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Fidelity vs Merrill Edge 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Fidelity vs Merrill Edge, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Fidelity
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
Merrill Edge
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65

Range of investments

In the Fidelity vs Merrill Edge comparison, Fidelity offers the wider range of investments and takes the lead: it earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #2 out of 14 brokers at StockBrokers.com, while Merrill Edge earns 4 stars and ranks #7. Both brokers cover the basics—stocks, options, mutual funds, OTC stocks, margin, IRAs, and advisor services—but Fidelity adds crypto trading (3 coins), forex, and fractional shares. Neither broker supports futures.

Trading choices: Fidelity and Merrill Edge both let you trade stocks, options, mutual funds, and OTC stocks, and both support margin accounts. Fidelity alone supports fractional share investing, helpful for buying small slices of higher-priced stocks. For currencies and digital assets, Fidelity also stands out by offering forex and crypto trading, while Merrill Edge does not offer either.

Account types and guidance: Both brokers provide traditional IRA and Roth IRA accounts, plus access to advisor services if you want help building a portfolio. If your priority is a wide set of investment options—including fractional shares, forex, and a small menu of cryptocurrencies—Fidelity is the better fit. If you mainly want core stock and fund investing with options and margin, Merrill Edge covers those needs.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes No
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Futures Trading info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 3 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

In the Fidelity vs Merrill Edge comparison for trading platforms and tools, Fidelity gets the edge. It’s the only one with downloadable desktop software for both Windows and Mac, offers richer charting, and includes a trading journal. Independent scores back this up: Fidelity earns 4 stars and ranks #4 of 14 at StockBrokers.com, while Merrill Edge is at 3.5 stars and #7. That said, Merrill Edge stands out with extremely flexible watchlists and deeper simple moving average (SMA) edit controls. In short, pick Fidelity if you want desktop access and stronger charting; pick Merrill Edge if you live in the browser and want ultra-detailed watchlists.

Platform access and workflow: Fidelity offers downloadable desktop platforms for Windows and Mac, plus a browser-based platform; Merrill Edge is browser-only with no Windows or Mac downloads. Neither broker supports paper trading. Fidelity includes a trading journal; Merrill Edge does not. For watchlists, Fidelity supports 92 columns, while Merrill Edge supports 285. Both brokers let you adjust open orders directly on a stock chart.

Charting and tools: Fidelity provides 129 technical indicators and 38 drawing tools, compared with Merrill Edge’s 105 indicators and 23 drawing tools. Both can add notes to charts, display your historical trades, show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), set custom date ranges, surface automated chart patterns, and save multiple chart profiles. When editing an SMA study, Fidelity offers 5 customization fields versus Merrill Edge’s 8. Neither broker lets you create fully custom studies.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes No
Paper Trading info No No
Watchlists - Total Fields info 92 285
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 129 105
Charting - Drawing Tools info 38 23
Advanced Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026

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Beginners and education

In a Fidelity vs. Merrill Edge education comparison, both brokers offer investor education for beginners and seasoned investors alike. Each covers core topics—stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds—and provides videos, webinars, and quizzes to help you learn. Neither broker includes paper trading for practice.

The key difference is that Fidelity lets you track your learning progress, giving newcomers a clearer path. Reflecting that, Fidelity holds a 5-star education rating and ranks #1 of 14 with StockBrokers.com. Merrill Edge also covers the essentials, earning 4 stars and ranking #6 of 14. If you want structured learning with progress tracking, choose Fidelity; if you prefer to browse lessons at your own pace, Merrill Edge is a solid alternative.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes Yes
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026

Stock trading apps

Bottom line: For mobile stock trading, Fidelity generally outperforms Merrill Edge. Both deliver core must-haves—iPhone and Android apps, streaming quotes, mobile options trading, alerts, and custom watchlists—but Fidelity packs in more advanced tools. You get Apple Watch support, mobile after-hours trading and after-hours charting, streaming live TV, videos on demand, customizable watchlist columns, and many more technical studies (128 vs 34). That advantage shows in the scores: Fidelity is rated 4.5/5 and ranks #3 of 14, while Merrill Edge is rated 4/5 and ranks #9.

