StockBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Advertiser Disclosure
Interactive Brokers vs TD Ameritrade 2019
The StockBrokers.com annual review (9 years running) takes six months to complete and produces over 30,000 words of research each year. Here's how we test.
Is Interactive Brokers better than TD Ameritrade? After scoring brokers on over 4,000 data points for our 2019 review, TD Ameritrade (86.98%) is better than Interactive Brokers (80.99%). The extra cost of trading with TD Ameritrade is worth every cent – the brokerage delivers fantastic platforms, research, mobile apps, education, and customer service. This outstanding all-round experience makes TD Ameritrade our No. 1 overall broker in 2019.
|
|
|
|
Exclusive Offer
New clients that open an account today receive a special margin rate Open Account
|
Exclusive Offer
Trade free for 90 days + get up to $600 Open Account
|
|
| Open Account | Open Account |
Overall Rating
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
| Overall | ||
| Interactive Brokers Review | TD Ameritrade Review |
Trading Fees
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trade Fee (per trade) | N/A | $6.95 |
| ETF Trade Fee | $0.01 | $6.95 |
| Options Base Fee | $0.00 | $6.95 |
| Options Per Contract Fee | $0.70 | $0.75 |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | $49.99 |
| Broker Assisted Trades Fee | $30.00 | $44.99 |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Margin Rates
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
Open Account |
TD Ameritrade
Open Account |
| Under $24,999.99 | 3.68% | 10.25% |
| $25,000.00 to $49,999.99 | 3.68% | 10.00% |
| $50,000.00 to $99,999.99 | 3.68% | 9.00% |
| $100,000.00 to $249,999.99 | 3.18% | 8.75% |
| $250,000.00 to $499,999.99 | 3.18% | 8.50% |
| $500,000.00 to $999,999.99 | 3.18% | 8.50% |
| Above $1,000,000.00 | 2.68% | 7.75% |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Account Fees
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Returned ACH Fee | N/A | $25.00 |
| Returned Wire Fee | N/A | $25.00 |
| Stock Certificate Processing Fee | N/A | $0.00 |
| Stock Certificate Delivery Fee | N/A | $500.00 |
| Paper Statement Fee | N/A | $0.00 |
| Paper Confirmation Fee | N/A | $0.00 |
| Domestic Wire Fee | $10.00 | $25.00 |
| International Wire Fee | $10.00 | $25.00 |
| Commissions & Fees |
Investment Options
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Stock Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
OTCBB / Pink Sheets |
Yes | Yes |
|
Options Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
Complex Options Max Legs |
8 | 4 |
|
Futures Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
Forex Trading |
No | Yes |
| Commission-Free ETFs | 48 | 571 |
|
Mutual Funds (No Load) |
7558 | 5185 |
|
Mutual Funds (Total) |
11000 | 12418 |
|
Bonds (US Treasury) |
Yes | Yes |
|
Bonds (Corporate) |
Yes | Yes |
|
Bonds (Municipal) |
Yes | Yes |
|
Advisor Services |
No | Yes |
|
International Trading |
Yes | Yes |
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Order Types
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Order Type - Market |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - Limit |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - Stop |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - Trailing Stop |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - Contingent |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - MultiContingent |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - OCO |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - OTO |
Yes | Yes |
|
Order Type - OTOCO |
Yes | Yes |
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading Platforms
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Desktop Platform (Windows) |
Yes | Yes |
|
Desktop Platform (Mac) |
Yes | Yes |
|
Web Platform |
Yes | Yes |
|
Paper Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trade Journal |
Yes | Yes |
|
Watch Lists - Total Fields |
453 | 514 |
|
Two-Factor Authentication Login |
Yes | Yes |
|
Heat Mapping |
Yes | Yes |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Charting Features
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Charting - Trade Off Chart |
Yes | Yes |
|
Charting - Indicators / Studies |
121 | 411 |
|
Charting - Drawing Tools |
9 | 22 |
|
Charting - Historical Trades |
Yes | Yes |
|
Charting - Corporate Events |
Yes | Yes |
|
Charting - Automated Analysis |
No | Yes |
|
Charting - Save Profiles |
Yes | Yes |
|
Charting - Study Customizations |
6 | 9 |
|
Charting - Custom Studies |
No | Yes |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Day Trading
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Stock Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Alerts - Advanced Fields |
No | Yes |
|
Streaming Time & Sales |
Yes | Yes |
|
Streaming TV |
Yes | Yes |
|
Direct Market Routing - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
|
Direct Market Routing - Options |
Yes | Yes |
|
Ladder Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trade Hot Keys |
Yes | Yes |
|
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
|
Level 2 Quotes - Options |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trade Ideas - Backtesting |
Yes | Yes |
|
Short Locator |
Yes | No |
|
Client Liquidity Rebates |
Yes | No |
| Winner | check_circle |
Mobile Trading Apps
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
iPhone App |
Yes | Yes |
|
Android App |
Yes | Yes |
|
Apple Watch App |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trading - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trading - After-Hours |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trading - Conditional Orders |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trading - Mutual Funds |
