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Merrill Edge vs TradeUP 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

November 13, 2026
  Fact Checked

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

Merrill Edge
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
TradeUP
3/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.00 info

Range of investments

Merrill Edge comes out ahead overall for range of investments, thanks to a wider mix of account support and product choice. Both Merrill Edge and TradeUP offer stock trading, margin trading, OTC stocks, options trading, traditional IRA accounts, and Roth IRA accounts, so either platform can work for common investing needs. The main differences are that Merrill Edge offers mutual funds and advisor services, while TradeUP stands out for offering fractional shares trading, which can help investors buy pieces of higher-priced stocks with less money.

When it comes to what you can actually trade, both brokers do not offer forex, futures, or crypto trading, and neither provides any crypto coins. That means these platforms are more focused on stocks and options than on alternative markets. If you want mutual funds and access to advisor support, Merrill Edge may be the better fit. If fractional shares matter most to you, TradeUP has the edge in that area.

Overall, Merrill Edge gets a stronger rating for range of investments, with 4 out of 5 stars and a StockBrokers.com ranking of #7 out of 16 brokers. TradeUP is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #15 out of 16. For investors comparing online broker accounts, Merrill Edge offers a broader selection of investment options, while TradeUP may appeal to those who want fractional share trading.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
TradeUP logoTradeUP
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) No Yes
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Mutual Funds Yes No
Options Trading Yes Yes
Futures Trading No No
Crypto Trading No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 0 0
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

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

Trading platforms and tools

Merrill Edge and TradeUP both offer browser-based trading platforms, charting tools, and several helpful features for active traders, and each earns a 3.5-star rating for trading platforms and tools. The main difference is flexibility: TradeUP offers downloadable desktop platforms for both Windows and Mac, plus paper trading, while Merrill Edge does not. Merrill Edge also has the edge in overall ranking, placing #8 out of 16 brokers compared with TradeUP at #9.

When it comes to trading tools, Merrill Edge gives users more to work with in a few key areas. It offers 285 watch list columns, 105 technical indicators, and 23 drawing tools, compared with TradeUP’s 60 watch list fields, 44 indicators, and 8 drawing tools. Merrill Edge also supports custom chart date ranges, while TradeUP does not. On the other hand, both brokers let you adjust open orders directly on a stock chart, add notes to charts, view historical trades and corporate events, and save multiple chart layouts.

For everyday charting and platform use, both brokers cover the basics well, and neither offers trading journals or custom chart studies. TradeUP may appeal more to traders who want a downloadable desktop app and paper trading, while Merrill Edge may be a better fit for users who want more charting depth and broader watch list options. If platform choice and advanced chart tools matter most, Merrill Edge has a slight advantage overall.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
TradeUP logoTradeUP
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform No Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) No Yes
Paper Trading No Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields 285 60
Charting - Indicators / Studies 105 44
Charting - Drawing Tools 23 8
Advanced Trading 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Accounts and Online Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps and Simulators for 2026

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Beginners and education

Merrill Edge stands out as the stronger choice for beginner and investor education compared with TradeUP. It offers learning resources across stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, plus educational videos, webinars, and quizzes to help newer investors build confidence. Merrill Edge is rated 4 out of 5 stars for education and is ranked #6 out of 16 brokers by StockBrokers.com, making it a solid pick for investors who want a broker with a wide range of educational content.

TradeUP offers a much more limited education experience. It does not provide stock, ETF, options, mutual funds, or bonds education, and it also lacks educational videos, webinars, and quizzes. While TradeUP does offer paper trading, which can be useful for practice, it does not include learning progress tracking either. With a 1.5-star education rating and a #16 ranking out of 16 brokers, TradeUP is clearly behind Merrill Edge for investor education.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
TradeUP logoTradeUP
Education (Stocks) Yes No
Education (ETFs) Yes No
Education (Options) Yes No
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes No
Education (Fixed Income) Yes No
Videos Yes No
Webinars Yes No
Education 4/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Trading Platforms for Beginners in 2026

Stock trading apps

Merrill Edge comes out ahead overall for stock trading app users, thanks to a higher app rating, a stronger StockBrokers.com ranking, and a few useful mobile trading features that TradeUP does not fully match. Both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, support mobile options trading, provide streaming quotes and stock alerts, and let users build custom watch lists. If you want a more polished all-around app experience, Merrill Edge is the better pick.

On the feature side, both platforms cover the basics well. Each offers mobile after-hours charting, multiple time-frame chart views, and stock comparison tools on charts. Merrill Edge also supports mobile after-hours stock trading and landscape chart viewing, which can make chart analysis easier on a phone. TradeUP, however, stands out for letting users customize watch list columns, a handy touch for traders who want more control over what they see.