Platform support is strong for both: iPhone and Android are covered at Fidelity and Merrill Edge. Only Fidelity adds an Apple Watch app. Both apps include streaming quotes, options trading, stock alerts, and the ability to build custom watchlists, though only Fidelity lets you customize the watchlist columns. Fidelity also offers streaming live TV and videos on demand, which Merrill Edge does not provide. Mobile after-hours trading is available with Fidelity; the data provided does not confirm this feature for Merrill Edge.

Charting is solid on both, with landscape mode, multiple time frames, and the option to compare stocks on the same chart. Fidelity goes further with after-hours charting and a larger library of indicators (128 technical studies versus Merrill Edge’s 34). If you care about deeper research and media on the go, Fidelity’s app has the edge; if you only need the essentials, Merrill Edge still covers the basics well.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
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 128 34
Mobile Trading Apps 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026

Fees

When comparing Fidelity and Merrill Edge, both stand strong in offering no minimum deposit requirements and zero fees for regular stock trades, making them both attractive options for new and seasoned investors. Fidelity and Merrill Edge are on the same page when it comes to offering cost-effective options trading, each charging $0.65 per contract. That said, a key distinction arises in their approach to margin balances. Fidelity provides a clear and structured rate for margin balances, while Merrill Edge's fees vary. Furthermore, Fidelity provides a more user-friendly experience regarding IRA-related fees, offering no charges for IRA closure, unlike Merrill Edge, which imposes a $49.95 fee.

Both brokers ensure seamless account management by offering zero fees for partial and full account transfers, aligning perfectly with an investor's need for flexibility. Additionally, neither broker imposes fees for options exercise or assignment, facilitating cost-effective trading activities. Fidelity takes a slight edge in terms of clarity and simplicity with its straightforward charges, particularly regarding margin balance rates. Meanwhile, investors who prioritize overall fee transparency may find Fidelity's lack of IRA closure fees more appealing.

Overall, your choice between Fidelity and Merrill Edge may hinge on your specific investment strategy and requirements. Fidelity's transparency with margins and IRA closures can be more predictable, which might be preferable for those seeking a more straightforward fee structure. On the other hand, if the flexibility or specific services of Merrill Edge better suit your needs, their varying fees might not pose as much of a concern. Ultimately, both brokers deliver competitive offerings suitable for different investor preferences.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 $0.65
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 $49.95

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026

Day Trading

When comparing the day trading capabilities of Fidelity and Merrill Edge, several key features come into play. Both platforms provide streaming time and sales for stocks and level 2 quotes, essential for active traders. Fidelity takes it a step further by offering streaming live TV and direct market routing for stocks, giving traders more flexibility and comprehensive market insights. The availability of trading hotkeys on Fidelity also enhances the efficiency of executing trades swiftly, which is absent on Merrill Edge. Additionally, Fidelity includes a short locator tool for real-time availability of shares to short, a helpful resource not provided by Merrill Edge.

Both Fidelity and Merrill Edge support basic strategy backtesting, allowing traders to test their strategies historically. However, neither platform offers ladder trading or advanced strategy backtesting, keeping them on equal footing in these aspects. While some features are shared, such as the absence of order liquidity rebates, Fidelity seems to have the upper hand with more functionalities specifically beneficial to day traders, making it a more appealing choice for those looking to leverage all available tools in a competitive market.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No No
Short Locator info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders

Market Research

Fidelity vs. Merrill Edge: For market research, Fidelity comes out on top. It holds a 5-star rating and ranks #1 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com, while Merrill Edge earns 4.5 stars and ranks #4. Both give you wide coverage and helpful tools, but Fidelity adds extras like social media sentiment for stocks and more stock PDF reports, whereas Merrill Edge stands out by offering downloadable PDFs for mutual funds.

Both brokers cover key areas: research for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, Pink Sheets/OTCBB, and bonds. Each platform lets you view portfolio allocation by asset class and includes ESG research. You also get screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds on both, making it easy to find trade ideas across markets.

Where they differ: Fidelity includes stock research using social media sentiment (Merrill Edge does not). For downloadable PDF reports, Fidelity provides seven for stocks versus three at Merrill Edge; both offer ETF PDFs. Only Merrill Edge supplies downloadable PDFs for mutual funds, while Fidelity does not. If you want deeper equity insights and more analyst stock reports, Fidelity is the better pick; if mutual fund PDFs matter most, Merrill Edge has the edge there.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
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 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Banking

When it comes to banking features, Merrill Edge stands out with both checking and savings accounts, services that Fidelity does not provide. Both brokers offer debit and credit cards, making spending and payment convenient no matter which platform you choose. If you're considering mortgage loans, you will find both Fidelity and Merrill Edge meeting your needs. Additionally, both companies offer Certificates of Deposit (CDs), so you have options for potentially boosting your savings with either broker. Overall, for those seeking comprehensive banking options, Merrill Edge might have the edge thanks to its added checking and savings account features alongside what both companies already offer.

