The best alternatives to TradeStation are
- tastyworks - US options and stockbroker
- Interactive Brokers - International broker providing all asset classes
- TD Ameritrade - US-based stockbroker
Let's see in a bit more detail how the TradeStation alternatives compare to TradeStation and each other:
| TradeStation | tastyworks | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.7 stars | 4.7 stars | 4.9 stars | 4.9 stars |
| Fees score | 4.1 stars | 4.2 stars | 4.5 stars | 4.1 stars |
| Account opening score | 5.0 stars | 5.0 stars | 3.2 stars | 4.0 stars |
| Deposit and withdrawal score | 2.2 stars | 1.9 stars | 3.0 stars | 2.2 stars |
| Web platform score | 3.8 stars | 3.4 stars | 3.8 stars | 4.3 stars |
| Markets and products score | 3.2 stars | 3.3 stars | 5.0 stars | 3.9 stars |
| Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker |
Why are these brokers considered good alternatives to TradeStation? There are many areas based on which TradeStation can be compared with others. When we say a given online broker is a good alternative to TradeStation 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.
TradeStation 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:
- TradeStation is recommended for traders focusing on us markets and buy-and-hold investing
- tastyworks is recommended for options and futures traders focusing on us markets
- Interactive Brokers is recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment
- TD Ameritrade is recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform
Important factors of finding TradeStation alternatives
So far BrokerChooser has reviewed 102 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 TradeStation 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. TradeStation is one of the cheaper brokers, so if this is an important consideration for you, make sure you pick a similarly low-cost TradeStation alternative.
Account opening. To open an account some brokers require at least €50,000 to be invested, while others don't set a minimum first-time deposit. The time it takes to open your account can be very different as well. At TradeStation this is not a problem as you can have it ready on the same day you registered.
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 TradeStation, 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 TradeStation alternative is a must.
Now let's dive into the details of how TradeStation and its alternatives perform in the most important areas!
TradeStation alternatives
tastyworks
tastyworks is a young, up-and-coming US broker focusing on options trading. It is regulated by the top-tier Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for Australian clients.
The people behind tastyworks are the same experts who built the thinkorswim trading platform, now operated by TD Ameritrade. tastyworks is privately owned; it was established in 2017 and is headquartered in Chicago.
Recommended for options and futures traders focusing on us markets
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Limited product selection |
| • Great educational materials | • Few deposit and withdrawal options |
| • Good research tools | • No demo account |
Fees
tastyworks has low trading fees and there is no inactivity fee. On the other hand, you have to pay a high withdrawal fee for wire transfers and margin rates are quite high.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No inactivity fee | • High margin rates for stock trading |
| • Free stock trading | • Withdrawal fee for bank (wire) transfers |
| • Low options fees |
| tastyworks | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple benchmark fee | $0.3 | $0.3 |
| Vodafone benchmark fee | - | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | - | - |
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
Account opening
tastyworks account opening is user-friendly, fast, fully digital, and involves no minimum deposit.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Fast | None |
| • Fully digital | |
| • No minimum deposit |
| tastyworks | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day | 1 day |
If you are interested more in tastyworks minimum deposit, this overview will help you.
Deposit and withdrawal
tastyworks's deposit and withdrawal functions are easy to use and there's no deposit fee, but you can use only bank transfer, and withdrawals can be expensive especially for non-US clients.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • User-friendly | • High fee for wire withdrawals |
| • Free ACH withdrawals in the US |
| tastyworks | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 |
Web trading platform
The tastyworks web platform is great for experienced traders, especially for options trading. However, it takes time to figure out how its functions work, and its customizability is limited.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Clear fee report | • Limited customizability (for charts, workspace) |
| • Price alerts | • Not suited for beginners |
| • Two-step (safer) authentication for certain functions |
| tastyworks | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Web platform score | 3.4 stars | 3.8 stars |
| Mobile platform score | 4.2 stars | 4.8 stars |
| Desktop platform score | 3.9 stars | 2.3 stars |
Learn more about tastyworks's web trading platform in the detailed tastyworks review.
Markets and products
At tastyworks, you can trade US stocks, ETFs, options and some futures. Other popular asset classes like mutual funds or bonds are missing, as are international assets.
| tastyworks | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | No |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
Verdict
tastyworks is an excellent broker for options trading, but it is a bit complicated if you want to trade stocks only.
tastyworks's trading fees are low, with free stock and ETF trading fees. Its trading platform is aimed at experienced options traders and can be intimidating for beginners. However, its educational and research tools are great for learning. Deposit and withdrawal processes could be better, and a demo account would also be great for practice purposes.
As there is no minimum deposit, no inactivity fee, or monthly fee, and the account opening process is seamless, you should feel free to try it.
| tastyworks | |
|---|---|
| Summary | tastyworks is a US options and stockbroker. It is overseen by FINRA, a top-tier regulatory body. |
| Fees score | 4.2 stars |
| Recommended for | Options and futures traders focusing on US markets |
TradeStation alternatives
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers, one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, was founded in 1977. 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).
