Fidelity Investments vs TradeStation Securities Review

Using data from the StockBrokers.com 2017 Broker Rankings, we can compare Fidelity Investments vs TradeStation Securities to determine which broker is better for you. Our database includes thousands of data points on everything from research to trading tools. Let's take a closer look at Fidelity Investments and TradeStation Securities.

First we will break down the commission charges of both brokers for placing stock and options trades. TradeStation Securities, with its regular stock trades costing $5.00, is more expensive than Fidelity Investments's rate of $4.95 per trade. With options, the base fees charged are $5.00 (TradeStation Securities) and $4.95 (Fidelity Investments). Contracts are pricier at Fidelity Investments, costing $0.65 versus $0.50 at TradeStation Securities, a difference of $0.15 per contract. Note that flat rate trading is not available everywhere though, so it is important to read the complete commission notes for each broker to know the full breakdown (go to any stock broker review page, then scroll down to the "Commission Notes" section).

Trading fees aside, having access to trade what you want is also an important consideration. TradeStation Securities supports Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading while Fidelity Investments supports Stock Trading, Options Trading and Mutual Funds. As far as mutual funds go, TradeStation Securities trails Fidelity Investments by 8,350.00 total funds, with Fidelity Investments offering 13204 and TradeStation Securities offering 4854. And, commission free ETFs deserve a mention, Fidelity Investments offers 91 versus TradeStation Securities's total of 0.

Finally, by looking at the most popular features and offerings of each broker, we can really see the differences between the two. Fidelity Investments alongside TradeStation Securities have virtual trading. For mobile trading, Both Fidelity Investments and TradeStation Securities offer clients access to an iPhone App, iPad App and Android App. Online banking is also used by many clients, and multiple brokerages provide these services. Clients can have Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards and Credit Cards at Fidelity Investments while clients at TradeStation Securities can have none of these. All things considered, when it comes to platform tools, research, and trading via smartphone, TradeStation Securities finished with awards for Best in Class - Platforms & Tools in 2014, while Fidelity Investments came up with Best in Class - Platforms & Tools, Best in Class - Research and Best in Class - Mobile Trading.

Overall, Fidelity Investments comes out on top with 4.50 stars over TradeStation Securities's 3.50 stars.