Fidelity vs TradeStation 2025
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity vs TradeStation, 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 Fidelity vs TradeStation, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In the battle of online brokers, Fidelity and TradeStation each bring several strengths to the table for investors. Fidelity shines particularly when it comes to offering a wider array of investment options, including fractional shares and cryptocurrency trading, with three digital coins available. TradeStation, on the other hand, provides access to futures trading, a niche area Fidelity doesn't cover. Despite the differences in available investment options, both brokers excel in traditional account offerings, like stock and mutual fund trading, as well as supporting traditional and Roth IRAs.
Fidelity scores a perfect five-star rating for its range of investment options, ranking third out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com. It supports not only stock, margin, and options trading but also offers fractional shares, forex, and advisor services. TradeStation is rated at 4.5 stars and ranks fifth, excelling in futures and OTC stocks. However, it lacks fractional share and cryptocurrency options, which may be a drawback for some investors seeking more diversity in their portfolios.
Both brokers support margin trading and offer traditional retirement account options, ensuring comprehensive service for long-term investors. While TradeStation skips on certain areas like forex and crypto, its focus on specialized areas like futures might attract seasoned traders. Meanwhile, Fidelity's diverse offerings, including advisor services, make it ideal for a broader range of investors, especially those keen on exploring crypto or needing professional guidance.
Feature |
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|
---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | No |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | No | Yes |
Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 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 choosing between Fidelity and TradeStation for trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer comprehensive options that cater to a variety of trader needs. Fidelity shines with its cross-platform compatibility, including both Windows and Mac downloadable platforms, which TradeStation lacks for Mac users. Meanwhile, TradeStation offers paper trading, an important feature for those looking to test strategies without financial risk, which Fidelity does not support. Both platforms boast strong charting capabilities and the ability to adjust open orders directly on a stock chart. Interestingly, despite their differences, Fidelity and TradeStation are equally rated with 4.5 stars by users and are ranked closely by StockBrokers.com, with Fidelity at #4 and TradeStation at #3 out of 14 brokers.
TradeStation's platform is particularly appealing for traders who rely heavily on technical analysis, offering a whopping 294 technical indicators compared to Fidelity's 129. Furthermore, TradeStation provides 341 columns for watch lists, which easily surpasses Fidelity's 92 columns, giving traders more flexibility in how they track investments. However, Fidelity counters this with a larger array of drawing tools and the added benefit of a trading journal, which TradeStation lacks. Both platforms allow users to add notes, show historical trades, display corporate events on charts, and save multiple chart profiles, ensuring traders have extensive resources for making informed decisions.
In terms of customization, TradeStation definitely stands out with its ability to create custom studies and offering more options for editing an SMA study, with 12 customization fields against Fidelity’s 5. On the contrary, Fidelity offers convenient features like Mac compatibility, which could be a deciding factor for Apple users. Overall, the choice between Fidelity and TradeStation will largely depend on how vital these individual features are to your trading strategy and personal preferences, as both platforms offer robust and highly-rated experiences.
Feature |
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|
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Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
Paper Trading | No | Yes |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 92 | 341 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 294 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 23 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
When it comes to educating beginner investors, Fidelity excels with a wide array of resources, making it an excellent choice for those new to the market. Fidelity offers comprehensive stock, ETF, options, mutual funds, and bonds education, and supports learning with educational videos, webinars, and quizzes that help reinforce concepts. Additionally, Fidelity allows users to track their learning progress, giving newcomers a structured way to build and assess their financial knowledge. This dedication to investor education has earned Fidelity a 5-star rating and the #2 ranking by StockBrokers.com.