Given that the broker has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, has a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange; it all points towards IB being a safe service provider.
Interactive Brokers recently launched a new app for global stock trading: read our review of IBKR GlobalTrader.
In addition, Interactive Brokers also has an app you can use for ESG investing: read our review of IMPACT by Interactive Brokers.
Recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Complicated account opening process |
| • Wide range of products | • Complex desktop trading platform |
| • Many great research tools | • Understaffed customer service |
Fees
Interactive Brokers has low trading fees and the best margin rates in the industry. For US clients, stock and ETF trading is free if they choose the Lite plan.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | None |
| • Free stock and ETF trading for US clients | |
| • Low margin rates |
| Interactive Brokers | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple benchmark fee | $2.3 | $0.3 |
| Vodafone benchmark fee | $7.6 | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $14.7 | - |
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
Account opening
IB's account opening process is fully digital and the required minimum deposit is low. On the negative side, the process is complicated and account verification takes relatively long.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Fully digital | • Not user-friendly |
| • No minimum deposit for most account types |
| Interactive Brokers | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days | 1 day |
If you are interested more in Interactive Brokers minimum deposit, this overview will help you.
Deposit and withdrawal
Interactive Brokers offers several account base currencies and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawback is that you can only use bank transfer.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • Several account base currencies | |
| • First withdrawal free each month |
| Interactive Brokers | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 |
Web trading platform
The Interactive Brokers web platform is simple and easy to use, even for beginners, however there are some minor but annoying glitches.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | • User experience could be better |
| • Clear fee report | |
| • Two-step (safer) login |
| Interactive Brokers | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Web platform score | 3.8 stars | 3.8 stars |
| Mobile platform score | 3.5 stars | 4.8 stars |
| Desktop platform score | 3.8 stars | 2.3 stars |
Learn more about Interactive Brokers's web trading platform in the detailed Interactive Brokers review.
Markets and products
At Interactive Brokers, you have access to an extremely wide range of markets and all product types are available.
| Interactive Brokers | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
Verdict
Interactive Brokers is one of the biggest US-based lowest spread brokers, regulated by several top-tier regulators globally. We recommend this broker both for advanced traders and for everyday investors who want to have access to many stock markets.
On the plus side, IB offers very low fees, a vast range of markets and products, and diverse research tools.
There are some drawbacks, however. We weren't satisfied with the quality of the customer service and the account opening process is complicated. Unlike the web and mobile platforms, the desktop platform is complex and hard to get a handle on, especially for beginners.
If you have experience navigating complex platforms and enjoy transparent, low-cost trading, Interactive Brokers is a great fit for you.
| Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|
| Summary | Interactive Brokers is a US discount broker. It is listed on a stock exchange and regulated by several authorities, including top-tier ones like the FCA and the SEC. |
| Fees score | 4.5 stars |
| Recommended for | Traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment |
TradeStation alternatives
TD Ameritrade
If you are an experienced trader looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform, we definitely recommend TD Ameritrade.
Founded in 1975, TD is one of the biggest US-based stockbrokers and is regulated by top-tier authorities like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
This online broker is considered safe as it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials and is overseen by top-tier regulators.
Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading) | • You can trade only on US markets |
| • Superb desktop trading platform | • Accounts mostly limited to US residents |
| • Great customer support | • No credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfer |
Fees
TD Ameritrade offers free stock and ETF trading, while forex, bond and options fees are also low. On the other hand, it charges high fees for non-free funds and futures.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • High fund fees |
| • Low non-trading fees | |
| • Free stocks and ETFs |
| TD Ameritrade | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple benchmark fee | $0.3 | $0.3 |
| Vodafone benchmark fee | - | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $15.1 | - |
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
Account opening
TD Ameritrade offers many different account types and there is no minimum deposit for US citizens.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Fully digital | None |
| • No minimum deposit | |
| • Many account types |
| TD Ameritrade | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days | 1 day |
If you are interested more in TD Ameritrade minimum deposit, this overview will help you.
Deposit and withdrawal
The account funding is user-friendly with no deposit fees; however, USD is the only available base currency and wire transfers incur a high fee.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free withdrawal | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • No deposit fee | • Only one account base currency |
| • User-friendly | • High withdrawal fee for wire transfers |
| TD Ameritrade | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 |
Web trading platform
TD Ameritrade offers a good web trading platform with a clean design. On the flip side, the platform is not customizable.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | • Limited customizability (for charts, workspace) |
| • Two-step (safer) login | |
| • Good variety of order types |
| TD Ameritrade | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Web platform score | 4.3 stars | 3.8 stars |
| Mobile platform score | 4.8 stars | 4.8 stars |
| Desktop platform score | 4.5 stars | 2.3 stars |
Learn more about TD Ameritrade's web trading platform in the detailed TD Ameritrade review.