There are also a few gaps on both sides. Neither broker offers an Apple Watch app, live streaming TV, or videos on demand in the mobile app. Merrill Edge provides more technical studies for charting, with 34 compared with TradeUP’s 27, while TradeUP’s app rating of 3.0 stars trails Merrill Edge’s 4 stars. In short, both apps cover core stock trading needs, but Merrill Edge offers the stronger mobile experience overall.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
TradeUP logoTradeUP
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Apple Watch App No No
Stock Alerts Yes Yes
Charting - After-Hours Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 34 27
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 3.0/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps of 2026

Fees

Merrill Edge and TradeUP both keep some core investing costs low, with $0 minimum deposits, $0 stock trades, and $0 IRA annual fees. The biggest difference is in options and transfers: Merrill Edge charges $0.65 per options contract and $49.95 to close an IRA, while TradeUP charges $0.00 for options contracts and IRA closure. Overall, TradeUP may appeal to options traders and investors who want fewer closure fees, while Merrill Edge stands out for lower ACAT transfer costs and no charge for IRA closure? Actually, no: Merrill Edge charges $49.95 for IRA closure, while TradeUP charges $0.00, so TradeUP wins there.

For margin borrowing, TradeUP lists a 5.99% rate across the shown balance tiers, while Merrill Edge says its margin rates vary. That makes TradeUP easier to compare at a glance, but Merrill Edge may be more or less expensive depending on account size and current pricing. In short, if you want simple, upfront pricing on margin, TradeUP is clearer; if you already bank with Merrill and plan to use its platform, Merrill Edge may still fit your needs.

When it comes to moving money and closing accounts, Merrill Edge is the cheaper choice for both partial and full ACAT transfers at $0.00, while TradeUP charges $50.00 for partial transfers and $75.00 for full transfers. Both brokers also charge $0.00 for options exercise and assignment fees. If transfer fees matter most, Merrill Edge is the better pick; if you care more about options pricing and IRA closure costs, TradeUP has the edge.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
TradeUP logoTradeUP
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.65 $0.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $49.95 $0.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Stock Trading Platforms and Commission-Free Apps for 2026

Day Trading

When comparing Merrill Edge vs. TradeUP for day trading, both online brokers give traders useful market data such as streaming time and sales and Level 2 quotes. Neither platform offers streaming live TV, short locator tools, or maker/taker rebates, so in those areas they are evenly matched. Merrill Edge also includes basic strategy backtesting, which may appeal to traders who want to test simple ideas before placing real trades.

TradeUP stands out more for active day trading tools. It offers direct market routing, ladder trading, and hotkeys for fast keyboard order entry, while Merrill Edge does not. For traders who value speed and more control over trade execution, TradeUP may be the better fit. Merrill Edge can still work well for traders who want core charting and research features, but TradeUP has the edge when it comes to hands-on day trading tools.

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

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms and Apps for 2026

Market Research

For market research, Merrill Edge comes out well ahead of TradeUP overall. Both brokers let you research stocks, ETFs, pink sheets/OTCBB, and bonds, and both also show portfolio allocation by asset class. But Merrill Edge adds more depth with mutual fund research, downloadable PDF reports for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds, plus screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. TradeUP covers the basics, but it does not offer mutual fund research, PDF research reports, or any trade idea screeners, which makes it less useful for investors who want more tools to compare choices.

On the features that many investors look for, the gap is clear. Neither Merrill Edge nor TradeUP offers stock research based on social media sentiment data or ESG research, so there is no advantage on those points. Where Merrill Edge pulls ahead is in the extra research materials and screening tools that can help users find investment ideas faster and dig deeper into available securities. TradeUP offers a simpler research experience, which may be enough for basic needs, but it lacks several of the extras that can make research easier and more efficient.

This difference shows up in outside ratings as well. Merrill Edge earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for market research and ranks #4 out of 16 brokers at StockBrokers.com, while TradeUP receives 2.0 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 16. If market research matters to you, Merrill Edge is the stronger choice by a wide margin.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
TradeUP logoTradeUP
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks Yes No
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs Yes No
Research - Mutual Funds Yes No
Screener - Mutual Funds Yes No
Research - Fixed Income Yes Yes
Screener - Fixed Income Yes No
Research 4.5/5 Stars 2.0/5 Stars

Banking

Merrill Edge offers a wider set of banking features than TradeUP, making it the stronger choice for people who want both investing and everyday money management in one place. With Merrill Edge, you can access checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, credit cards, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs). TradeUP, by comparison, does not offer these banking products. For anyone looking for an online broker with built-in banking tools, Merrill Edge has the clear edge over TradeUP.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
TradeUP logoTradeUP
Checking Accounts Yes No
Savings Accounts Yes No
Debit Cards Yes No
Credit Cards Yes No
Mortgage Loans Yes No
Brokerage CDs Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Accounts with Checking: Top Bank Brokers

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 16 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Merrill Edge is better than TradeUP. Merrill Edge finished with an overall score of 81.9%, while TradeUP finished with a score of 50.8%.

