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Lightspeed vs TradeStation : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Lightspeed
TradeStation
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
2005
1982
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
226506+ clients
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
CFTC, NFA, FINRA, SEC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
No major awards listed
Best in Class awards in StockBrockers.com 2023 Online Broker Review, Best Brokerage App at the 2023 Benzinga Global Fintech Awards, TradingView's Best Broker in the AMER Region 2023 Award
Security Measures
SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Commodity futures
Futures option
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
Yes
Bonds
No
No
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
Yes
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software
Desktop, Web trading, Mobile app, Futures Plus
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, Retirement, Entity
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 and experienced traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
Wire transfer, Check, Electronic transfer
Withdrawal Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
Wire transfer, Check, Electronic transfer
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
Trading Education, Market Insights, Webinars, Online Trading Courses, Strategy Development and Backtesting
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
Commission- Stocks and ETFs- $0, Stock options- $0 Commission + $0.60 per contract, Future options- $0 Commission + $0.60 per contract, Micro futures- $0 Commission + $0.50 per contract, per side, Futures- $0 Commission + $1.50 per contract, per side
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.20
$0 Commission + $0.60 per contract
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
$10 per month
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$130
TradeStation platform - $149.95 / month, Without Brokerage Account- $99.99 / month $199.99 for professionals, folio-level strategy back-testing tool - $59.95 / month
Advisory Fees
NA
$25
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
$15 - $50 per month
$1 per page
Account Opening Fee
$20
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions
$35 per year
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$10
Starts from $0.35
Withdrawal Fee
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
Wire transfer- $25- $35
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.
9:30 am ET to 4:00 pm ET
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call
Phone: 800.822.0512, Live chat, E-mail: [email protected]
Support Languages
1
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
8050 SW 10th Street, Suite 2000. Plantation, FL 33324
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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