Markets and products
You can trade many asset classes, from stocks to futures and forex, while nice extras include social trading and robo-advisory. On the other hand, only the US market is covered.
| TD Ameritrade | TradeStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
Verdict
TD is one of the biggest US online brokers and it charges no commission on stock and ETF trades.
Research and education are outstanding, the thinkorswim desktop platform is one of the best on the market, and customer service is great.
There are a few drawbacks, most notably high financing (margin) rates, and the fact that credit/debit cards and electronic wallets are not accepted for money transfers. Furthermore, the product portfolio covers only US markets.
We definitely recommend giving TD a try, especially as their education tools include a demo account.
| TD Ameritrade | |
|---|---|
| Summary | TD Ameritrade is a US stockbroker regulated by top-tier authorities SEC and FINRA. The company is listed on NASDAQ and has a banking background as part of the TD Group. The brokerage was acquired by Charles Schwab Corporation in 2020. Client account conversion is expected between April and September of 2023. |
| Fees score | 4.1 stars |
| Recommended for | Investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform |
TradeStation alternatives
TradeStation
TradeStation is a US stockbroker founded in 1982. It is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Clients are eligible for up to $500,000 investor protection per account (including cash up to $250,000).
TradeStation is considered safe because it has a long track record; transparently discloses its financials; and its parent company, the Monex Group, is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Recommended for traders focusing on us markets and buy-and-hold investing
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Great web and mobile trading platform | • Inconvenient deposit and withdrawal |
| • Low trading fees | • No forex trading |
| • High-quality research and education tools | • Mediocre customer service |
Fees
TradeStation has low trading fees, and you can choose from multiple fee structures. On the negative side, there's an inactivity fee and only ACH is free for withdrawals.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Inactivity fee |
| • Low stock and ETF fees / Free stock trading | • WIthdrawal fee for bank wire transfers |
| • Free ACH withdrawals |
| TradeStation | tastyworks | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $0.0 | $0.0 | $1.0 | $0.0 |
| UK stock | - | - | $3.4 | - |
Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k
Account opening
TradeStation account opening is fully digital, user-friendly and fast. There are many account types, but USD is the only available base currency (except for futures accounts).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Fast | None |
| • Fully digital | |
| • User-friendly |
| TradeStation | tastyworks | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day | 1 day | 1-3 days | 1-3 days |
Learn more about TradeStation minimum deposit here.
Deposit and withdrawal
TradeStation's deposit and withdrawal functions are somewhat limited, as you can use only bank transfer; while the fee for wire transfer withdrawals is high.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • Deposit/withdrawal in cryptocurrencies | • High fee for wire withdrawal |
| • ACH withdrawal is free |
| TradeStation | tastyworks | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Web trading platform
TradeStation has a nice-looking, user-friendly web trading platform with a safe login process.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Clear fee report | None |
| • Two-step (safer) login | |
| • Good search function |
| TradeStation | tastyworks | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web platform score | 3.8 stars | 3.4 stars | 3.8 stars | 4.3 stars |
| Mobile platform score | 4.8 stars | 4.2 stars | 3.5 stars | 4.8 stars |
| Desktop platform score | 2.3 stars | 3.9 stars | 3.8 stars | 4.5 stars |
Learn more about TradeStation's web trading platform in the detailed TradeStation review.
Markets and products
TradeStation grants access to a wide variety of US products, but its non-US market coverage is poor. Also, forex and CFDs are not available.
| TradeStation | tastyworks | Interactive Brokers | TD Ameritrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | No | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Verdict
TradeStation is a great US broker.
The web and mobile platforms are very user-friendly, with many great functions. TradeStation also charges low stock and ETF trading fees. On top of that, its education materials are well-structured and high quality.
On the other hand, deposit and withdrawal functions are not that convenient, as you can only use bank transfers. Among other negatives, there is no forex trading, and customer service has room for improvement.
As there is no minimum deposit, feel free to try TradeStation if you prefer trading on US markets.
| TradeStation | |
|---|---|
| Summary | TradeStation is a US stockbroker regulated by FINRA, a top-tier US regulatory body. |
| Fees score | 4.1 stars |
| Recommended for | Traders focusing on US markets and buy-and-hold investing |
TradeStation alternatives
Bottom line
Based on our analysis, there are several good alternatives to TradeStation. They all offer similar products and target similar customers. Here's a recap of the results in a table.
| Broker | Info | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| TradeStation | US stockbroker | Traders focusing on US markets and buy-and-hold investing |
| tastyworks | US options and stockbroker | Options and futures traders focusing on US markets |
| Interactive Brokers | International broker providing all asset classes | Traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment |
| TD Ameritrade | US-based stockbroker | Investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform |
Still unsure? Use our broker finder and find the best broker for you or learn more about investing your money.
