Fidelity Alternatives

The best alternatives to Fidelity are

1. Interactive Brokers - US discount broker
2. Charles Schwab - US discount broker
3. E-Trade - US stockbroker
4. TD Ameritrade - US-based stockbroker

Let's see in a bit more detail how the Fidelity alternatives compare to Fidelity and each other:

Why are these brokers considered good alternatives to Fidelity? There are many areas based on which Fidelity can be compared with others. When we say a given online broker is a good alternative to Fidelity we mean these brokers are comparable in the following areas:

• The products they offer, meaning you can buy mostly the same things, i.e. stocks, CFDs, options, etc.
• The type of clients they target, i.e. beginners, experienced investors, or day traders.

Fidelity alternatives recommendations

Brokers are different in a number of ways, which means each of them may be suitable for different people. Here's how they compare overall:

• Fidelity is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and great trading platforms
• Interactive Brokers is recommended for traders looking for low fees and a professional trading environment
• Charles Schwab is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research, low fees and great customer service
• E-Trade is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a great mobile trading platform
• TD Ameritrade is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform

Important factors of finding Fidelity alternatives

So far BrokerChooser has reviewed 62 online brokers in detail, which gives this comparison a solid starting point.

Not only that, but all of these brokers are reviewed using the exact same broker review methodology, which makes everything easily comparable. For each broker, we

• open a live account
• check over 100 criteria, with weighting based on readers' preferences
• refresh data regularly

Whether Fidelity or one of its alternatives is the best choice for you is on the following five broker characteristics that most interest people:

Fees. There are different types of fees that your online brokerage may charge, and both the number and the size of these fees may vary significantly from broker to broker. Both of these aspects can impact your returns and your overall experience. Fidelity is one of the cheaper brokers, so if this is an important consideration for you, make sure you pick a similarly low-cost Fidelity alternative.

Deposit/withdrawal. The number of ways that you can deposit or withdraw money to or from your account matters a lot. For example, while you cannot make a deposit with your credit card at Fidelity, some alternatives might allow you to do that.

Web trading platform. While online brokers are usually available on various platforms like mobile apps, tablet apps or desktop software, most people use them through their web platform in a browser. User-friendly trading platforms that offer many different resources can significantly increase your trading comfort.

Markets and products. A lot of people have specific products they would like to invest in. Knowing whether stocks, forex, mutual funds, and other products are available at the given Fidelity alternative is a must.

Now let's dive into the details of how Fidelity and its alternatives perform in the most important areas!

Fidelity is a US stockbroker, founded in 1946. It is regulated by top-tier regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Fidelity is considered safe because it has a long track record and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and great trading platforms

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Fees

4.1

Fidelity has low trading fees and low non-trading fees. There are no commissions for stock trading which is great. On the negative side, fees for some mutual funds and financing rates can be high.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k

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Account opening

2.9

Opening an account at Fidelity is easy and fast, but not fully digital. The application had to be mailed with the relevant ID's photocopy.

Learn more about Fidelity minimum deposit here.

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Deposit and withdrawal

3.6

Fidelity offers an exceptionally wide range of base currencies. Credit/debit cards are not accepted and the wire withdrawals are charged.

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Web trading platform

4.5

Fidelity's web platform is easy to use, has a lot of order types, and provides a two-step authentication. On the negative side, the web trading platform is not customizable.

Learn more about Fidelity's web trading platform in the detailed Fidelity review.

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Markets and products

3.9

Fidelity offers a lot of asset classes, from stocks to options. There are international stocks too, not just US stocks. Forex and futures are missing.

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Verdict

Fidelity is one of the biggest US stockbrokers regulated by top-tier regulators.

Fidelity's research is outstanding and covers many tools, including trading ideas and detailed fundamental data. The web trading platform is easy to use and offers advanced order types. The product offer covers international stock exchanges besides the US market, not common among the US brokers.

Fidelity has some drawbacks though. The account is not fully digital, fees for mutual funds are quite high, also financing rate.

As the research tools are great, the web trading platform is user-friendly, and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try Fidelity.

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Interactive Brokers was founded in 1978 and is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers. The broker is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including top-tier ones like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As it has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, the broker is considered safe. Also, having a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange are also great signs for its safety.

Recommended for traders looking for low fees and a professional trading environment

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Fees

4.3

Interactive Brokers has low trading fees and for US clients, stock and ETF trading is free. On the negative side, there is a high inactivity fee for non-US clients.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

3.4

IB's account opening process is fully digital and the required minimum deposit is low. On the negative side, the online registration is complicated and account verification takes around 2 business days.

If you are interested more in Interactive Brokers minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.5

Interactive Brokers offers many account base currency options and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawbacks are that you can only use bank transfer and the process is not user-friendly.

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Web trading platform

4.3

Interactive Brokers's web platform is simple and easy to use even for beginners. On the negative side, it is not customizable.

Learn more about Interactive Brokers's web trading platform in the detailed Interactive Brokers review.

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Markets and products

5.0

Through Interactive Brokers you can access an extremely wide range of markets, with every product type available.

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Verdict

Interactive Brokers is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, regulated by several top-tier regulators globally. We recommend this broker for advanced traders.

On the plus side, IB has a vast range of markets and products available, with diverse research tools and low costs. 

There are some drawbacks though: there is a high inactivity fee and the account opening process is complicated. The desktop platform is complex and hard-to-understand, especially for beginners.

