Select Your Brokers to Compare
Lightspeed vs Merrill Edge : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Lightspeed
Merrill Edge
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
2005
2010
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
3.5+ Million Clients
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
SEC, FINRA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
No major awards listed
Kiplinger 2023 Annual Broker Review, StockBrokers.com 2024 Annual Broker Review
Security Measures
SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Commodity futures
CDs, Fixed income
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
No
Indices
No
No
Cryptocurrencies
No
No
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
No
Precious Metals
No
No
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
Yes
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
No
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
Merrill Edge MarketPro (proprietary), Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (web-based), Mobile app (Merrill Edge)
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
Individual, Joint, Custodial, Trust, and Retirement (IRA), 529 plans
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
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
Beginners to intermediate traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
Withdrawal Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
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
Investing Education, Retirement Planning, Market Insights, Webinars and Online Seminars, Investment Guides and Tools
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
Commission- $0 stock and ETFs, broker-assisted trade- $29.95 or $29.95 * + $0.65 per contract
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
NA
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.20
$0.65 per contact
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
0.85%
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
Yes
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
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$10
Varies for ADRs
Withdrawal Fee
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
Wire transfer fee-$25
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 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
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
Phone: 888.637.3343, Schedule an appointment
Support Languages
1
2
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
Explore More Broker Matchups
Here are more Comparisons to help you choose wisely
Our Latest Contents
Stay updated with our newest insights and guides!
Top Broker Reviews
Discover brokers trusted by global traders.
No