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Merrill Edge vs Exness : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Merrill Edge
Exness
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
ECN broker
ECN / Market maker
Years of Existence / Established Year
2010
2008
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
3.5+ Million Clients
800,000
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
SEC, FINRA
FSA CBCS FSC FSCA CySEC FCA CMA JSC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Kiplinger 2023 Annual Broker Review, StockBrokers.com 2024 Annual Broker Review
Best Retail FX Broker, Most Trusted Broker 2024 , Best Multi-Asset Broker and Most Trusted Broker in Africa 2024 ,Five awards at the Cyprus Responsible Business Awards 2024
Security Measures
SIPC
ICF
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes
Yes
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
CDs, Fixed income
200+ trading instruments
Currency Pairs
No
Yes
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
No
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
No
Yes
CFDs
No
Yes
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
No
Futures
No
Yes
Bonds
Yes
No
Mutual Funds
Yes
No
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
No
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
No
Yes
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
Yes
MT5
No
Yes
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
Yes
Copy Trading
No
Yes
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Merrill Edge MarketPro (proprietary), Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (web-based), Mobile app (Merrill Edge)
Exness Terminal Exness Trade App
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Individual, Joint, Custodial, Trust, and Retirement (IRA), 529 plans
Standard Accounts Standard cent Accounts Pro Accounts Raw Spread Accounts Demo Trading Accounts Social Trading Accounts
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$1 for standard accounts $200 for professional accounts
Leverage Available
No
1:30 to1 : 2000
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
200 lots - day time 60 lots for forex & 20 lots others - night time
Commission (per account type)
$0
$3.5 per lot for Raw Spread accountsCommission free for Standard, Standard Cent & Pro accounts
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Beginners to intermediate traders
Beginners
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
Bank transfer Card E Wallets
Withdrawal Methods
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
Bank transfer Card E Wallets
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
Neteller Skrill Perfect Money Sticpay
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
Yes
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Investing Education, Retirement Planning, Market Insights, Webinars and Online Seminars, Investment Guides and Tools
Analytical tools Trading calculator Currency converter Tick history VPS hosting
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission- $0 stock and ETFs, broker-assisted trade- $29.95 or $29.95 * + $0.65 per contract
Forex- 0.0 pips, Commission- $0
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.65 per contact
USD 0.05 to 3.5 per contract
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
1:2000
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
$0
Advisory Fees
0.85%
$0
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
Yes
Statement or Document Fee
NA
NA
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
Varies for ADRs
$0
Withdrawal Fee
Wire transfer fee-$25
$0
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)
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
Forex trading hours - Sunday 22:05 to Friday 21:59Crypto trading hours - Sunday from 21:35 to Friday 22:05Indices trading hours - Sunday 23:05 to Friday 21:00Commodities - Sunday 23:05 to Friday 21:58
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
24/7
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: 888.637.3343, Schedule an appointment
Help Center Support hub, Live chat
Support Languages
2
15+
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
1 Siafi Street, Portobello Office 401, Limassol 3042, Cyprus
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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