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Interactive Brokers vs Firstrade 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Firstrade, 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
Firstrade
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.00

Range of investments

Bottom line: If you want the broadest investment selection, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. It earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 14 brokers at StockBrokers.com, while Firstrade holds 4 stars and ranks #5. Both let you trade stocks, options, mutual funds, margin, fractional shares, and OTC stocks, but only Interactive Brokers adds forex, futures, and cryptocurrency trading (11 coins). That makes Interactive Brokers better for multi‑asset traders, while Firstrade suits investors focused on the core markets.

Trading features compared: Interactive Brokers and Firstrade both support stock trading, margin trading, fractional shares, OTC stocks, mutual funds, and options. Where they differ is in specialty markets. Interactive Brokers offers forex and futures trading; Firstrade does not. Interactive Brokers also provides crypto trading with access to 11 coins, while Firstrade does not offer crypto.

Accounts and extras: Both brokers offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts, and neither provides advisor services. If you plan to stick with mainstream assets, Firstrade covers the essentials. If you want one account that can handle stocks, options, funds, plus forex, futures, and crypto, Interactive Brokers offers more choices.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes Yes
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Futures Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading info Yes info No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 11 info 0
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

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

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers vs Firstrade: for trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers is the standout. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com, while Firstrade scores 1 star and ranks #12. Traders who want full-featured desktop software, deeper charting, paper trading, and a trading journal will be better served by Interactive Brokers; Firstrade covers the basics for simple web trading but lacks many advanced features.

Platform access and core tools: Interactive Brokers offers downloadable desktop platforms for both Windows and Mac, along with a browser-based platform. Firstrade offers only a web platform—there is no Windows or Mac download. Interactive Brokers also includes paper trading and a built-in trading journal; Firstrade offers neither.

Charting and trading tools: Interactive Brokers supports 659 watchlist fields (vs 50 at Firstrade), order adjustments directly on charts, 155 indicators (vs 102), and 85 drawing tools (vs 8). You can add notes, show your past trades, overlay earnings/splits/dividends, and set custom date ranges on charts with Interactive Brokers; none of these are available at Firstrade. Both brokers provide automated chart pattern recognition and six edit fields on an SMA study, and neither supports building custom studies. Interactive Brokers also lets you save multiple chart profiles; Firstrade does not.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes No
Paper Trading info Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 50
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 102
Charting - Drawing Tools info 85 8
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 1/5 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 Firstrade both teach the basics, offering stock and options education along with educational videos and webinars. Interactive Brokers goes further with lessons on ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds, plus paper trading to practice with virtual money. It also adds quizzes and the ability to track your learning progress—features Firstrade does not include. Firstrade does not cover ETFs, mutual funds, or bonds, and it lacks paper trading, quizzes, and progress tracking.

For education quality, Interactive Brokers is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com, while Firstrade earns 2.5 stars and ranks #13 out of 14. If you want broader topics and hands-on practice, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice. If you only need basic stock and options lessons with videos and webinars, Firstrade can meet those needs.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
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
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Education 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026

Stock trading apps

Bottom line: Interactive Brokers offers a more feature-rich stock trading app experience than Firstrade. Both brokers deliver capable iPhone and Android apps with streaming quotes, options trading, alerts, and customizable watchlists, but Interactive Brokers pulls ahead with Apple Watch support, live TV and on-demand videos, after-hours charting, and a larger library of technical studies (97 vs 81). That advantage shows up in third‑party reviews: StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #2 of 14 brokers, while Firstrade earns 4 stars and ranks #8.

App availability is strong on both sides: Interactive Brokers and Firstrade each offer iPhone and Android apps, along with streaming quotes, stock alerts, custom watchlists, customizable columns, and mobile options trading. Interactive Brokers adds an Apple Watch app and supports mobile after-hours trading; Firstrade’s status for mobile after-hours trading wasn’t specified. For media, Interactive Brokers streams live TV and offers videos on demand, while Firstrade does not include those features.

Charting tools are where Interactive Brokers further widens the gap. Both apps support landscape charts, multiple time frames, and the ability to compare stocks on the same chart. However, Interactive Brokers includes after-hours charting (Firstrade does not) and offers more built-in studies (97 vs 81). Traders who value deeper charting and extras like wearable support and market video will likely prefer Interactive Brokers, while Firstrade still covers the core needs for everyday stock and options trading on mobile.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
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 No
Charting - Technical Studies info 97 81
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026

Fees

Bottom line: Interactive Brokers is generally cheaper for margin borrowing and for moving your account, while Firstrade can be the low-cost pick for options traders thanks to $0 per-contract pricing. Both brokers have $0 stock commissions, $0 minimum deposits, and no IRA fees. If you plan to use margin or might transfer your account, Interactive Brokers often comes out ahead; if you trade a lot of options without borrowing, Firstrade can lower your costs.

Trading fees are straightforward. Minimum deposit: Interactive Brokers $0; Firstrade $0. Online stock trades: both $0. Options pricing differs: Interactive Brokers charges $0.65 per contract, while Firstrade charges $0. Options exercise and assignment fees are $0 at both brokers.