TradeStation, while also providing fundamental stock and options education, falls short in areas like ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds learning. However, it does stand out with its paper trading feature, providing beginners the valuable opportunity to practice trading without financial risk. Educational videos and webinars are available, but lacking are quizzes and a system to track learning progress, which may hinder some beginners looking for comprehensive learning support. With a 3-star rating and ranked #13 by StockBrokers.com, TradeStation offers a decent but less extensive platform for investor education compared to Fidelity.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | No |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No |
Paper Trading | No | Yes |
Videos | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When it comes to stock trading app capabilities, Fidelity evidently outshines TradeStation in several key areas, offering a more rounded multimedia experience and advanced technical features. Fidelity’s app secures a 5-star rating, placing it at #3 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com’s ranking. In contrast, while TradeStation receives a respectable 4.5-star rating, it stands at #8 in the same ranking. The range of features, alongside Fidelity’s higher user ranking, make it a top contender for investors looking for comprehensive tools and flexibility on their mobile devices.
Both Fidelity and TradeStation provide users with iPhone and Android app access, and allow for mobile options trading, streaming quotes, and creating custom watch lists. However, Fidelity stands apart by offering an Apple Watch app, allowing users to manage their investments from their wrist—an option not available through TradeStation. Additionally, Fidelity enhances user experience with streaming live TV and on-demand videos, features missing from TradeStation’s offerings.
In terms of charting features, Fidelity’s app offers 128 technical studies, significantly more than TradeStation’s 45. Fidelity also supports viewing stock comparisons on charts and has the ability to view charts in landscape mode—capabilities that TradeStation lacks. Both brokers allow for after-hours stock trading and charting, but Fidelity’s additional ability to display stock comparisons and view multiple time frames gives users a more customizable and detailed trading experience.
Feature |
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|
---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | Yes | No |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
Charting - Technical Studies | 128 | 45 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When evaluating which online broker to choose between Fidelity and TradeStation, it’s evident that Fidelity offers a more economical approach for most account-related fees. Both brokers have commendable initiatives such as $0 minimum deposits and commission-free stock trades. However, Fidelity holds the edge with its industry-leading cost efficiency, especially in relation to margin rates on various balance tiers and IRA-related fees, which are crucial for investors prioritizing low-cost investing.
Both Fidelity and TradeStation provide $0 minimum deposits and do not charge for regular stock trades, making them equally accessible for newcomers and casual investors. Yet, when focusing on options trading, TradeStation slightly undercuts Fidelity, charging $0.60 per contract compared to Fidelity’s $0.65. For active options traders, this small difference can accumulate into significant savings over time. Moreover, Fidelity charges lower margin rates compared to TradeStation, particularly benefiting those with accounts leveraging amounts between $25,000 to $99,999.
In terms of additional fees, Fidelity maintains a cost-effective edge with zero charges for IRA annual and closure fees, as well as no fees for partial or full account transfers. In contrast, TradeStation imposes charges in these categories, including a notable $125 fee for account transfers. Furthermore, Fidelity does not charge for options exercise and assignment, whereas TradeStation applies a $14.95 fee for options exercise and $5.95 for assignments. These differences position Fidelity as the more favorable choice for cost-conscious investors seeking to minimize ancillary fees while maximizing investment potential.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.60 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $14.95 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $5.95 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $35.00 |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $50.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When evaluating Fidelity and TradeStation for day trading, each platform presents distinctive advantages. Fidelity provides streaming time and sales data, streaming live TV, and direct market routing, which can be beneficial for real-time decision-making. Its level 2 quotes also cater to those wanting insight into market depth. Fidelity provides essential tools for backtesting basic strategies and offers a short locator tool to help traders view the real-time availability of shares available for shorting. However, it falls short in certain aspects such as advanced strategy backtesting, ladder trading, and order liquidity rebates.
TradeStation, on the other hand, offers streaming time and sales for stocks like Fidelity and includes direct market routing and level 2 quotes, enhancing its appeal for those interested in in-depth market analysis. It stands out with features that Fidelity lacks, such as ladder trading, advanced strategy backtesting, and order liquidity rebates, which can be crucial for more sophisticated trading approaches. Although it does not provide streaming live TV, TradeStation supports trading hotkeys for quick trade entry, and offers a short locator tool, making it a formidable choice for active day traders seeking a comprehensive toolset.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
Streaming TV | Yes | No |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | Yes |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to market research capabilities, Fidelity stands out as a clear leader with its comprehensive offerings and higher market research rating compared to TradeStation. Fidelity shines with a full suite of research tools and resources, including stock, ETF, mutual funds, and even bonds, which TradeStation does not fully match. TradeStation, although competent in stocks and ETFs research, falls short in areas like mutual funds and bonds, which plays into its lower market research rating and ranking.
