading info Yes Yes
Forex Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading info Yes info No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 11 info 0
Fixed Income (Treasurys) info Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) info Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) info Yes Yes
Traditional IRAs info Yes Yes
Roth IRAs info Yes Yes
Advisor Services info No Yes
International Countries (Stocks) info 36 0
Order Types Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Order Type - Market info Yes Yes
Order Type - Limit info Yes Yes
Order Type - After Hours info Yes Yes
Order Type - Stop info Yes Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop info Yes Yes
Order Type - OCO info Yes Yes
Order Type - OTO info Yes Yes
Order Type - Broker Assisted info Yes Yes
Beginners Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes Yes
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Progress Tracking info Yes No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info Yes No
Stock Trading Apps Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info Yes Yes
Trading - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trading - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Trading - Simple Options info Yes Yes
Trading - Complex Options info Yes Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes info Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes info Yes Yes
Stock App Features Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Mobile Research - Market Movers info Yes Yes
Stream Live TV info Yes Yes
Videos on Demand info Yes No
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Option Chains Viewable info Yes Yes
Watchlist (Real-time) info Yes Yes
Watchlist (Streaming) info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization info Yes Yes
Stock App Charting Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Charting - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info Yes Yes
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 97 107
Charting - Study Customizations info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Active Trading Platform info IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) Power E*TRADE
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes Yes
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes Yes
Trade Journal info Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 43
Stock Chart Features Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 121
Charting - Drawing Tools info 85 37
Charting - Notes info Yes Yes
Charting - Historical Trades info Yes Yes
Charting - Corporate Events info Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Date Range info Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Time Bars info Yes No
Charting - Automated Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Study Customizations info 6 8
Charting - Custom Studies info No No
Day Trading Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes Yes
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes Yes
Ladder Trading info Yes No
Trade Hot Keys info Yes Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes info
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info Yes No
Short Locator info Yes No
Order Liquidity Rebates info Yes No
Research Overview Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB info Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Screener - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Portfolio Asset Allocation info Yes Yes
Stock Research Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 17 info 8
Stock Research - Earnings info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Social info Yes Yes
Stock Research - News info Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG info Yes No
Stock Research - SEC Filings info Yes Yes
ETF Research Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
ETFs - Investment Objective info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure info Yes Yes
ETFs - Risk Analysis info Yes Yes
ETFs - Ratings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap info Yes Yes
ETFs - PDF Reports info Yes Yes
Mutual Fund Research Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Prospectus info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - StyleMap info Yes Yes
Options Trading Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Option Chains - Total Greeks info 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes Yes
Banking Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Bank (Member FDIC) info No Yes
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No Yes
Credit Cards info Yes Yes
Debit Cards info No Yes
Mortgage Loans info No Yes
Customer Service Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) info Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
Email Support info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) info No No
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
24/7 Support info Yes Yes
Overall Interactive Brokers E*TRADE
Overall 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review E*TRADE Review
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