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Fidelity vs Firstrade : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Fidelity
Firstrade
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
STP broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1946
1985
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
51.4 million
1Million
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
SEC, MSRB, FINRA
FINRA, SEC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Broker for Beginning Investors 2024, Rated #1 for Overall Broker 2024, Best Online Broker 2023
Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders award.
Security Measures
FDIC , SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes* Restriction for some clients
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
10000+ mutual funds including fixed income, CDs, Annuities, life insurance, long-term Care Planning, 529 Plans IRAs, Health Savings Account
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
Yes
Yes- Through ETFs
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
No
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
Yes
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.)
Trading dashboard, Fidelity mobile, Active Trader Pro
Firstrade platform
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Fidelity® Cash Management Account., The Fidelity Account, Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 529 College Savings Account., Fidelity HSA, Custodial Account (UGMA/UTMA)
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
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Beginners and experienced traders
Both beginners and experienced traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ATM/debit card, Deposits eligible for FDIC insurance, Cash Manager, Fidelity Mobile, Bill Pay, Check writing, Automatic investments, Automatic withdrawals, Direct deposit, Electronic funds transfer (EFT), e-wallets
Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer
Withdrawal Methods
Electronic funds transfer (EFT), Bank wire, Paper check, Paper bill varies by account types
Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed
Other E-Wallets Supported
Venmo or PayPal
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Research and Tools, Investment Education, Webinars and Online Courses, Market News and Insights, Retirement and Planning Tools
Education Center, Investment Education Videos, Option Guide, Margin Guide, Webinars, Tax center, Blogs, Upcoming IPOs
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission for U.S stocks, ETFs, Options- $0, Mutual funds- $49.95, Crypto spread- 1.0 pip, Margin liquidation -$32.95 per liquidation, Stock certificate transfer and ship $10 Per Certificate
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/ Contract fee
$0
Futures Contract Fees
NA
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
NA
0.20-0.30%
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
NA
Statement or Document Fee
NA
$2-$5
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$50/ per trade
3%
Withdrawal Fee
Wire transfer-$3
$25-$75
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
No
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Premarket session -7:00 a.m. to 9:28 a.m. ET.
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)
8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET , Monday- Friday
Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: 800-343-0860, 800-835-5095, Live chat, Login for personalized help, FAQs
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
2
3
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Boston, MA
30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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