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Lightspeed vs Lightyear : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Lightspeed

Lightspeed

VS
Lightyear

Lightyear

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Broker Overview

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

STP broker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2005

2020

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

Info not available


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FINRA, SEC

FCA EFSA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

No major awards listed

No major awards listed

Security Measures

SIPC

SIPC, EIPSF Upto Euro 20,000

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

No

No


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

Commodity futures

US / EU / UK Stocks (3500+) Interest Money Market Funds Baltic Stocks Baltic Bonds

Currency Pairs

No

No

Commodities

No

No

Indices

No

No

Cryptocurrencies

No

No

CFDs

No

No

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

Yes

No

Futures

Yes

No

Bonds

No

Yes

Mutual Funds

No

No

Fractional Shares

No

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

No

Yes - through Exchange Traded Commodities

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

Yes - through REIT stocks

Equities

Yes

Yes


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

No

MT5

No

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

Yes

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

Lightyear's proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes except Mac, iOS, Android

Yes


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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

Personal Business

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

Varies for each product

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

Euro 0

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

Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders

Beginners


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check

EUR - SEPA, Debit Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay GBP - FPS, CHAPS, BACS, SWIFT, Apple Pay, Google Pay USD - ACH, FedWire, SWIFT HUF - Bank transfers within Hungary

Withdrawal Methods

Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check

Bank Transfers

Other E-Wallets Supported

No

No


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

No

No

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

Savings interest calculator Inflation calculator Ticker time machine Rate comparison calculator


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29

US Shares per order - 0.1% upto $1 maximum EU Shares per order - Euro 1 UK Shares per order - Euro 1 Money Market Funds - 0.25% annually Nasdaq Baltic - Euro 1 ETFs -Euro 0 Multi-currency account -Euro 0

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

NA

NA

Per Lot Fees

NA

NA

Options Contract Fees

$0.20

NA

Futures Contract Fees

NA

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

4:1

Info not available


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$25 monthly minimum

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

$130

NA

Advisory Fees

NA

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

NA

Statement or Document Fee

$15 - $50 per month

NA

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

In EUR & GBP Debit Card / ApplePay / Google Pay - First Euro500 lifetime free, 0.5% after In USD FedWire & Swift - $6.11

Currency Conversion Fee

$10

0.35%

Withdrawal Fee

$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30

$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)

4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.

Vary for each asset class


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Customer Support

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

24/7

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call

Email: mailto:[email protected], Live chat Phone number:+1 332-333-4220.

Support Languages

1

20+


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602

Volta 1 Tallinn 10412 Estonia

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.
Lightspeed stands out for its zero-commission trading model, appealing to cost-conscious investors. In contrast, Lightyear offers more comprehensive services with slightly higher fees, especially for advanced tools and asset classes.
Lightspeed makes starting out easy with a simple application, especially for retail clients. Lightyear platform, while requiring more effort to join, allows experienced traders to customize their accounts from the start.
If you're trading on-the-go, Lightspeed mobile platform is fluid and intuitive. Lightyear desktop and web apps are more robust, making them suitable for in-depth trading sessions.
Lightspeed caters to serious traders who value advanced features, whereas Lightyear appeals to beginners due to its user-friendly platform.