Firstrade Alternatives

The best alternatives to Firstrade are

1. Chase You Invest - US-based discount broker
2. Vanguard - US stockbroker
3. Ally Invest - US stockbroker
4. Merrill Edge - US discount broker

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

Why are these brokers considered good alternatives to Firstrade? There are many areas based on which Firstrade can be compared with others. When we say a given online broker is a good alternative to Firstrade 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.

Firstrade 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:

• Firstrade is recommended for beginners and investors looking for zero-commission trading, focusing on the us market
• Chase You Invest is recommended for beginners and buy-and-hold investors focusing on the us stock market
• Vanguard is recommended for long-term investors who are looking for great etf and mutual fund offers
• Ally Invest is recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees and focusing on the us market
• Merrill Edge is recommended for investors and traders who looking for low fees, quick account opening, and simple platforms

Important factors of finding Firstrade alternatives

So far BrokerChooser has reviewed 91 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 Firstrade 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. Firstrade is one of the cheaper brokers, so if this is an important consideration for you, make sure you pick a similarly low-cost Firstrade 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 Firstrade, 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 Firstrade alternative is a must.

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

Chase You Invest is a US-based discount broker established by J.P. Morgan in 2018. The parent company, J.P. Morgan, is one the biggest global Tier 1 investment banks listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Chase You Invest is considered safe because the parent company has a long track record, is listed on the stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials regularly and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Recommended for beginners and buy-and-hold investors focusing on the us stock market

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Fees

4.9

Chase You Invest offers commission-free trading, but transaction and other smaller fees may apply.

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

5.0

Account opening at Chase You Invest is seamless and fully digital. It took us one day to open an account, however only US clients are accepted.

If you are interested more in Chase You Invest minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.2

At Chase You Invest there is no deposit fee and transferring money is simple and easy, although withdrawal options could be more numerous.

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Web trading platform

2.9

Chase You Invest's web trading platform is exceptionally easy to use and it boasts a great search function. On the flip side, two-step authentication is missing, there are no clear fee reports and users can't set price alerts.

Learn more about Chase You Invest's web trading platform in the detailed Chase You Invest review.

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Markets and products

2.2

Chase You Invest has a limited product portfolio including stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds and options. Unfortunately, the product portfolio only includes assets traded on the US market.

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Verdict

Chase You Invest offers awesome fees: the broker does not charge additional fees for trading US stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and US bonds. Some very low charges may apply to cover costs imposed by regulatory or stock exchange authorities (e.g. $0.01 - $0.03 per $1,000 principal for US stocks and ETFs). 

The fully digital account opening is easy and fast, on-boarding is seamless. Chase You Invest's parent company, J.P. Morgan, has a banking background, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is regulated by the SEC. 

Chase You Invest has some drawbacks, though. It is only available to US residents, the product portfolio is limited, with a heavy focus on US markets and the research tools are basic. 

In a nutshell, Chase You invest offers low-cost trading and has one of the most solid parent companies. Feel free to give it a try. 

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Vanguard is a US stockbroker founded in 1975. The company is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

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

Recommended for long-term investors who are looking for great etf and mutual fund offers

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Fees

3.9

Vanguard offers free ETF trading and some mutual funds and bonds are free, too. The non-trading fees are low, no inactivity fee is charged and withdrawal is also free, if you use ACH transfer. On the negative side, the fees for non-free mutual funds are high. Financing rates are also high, especially in the lower volume tiers.

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

4.4

Account opening is fully digital and user-friendly. There is no minimum account balance. However, the account opening and verification process is slow, around 2-3 business days.

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

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.4

It's great that Vanguard charges no deposit fee and transferring money is easy and user-friendly. The deposit and withdrawal could be improved, though. You can use only bank transfer, and a fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals.

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Web trading platform

3.4

Vanguard has an average web trading platform. It offers a two-step login and there is a clear fee report. The trading platform's structure is a bit confusing and some features are hard to find. Search functions could be better, too, and we missed customizability.

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

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Markets and products

2.8

Vanguard gives access to different asset classes, from stocks to options. However, the offered products cover only the US market and you can't trade with forex and futures.

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Verdict

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

Vanguard offers free ETF and mutual fund trading for some products, such as its own ETFs. It doesn't charge inactivity and account fees and the account opening is easy and fully digital. The mobile trading platform is user-friendly and has a great design.

It has some drawbacks, though. The product portfolio covers only the US market and the research tools are basic. Financing rates are also high when you trade on margin.

As there are low non-trading fees and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try Vanguard.

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Ally Invest is a US stockbroker regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Its parent company, Ally Financial Inc. dates back to 1911 when its predecessor, General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) was founded. Ally Financial Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has a banking subsidiary, Ally Bank.

Ally Invest is considered safe because it has a long track record and is regulated by top-tier financial authorities.

Recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees and focusing on the us market

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Fees

4.6

Ally Invest has low trading fees and non-trading fees, including zero base commission on most stocks and ETFs. On the negative side, margin rates 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

4.4

Account opening is fully digital and user-friendly, and involves no minimum deposit in most cases. On the other hand, account verification takes relatively long.

If you are interested more in Ally Invest minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.6

Ally Invest doesn't charge a deposit fee, and transferring money is easy. On the other hand, you can use only bank transfer, and wire transfer withdrawals are expensive.

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Web trading platform

3.5

Ally Invest's web trading platform is user-friendly, with a convenient search function. On the negative side, there is no clear fee report, and we also missed two-step login.

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

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Markets and products

2.9

At Ally Invest you can trade various asset classes from stocks to options. On the negative side, it covers only the US market, and futures or forex trading is not possible.

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Verdict

Ally Invest is one of the biggest US stockbrokers and is overseen by top-tier regulators. Retail clients of Ally Bank will appreciate that its banking and brokerage platforms are very well integrated - so it's very easy to move cash between those accounts.

Ally Invest has low trading and non-trading fees and offers a good product range in the US. The account opening process is easy and fully digital. We also liked the high quality of its educational tools.

Ally Invest has some drawbacks though. You can trade only on US exchanges. Forex trading is available only through a separate Ally Forex account provided by GAIN Capital (Forex.com). Lastly, there is no option to turn on two-factor authentication for added security.

Still, as trading fees are low and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try Ally Invest.

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Merrill Edge is a US-based stockbroker founded in 2010 by Bank of America (BofA). BofA acquired Merrill Lynch during the 2008 financial crisis, and the rationale for launching Merrill Edge was to combine its online investing arm and Merrill Lynch's investment expertise. Merrill Edge offers US stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. It is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Merrill Edge is considered safe because its parent company is a bank with a long track record and solid reputation, it discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators. 

Recommended for investors and traders who looking for low fees, quick account opening, and simple platforms

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Fees

4.4

Merrill Edge has low trading and non-trading fees, including commission-free stock and ETF trades. On the other hand, financing/margin rates 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

5.0

Account opening at Merrill Edge is seamless and fully digital, it took us less than one day to have an open account. Only US clients are accepted.

If you are interested more in Merrill Edge minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

2.2

Merrill Edge has an easy-to-use deposit and withdrawal system with a bank account connection. Unfortunately, credit/debit cards cannot be used to fund the account, and there is only USD as a base currency.

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Web trading platform

4.3

Merrill Edge has a user-friendly and simple trading platform, with options for secure login and for setting price alerts. However, it offers only limited customizability and the search function is not so advanced.

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

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Markets and products

2.3

Merrill Edge has a limited product portfolio that consists of stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. Unfortunately, the product lineup covers only the US market. The broker offers a lower diversity of products in general compared to its competition.

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Verdict

Overall, Merrill Edge is a solid, easy-to-use trading platform created by Bank of America, one of the US's largest banks.

We rated Merrill Edge highly due to its low fees, easy process of account opening, and safety. 

Some of the drawbacks include limited product offerings, research capabilities, and deposit/withdrawal options.

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

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Firstrade is a US discount stockbroker regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The company was founded in 1985 under the name of First Flushing Securities.

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

Recommended for beginners and investors looking for zero-commission trading, focusing on the us market

Fees

4.7

Firstrade has low fees. It offers free stock, ETF, funds, and options trading with low non-trading fees. However, margin rates are high.

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

Account opening

4.4

Account opening is fully digital and user-friendly, and is open to international customers. On the flip side, the process was slow for us, taking almost 3 business days.

Learn more about Firstrade minimum deposit here.

Deposit and withdrawal

2.0

We liked Firstrade's user-friendly deposit and withdrawal process. There is no deposit fee and transferring money is easy. At the same time, there is still room for improvement: you can use only bank transfers and a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals.

Web trading platform

4.3

Firstrade's web platform is simple and easy to use. Even if you are a beginner, you can find your way around with ease. On the negative side, it lacks a two-step login and the customizability of the main sections is quite limited.

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

Markets and products

2.8

Firstrade offers a good variety of asset classes, from stocks to options. However, the products cover only the US market and you cannot trade futures or forex.

Verdict

Firstrade is one of the biggest discount US stockbrokers and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Firstrade offers free stock, ETF, mutual funds, and options trading. It doesn't charge inactivity and account fees, and there are lots of quality research and educational tools you can use.

There are some drawbacks, though. Firstrade doesn't accept credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfer. The product portfolio covers only the US market. Customer service is only available 24/5 and you can't contact them via live chat. 

As it has low fees and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try Firstrade.

Based on our analysis, there are several good alternatives to Firstrade. 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.