Yes | No |
|
Trading - Simple Options |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trading - Complex Options |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trading - Option Rolling |
No | Yes |
|
Touch / Face ID |
Yes | Yes |
| Winner | check_circle |
Mobile App Features
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Watch List Syncing |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Alerts - Advanced Fields |
No | No |
|
Charting - After Hours |
Yes | Yes |
|
Charting - Drawing |
No | Yes |
|
Charting - Study Customizations |
Yes | Yes |
|
Customizable Homescreen |
No | No |
|
Heatmapping |
No | No |
|
Stream Live TV |
Yes | Yes |
|
Barcode Lookup |
No | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Research Overview
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Research - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
|
Research - ETFs |
Yes | Yes |
|
Research - Mutual Funds |
No | Yes |
|
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB |
Yes | Yes |
|
Research - Fixed Income |
Yes | Yes |
|
Research - Futures |
Yes | Yes |
|
Research - Forex |
Yes | Yes |
|
Screener - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
|
Screener - ETFs |
Yes | Yes |
|
Screener - Mutual Funds |
No | Yes |
|
Screener - Options |
Yes | Yes |
|
Screener - Bonds |
Yes | Yes |
|
Misc - Portfolio Builder |
Yes | Yes |
|
Misc - Portfolio Allocation |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Stock Research
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Stock Research - Reports |
1 | 7 |
|
Stock Research - Earnings |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - Insiders |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - Metric Comp |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - SEC Filings |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - Social |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - Balance Sheet |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - Cash Flows |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - News |
Yes | Yes |
|
Stock Research - ESG |
Yes | No |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
ETF Research
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
ETFs - Strategy Overview |
Yes | Yes |
|
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings |
Yes | Yes |
|
ETFs - Sector Exposure |
Yes | Yes |
|
ETFs - Risk Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
|
ETFs - Performance Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
|
ETFs - Ratings |
Yes | Yes |
|
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap |
No | Yes |
|
ETFs - Reports |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Mutual Fund Research
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview |
No | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - Prospectus |
Yes | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - Reports |
Yes | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown |
Yes | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings |
No | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation |
No | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation |
No | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation |
No | No |
|
Mutual Funds - StyleMap |
No | Yes |
|
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings |
No | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Options Trading
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Option Chains - Streaming |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Chains - Total Columns |
37 | 33 |
|
Option Chains - Greeks |
4 | 5 |
|
Option Chains - Quick Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Analysis - P&L Charts |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Probability Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Probability Analysis Adv |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Positions - Greeks |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Positions - Adv Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Positions - Rolling |
Yes | Yes |
|
Option Positions - Grouping |
Yes | Yes |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Beginners
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Has Education - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
|
Has Education - ETFs |
No | Yes |
|
Has Education - Options |
Yes | Yes |
|
Has Education - Mutual Funds |
No | Yes |
|
Has Education - Fixed Income |
No | Yes |
|
Has Education - Retirement |
No | Yes |
|
Paper Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
Videos |
Yes | Yes |
|
Webinars (Monthly Avg) |
20 | 500 |
|
Webinars (Archived) |
Yes | Yes |
|
Live Seminars |
No | Yes |
|
Progress Tracking |
Yes | Yes |
|
Interactive Learning - Quizzes |
Yes | Yes |
|
Investor Magazine |
Yes | Yes |
| Education | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Banking
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
|
Retail Locations |
0 | 364 |
|
Member FDIC |
No | No |
|
Checking Accounts |
Yes | Yes |
|
Savings Accounts |
No | No |
|
Credit Cards |
No | Yes |
|
Debit Cards |
Yes | Yes |
|
Mortgage Loans |
No | No |
|
No Fee Banking |
No | Yes |
| Banking | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Overall
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade |
| Interactive Brokers Review | TD Ameritrade Review | |
| Overall | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. For our annual broker review, we assess over a dozen brokers on hundreds of different variables to find the best online broker. Yielding a database of over 4,000 data points, let's compare Interactive Brokers vs TD Ameritrade.
