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Fidelity vs TradeStation 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 03, 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.

Fidelity
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
TradeStation
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.60

Range of investments

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
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 No Yes
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 3 0
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market

Trading platforms and tools

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes No
Paper Trading info No Yes
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 92 341
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 129 294
Charting - Drawing Tools info 38 23
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025

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Beginners and education

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes No
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes No
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes No
Paper Trading info No Yes
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025

Stock trading apps

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info Yes No
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 128 45
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025

Fees

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 $0.60
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $14.95
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $5.95
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $35.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $50.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025

Day Trading

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No Yes
Short Locator info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025

Market Research

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info Yes No
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Research - Fixed Income info Yes No
Screener - Fixed Income info Yes No
Research 5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars

Banking

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 Fidelity logoFidelity
TradeStation logoTradeStation
Checking Accounts info No No
Savings Accounts info No No
Debit Cards info Yes No
Credit Cards info Yes No
Mortgage Loans info Yes No
Brokerage CDs info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025

Winner

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.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Fidelity or TradeStation?

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

Does Fidelity or TradeStation offer IRAs?

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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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Fidelity TradeStation
Overall 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Customer Service 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Fidelity Review TradeStation Review
Broker Screenshots Fidelity TradeStation
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Fidelity TradeStation
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $0.00 $0.01 info
Mutual Fund Trade Fee info Varies info $14.95
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 $0.60
Futures (Per Contract) info (Not offered) $1.50
Broker Assisted Trade Fee info $32.95 $25
Margin Rates Fidelity TradeStation
Margin Rate Under $25,000 info 12.575% 13.0%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 info 12.075% 13.0%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 info 11.125% 12.5%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 info 11.075% 12.0%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 info 10.825% 12.0%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 info 8.500% 7.5% info
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 info 8.250% 7.5% info
Account Fees Fidelity TradeStation
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $35.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $50.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $0.00 $125.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $0.00 $125.00
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $14.95
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $5.95
Investment Options Fidelity TradeStation
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 4 4
Futures Trading info No Yes
Forex Trading info Yes info No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 3 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 Yes No
International Countries (Stocks) info 25 0
Order Types Fidelity TradeStation
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 Fidelity TradeStation
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes No
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes No
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes No
Retirement Calculator info Yes No
Investor Dictionary info Yes No
Paper Trading info No Yes
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Progress Tracking info Yes No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info Yes No
Stock Trading Apps Fidelity TradeStation
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info Yes No
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 Fidelity TradeStation
Market Movers (Top Gainers) info Yes Yes
Stream Live TV info Yes No
Videos on Demand info Yes No
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Option Chains Viewable info Yes Yes
Watch List (Real-time) info Yes Yes
Watch List (Streaming) info Yes Yes
Watch Lists - Create & Manage info Yes Yes
Watch Lists - Column Customization info Yes Yes
Stock App Charting Fidelity TradeStation
Charting - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info Yes No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 128 45
Charting - Study Customizations info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons info Yes No
Trading Platforms Fidelity TradeStation
Active Trading Platform info Active Trader Pro TradeStation 10
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes No
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info No Yes
Trade Journal info Yes No
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 92 341
Stock Chart Features Fidelity TradeStation
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 129 294
Charting - Drawing Tools info 38 23
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 Yes
Charting - Automated Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Study Customizations info 5 12
Charting - Custom Studies info No Yes
Day Trading Fidelity TradeStation
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes Yes
Ladder Trading info No Yes
Trade Hot Keys info Yes Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No Yes
Short Locator info Yes Yes
Order Liquidity Rebates info No Yes
Research Overview Fidelity TradeStation
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB info Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income info Yes No
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info Yes No
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Screener - Fixed Income info Yes No
Portfolio Asset Allocation info Yes Yes
Stock Research Fidelity TradeStation
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 7 0
Stock Research - Earnings info Yes No
Stock Research - Insiders info Yes No
Stock Research - Social info Yes No
Stock Research - News info Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG info Yes No
Stock Research - SEC Filings info Yes No
ETF Research Fidelity TradeStation
ETFs - Investment Objective info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings info Yes No
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings info Yes No
ETFs - Sector Exposure info Yes No
ETFs - Risk Analysis info Yes No
ETFs - Ratings info Yes No
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap info Yes No
ETFs - PDF Reports info Yes No
Mutual Fund Research Fidelity TradeStation
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Prospectus info Yes No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation info Yes No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap info Yes No
Options Trading Fidelity TradeStation
Option Chains - Total Greeks info 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes Yes
Banking Fidelity TradeStation
Bank (Member FDIC) info No No
Checking Accounts info No No
Savings Accounts info No No
Credit Cards info Yes No
Debit Cards info Yes No
Mortgage Loans info Yes No
Customer Service Fidelity TradeStation
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) info Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
Email Support info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
24/7 Support info Yes No
Overall Fidelity TradeStation
Overall 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Fidelity Review TradeStation Review
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