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Merrill Edge vs TradeStation : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Merrill Edge
TradeStation
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
ECN broker
ECN broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
2010
1982
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
3.5+ Million Clients
226506+ clients
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
SEC, FINRA
CFTC, NFA, FINRA, SEC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Kiplinger 2023 Annual Broker Review, StockBrokers.com 2024 Annual Broker Review
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
Yes
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
CDs, Fixed income
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
No
Yes
Bonds
Yes
No
Mutual Funds
Yes
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
No
No
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
No
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.)
Merrill Edge MarketPro (proprietary), Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (web-based), Mobile app (Merrill Edge)
Desktop, Web trading, Mobile app, Futures Plus
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
Individual, Retirement, Entity
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Leverage Available
No
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
Depends on asset class
Commission (per account type)
$0
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Beginners to intermediate traders
Beginners and experienced traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
Wire transfer, Check, Electronic transfer
Withdrawal Methods
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
Wire transfer, Check, Electronic transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
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
Trading Education, Market Insights, Webinars, Online Trading Courses, Strategy Development and Backtesting
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission- $0 stock and ETFs, broker-assisted trade- $29.95 or $29.95 * + $0.65 per contract
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
$0.65 per contact
$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
No
No
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$10 per month
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
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
0.85%
$25
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
NA
$1 per page
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$35 per year
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
Varies for ADRs
Starts from $0.35
Withdrawal Fee
Wire transfer fee-$25
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)
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
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)
Phone: 888.637.3343, Schedule an appointment
Phone: 800.822.0512, Live chat, E-mail: [email protected]
Support Languages
2
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
8050 SW 10th Street, Suite 2000. Plantation, FL 33324
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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