Merrill Edge vs Global Prime : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Merrill Edge

Global Prime

Broker Overview

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

ECN broker

Market maker broker

Years of Existence / Established Year

2010

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

3.5+ Million Clients

No information

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

SEC, FINRA

ASIC and VFSC

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Kiplinger 2023 Annual Broker Review, StockBrokers.com 2024 Annual Broker Review

No major awards listed

Security Measures

SIPC

No compensation scheme

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

CDs, Fixed income

150+ Financial assets

Currency Pairs

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Indices

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

CFDs

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Options

Yes

Futures

Bonds

Yes

Mutual Funds

Yes

Fractional Shares

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Precious Metals

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Equities

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

MT4

Yes

MT5

cTrader

Social Trading

Copy Trading

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Merrill Edge MarketPro (proprietary), Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (web-based), Mobile app (Merrill Edge)

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Account Types & Conditions

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

Individual, Joint, Custodial, Trust, and Retirement (IRA), 529 plans

Standard and Raw account

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Minimum Deposit

Leverage Available

1:5 to 1:500

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on asset class

1000 lots

Commission (per account type)

Standard: $0, Raw account: $3.5 per lot

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

Beginners to intermediate traders

Beginner traders

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America

Visa, Mastercard, Crypto, Bpay, Bank wire, QR code, Astro pay, Interac,PayID, e-wallets

Withdrawal Methods

ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America

Visa, Mastercard, Crypto, Bpay, Bank wire, QR code, Astro pay, Interac,PayID, e-wallets

Other E-Wallets Supported

PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, GATE8, Dragon Pay, VN Pay, FasaPay, Pagsmile, Jeton, Mifinity, XPay, Perfect money

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

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

Investing Education, Retirement Planning, Market Insights, Webinars and Online Seminars, Investment Guides and Tools

Trading Education, Market Analysis, Webinars, Trading Guides, Video Tutorials, Podcast Market Insights, Blog Trading News and Analysis

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Commission- $0 stock and ETFs, broker-assisted trade- $29.95 or $29.95 * + $0.65 per contract

Crypto: 0.1%, indices, Bonds, and Commodities (excl. Metals): $0, Commission: AUD $7, USD $7, EUR € 6.20, GBP £5.4, SGD $9.50, CAD $9, Standard: 0.9 pips, raw : $3.5

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Per Lot Fees

$3.50

Options Contract Fees

$0.65 per contact

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

1:500

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

Advisory Fees

0.85%

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

Account Opening Fee

Account Maintenance Fee

Deposit Fee

Currency Conversion Fee

Varies for ADRs

$20-$30

Withdrawal Fee

Wire transfer fee-$25

International bank transfer: $20-$30

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Pre-market trading: 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET, Regular trading hours: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET, After-hours trading: 4:01 PM to 8:00 PM ET

24 hours a day, 5 days a week. 5 PM New York on Sunday through to 5 PM New York on Friday

Customer Support

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

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: 888.637.3343, Schedule an appointment

Phone: +61 (2) 8379 3622, E-mail: [email protected], Live chat

Support Languages

14+

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

FMGP Trading Group Pty Ltd Level 10, 627 Chapel St, South Yarra 3141 Australia

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

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.

Both Merrill Edge and Global Prime offer affordable fee structures, but Merrill Edge generally edges out with no inactivity fees and lower commissions on standard trades, whereas Global Prime shines with bundled research and platform access.

Merrill Edge offers a quick and paperless account setup that appeals to traders on the go, whereas Global Prime more involved onboarding process adds an extra layer of safety and regulatory checks.

Merrill Edge excels in real-time trade execution with minimal latency, whereas Global Prime complements its execution with strong analytical modules and educational support within the platform.

Merrill Edge caters to serious traders who value advanced features, whereas Global Prime appeals to beginners due to its user-friendly platform.

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