Fidelity offers a wide array of downloadable PDF research reports and detailed ESG data, which enhances investors' decision-making process. Coupled with its ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class and use social media sentiment data for stock research, Fidelity's offerings are designed to provide an in-depth understanding of market movements and investment opportunities. In contrast, TradeStation lacks these features, providing no downloadable PDF reports and excluding ESG insights, which can limit investors seeking data-driven investment strategies.
Additionally, Fidelity's stock, ETF, mutual fund, and bond screeners offer diverse trade ideas, further empowering investors with tools to identify suitable investment opportunities tailored to their priorities. TradeStation, on the other hand, offers screeners for only stocks, limiting the options for ETF and bond investors. Overall, Fidelity's market research capabilities make it a preferred platform for those seeking a more extensive and detailed investment research experience.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
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 it comes to banking capabilities, Fidelity and TradeStation offer different features for those interested in more than just trading. Fidelity provides advantages like access to debit cards and credit cards, making it convenient for users looking to manage daily expenses or earn rewards. It also offers mortgage loans and certificates of deposit (CDs), adding more financial tools for planning big purchases or saving for the future. In contrast, TradeStation does not offer these banking features, as it focuses more on its trading platform without providing debit cards, credit cards, mortgage loans, or CDs. Both Fidelity and TradeStation do not offer checking or savings accounts, so users seeking traditional banking services might need to look at other institutions. Ultimately, while both platforms are solid choices for trading, Fidelity might be more appealing for users seeking additional banking features alongside their brokerage services.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Checking Accounts | No | No |
Savings Accounts | No | No |
Debit Cards | Yes | No |
Credit Cards | Yes | No |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | 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 Fidelity is better than TradeStation. Fidelity finished with an overall score of 96.2%, while TradeStation finished with a score of 80.2%.
Fidelity is a value-driven online broker offering $0 trades, industry-leading research, excellent trading tools and an easy-to-use mobile app.
Fidelity offers cryptocurrency trading with access to three different coins, whereas TradeStation does not provide crypto trading options at all.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Both Fidelity and TradeStation offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts, but Fidelity stands out with $0.00 annual and closure fees, compared to TradeStation's $35.00 annual and $50.00 closure fees, making it a more cost-effective choice for IRA investors.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
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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 | Fidelity Review | TradeStation Review |
Broker Screenshots | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | $0.01 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | $14.95 | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.60 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | $1.50 | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $32.95 | $25 |
Margin Rates | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
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Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.575% | 13.0% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.075% | 13.0% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.125% | 12.5% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.075% | 12.0% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 10.825% | 12.0% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 8.500% | 7.5% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.250% | 7.5% |
Account Fees | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
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IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $35.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $125.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $125.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $14.95 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $5.95 |
Investment Options | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | No | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
Futures Trading | No | Yes | |
Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 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 | Yes | No | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 25 | 0 |
Order Types | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
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 | Yes | |
Order Type - OCO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OTO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
Beginners | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | No | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | No | |
Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
Stock Trading Apps | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch App | Yes | 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 | Yes |
Stock App Features | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
Videos on Demand | Yes | No | |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 128 | 45 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | No |
Trading Platforms | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | Active Trader Pro | TradeStation 10 | |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 92 | 341 |
Stock Chart Features | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 294 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 23 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 5 | 12 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | No | Yes |
Day Trading | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes | |
Ladder Trading | No | Yes | |
Trade Hot Keys | Yes | Yes | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | Yes | |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | No | Yes |
Research Overview | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
Stock Research | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 7 | 0 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
ETF Research | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | No | |
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 | No | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
Mutual Fund Research | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
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 | Yes | |
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 | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
Banking | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
Checking Accounts | No | No | |
Savings Accounts | No | No | |
Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
Customer Service | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | Yes | No |
Overall | Fidelity | TradeStation | |
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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 | Fidelity Review | TradeStation Review |