TradingCritique

Select Your Brokers to Compare

E*TRADE vs Plus500 Futures : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

E*TRADE

E*TRADE

VS
Plus500 Futures

Plus500 Futures

Icon

Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

Both ECN and STP broker

Market Maker

Years of Existence / Established Year

1982

2008

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

5.2 million client accounts

30+ Million


Icon

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FRS, FINRA, SIPC, SEC, NFA, FDIC

NFA, CFTC

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Investor App and #1 Web Trading Platform for 2024, Benzinga's 2023 Global Fintech Awards

NA

Security Measures

SIPC

NA

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

No


Icon

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

Over 50,000 offerings, including US Treasury trades

2800+ including Equity index

Currency Pairs

No

Yes

Commodities

No

Yes

Indices

No

No

Cryptocurrencies

No

Yes

CFDs

No

Yes

ETFs

Yes

No

Stocks

Yes

No

Options

Yes

No

Futures

Yes

Yes

Bonds

Yes

Yes

Mutual Funds

Yes

No

Fractional Shares

No

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

No

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

No

Equities

No

No


Icon

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

No

MT5

No

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

No

Copy Trading

No

No

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Power Etrade web, Power Etrade app

Mobile and web trading platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


Icon

Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

Brokerage, Retirement, Core portfolio, Managed portfolio, Small business retirement , bank

Plus500 futures trading account

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

No

Minimum Deposit

$0

$100

Leverage Available

No

1:30 - 1:300

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on assets class

Depends on the asset type

Commission (per account type)

$0

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Beginners to experienced traders

Beginners


Icon

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Transfer money, Wire transfer, Transfer an account, Deposit a check ,Direct Deposit

Visa, Master card, Bank transfer, e-wallets

Withdrawal Methods

E-wallets, check, Wire transfer

Visa, Master card, Bank transfer, e-wallets

Other E-Wallets Supported

Electronic transfer

Apple pay, GPay, Klarna


Icon

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

Trading academy, News and Markets insights, Risk management tools


Icon

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs- $0, Bonds- $1, FINRA trading activity fee- $0.000166

NFA Regulatory Fee- $0.02 per side, Commission -$0.49 to $0.89

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

NA

Fixed

Per Lot Fees

NA

NA

Options Contract Fees

$0.65

NA

Futures Contract Fees

$1.50

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

No

1:300 for professional account


Icon

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

0.30%

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

NA

NA

Statement or Document Fee

$2

$0

Account Opening Fee

NA

NA

Account Maintenance Fee

$15/ month

NA

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

Direct trade-$0.005 per share, Broker assisted trader- $25

NA

Withdrawal Fee

Check return - $25, Electronic return -$25

$0


Icon

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Yes


Icon

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Sunday 5 p.m. CT to Friday 4 p.m. CT

Depends on the assets type


Icon

Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

8 AM - 8 PM ET on weekdays

24/7

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]

E-mail through Query Form, Live chat

Support Languages

1

2


Icon

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Arlington, Virginia, United States Buyenlarge, Getty

Israel

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

No

No


At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.
E*TRADE structures pricing by market and account type, which can be competitive for certain products. Plus500 Futures keeps futures costs predictable with a flat commission $0.49 plus a $0.02 NFA fee per side and no inactivity fee.
E*TRADE commonly provides multiple account options and may include more manual checks. Plus500 Futures keeps onboarding streamlined and digital, includes a demo account, and requires a $100 minimum deposit.
E*TRADE may emphasize research add-ons or screeners. Plus500 Futures focuses on efficient futures execution via WebTrader/mobile connectivity.
E*TRADE can suit traders seeking broader product menus or research-heavy workflows. Plus500 Futures is better aligned to futures-led strategies with transparent, exchange-style pricing.