Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Robinhood vs tastytrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: In the Robinhood vs tastytrade matchup, both brokers offer a wide mix of investments and each earns 4 stars for Range of Investments. In StockBrokers.com’s ranking of 14 brokers, tastytrade is #9 and Robinhood is #10. Pick tastytrade if you want forex alongside stocks, options, futures, and crypto. Pick Robinhood if you want OTC stocks, a larger crypto lineup (22 vs 17 coins), and access to advisor services.
For everyday trading, both platforms support stock trading, margin trading, options trading, and fractional shares. Neither offers mutual funds. A key difference is OTC stocks: Robinhood supports OTC trading, while tastytrade does not.
For advanced and alternative assets, both brokers offer futures and crypto trading. Robinhood lists 22 cryptocurrencies, while tastytrade offers 17. Only tastytrade supports forex. For retirement, both provide Traditional and Roth IRAs. If you also want guidance, note that advisor services are available at Robinhood but not at tastytrade.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 | 17 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Bottom line: tastytrade edges out Robinhood for trading platforms and tools. tastytrade earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 14 brokers at StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood scores 3 stars and ranks #8. tastytrade’s advantages include downloadable desktop platforms for both Windows and Mac, far more chart indicators (308 vs 90) and drawing tools (31 vs 26), the ability to create custom studies, a built-in trading journal, and chart extras like historical trades and corporate events. Robinhood holds its own with an easy browser platform, the ability to adjust orders on charts, and a slightly wider watch list (34 vs 33 columns), but it lacks desktop apps. Neither broker offers paper trading.
Platform access: Robinhood is web and mobile only—no downloadable platform for Windows or Mac. tastytrade supports web plus full desktop apps on both Windows and Mac. Both brokers offer a browser-based trading platform and let you adjust open orders directly on stock charts. Both support adding notes to charts, custom date ranges, saving multiple chart profiles, and neither shows automated chart patterns. For watch lists, Robinhood offers 34 fields while tastytrade offers 33.
Charting depth favors tastytrade. It delivers 308 technical indicators versus 90 on Robinhood, 31 drawing tools versus 26, seven customization fields when editing an SMA study versus six, plus the ability to display corporate events and your historical trades on charts. tastytrade also includes a trading journal and lets you build custom studies—features Robinhood lacks. Choose Robinhood if you want a straightforward, web-first experience; choose tastytrade if you want advanced charting and a true desktop platform.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 34 | 33 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 308 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 26 | 31 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Robinhood and tastytrade both offer beginner and investor education on stocks, ETFs, and options, and both provide educational videos. Neither platform teaches mutual funds or offers paper trading. For bonds education, only Robinhood has materials. For live learning and staying organized, tastytrade stands out with webinars and tools to track your learning progress, while Robinhood does not offer those features.
According to StockBrokers.com, Robinhood earns 3.5 stars for education and ranks #7 out of 14 brokers, while tastytrade earns 3 stars and ranks #11. Choose Robinhood if you want a higher-rated library and bonds education; choose tastytrade if webinars and keeping tabs on your progress matter more to you.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | No | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
Bottom line: both Robinhood and tastytrade offer capable stock trading apps on iPhone and Android with streaming quotes, alerts, options trading, and after-hours charting. Robinhood has the edge for most mobile traders thanks to Apple Watch support, mobile after-hours trading, and far more built-in technical studies. Each earns 4 stars, but Robinhood ranks higher with StockBrokers.com (#7 of 14) compared with tastytrade (#12 of 14).
Availability and core tools are similar: both apps run on iPhone and Android, provide streaming quotes, price alerts, custom watchlists, and editable watchlist columns. Neither app includes streaming live TV or videos on demand. Robinhood supports Apple Watch and mobile after-hours trading; tastytrade does not support Apple Watch, and its mobile after-hours trading availability isn’t specified here.
Charting differs more. Both apps let you view multiple time frames and offer after-hours charting. Robinhood supplies about 90 technical studies but does not allow landscape charts, while tastytrade offers landscape charts but no built-in technical studies. Neither app supports comparing multiple stocks on a single chart. If you rely on indicators, Robinhood will feel more complete; if you prefer a simple layout and do your analysis elsewhere, tastytrade can still fit the bill.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
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 | 90 | 0 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Robinhood vs tastytrade: if you’re focused on keeping costs low, Robinhood generally comes out cheaper thanks to $0 options contract fees, lower margin rates, and no fees for options exercise/assignment or IRA closures. Tastytrade pushes back with lower ACAT transfer fees. Both brokers offer a $0 minimum deposit and commission-free stock trading.
Trading costs at a glance: both platforms have a $0 minimum deposit and $0 commissions for regular stock trades. Options are where they diverge—Robinhood charges $0 per contract, while tastytrade is $0.50 per contract. For event fees, Robinhood lists $0 for both options exercise and assignment, whereas tastytrade charges $5 for each.