Margin and other charges tilt toward Interactive Brokers. For margin balances under $100,000, Interactive Brokers lists 6.83%, while Firstrade shows 12.75% (under $25k), 12.50% ($25k–$49,999), and 12.00% ($50k–$99,999). Account transfers (ACAT) are $0 for partial and full at Interactive Brokers versus $55 partial and $75 full at Firstrade. IRA annual and closure fees are $0 at both. Pricing can change—check each broker’s site for the latest rates.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 info $0.00
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 it comes to day trading, Interactive Brokers stands out compared to Firstrade thanks to its comprehensive features that cater specifically to active traders. Interactive Brokers offers streaming time and sales data for stocks, providing real-time information that is crucial for making informed trading decisions. Additionally, users have access to streaming live TV, allowing them to stay updated on market news and events. The platform also supports direct market routing, ladder trading, and trading hotkeys for quick trade entries via keyboard, all essential tools for those looking to engage in rapid-fire trading.

Moreover, Interactive Brokers equips its users with level 2 quotes and both basic and advanced strategy backtesting capabilities, which enable traders to develop and refine their strategies over time. The platform offers a short locator tool for tracking the availability of shares to short, enhancing the trader's ability to act swiftly in dynamic markets. It also provides order liquidity rebates, rewarding traders for contributing to the market's liquidity. In comparison, Firstrade lacks these advanced day trading features, making it less suitable for traders who rely on sophisticated tools and real-time data.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes No
Streaming TV info Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes No
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

If market research is a top priority, Interactive Brokers edges out Firstrade. Both platforms cover research for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, OTC/pink sheets, and bonds, and both provide screeners, ESG data, social media sentiment, and portfolio allocation views. However, Interactive Brokers offers far more downloadable reports and earns a higher research score (4.5 vs 4 stars) and a better ranking (#5 vs #6 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com), making it the stronger choice for most research-focused investors.

Coverage is broad on both brokers. Interactive Brokers and Firstrade each supply research across stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, OTC/pink sheets, and bonds. For finding ideas, both include stock, ETF, mutual fund, and bond screeners. They also let you review portfolio allocation by asset class and layer in newer data sets like environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics and stock sentiment from social media.

The biggest difference is the volume of downloadable research. Interactive Brokers offers 17 downloadable PDF stock research reports, compared with 1 at Firstrade. Both provide downloadable ETF research, but only Interactive Brokers adds downloadable reports for mutual funds. If you want more third-party reports at your fingertips, Interactive Brokers clearly provides a wider library.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
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 Stars

Banking

When comparing banking features, Interactive Brokers and Firstrade differ in key ways. Firstrade offers a checking account and a debit card, while Interactive Brokers does not provide checking or debit options. Neither broker offers a savings account or mortgage loans. For card perks, Interactive Brokers does have a credit card, whereas Firstrade does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Firstrade make CDs (certificates of deposit) available. In short, choose Firstrade if you need a checking account and debit card linked to your brokerage, pick Interactive Brokers if you want a credit card, and note that neither provides savings accounts or mortgages.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Firstrade logoFirstrade
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No No
Debit Cards info No Yes
Credit Cards info Yes No
Mortgage Loans info No No
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 Firstrade. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 90.6%, while Firstrade finished with a score of 67.8%.

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 Firstrade?

Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading with access to 11 different coins, while Firstrade does not support any crypto trading options.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Interactive Brokers or Firstrade offer IRAs?

Both Interactive Brokers and Firstrade provide traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees or closure fees, making them cost-effective choices for investors seeking flexible retirement account options without hidden charges.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

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Compare

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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Overall 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 1/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Customer Service 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Firstrade Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $0.01 $0.00
Mutual Fund Trade Fee info $14.95 info $0
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 info $0.00
Futures (Per Contract) info $0.85 info (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee info Varies info $19.95
Margin Rates Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Margin Rate Under $25,000 info 6.83% info 12.75%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 info 6.83% info 12.50%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 info 6.83% info 12.00%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 info 6.83% info 11.50%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 info 6.83% info 11.25%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 info 6.83% info 9.35%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 info 6.83% info 8.75%
Account Fees Interactive Brokers Firstrade
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $0.00 $55.00
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 Firstrade
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes Yes
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs info 6 4
Futures Trading info Yes No
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 No
International Countries (Stocks) info 36 0
Order Types Interactive Brokers Firstrade
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 Firstrade
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 Yes
Retirement Calculator info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes No
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Progress Tracking info Yes No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info Yes No
Stock Trading Apps Interactive Brokers Firstrade
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 Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Mobile Research - Market Movers 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
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 Firstrade
Charting - After-Hours info Yes No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info Yes Yes
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 97 81
Charting - Study Customizations info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Active Trading Platform info IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) N/A
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes No
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes No
Trade Journal info Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 50
Stock Chart Features Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 102
Charting - Drawing Tools info 85 8
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Historical Trades info Yes No
Charting - Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Custom Date Range info Yes No
Charting - Custom Time Bars info Yes No
Charting - Automated Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles info Yes No
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Study Customizations info 6 6
Charting - Custom Studies info No No
Day Trading Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes No
Streaming TV info Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes No
Ladder Trading info Yes No
Trade Hot Keys info Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes No
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 Firstrade
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 Firstrade
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 17 info 1
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 Yes
Stock Research - SEC Filings info Yes Yes
ETF Research Interactive Brokers Firstrade
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 Firstrade
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 Firstrade
Option Chains - Total Greeks info 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes Yes
Banking Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Bank (Member FDIC) info No No
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No No
Credit Cards info Yes No
Debit Cards info No Yes
Mortgage Loans info No No
Customer Service Interactive Brokers Firstrade
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 Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
24/7 Support info Yes No
Overall Interactive Brokers Firstrade
Overall 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 1/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Firstrade Review
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