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Lightspeed vs Firstrade : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Lightspeed
Firstrade
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
STP broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
2005
1985
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
1Million
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
FINRA, SEC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
No major awards listed
Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders 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)
Commodity futures
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
No
Yes- Through ETFs
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
No
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.)
Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software
Firstrade platform
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes except Mac, iOS, Android
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Standard account- Individual, Joint, Retirement, Corporate, Trust, LLC, Institutional account- Prime brokerage, Separately Manged account, DVP, RVP,Cash and Margin account
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
$2,000
$0
Leverage Available
4:1 to 2:1
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
Depends on asset class
Commission (per account type)
Accounts under $15,000: $25 monthly fee, Lightspeed Trader and Sterling Trader Pro: $0.50 minimum per order, Eze EMS (formerly RealTick): $3.00 minimum commission, Lightspeed Web & Mobile: $1 minimum commission
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders
Both beginners and experienced traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer
Withdrawal Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Trading Platform Tutorials, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars and Online Events, Trading Education Resources, Market News and Research
Education Center, Investment Education Videos, Option Guide, Margin Guide, Webinars, Tax center, Blogs, Upcoming IPOs
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
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
$0.20
$0
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
4:1
No
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$25 monthly minimum
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$130
NA
Advisory Fees
NA
0.20-0.30%
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
$15 - $50 per month
$2-$5
Account Opening Fee
$20
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$10
3%
Withdrawal Fee
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
$25-$75
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)
4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.
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)
24/7
Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call
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
1
3
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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