Margin and account fees further separate them. Robinhood’s margin rates are 5.75% below $25,000, 5.75% from $25,000 to $49,999, and 5.55% from $50,000 to $99,999. Tastytrade’s are 11%, 10.5%, and 10% for those same tiers. Both have $0 IRA annual fees, but IRA closure costs $0 at Robinhood vs $60 at tastytrade. For ACAT transfers, Robinhood is $100 for partial or full, while tastytrade is $75 for partial or full.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $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
Robinhood vs tastytrade for day trading: both platforms lack streaming time and sales, direct market routing, trading hotkeys, and maker/taker rebates, though each offers ladder trading. The standout differences are tools and market view. Robinhood provides Level 2 quotes for deeper order book insight, while tastytrade does not. Tastytrade counters with streaming live TV for market news, which Robinhood doesn’t include.
If you want to build and test ideas, tastytrade has advanced strategy backtesting and a short locator tool showing real-time borrow availability—useful for short selling—while Robinhood offers neither. In short, pick Robinhood if Level 2 visibility matters most in a simple setup, and choose tastytrade if you value advanced research, a real-time short locate, and streaming market commentary. Keep in mind that the lack of direct routing, hotkeys, and time and sales on both may limit very fast, tactical trading styles.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
| Streaming TV | No | Yes |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | Yes |
| Short Locator | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
For market research, Robinhood edges out tastytrade. Robinhood is rated 2.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 10th of 14 brokers by StockBrokers.com, while tastytrade earns 2 stars and ranks 13th. Choose Robinhood if you want slightly wider research coverage; both platforms keep things pretty basic.
Both brokers offer stock research and ETF research, but neither provides mutual fund or bond research. Robinhood stands out by supporting pink sheets/OTC research, which tastytrade does not. Each platform shows portfolio allocation by asset class, but neither includes social media sentiment or ESG research, and neither supplies downloadable PDF reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds.
For trade ideas, both platforms include a stock screener. Tastytrade adds an ETF screener and a bond screener, while Robinhood does not offer screeners for ETFs, bonds, or mutual funds. If OTC research matters, Robinhood is the better fit; if you want ETF and bond screeners, tastytrade has the edge.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | No | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | Yes |
| Research |
|
|
When comparing the banking capabilities of online brokers Robinhood and tastytrade, neither platform offers checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs, or mortgage loans. The key difference is in payment cards: Robinhood provides both a debit card and a credit card, while tastytrade does not offer either. If you want everyday banking features like a checking account, a savings account, CDs, or a mortgage, you’ll need a separate bank for both platforms. Pick Robinhood if having a broker-linked debit card or credit card matters to you; pick tastytrade if you only need a trading platform without banking extras.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
tastytrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Brokerage CDs | No | 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 Robinhood is better than tastytrade. Robinhood finished with an overall score of 69.6%, while tastytrade finished with a score of 64.0%.
Robinhood is best known for its commission-free trading, modern mobile and desktop platforms, and low-cost access to options, margin, and futures trading.
In this Robinhood vs tastytrade crypto trading comparison, both online brokers support cryptocurrency trading, but Robinhood offers a broader selection. Robinhood currently supports 22 coins, while tastytrade offers 17.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Robinhood and tastytrade are online brokers that both offer Traditional and Roth IRAs with $0 annual IRA fees. The key difference: Robinhood charges $0 to close an IRA, while tastytrade has a $60 IRA closure fee.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
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| Customer Service | N/A |
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| Review | Robinhood Review | tastytrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Trading Fees | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | N/A | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.50 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $0.75 | $1.00 | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | N/A | $0 |
| Margin Rates | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 5.75% | 11% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 5.75% | 10.5% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 5.55% | 10% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 5.25% | 9.5% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 5.25% | 9% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 5.25% | 8.5% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 5% | 8% |
| Account Fees | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $60.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $100.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $100.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 |
| Investment Options | Robinhood | 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 | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex Trading | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 | 17 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | No | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | No | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | No | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 1 | 0 |
| Order Types | Robinhood | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Order Type - OTO | No | Yes | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | No | Yes |
| Beginners | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Progress Tracking | No | Yes | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Robinhood | 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 | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 90 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Robinhood Legend | tastytrade | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | Yes | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Journal | No | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 34 | 33 |
| Stock Chart Features | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 308 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 26 | 31 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | Yes |
| Day Trading | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
| Streaming TV | No | Yes | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | Yes | |
| Short Locator | No | Yes | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
| ETF Research | Robinhood | 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 | No | Yes | |
| ETFs - Ratings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | No |
| Options Trading | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Customer Service | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | No | 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 | Robinhood | tastytrade | |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Robinhood Review | tastytrade Review |
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