Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs tastytrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: For the widest range of investments, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick, earning 5/5 stars and the #1 ranking out of 14 brokers from StockBrokers.com for Range of Investments, while tastytrade earns 4/5 stars and ranks #9. Both brokers cover core needs like stocks, options, futures, forex, crypto, and IRAs. Choose Interactive Brokers if you need mutual funds or OTC stocks; choose tastytrade if you want a larger crypto selection (17 coins vs 11).
Interactive Brokers and tastytrade both offer stock trading, margin, and fractional shares. Each also supports options trading, forex trading, futures trading, and crypto trading. The key differences are mutual funds and OTC stocks—Interactive Brokers offers both, while tastytrade does not. For crypto, tastytrade provides 17 tradable coins compared with 11 at Interactive Brokers.
Account-wise, both Interactive Brokers and tastytrade support Traditional and Roth IRAs, and neither offers advisor services. If your priority is the broadest menu of investment choices—including mutual funds and OTC stocks—Interactive Brokers stands out. If you don’t need those and prefer more coin choices for crypto trading, tastytrade is a solid alternative.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 17 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Bottom line: In the Interactive Brokers vs tastytrade matchup for trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers is the stronger all-around choice. It adds paper trading and automated chart pattern detection, offers far more watchlist fields (659 vs 33) and more drawing tools (85 vs 31), and earns higher industry scores (4.5/5, ranked #2 of 14) than tastytrade (4/5, ranked #5). Tastytrade stands out for chart indicators (308 vs 155) and lets you create custom studies, so traders who prioritize those may favor it.
Access is a draw: both brokers provide downloadable platforms for Windows and Mac as well as a browser-based platform. Each includes a trading journal and lets you manage open orders directly from charts. You can add notes to charts, view past trades and corporate events, set custom date ranges, and save multiple chart profiles on both. Only Interactive Brokers includes a paper trading mode; tastytrade does not.
For chart setup, Interactive Brokers delivers 155 indicators and 85 drawing tools, while tastytrade offers 308 indicators and 31 drawing tools. Tastytrade allows custom study creation; Interactive Brokers does not. Interactive Brokers supports automated technical analysis (chart pattern recognition); tastytrade does not. When editing a simple moving average, tastytrade exposes seven fields versus six at Interactive Brokers. Choose Interactive Brokers for paper trading, watchlist depth, drawing tools, and automated patterns; choose tastytrade for more indicators and custom studies.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 33 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 308 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 31 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Interactive Brokers and tastytrade both deliver beginner and investor education on stocks, ETFs, and options, along with educational videos, webinars, and tools to track your learning progress. Interactive Brokers goes further with lessons on mutual funds and bonds, plus extras like paper trading and quizzes to test knowledge—features tastytrade doesn’t offer. This gives Interactive Brokers a wider path for hands-on practice and broader topic coverage, while tastytrade keeps learning focused on core trading subjects.
According to StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 4 out of 5 stars for education and ranks #3 of 14 brokers, while tastytrade receives 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 of 14. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the widest range of topics and practice tools like paper trading and quizzes. Pick tastytrade if you mainly want straightforward education on stocks, ETFs, and options with videos, webinars, and progress tracking.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick for mobile stock trading, earning 5 stars and a #2 out of 14 ranking from StockBrokers.com, while tastytrade holds 4 stars and ranks #12. Both brokers cover the basics well, but Interactive Brokers adds deeper tools, richer charting, an Apple Watch app, and mobile after-hours trading. If you value advanced analysis and media, Interactive Brokers wins; if you prefer a simpler experience focused on core trading, tastytrade can fit the bill.
Both Interactive Brokers and tastytrade offer iPhone and Android apps, mobile options trading, streaming quotes, stock alerts, and the ability to build and customize watchlists. Interactive Brokers also supports Apple Watch, streaming live TV, and videos on demand, while tastytrade does not. Mobile after-hours trading is available at Interactive Brokers; tastytrade’s mobile after-hours availability isn’t specified in the provided data.
For charts, both apps support after-hours charting, landscape mode, and multiple time frames. Interactive Brokers stands out with 97 technical studies and the option to compare stocks directly on charts. Tastytrade offers 0 technical studies and no chart comparisons, making it better suited to straightforward monitoring and order entry than in-depth technical analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 97 | 0 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Bottom line: if you want the lowest options commission per contract, tastytrade wins at $0.50 versus Interactive Brokers at $0.65. For most other costs—margin interest, transfer fees, option exercise/assignment, and IRA closure—Interactive Brokers is cheaper or free. Both brokers have a $0 minimum deposit and $0 commissions for regular stock trades.
