Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity vs Interactive Brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: both Fidelity and Interactive Brokers offer a wide range of investments and each earns 5 stars for Range of Investments. StockBrokers.com ranks Interactive Brokers #1 out of 14 and Fidelity #2. Interactive Brokers pulls ahead on market access with futures trading and more crypto coins, while Fidelity stands out if you want advisor services. Either way, both brokers cover the core assets most investors want and support IRA accounts.
Fidelity and Interactive Brokers both let you trade stocks (including OTC stocks), options, mutual funds, and forex. Margin trading and fractional shares are available at both. For crypto, Fidelity supports 3 coins while Interactive Brokers offers 11. If you need futures trading, that’s available at Interactive Brokers but not at Fidelity.
On the account side, both brokers offer Traditional IRA and Roth IRA accounts. Fidelity also provides advisor services, which Interactive Brokers does not. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want futures and a larger crypto lineup; choose Fidelity if access to advisors matters to you, with both delivering strong coverage of everyday investing needs.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 11 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers edges out Fidelity for trading platforms and tools, earning 4.5 stars and a #2 ranking from StockBrokers.com versus Fidelity’s 4 stars and #4 ranking. Both offer Windows and Mac desktop apps plus a browser-based platform, but Interactive Brokers stands out for deeper customization, more data fields, and paper trading. Fidelity remains an excellent choice for everyday investors who want capable charting, an easy path to trade management, and a built-in trading journal.
Platform access is a draw: both Fidelity and Interactive Brokers provide downloadable software for Windows and Mac, along with a web platform. Each includes a trading journal and lets you adjust open orders directly on a stock chart. Paper trading is a key difference—Interactive Brokers offers it, while Fidelity does not.
For tools, Interactive Brokers supplies more breadth: 659 watchlist columns (vs. Fidelity’s 92), 155 technical indicators (vs. 129), and 85 drawing tools (vs. 38). Both brokers let you add notes to charts, show historical trades, display corporate events, set custom date ranges, run automated technical analysis, and save multiple chart profiles. Editing an SMA study provides six fields with Interactive Brokers and five with Fidelity. Neither broker supports creating custom studies.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 92 | 659 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 155 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 85 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Fidelity and Interactive Brokers both deliver strong education for beginners and long-term investors. Each offers learning on stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, along with on-demand videos, live webinars, quizzes, and tools to track your progress. That mix makes it easier to build skills step by step, whether you’re just starting or polishing what you already know.
The biggest difference is practice: Interactive Brokers includes paper trading so you can test ideas without risking real money, while Fidelity does not. For overall quality, Fidelity earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 14 brokers for education on StockBrokers.com, while Interactive Brokers earns 4 stars and ranks #3. Choose Interactive Brokers if a practice account is important; choose Fidelity if you want the highest-rated learning library and guidance.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
In a Fidelity vs Interactive Brokers app comparison, both deliver excellent mobile stock trading, but Interactive Brokers gets the overall nod. StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and #2 out of 14 brokers, while Fidelity earns 4.5 stars and ranks #3. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the highest-rated app; choose Fidelity if you want more built-in chart studies.
Both the Fidelity app and the Interactive Brokers app are available on iPhone, Android, and Apple Watch. Each supports streaming quotes, streaming live TV, videos on demand, mobile options trading, stock alerts, and custom watch lists with adjustable columns. Mobile after-hours trading is confirmed for Fidelity; the provided data does not confirm this for Interactive Brokers.
Charting is powerful on both, with after-hours charting, landscape mode, multiple time frames, and stock-to-stock comparisons. Fidelity offers 128 technical studies in its mobile charts versus 97 for Interactive Brokers, giving Fidelity more built-in indicators for on-the-go analysis.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 128 | 97 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Fidelity and Interactive Brokers look almost identical on most headline fees—both have a $0 minimum deposit, $0 commissions for stock trades, and a $0.65 per-contract options fee. They also charge $0 for IRA annual and closure fees, $0 for ACAT transfers (partial and full), and $0 for options exercise and assignment. The standout difference is margin pricing: Interactive Brokers’ margin rates are far lower than Fidelity’s across common balance tiers, so anyone who plans to borrow on margin will likely save more with Interactive Brokers. If you don’t use margin, their fees are effectively the same.
Shared costs are straightforward. Minimum deposit: Fidelity $0, Interactive Brokers $0. Regular stock trades: Fidelity $0, Interactive Brokers $0. Options pricing: both $0.65 per contract, with no extra fee for exercise or assignment. Retirement accounts are also fee-friendly at both firms, with $0 IRA annual fees and $0 IRA closure fees. Moving your account is equally painless: both charge $0 for partial and full ACAT transfers.