To start this comparison, first, we will take a look at the online broker commission rates for placing regular stock and options trades. TD Ameritrade, with its regular stock trades costing $6.95, is more expensive than Interactive Brokers's rate of $0 (the broker charges a per share rate instead) per trade. Looking at trading options, Interactive Brokers's base fee is $0 while TD Ameritrade's is $6.95. Option contracts are pricier at TD Ameritrade, costing $0.75 versus $0.70 at Interactive Brokers. It's important to note that not all brokers charge a flat fee per trade. Thus, it is important to read the full commission notes for each broker, which we include with each online broker review.
Next to commission rates, being able to trade what you want is important. TD Ameritrade offers clients Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds, Forex Trading and Futures Trading while Interactive Brokers offers Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading. Looking at mutual funds, TD Ameritrade boasts an offering of 12418 mutual funds compared to Interactive Brokers's 11000 available funds.
Trading access aside, by comparing popular features and functionality, we can break down relevant differences between both brokers. Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade both offer virtual trading. Taking a look at mobile trading, Interactive Brokers along with TD Ameritrade both support the iPhone App, iPad App and Android App. Not to be left out, online banking is also a nice benefit for many investors, and some brokerages provide these services to clients. Clients can have Checking Accounts and Debit Cards at Interactive Brokers while customers at TD Ameritrade can have Checking Accounts, Debit Cards and Credit Cards.
Overall, between Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade, TD Ameritrade is the winner.
Interactive Brokers Review
TD Ameritrade Review
To start this comparison, first, we will take a look at the online broker commission rates for placing regular stock and options trades. TD Ameritrade, with its regular stock trades costing $6.95, is more expensive than Interactive Brokers's rate of $0 (the broker charges a per share rate instead) per trade. Looking at trading options, Interactive Brokers's base fee is $0 while TD Ameritrade's is $6.95. Option contracts are pricier at TD Ameritrade, costing $0.75 versus $0.70 at Interactive Brokers. It's important to note that not all brokers charge a flat fee per trade. Thus, it is important to read the full commission notes for each broker, which we include with each online broker review.
Next to commission rates, being able to trade what you want is important. TD Ameritrade offers clients Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds, Forex Trading and Futures Trading while Interactive Brokers offers Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading. Looking at mutual funds, TD Ameritrade boasts an offering of 12418 mutual funds compared to Interactive Brokers's 11000 available funds.
Trading access aside, by comparing popular features and functionality, we can break down relevant differences between both brokers. Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade both offer virtual trading. Taking a look at mobile trading, Interactive Brokers along with TD Ameritrade both support the iPhone App, iPad App and Android App. Not to be left out, online banking is also a nice benefit for many investors, and some brokerages provide these services to clients. Clients can have Checking Accounts and Debit Cards at Interactive Brokers while customers at TD Ameritrade can have Checking Accounts, Debit Cards and Credit Cards.
Overall, between Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade, TD Ameritrade is the winner.
Interactive Brokers Review
TD Ameritrade Review
All pricing data was obtained from a published web site as of 02/18/2019 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. For stock trade rates, advertised pricing is for a standard order size of 500 shares of stock priced at $30 per share. For options orders, an options regulatory fee per contract may apply.
TD Ameritrade, Inc. and StockBrokers.com are separate, unaffiliated companies and are not responsible for each other’s services and products. View terms.