Core trading costs are straightforward: $0 to open an account and $0 for stock trades at both firms. Options pricing differs, with tastytrade at $0.50 per contract and Interactive Brokers at $0.65. Margin borrowers will usually pay less at Interactive Brokers, which lists 6.83% for balances under $25,000, $25,000–$49,999, and $50,000–$99,999. Tastytrade’s margin rates are higher across those tiers at 11%, 10.5%, and 10%, respectively.
On account and incidental fees, Interactive Brokers charges $0 for IRA annual and IRA closure, $0 for ACAT transfers (partial and full), and $0 for options exercise and assignment. Tastytrade’s IRA annual fee is also $0, but IRA closure is $60; ACAT partial and full transfers are $75; and options exercise and assignment are $5 each.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.50 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $60.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
Interactive Brokers stands out for stock day trading tools that give active traders more control. It offers streaming time and sales, Level II quotes, direct market routing, trading hotkeys, ladder trading, and order liquidity (maker/taker) rebates. You also get both basic and advanced strategy backtesting, a real-time short locator, and streaming live TV. In short, Interactive Brokers packs the key features many day traders rely on for fast entries, granular market data, and potential savings on order flow.
tastytrade delivers streaming live TV, ladder trading, advanced strategy backtesting, and a short locator, but it lacks several day trading staples: no streaming time and sales for stocks, no Level II quotes, no direct routing, no trading hotkeys, and no maker/taker rebates. If your workflow centers on deep market visibility, quick keyboard-driven order entry, and fee incentives, Interactive Brokers is the better fit. If you value ladder trading plus on-platform media and advanced strategy testing, tastytrade can still suit a simpler day trading setup.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | Yes |
| Short Locator | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
Bottom line: For market research, Interactive Brokers outpaces tastytrade. Interactive Brokers earns 4.5 stars and ranks #5 of 14 brokers for research, while tastytrade holds 2 stars and ranks #13. If you want wide asset-class coverage, in-platform reports, and extra data sources, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; tastytrade suits traders who mainly need basic stock and ETF ideas.
Research coverage and data: Interactive Brokers provides research for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, Pink Sheets/OTCBB, and bonds. tastytrade covers stocks and ETFs only, with no mutual fund, OTC, or bond research. Both platforms let you view portfolio allocation by asset class. Interactive Brokers adds social media sentiment and ESG research, plus 17 downloadable PDF stock reports and downloadable PDF reports for ETFs and mutual funds. tastytrade does not provide PDF research reports and does not offer sentiment or ESG data.
Idea generation: Both brokers include stock and ETF screeners for trade ideas, and each offers a bond screener. Interactive Brokers also provides a mutual fund screener, while tastytrade does not. In practice, Interactive Brokers fits research‑driven investors who value comprehensive coverage and downloadable reports, whereas tastytrade leans toward active traders who are comfortable with fewer research resources.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
| Research |
|
|
Interactive Brokers vs tastytrade: banking features are limited at both brokers, but there are key differences. Neither Interactive Brokers nor tastytrade offers checking accounts, savings accounts, or debit cards, and neither provides mortgage loans. However, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering a credit card and certificates of deposit (CDs), while tastytrade does not offer either. If access to a credit card or CDs matters to you, Interactive Brokers has an edge; if you only need brokerage services without banking extras, both platforms are similar.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | No | No |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026
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 tastytrade. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 90.6%, while tastytrade finished with a score of 64.0%.
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.
Interactive Brokers and tastytrade both facilitate crypto trading, with Interactive Brokers offering 11 coins compared to tastytrade's 17 options, catering to diverse crypto trading preferences. Explore the platforms to find the ideal choice for your cryptocurrency investment needs.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Both Interactive Brokers and tastytrade offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts without any annual fee; however, while Interactive Brokers has no closure fee for IRA accounts, tastytrade charges a $60.00 fee upon closing.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | tastytrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
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| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.01 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.50 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $0.85 | $1.00 | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | Varies | $0 |
| Margin Rates | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 6.83% | 11% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 6.83% | 10.5% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 6.83% | 10% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 6.83% | 9.5% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 6.83% | 9% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 6.83% | 8.5% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 6.83% | 8% |
| Account Fees | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $60.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 |
| Investment Options | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 6 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 17 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 36 | 0 |
| Order Types | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
| Beginners | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | Yes | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) | tastytrade | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 33 |
| Stock Chart Features | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 308 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 31 | |
| 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 | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | Yes |
| Day Trading | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | Yes | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | Yes | |
| Short Locator | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | Yes | No |
| Research Overview | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 17 | 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 | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| 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 | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Debit Cards | No | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Customer Service | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | No |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | tastytrade | |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | tastytrade Review |
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