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TD Ameritrade Alternatives

Written by
Adam N.
Fact checked by
Updated
Jan 2024
Our top alternative brokers to TD Ameritrade

The best alternatives to TD Ameritrade are

  1. E*TRADE - US stockbroker
  2. Charles Schwab - US discount broker
  3. Fidelity - US stockbroker
  4. Merrill Edge - US discount broker

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

TD Ameritrade alternatives comparison
Overall score
4.7 stars 4.5 stars 4.6 stars 4.7 stars 4.6 stars
Fees score
3.9 stars 3.8 stars 3.9 stars 3.5 stars 4.2 stars
Account opening score
4.4 stars 4.4 stars 5.0 stars 4.4 stars 5.0 stars
Deposit and withdrawal score
1.6 stars 1.6 stars 1.6 stars 3.8 stars 1.6 stars
Web platform score
4.3 stars 4.5 stars 4.3 stars 4.5 stars 4.3 stars
Markets and products score
3.8 stars 2.9 stars 3.1 stars 3.6 stars 2.4 stars
Visit broker Visit broker Visit broker Visit broker Visit broker

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

TD Ameritrade 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:

  • TD Ameritrade is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform
  • E*TRADE is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a great mobile trading platform
  • Charles Schwab is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research, low fees and great customer service
  • Fidelity is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and great trading platforms
  • Merrill Edge is recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees, quick account opening and simple platforms

Important factors of finding TD Ameritrade alternatives

So far BrokerChooser has reviewed 101 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 TD Ameritrade 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. TD Ameritrade is one of the cheaper brokers, so if this is an important consideration for you, make sure you pick a similarly low-cost TD Ameritrade 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 TD Ameritrade, 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 TD Ameritrade alternative is a must.


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

E*TRADE

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

Visit broker

E*TRADE vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading fees
US stock
$0.0
$0.0
E*TRADE vs. TD Ameritrade: Minimum deposit, time to open an account
Minimum deposit
$0
$0
Time to open account
1-3 days 1-3 days

If you are interested more in E*TRADE minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

E*TRADE vs. TD Ameritrade: Withdrawal options
Bank transfer
Yes Yes
Credit/debit card
No No
Electronic wallets
No No
Withdrawal fee
$0
$0
Web trading platform of E*TRADE, a TD Ameritrade alternative
E*TRADE vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading platform scores
Web platform score
4.5 stars 4.3 stars
Mobile platform score
4.5 stars 4.8 stars
Desktop platform score
- 4.5 stars

Learn more about E*TRADE's web trading platform in the detailed E*TRADE review.

Visit broker

E*TRADE vs. TD Ameritrade: Markets and products
Stocks
Yes Yes
ETFs
Yes Yes
Forex
No Yes
Funds
Yes Yes
Bonds
Yes Yes
Options
Yes Yes
Futures
Yes Yes
CFDs
No No
Crypto
Yes
Yes

Charles Schwab

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

Visit broker

Charles Schwab vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading fees
US stock
$0.0
$0.0
Charles Schwab vs. TD Ameritrade: Minimum deposit, time to open an account
Minimum deposit
$0
$0
Time to open account
1 day 1-3 days

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

Charles Schwab vs. TD Ameritrade: Withdrawal options
Bank transfer
Yes Yes
Credit/debit card
No No
Electronic wallets
No No
Withdrawal fee
$0
$0
Web trading platform of Charles Schwab, a TD Ameritrade alternative
Charles Schwab vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading platform scores
Web platform score
4.3 stars 4.3 stars
Mobile platform score
4.2 stars 4.8 stars
Desktop platform score
4.0 stars 4.5 stars

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

Visit broker

Charles Schwab vs. TD Ameritrade: Markets and products
Stocks
Yes Yes
ETFs
Yes Yes
Forex
No Yes
Funds
Yes Yes
Bonds
Yes Yes
Options
Yes Yes
Futures
Yes Yes
CFDs
No No
Crypto
Yes
Yes