If you have experience navigating complex platforms and you like transparent low-cost trading, Interactive Brokers could be a great fit for you.

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Charles Schwab was founded in 1971 and it is a US discount broker listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

It is regulated by several top-tier financial authorities, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research, low fees and great customer service

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Fees

4.4

Charles Schwab offers free stock and ETF trading, while some mutual funds and bonds are also free. Non-trading fees are also low. On the negative side, the fees for some mutual funds are quite high.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

4.5

Opening an account at Charles Schwab is easy, fast and fully digital. For US-clients there is no minimum deposit. If you open an account outside the US, there is a $25,000 minimum deposit.

If you are interested more in Charles Schwab minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.2

Transferring money is easy and user-friendly at Charles Schwab and there is no deposit fee. On the flip side, you can only use bank transfer and a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals.

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Web trading platform

4.2

Charles Schwab offers a good web-based trading platform with a clean design. On the flip side, the platform is not customizable.

Learn more about Charles Schwab's web trading platform in the detailed Charles Schwab review.

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Markets and products

3.3

At Charles Schwab, you can trade with a lot of asset classes, from stocks to futures. Unfortunately, the product portfolio covers only US exchanges.

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Verdict

Charles Schwab is one of the biggest discount US brokers regulated by top-tier regulators.

Reflecting the wave of introducing commission-free trading at the end of 2019, Charles Schwab charges no commission for stock and ETF trades. Its research is outstanding and covers many tools, including trading ideas and detailed fundamental data. The customer service is great, you will get relevant answers within a short time.

It has some drawbacks though. It charges high fees for some mutual funds and the product portfolio covers only US markets. Lastly, the educational platform is not well-structured. 

As the trading and non-trading fees are generally low, research tools are great and the account opening is seamless, feel free to try it.

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E-Trade is a US-based stockbroker founded in 1982. It is regulated by top-tier regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

E-Trade is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials and is regulated by top-tier, US regulators.

In February 2020, E-trade was acquired by Morgan Stanley. In case you are curious, we have written an article about this in which you can find the reasons behind the acquisition.

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a great mobile trading platform

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Fees

4.4

E-Trade offers free stock, ETF trading. Some mutual funds and bonds are also free. The non-trading fees are low. On the negative side, the fees for non-free mutual funds are high.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

3.8

The account opening is fully digital and user-friendly for US clients. On the flip side, the account verification process was slow.

If you are interested more in E-Trade minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.2

E-Trade charges no deposit fees and transferring money is user-friendly. On the flip side, you can only use bank transfer and a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals.

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Web trading platform

4.0

E-Trade has a great web-based user-friendly trading platform with a clear fee report. On the negative side, there is no two-step login and cannot be customized.

Learn more about E-Trade's web trading platform in the detailed E-Trade review.

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Markets and products

3.0

At E-Trade, you can trade with a lot of asset classes, from stocks to futures. On the other hand, there is US market only and you can't trade with forex.

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Verdict

E-Trade is one of the biggest US stockbrokers regulated by top-tier regulators. 

At the end of 2019, riding the commission-free trading trend in the USA E-Trade introduced zero commission on stock and ETF trades. E-Trade's research functions are high-quality and channel a lot of tools, including trading ideas, and strategy builders as well. We liked the easy handling and the personalizable features of the mobile trading platform. 

It has some drawbacks though. E-Trade doesn't provide credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfers and the product portfolio covers only US markets. In addition, the account verification process is slow. 

As the trading fees are generally low, the research tools are great and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try E-Trade.

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TD Ameritrade was founded in 1978 and it is one of the biggest US-based stockbrokers. It is regulated by top-tier regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

TD Ameritrade is considered a safe broker since it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform

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Fees

4.3

TD Ameritrade provides free stock and ETF trading. The forex, bond, and options fees are low as well. On the other hand, they charge high fees for mutual funds.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

2.9

As a new client, you can change from many different account types at TD Ameritrade and as US citizen you will face no minimum deposit. Unfortunately, the process is not fully digital.

If you are interested more in TD Ameritrade minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.2

TD Ameritrade has user-friendly account funding and charges no deposit fees, but are several drawbacks as well. You can use only bank transfer and a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals.

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Web trading platform

3.8

TD Ameritrade offers a good web-based trading platform with a clean design. On the flip side, there is no two-step login and the platform is not customizable.

Learn more about TD Ameritrade's web trading platform in the detailed TD Ameritrade review.

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Markets and products

3.8

At TD Ameritrade you can trade with a lot of asset classes, from stocks to futures and forex. We also liked the additional features like social trading and the robo-advisory service. On the other hand, the offered products cover only the U.S. market.

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Verdict

TD Ameritrade is one of the biggest US online brokers. Reflecting the wave of introducing commission-free trading at the end of 2019, TD Ameritrade now charges no commission of stock and ETF trades.

Research and education are outstanding and covers a lot of tools. The Thinkorswim desktop trading platform is one of the best on the market. The customer service is great, you will get relevant answers within a short time.

It has some drawbacks though. It charges high financing (margin) rates and it doesn't provide credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfers. Furthermore, the product portfolio covers products only from U.S. markets. 

As there are great education tools including a demo account, feel free to try it.

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Based on our analysis, there are several good alternatives to Fidelity. They all offer similar products and target similar customers. Here's a recap of the results in a table.

Still unsure? Use our broker finder and find the best broker for you or learn more about investing your money.