Select Your Brokers to Compare
E*TRADE vs Firstrade : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
E*TRADE
Firstrade
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
Both ECN and STP broker
STP broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1982
1985
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
5.2 million client accounts
1Million
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FRS, FINRA, SIPC, SEC, NFA, FDIC
FINRA, SEC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Investor App and #1 Web Trading Platform for 2024, Benzinga's 2023 Global Fintech Awards
Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders award.
Security Measures
SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Over 50,000 offerings, including US Treasury trades
2200+ ETFs including CDs, Treasury bills, Notets and bonds, Primary market CDs, Zeros and strips and more
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
No
Indices
No
Yes- Through ETFs
Cryptocurrencies
No
Yes- Through ETFs
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
Yes
Yes
Mutual Funds
Yes
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
Yes
Precious Metals
No
No
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
Yes
Equities
No
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
Yes
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Power Etrade web, Power Etrade app
Firstrade platform
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Brokerage, Retirement, Core portfolio, Managed portfolio, Small business retirement , bank
Brokerage account- Individual, Joint, Custodial, Retirement- Retirement (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA), Corporate, Trust, International, Education Planning, Business Planning
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
No
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Leverage Available
No
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on assets class
Depends on asset class
Commission (per account type)
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Beginners to experienced traders
Both beginners and experienced traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Transfer money, Wire transfer, Transfer an account, Deposit a check ,Direct Deposit
Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer
Withdrawal Methods
E-wallets, check, Wire transfer
Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed
Other E-Wallets Supported
Electronic transfer
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Educational Resources, Tools, Market News and Insights, Tutorials and Webinars
Education Center, Investment Education Videos, Option Guide, Margin Guide, Webinars, Tax center, Blogs, Upcoming IPOs
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs- $0, Bonds- $1, FINRA trading activity fee- $0.000166
Commission for stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual funds- $0, Fixed income- Treasury Bills, Notes & Bonds, Municipal Bonds, Agency Bonds, Secondary Market CDs, Zeros & Strips- Net yield basis, Primary Market CDs- $30, Broker-Assisted Stock & Options Trades- $19.95 (+$0.50/Contract)
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
Typical
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.65
$0
Futures Contract Fees
$1.50
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
No
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
NA
Advisory Fees
0.30%
0.20-0.30%
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
NA
Statement or Document Fee
$2
$2-$5
Account Opening Fee
NA
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$15/ month
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
Direct trade-$0.005 per share, Broker assisted trader- $25
3%
Withdrawal Fee
Check return - $25, Electronic return -$25
$25-$75
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Sunday 5 p.m. CT to Friday 4 p.m. CT
Pre-Market: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET Regular Market: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET After-Hours: 4:05 PM to 8:00 PM ET
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
8 AM - 8 PM ET on weekdays
Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Live chat, FAQ, Phone- 800-387-2331, 800-838-0908, Beneficiary Services: [email protected] General inquiries: [email protected]
Phone: U.S. Toll Free: 1-800-869-8800, Outside the US: 1-718-961-6600, E-mail, FAQ, Fax: 1-718-961-3919
Support Languages
1
3
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Arlington, Virginia, United States Buyenlarge, Getty
30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
Explore More Broker Matchups
Here are more Comparisons to help you choose wisely
Our Latest Contents
Stay updated with our newest insights and guides!
Top Broker Reviews
Discover brokers trusted by global traders.
No