Margin is where they diverge. For balances under $25,000, Fidelity lists 12.575% vs. Interactive Brokers at 6.83%. From $25,000 to $49,999, Fidelity is 12.075% vs. 6.83% at Interactive Brokers. From $50,000 to $99,999, Fidelity is 11.125% vs. 6.83% at Interactive Brokers. In short, margin borrowers will generally find lower financing costs with Interactive Brokers, while non-margin traders will find fee parity between the two.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
Both Fidelity and Interactive Brokers check the big boxes day traders expect. Each platform offers streaming time and sales, streaming live TV, Level II quotes, direct market routing, hotkeys for fast order entry, basic strategy backtesting, and a short locator to see real-time borrow availability for short selling. If you need the essentials to read the tape, route orders, and act quickly, both brokers deliver.
The differences matter if you want more advanced tools. Interactive Brokers adds ladder trading (a depth-of-market “price ladder” for rapid order changes), advanced strategy backtesting, and access to maker/taker liquidity rebates—features that can help active traders fine-tune entries, test complex ideas, and potentially improve costs. Fidelity lacks ladder trading, advanced backtesting, and liquidity rebates, but still suits day traders who want strong core features without those extras.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming TV | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | Yes |
| Short Locator | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
For market research, Fidelity takes the overall win. It earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com, while Interactive Brokers scores 4.5 stars and ranks #5. Both offer broad coverage and helpful tools, but their strengths differ: Interactive Brokers delivers more downloadable reports (17 stock PDFs vs. Fidelity’s 7) and includes mutual fund PDFs, while Fidelity matches key features across categories and remains the higher-rated pick overall.
Both Fidelity and Interactive Brokers provide research on stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets/OTCBB, and bonds. Each platform lets you view portfolio allocation by asset class, access stock research using social media sentiment, and review ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) research. Both also include built-in screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds to help find trade ideas.
When it comes to downloadable reports, Fidelity offers seven PDF stock research reports and ETF PDFs, but no mutual fund PDFs. Interactive Brokers offers 17 PDF stock reports, ETF PDFs, and adds mutual fund PDFs. If you prioritize a larger library of downloadable reports, Interactive Brokers has an advantage; if you value the top-rated overall research experience, Fidelity is the better choice.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
| Research |
|
|
When comparing Fidelity vs. Interactive Brokers for banking features, neither broker offers traditional checking or savings accounts, so you can’t treat them like full-service banks. Fidelity does provide a debit card, while Interactive Brokers does not. Both brokers offer credit cards and access to certificates of deposit (CDs). For lending, Fidelity also offers mortgage loans, but Interactive Brokers does not. Overall, Fidelity has more bank-like options thanks to its debit card and mortgages, while Interactive Brokers sticks to investment services alongside CDs and a credit card.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Fidelity is better than Interactive Brokers. Fidelity finished with an overall score of 92.5%, while Interactive Brokers finished with a score of 90.6%.
Fidelity is a value-driven online broker offering $0 trades, industry-leading research, excellent trading tools and an easy-to-use mobile app.
Fidelity and Interactive Brokers both offer crypto trading. Fidelity supports 3 cryptocurrencies, while Interactive Brokers offers 11 coins, giving traders a wider selection.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Both Fidelity and Interactive Brokers offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees or closure fees, making them affordable options for investors seeking versatile and cost-effective retirement savings solutions.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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| Broker Screenshots | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Trading Fees | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | $0.01 | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | $14.95 | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | $0.85 | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $32.95 | Varies |
| Margin Rates | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.575% | 6.83% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.075% | 6.83% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.125% | 6.83% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.075% | 6.83% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 10.825% | 6.83% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 8.500% | 6.83% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.250% | 6.83% |
| Account Fees | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 6 | |
| Futures Trading | No | Yes | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 11 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 25 | 36 |
| Order Types | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
| Beginners | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | Yes | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Trading Apps | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 128 | 97 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Active Trader Pro | IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | Yes | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 92 | 659 |
| Stock Chart Features | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 155 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 85 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 5 | 6 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | Yes | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes | |
| Ladder Trading | No | Yes | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | Yes | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | Yes | |
| Short Locator | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | Yes |
| Research Overview | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 7 | 17 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | Yes |
| ETF Research | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Fund Research | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | Yes |
| Options Trading | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| Customer Service | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Overall | Fidelity | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Fidelity Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
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