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

Broker Name

Merrill Edge

Swissquote

Broker Overview

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

ECN broker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2010

1996

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

3.5+ Million Clients

610,000 accounts

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

SEC, FINRA

FINMA CySEC FCA, DFSA

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

FSCS

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

9000+ Markets including ETNs

Currency Pairs

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Indices

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

CFDs

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Options

Yes

Futures

Yes

Bonds

Yes

Mutual Funds

Yes

Fractional Shares

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Yes

Precious Metals

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Yes

Equities

Yes

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

MT4

Yes

MT5

Yes

cTrader

Social Trading

Copy Trading

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

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

CFXD Swissquote App

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 Premium Prime Professional

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Minimum Deposit

€0

Leverage Available

1:100- 1 : 400

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on asset class

Varies by instrument

Commission (per account type)

€0

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

Wire Transfer Credit/ Debit cards

Withdrawal Methods

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

Wire Transfer Credit/ Debit cards

Other E-Wallets Supported

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

AI generated sentiment analylsis Portfolio performance chart Recurring orders & Securities lending Stress test tool, ESG feature

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

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

Stocks - 0.1%, ETFs - 0.1%, Options / Futures - 2 Euro per contract, OTC Orders/ Grey market / other markets: 0.50%, minimum 100 currencies, Cryptocurrencies- €25 - 10,000 - 1%, Mutual funds - €24.95 minimum commission

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Per Lot Fees

0.00 pips

Options Contract Fees

$0.65 per contact

€0.85 per transaction

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

1:400

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

Others- 0.25%Mutual funds - 0.5%

Advisory Fees

0.85%

€0

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

EUWAX Market - 0.1%

Account Opening Fee

€0

Account Maintenance Fee

Quarterly Custody Fees for Cash Asset 0 to 50,000 CHF - 20 CHFAccount fees for precious metal account balances - 0.25%

Deposit Fee

Bank / Post wire transfer - Free Crediting of cheques - 30 CHF Card deposits - 1.9% (Switzerland & Europe)/0% rest

Currency Conversion Fee

Varies for ADRs

UK - 0.5%

Withdrawal Fee

Wire transfer fee-$25

Wire transfer - Payment fees changes based on currency

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

Forex Opening Hours: 8:00 - 18:00 CET. Monday to FridayForex dealing desk Opening hours: From 23:00 Sunday to 23:00 Friday CET

Customer Support

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

24/7

8:00 - 22:00 CET Monday to Friday

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: 888.637.3343, Schedule an appointment

Phone: +41 44 825 88 88 Forex: +41 44 825 87 87 E-mail: [email protected] Forex dealing desk: +41 22 999 94 76

Support Languages

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Chemin de la Cretaux 33 P.O. Box 1032 1196 Gland

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, Swissquote justifies its moderate fees with more robust tools and professional-grade features.

Merrill Edge makes starting out easy with a simple application, especially for retail clients. Swissquote platform, while requiring more effort to join, allows experienced traders to customize their accounts from the start.

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

Advanced users will enjoy Merrill Edge capabilities, but Swissquote remains a favorite for its streamlined and beginner-centric approach.

Explore More Broker Matchups

Here are more Comparisons to help you choose wisely

Compare Merrill Edge and interactive investor

Compare Merrill Edge and Questrade

Compare Merrill Edge and easyMarkets

Compare Swissquote and AvaTrade

Compare Swissquote and Interactive Brokerss

Compare Swissquote and Ally Invest

Our Latest Contents

Stay updated with our newest insights and guides!

Top Broker Reviews

Discover brokers trusted by global traders.

Select Your Brokers to Compare