Feature Fidelity logoFidelity
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No Yes
Debit Cards info Yes Yes
Credit Cards info Yes Yes
Mortgage Loans info Yes Yes
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 Fidelity is better than Merrill Edge. Fidelity finished with an overall score of 92.5%, while Merrill Edge finished with a score of 81.9%.

Fidelity is a value-driven online broker offering $0 trades, industry-leading research, excellent trading tools and an easy-to-use mobile app.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Fidelity or Merrill Edge?

Fidelity provides crypto trading with access to 3 different coins, while Merrill Edge does not offer any crypto trading options.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Fidelity or Merrill Edge offer IRAs?

Fidelity and Merrill Edge both offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees; however, while Fidelity does not charge a closure fee, Merrill Edge charges $49.95 when closing IRA accounts.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

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Compare

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Overall Rating Fidelity Merrill Edge
Overall 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Fidelity Review Merrill Edge Review
Broker Screenshots Fidelity Merrill Edge
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Fidelity Merrill Edge
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $0.00 N/A
Mutual Fund Trade Fee info Varies info Varies info
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 $0.65
Futures (Per Contract) info (Not offered) (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee info $32.95 $29.95
Margin Rates Fidelity Merrill Edge
Margin Rate Under $25,000 info 12.575% Varies info
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 info 12.075% Varies info
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 info 11.125% Varies info
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 info 11.075% Varies info
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 info 10.825% Varies info
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 info 8.500% Varies info
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 info 8.250% Varies info
Account Fees Fidelity Merrill Edge
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $49.95
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $0.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $0.00 $0.00
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options Fidelity Merrill Edge
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes No
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs info 4 4
Futures Trading info No No
Forex Trading info Yes info No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 3 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 Yes Yes
International Countries (Stocks) info 25 0
Order Types Fidelity Merrill Edge
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 No
Order Type - OTO info Yes No
Order Type - Broker Assisted info Yes Yes
Beginners Fidelity Merrill Edge
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info No No
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Progress Tracking info Yes No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info Yes Yes
Stock Trading Apps Fidelity Merrill Edge
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 No
Stock App Features Fidelity Merrill Edge
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 No
Stock App Charting Fidelity Merrill Edge
Charting - After-Hours info Yes No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info Yes Yes
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 128 34
Charting - Study Customizations info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Fidelity Merrill Edge
Active Trading Platform info Active Trader Pro Merrill Edge Market Pro
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes No
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info No No
Trade Journal info Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields info 92 285
Stock Chart Features Fidelity Merrill Edge
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 129 105
Charting - Drawing Tools info 38 23
Charting - Notes info Yes Yes
Charting - Historical Trades info Yes Yes
Charting - Corporate Events info Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Date Range info Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Time Bars info Yes Yes
Charting - Automated Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Study Customizations info 5 8
Charting - Custom Studies info No No
Day Trading Fidelity Merrill Edge
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes No
Ladder Trading info No No
Trade Hot Keys info Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No No
Short Locator info Yes No
Order Liquidity Rebates info No No
Research Overview Fidelity Merrill Edge
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 Fidelity Merrill Edge
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 7 3
Stock Research - Earnings info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Social info Yes No
Stock Research - News info Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG info Yes Yes
Stock Research - SEC Filings info Yes Yes
ETF Research Fidelity Merrill Edge
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 Fidelity Merrill Edge
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 Fidelity Merrill Edge
Option Chains - Total Greeks info 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes Yes
Banking Fidelity Merrill Edge
Bank (Member FDIC) info No Yes
Checking Accounts info No Yes
Savings Accounts info No Yes
Credit Cards info Yes Yes
Debit Cards info Yes Yes
Mortgage Loans info Yes Yes
Customer Service Fidelity Merrill Edge
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) info Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
Email Support info Yes No
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
24/7 Support info Yes Yes
Overall Fidelity Merrill Edge
Overall 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Fidelity Review Merrill Edge Review
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