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Firstrade vs TradeStation : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Firstrade
TradeStation
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1985
1982
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
1Million
226506+ clients
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
CFTC, NFA, FINRA, SEC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders award.
Best in Class awards in StockBrockers.com 2023 Online Broker Review, Best Brokerage App at the 2023 Benzinga Global Fintech Awards, TradingView's Best Broker in the AMER Region 2023 Award
Security Measures
SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
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
Futures option
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
No
Indices
Yes- Through ETFs
No
Cryptocurrencies
Yes- Through ETFs
No
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
No
Yes
Bonds
Yes
No
Mutual Funds
Yes
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
Yes
No
Precious Metals
No
No
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Yes
No
Equities
No
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
Yes
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
Yes
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Firstrade platform
Desktop, Web trading, Mobile app, Futures Plus
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
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
Individual, Retirement, Entity
Demo Account (Yes/No)
No
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Leverage Available
No
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
Depends on asset class
Commission (per account type)
$0
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Both beginners and experienced traders
Beginners and experienced traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer
Wire transfer, Check, Electronic transfer
Withdrawal Methods
Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed
Wire transfer, Check, Electronic transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
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
Trading Education, Market Insights, Webinars, Online Trading Courses, Strategy Development and Backtesting
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)
Commission- Stocks and ETFs- $0, Stock options- $0 Commission + $0.60 per contract, Future options- $0 Commission + $0.60 per contract, Micro futures- $0 Commission + $0.50 per contract, per side, Futures- $0 Commission + $1.50 per contract, per side
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Typical
Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0
$0 Commission + $0.60 per contract
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
$10 per month
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
TradeStation platform - $149.95 / month, Without Brokerage Account- $99.99 / month $199.99 for professionals, folio-level strategy back-testing tool - $59.95 / month
Advisory Fees
0.20-0.30%
$25
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
NA
Statement or Document Fee
$2-$5
$1 per page
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$35 per year
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
3%
Starts from $0.35
Withdrawal Fee
$25-$75
Wire transfer- $25- $35
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)
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
9:30 am ET to 4:00 pm ET
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
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
Phone: 800.822.0512, Live chat, E-mail: [email protected]
Support Languages
3
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354
8050 SW 10th Street, Suite 2000. Plantation, FL 33324
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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