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

Broker Name

Merrill Edge

Axi

Broker Overview

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

ECN broker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2010

2007

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

3.5+ Million Clients

60,000+ traders

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

SEC, FINRA

ASIC DFSA FSA

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

None

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

220 + CFDs IPOs

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

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Equities

Yes

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

MT4

Yes

MT5

cTrader

Social Trading

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

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

Axi Trading Platform

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 Account Pro Account Elite Account

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Yes

Minimum Deposit

Leverage Available

200:1- 500:1

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on asset class

100 orders per day maximum

Commission (per account type)

Standard account - $0 Pro account - $7 round trip Elite account - $3.5 round trip

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

Beginners to intermediate traders

Only experienced

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

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

International bank transfers Debit & credit cards (Mastercard, visa) Internet / local banking Paypal (in specific regions)

Withdrawal Methods

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

Bank transfer Local banking E wallet Crypto payments Credit / Debit cards

Other E-Wallets Supported

Skrill Neteller Paypal

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

Autochartist Trading Central MT4 Forex VPS Hosting Trading news & guides Trading calculators Trade on Economic Calendar guides

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

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

Commission- 0% on share CFD trades

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Per Lot Fees

$3.5 per lot

Options Contract Fees

$0.65 per contact

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

1:1000

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

Inactivity fees varies for no activity more than 12 months

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

Bank transfers - No fees Card payments - 3.0% (for more than $50,000) Other methods - 3.0% (for more than $50,000)

Currency Conversion Fee

Varies for ADRs

Withdrawal Fee

Wire transfer fee-$25

Free above $50. Or administration fee of $25 apply.

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

Trading forex & CFDs follows MT4 server time (GMT+2) Monday 00:01 to Friday 23:59

Customer Support

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

24/7

24 hours (Tuesday to Friday) On Mondays, service commence at 9am AEST

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: 888.637.3343, Schedule an appointment

Help Center Live chat Email: mailto:[email protected] Toll-free: UK - 0800 018 3306 Australia - 1300 888 936 Germany - 0800 7244085

Support Languages

13+

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Suite 305, Griffith Corporate Centre, PO Box 1510, Beachmont Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines

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.

If minimizing trading costs is your top priority, Merrill Edge might be more attractive due to its lower commissions. Meanwhile, Axi justifies its moderate fees with more robust tools and professional-grade features.

Creating an account with Merrill Edge is generally faster and more user-friendly, often taking just a few minutes, while Axi requires more detailed steps and identity verification, which may suit more cautious investors.

Merrill Edge provides a modern trading experience with its proprietary platform, ideal for technical traders. Axi , on the other hand, offers more research tools and is better suited for data-driven investors.

If you're after professional-grade platforms, Merrill Edge may be ideal. For casual investors, Axi offers a low-barrier entry.

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