Fidelity

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

Visit broker

Fidelity vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading fees
US stock
$0.0
$0.0
UK stock
$11.3
-
German stock
$20.5
-
Fidelity vs. TD Ameritrade: Minimum deposit, time to open an account
Minimum deposit
$0
$0
Time to open account
1-3 days 1-3 days

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

Fidelity vs. TD Ameritrade: Withdrawal options
Bank transfer
Yes Yes
Credit/debit card
No No
Electronic wallets
Yes No
Withdrawal fee
$0
$0
Web trading platform of Fidelity, a TD Ameritrade alternative
Fidelity vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading platform scores
Web platform score
4.5 stars 4.3 stars
Mobile platform score
5.0 stars 4.8 stars
Desktop platform score
4.3 stars 4.5 stars

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

Visit broker

Fidelity vs. TD Ameritrade: Markets and products
Stocks
Yes Yes
ETFs
Yes Yes
Forex
No Yes
Funds
Yes Yes
Bonds
Yes Yes
Options
Yes Yes
Futures
No Yes
CFDs
No No
Crypto
Yes
Yes

Merrill Edge

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

Visit broker

Merrill Edge vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading fees
US stock
$0.0
$0.0
Merrill Edge vs. TD Ameritrade: Minimum deposit, time to open an account
Minimum deposit
$0
$0
Time to open account
1 day 1-3 days

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

Merrill Edge vs. TD Ameritrade: Withdrawal options
Bank transfer
Yes Yes
Credit/debit card
No No
Electronic wallets
No No
Withdrawal fee
$0
$0
Web trading platform of Merrill Edge, a TD Ameritrade alternative
Merrill Edge vs. TD Ameritrade: Trading platform scores
Web platform score
4.3 stars 4.3 stars
Mobile platform score
4.8 stars 4.8 stars
Desktop platform score
4.3 stars 4.5 stars

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

Visit broker

Merrill Edge vs. TD Ameritrade: Markets and products
Stocks
Yes Yes
ETFs
Yes Yes
Forex
No Yes
Funds
Yes Yes
Bonds
Yes Yes
Options
Yes Yes
Futures
No Yes
CFDs
No No
Crypto
No Yes

TD Ameritrade

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

TD Ameritrade alternatives trading fees
US stock
$0.0
$0.0
$0.0
$0.0
$0.0
TD Ameritrade alternatives minimum deposit and account open times
Minimum deposit
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Time to open account
1-3 days 1-3 days 1 day 1-3 days 1 day

Learn more about TD Ameritrade minimum deposit here.

TD Ameritrade and alternatives withdrawal options and fees
Bank transfer
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Credit/debit card
No No No No No
Electronic wallets
No No No Yes No
Withdrawal fee
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
TD Ameritrade - Web trading platform
TD Ameritrade and alternatives trading platform scores
Web platform score
4.3 stars 4.5 stars 4.3 stars 4.5 stars 4.3 stars
Mobile platform score
4.8 stars 4.5 stars 4.2 stars 5.0 stars 4.8 stars
Desktop platform score
4.5 stars - 4.0 stars 4.3 stars 4.3 stars

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

TD Ameritrade and alternatives markets and products
Stocks
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ETFs
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Forex
Yes
No No No No
Funds
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bonds
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Options
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Futures
Yes Yes Yes No No
CFDs
No No No No No
Crypto
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Bottom line

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

TD Ameritrade alternatives
Broker intro
Recommended for
US-based stockbroker Investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform
US stockbroker Investors and traders looking for solid research and a great mobile trading platform
US discount broker Investors and traders looking for solid research, low fees and great customer service
US stockbroker Investors and traders looking for solid research and great trading platforms
US discount broker Investors and traders looking for low fees, quick account opening and simple platforms

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

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Author of this article

Adam Nasli

Financial Wizard | Trading • Safety • Market Analysis

I bring extensive financial expertise as one of BrokerChooser's earliest team members. Personally, I tested nearly all 100+ brokers on our site, opening real-money accounts, executing trades, assessing customer services, and providing firsthand assessment. My professional background includes roles in the banking sector and a degree from Central European University, where I teach finance. My passions lies in in-depth research of the financial industry, building trading algorithms, and managing long-term investments.

Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.

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