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Lightspeed vs Ally Invest : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Lightspeed
Ally Invest
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
None
Years of Existence / Established Year
2005
2005
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
No information
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
SEC, FINRA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
No major awards listed
No major awards listed
Security Measures
SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
No
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Commodity futures
10,800+ assets including, CDs, Treasuries, Crypto available through external parterns
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
No
Indices
No
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
No
No
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
No
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
Yes
Precious Metals
No
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
Yes
Equities
Yes
Yes
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software
Web and mobile platform
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes except Mac, iOS, Android
Yes except Mac
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Standard account- Individual, Joint, Retirement, Corporate, Trust, LLC, Institutional account- Prime brokerage, Separately Manged account, DVP, RVP,Cash and Margin account
IRA plan, Traditional, Roth IRA, Self-directed trading, Ally Invest Robo portfolios, Personal advice
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
No
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$2,000
$100
Leverage Available
4:1 to 2:1
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
Non-Pattern Day Trader-3-day trades in 5 business days, Pattern Day Trade- Unlimited day trades
Commission (per account type)
Accounts under $15,000: $25 monthly fee, Lightspeed Trader and Sterling Trader Pro: $0.50 minimum per order, Eze EMS (formerly RealTick): $3.00 minimum commission, Lightspeed Web & Mobile: $1 minimum commission
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders
Beginners
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
ACH, Wire transfer, Check
Withdrawal Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
Wire transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Trading Platform Tutorials, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars and Online Events, Trading Education Resources, Market News and Research
Trading Education, Market Insights, Webinars, Online Trading Courses, Forex and Options Education
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
Commission-$0
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
NA
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.20
$0.50
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
4:1
No
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$25 monthly minimum
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$130
NA
Advisory Fees
NA
$0.75-$0.85
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
$15 - $50 per month
NA
Account Opening Fee
$20
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$10
$0
Withdrawal Fee
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
Wire transfer- $75
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes- Occasionally
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.
Pre-market orders between 8:00 am - 9:30 am, ET or post-market orders between 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET.
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
Mon - Fri 7am - 10pm ET, Sat 8am - 8pm ET
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call
Hard of hearing call: 711, Phone: 1-888-925-2559, +1-316-652-6430, E-mail: Login to send a secure message, Live chat
Support Languages
1
2
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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