Merrill Edge and its parent, Bank of America, make for a well-rounded offering, with $0 trades, robust research, reliable customer service; and its Stock Stories and Fund Stories are an industry standout. There are some gaps in investment offerings, including crypto and futures.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Merrill Edge or TradeUP?

Neither Merrill Edge nor TradeUP offers crypto trading, so investors looking for digital assets will need to consider another platform. Both brokers currently support 0 crypto coins, making them equally limited for cryptocurrency access.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Merrill Edge or TradeUP offer IRAs?

Merrill Edge and TradeUP both offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts, and neither charges an annual fee for IRA accounts. However, Merrill Edge charges a $49.95 closure fee to close an IRA, while TradeUP has no IRA closure fee.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Merrill Edge TradeUP
Overall 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 3.0/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 2.0/5 Stars
Customer Service 3.5/5 Stars N/A
Education 4/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Merrill Edge Review TradeUP Review
Broker Screenshots Merrill Edge TradeUP
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Merrill Edge TradeUP
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) N/A $0.000
Mutual Fund Trade Fee Varies N/A
Options (Per Contract) $0.65 $0.00
Futures (Per Contract) (Not offered) (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee $29.95 N/A
Margin Rates Merrill Edge TradeUP
Margin Rate Under $25,000 Varies 5.99%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 Varies 5.99%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 Varies 5.99%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 Varies 5.99%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 Varies 5.99%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 Varies 5.99%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 Varies 5.99%
Account Fees Merrill Edge TradeUP
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $49.95 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) $0.00 $50.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) $0.00 $75.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options Merrill Edge TradeUP
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) No Yes
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Options Trading Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 4 4
Futures Trading No No
Forex Trading No No
Crypto Trading No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 0 0
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 Yes No
International Countries (Stocks) 0 1
Order Types Merrill Edge TradeUP
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 No No
Order Type - OTO No No
Order Type - Broker Assisted Yes No
Beginners Merrill Edge TradeUP
Education (Stocks) Yes No
Education (ETFs) Yes No
Education (Options) Yes No
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes No
Education (Fixed Income) Yes No
Education (Retirement) Yes No
Retirement Calculator Yes No
Investor Dictionary Yes No
Paper Trading No Yes
Videos Yes No
Webinars Yes No
Progress Tracking No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes Yes No
Stock Trading Apps Merrill Edge TradeUP
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Apple Watch App No 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 No Yes
Stock App Features Merrill Edge TradeUP
Mobile Research - Market Movers Yes Yes
Stream Live TV No No
Videos on Demand No 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 No Yes
Stock App Charting Merrill Edge TradeUP
Charting - After-Hours Yes Yes
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally Yes No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 34 27
Charting - Study Customizations Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Merrill Edge TradeUP
Active Trading Platform Merrill Edge Market Pro N/A
Desktop Trading Platform No Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) No Yes
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Paper Trading No Yes
Trade Journal No No
Watchlists - Total Fields 285 60
Stock Chart Features Merrill Edge TradeUP
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies 105 44
Charting - Drawing Tools 23 8
Charting - Notes Yes Yes
Charting - Historical Trades Yes Yes
Charting - Corporate Events Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Date Range Yes No
Charting - Custom Time Bars Yes No
Charting - Automated Analysis Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis Yes No
Charting - Study Customizations 8 8
Charting - Custom Studies No No
Day Trading Merrill Edge TradeUP
Streaming Time & Sales Yes Yes
Streaming TV No No
Direct Market Routing - Equities No Yes
Ladder Trading No Yes
Trade Hot Keys No Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv No No
Short Locator No No
Order Liquidity Rebates No No
Research Overview Merrill Edge TradeUP
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds Yes No
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks Yes No
Screener - ETFs Yes No
Screener - Mutual Funds Yes No
Screener - Fixed Income Yes No
Portfolio Asset Allocation Yes Yes
Stock Research Merrill Edge TradeUP
Stock Research - PDF Reports 3 0
Stock Research - Earnings Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders Yes Yes
Stock Research - Social No No
Stock Research - News Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings Yes Yes
ETF Research Merrill Edge TradeUP
ETFs - Investment Objective Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings Yes 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 No
ETFs - PDF Reports Yes No
Mutual Fund Research Merrill Edge TradeUP
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 Merrill Edge TradeUP
Option Chains - Total Greeks 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts Yes Yes
Banking Merrill Edge TradeUP
Bank (Member FDIC) Yes No
Checking Accounts Yes No
Savings Accounts Yes No
Credit Cards Yes No
Debit Cards Yes No
Mortgage Loans Yes No
Customer Service Merrill Edge TradeUP
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) Yes No
Phone Support (Current Customers) Yes No
Email Support No Yes
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) Yes Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) Yes Yes
24/7 Support Yes No
Overall Merrill Edge TradeUP
Overall 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 3.0/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 2.0/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Merrill Edge Review TradeUP Review
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