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TD Ameritrade vs Firstrade 2023

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Written by StockBrokers.com

April 11, 2023

Is TD Ameritrade better than Firstrade? After testing 17 of the best online brokers over three months, TD Ameritrade (97.39%) is better than Firstrade (87.80%). TD Ameritrade delivers $0 trades, fantastic trading platforms, excellent market research, industry-leading education for beginners and reliable customer service. This outstanding all-around experience makes TD Ameritrade one of our top overall brokers in 2023, in which it placed among Best in Class in several categories including options trading and best for beginners.

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  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFirstrade
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  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTD Ameritrade
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Overall RatingTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Overall 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 4.5/5 Stars 3.0/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review TD Ameritrade Review Firstrade Review
Trading FeesTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) $6.95 $0.00
Mutual Fund Trade Fee Varies $0
Options (Base Fee) $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.65 $0.00
Futures (Per Contract) $2.25 N/A
Broker Assisted Trade Fee $25 $19.95
Margin RatesTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Margin Rate Under $25,000 14.25% info 13.25%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 13.75% 13.00%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 12.75% 12.50%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 12.50% 12.00%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 12.25% 11.75%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 Varies info 9.85%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 Varies info 9.25%
Account FeesTD AmeritradeFirstrade
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $0.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) $0.00 $55.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) $75.00 $75.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
Investment OptionsTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares No No
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Options Trading Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 4 4
Futures Trading Yes No
Forex Trading Yes No
Crypto Trading No Yes
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 0 38
Mutual Funds (No Load) 3698 13777
Mutual Funds (Total) 5876 19027
Bonds (US Treasury) Yes Yes
Bonds (Corporate) Yes Yes
Bonds (Municipal) Yes Yes
Advisor Services Yes No
International Countries (Stocks) 0 0
Order TypesTD AmeritradeFirstrade
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
BeginnersTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes No
Education (Options) Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes No
Education (Bonds) Yes No
Education (Retirement) Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary Yes Yes
Paper Trading Yes No
Videos Yes Yes
Webinars Yes Yes
Webinars (Archived) Yes Yes
Progress Tracking Yes No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes Yes No
Stock Trading AppsTD AmeritradeFirstrade
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
SB Gallery - Mobile Apps
Stock App FeaturesTD AmeritradeFirstrade
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
Watch Lists - Total Fields 514 50
Stock App ChartingTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Charting - After-Hours Yes No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally Yes Yes
Charting - Multiple Time Frames Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 400 81
Charting - Study Customizations Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons Yes No
Trading PlatformsTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Active Trading Platform thinkorswim Firstrade Navigator
Desktop Trading Platform Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) Yes No
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Paper Trading Yes No
Trade Journal Yes No
Watch Lists - Total Fields 514 50
Stock Chart FeaturesTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies 429 102
Charting - Drawing Tools 24 8
Charting - Notes Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays Yes Yes
Charting - Historical Trades Yes No
Charting - Corporate Events Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Date Range Yes No
Charting - Custom Time Bars Yes No
Charting - Automated Analysis Yes No
Charting - Save Profiles Yes No
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis Yes No
Charting - Study Customizations 9 6
Charting - Custom Studies Yes No
Day TradingTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Streaming Time & Sales Yes No
Streaming TV Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks Yes No
Ladder Trading Yes No
Trade Hot Keys Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv Yes No
Short Locator No No
Order Liquidity Rebates No No
Research OverviewTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds Yes Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes Yes
Research - Bonds Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs Yes Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds Yes Yes
Screener - Bonds Yes Yes
Misc - Portfolio Allocation Yes Yes
Stock ResearchTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Stock Research - PDF Reports 6 1
Stock Research - Earnings Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders Yes Yes
Stock Research - Social Yes No
Stock Research - News Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings Yes Yes
ETF ResearchTD AmeritradeFirstrade
ETFs - Strategy Overview Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings No Yes
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings Yes Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure Yes Yes
ETFs - Risk Analysis Yes Yes
ETFs - Ratings Yes Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap Yes Yes
ETFs - PDF Reports Yes Yes
Mutual Fund ResearchTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Prospectus Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation No Yes
Mutual Funds - StyleMap Yes Yes
Options TradingTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Option Chains - Basic View Yes Yes
Option Chains - Strategy View Yes Yes
Option Chains - Streaming Yes No
Option Chains - Total Columns 35 8
Option Chains - Greeks 5 5
Option Chains - Quick Analysis Yes No
Option Analysis - P&L Charts Yes Yes
Option Probability Analysis Yes No
Option Probability Analysis Adv Yes Yes
Option Positions - Greeks Yes No
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming Yes No
Option Positions - Adv Analysis Yes No
Option Positions - Rolling Yes Yes
Option Positions - Grouping Yes No
BankingTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Bank (Member FDIC) No No
Checking Accounts Yes Yes
Savings Accounts No No
Credit Cards Yes No
Debit Cards Yes Yes
Mortgage Loans No No
Customer ServiceTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) Yes Yes
Email Support Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) Yes Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) Yes Yes
24/7 Support Yes No
OverallTD AmeritradeFirstrade
Overall 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review TD Ameritrade Review Firstrade Review
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TD Ameritrade vs Firstrade Comparison

Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2023 annual broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 17 brokerages to find the best online broker. Let's compare TD Ameritrade vs Firstrade.

Is TD Ameritrade or Firstrade better for beginners?

TD Ameritrade offers more comprehensive new investor education for beginner investors than Firstrade. TD Ameritrade offers investors access to Paper Trading, Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (ETFs), Education (Options), Education (Mutual Funds), Education (Bonds) and Education (Retirement), while Firstrade offers investors access to Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (Options) and Education (Retirement). See our guide to Best Paper Trading Platforms for more.

What about TD Ameritrade vs Firstrade pricing?

TD Ameritrade and Firstrade charge the same amount for regular stock trades, $0.00. Option contracts are pricier at TD Ameritrade, costing $0.65 per contract versus $0.00 per contract at Firstrade. For a complete commissions summary, see our best brokers for free stock trading guide.

Does TD Ameritrade or Firstrade offer a wider range of investment options?

TD Ameritrade offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds, Futures Trading, Forex Trading and Advisor Services, while Firstrade offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks and Mutual Funds. Neither have Fractional Shares. Looking at Mutual Funds, TD Ameritrade trails Firstrade in its offering of no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds, with Firstrade offering 3767 and TD Ameritrade offering 3610.

Which trading platform is better: TD Ameritrade or Firstrade?

To compare the trading platforms of TD Ameritrade and Firstrade, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, TD Ameritrade offers a better experience. With research, TD Ameritrade offers superior market research. Finally, we found TD Ameritrade to provide better mobile trading apps.

Does either broker offer banking?

Online banking can be a benefit for investors, and some brokerages do provide banking services to customers. Checking Accounts, Debit Cards and Credit Cards are offered by TD Ameritrade while Firstrade offers Checking Accounts and Debit Cards. Neither have Savings Accounts and Mortgage Loans.

Is TD Ameritrade good?

TD Ameritrade delivers $0 trades, fantastic trading platforms, excellent market research, industry-leading education for beginners and reliable customer service. This outstanding all-around experience makes TD Ameritrade one of our top overall brokers in 2023, in which it placed among Best in Class in several categories including options trading and best for beginners.

Is Firstrade good?

Firstrade scored well in our 2023 Annual Review for ease of use, and is a great choice for Chinese-speaking investors. However, it lags behind the competition in certain areas, especially platforms, tools and education.

TD Ameritrade vs Firstrade Winner

Overall winner: TD Ameritrade

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