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Firstrade vs Exness : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Firstrade

Firstrade

VS
Exness

Exness

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Broker Overview

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

STP broker

ECN / Market maker

Years of Existence / Established Year

1985

2008

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

1Million

800,000


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FINRA, SEC

FSA CBCS FSC FSCA CySEC FCA CMA JSC

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders award.

Best Retail FX Broker, Most Trusted Broker 2024 , Best Multi-Asset Broker and Most Trusted Broker in Africa 2024 ,Five awards at the Cyprus Responsible Business Awards 2024

Security Measures

SIPC

ICF

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

No

Yes


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

2200+ ETFs including CDs, Treasury bills, Notets and bonds, Primary market CDs, Zeros and strips and more

200+ trading instruments

Currency Pairs

No

Yes

Commodities

No

Yes

Indices

Yes- Through ETFs

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes- Through ETFs

Yes

CFDs

No

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

Yes

No

Futures

No

Yes

Bonds

Yes

No

Mutual Funds

Yes

No

Fractional Shares

Yes

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Yes

No

Precious Metals

No

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Yes

No

Equities

No

Yes


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

Yes

MT5

Yes

Yes

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

Yes

Copy Trading

No

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Firstrade platform

Exness Terminal Exness Trade App

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

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

Brokerage account- Individual, Joint, Custodial, Retirement- Retirement (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA), Corporate, Trust, International, Education Planning, Business Planning

Standard Accounts Standard cent Accounts Pro Accounts Raw Spread Accounts Demo Trading Accounts Social Trading Accounts

Demo Account (Yes/No)

No

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

No

Minimum Deposit

$0

$1 for standard accounts $200 for professional accounts

Leverage Available

No

1:30 to1 : 2000

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on asset class

200 lots - day time 60 lots for forex & 20 lots others - night time

Commission (per account type)

$0

$3.5 per lot for Raw Spread accountsCommission free for Standard, Standard Cent & Pro accounts

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

Both beginners and experienced traders

Beginners


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer

Bank transfer Card E Wallets

Withdrawal Methods

Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed

Bank transfer Card E Wallets

Other E-Wallets Supported

No

Neteller Skrill Perfect Money Sticpay


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Education Center, Investment Education Videos, Option Guide, Margin Guide, Webinars, Tax center, Blogs, Upcoming IPOs

Analytical tools Trading calculator Currency converter Tick history VPS hosting


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

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)

Forex- 0.0 pips, Commission- $0

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Typical

Variable

Per Lot Fees

NA

NA

Options Contract Fees

$0

USD 0.05 to 3.5 per contract

Futures Contract Fees

NA

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

No

1:2000


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

$0

Advisory Fees

0.20-0.30%

$0

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

NA

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

$2-$5

NA

Account Opening Fee

$0

$0

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

$0

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

3%

$0

Withdrawal Fee

$25-$75

$0


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Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Yes


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Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

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

Forex trading hours - Sunday 22:05 to Friday 21:59Crypto trading hours - Sunday from 21:35 to Friday 22:05Indices trading hours - Sunday 23:05 to Friday 21:00Commodities - Sunday 23:05 to Friday 21:58


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Customer Support

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

Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: U.S. Toll Free: 1-800-869-8800, Outside the US: 1-718-961-6600, E-mail, FAQ, Fax: 1-718-961-3919

Help Center Support hub, Live chat

Support Languages

3

15+


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354

1 Siafi Street, Portobello Office 401, Limassol 3042, Cyprus

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.
While Firstrade maintains low trading fees with no minimum deposit, Exness includes some charges for premium features and certain asset trades, making Firstrade the better option for budget-focused traders.
Account approval at Firstrade is usually completed within hours, often with automated ID checks. Exness might take longer due to manual reviews, but provides in-depth onboarding support along the way.
The trading interface of Firstrade is known for its speed and ease-of-use, while Exness shines with its customizable layouts and advanced charting capabilities, making it a strong choice for serious analysts.
Firstrade caters to serious traders who value advanced features, whereas Exness appeals to beginners due to its user-friendly platform.