Firstrade vs tastytrade 2025
In this head to head comparison of Firstrade vs tastytrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Firstrade vs tastytrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When deciding between Firstrade and tastytrade for your investment needs, understanding their offerings can help you make an informed choice. Firstrade shines when it comes to a diverse range of investment opportunities, securing a 4.5-star rating for its extensive selection, which includes stock, margin, fractional shares, OTC stocks, mutual funds, and options trading. Ranked #6 out of 15 brokers by StockBrokers.com for its range of investments, Firstrade provides various traditional investment opportunities but lacks in futures and cryptocurrency trading.
tastytrade, on the other hand, offers a competitive edge with its capability in futures and cryptocurrency trading, including four crypto coins. While lacking in OTC stocks and mutual funds, it maintains a solid presence in stock, margin, fractional shares, and options trading. tastytrade is rated 4 stars in terms of investment range and holds the #10 spot out of 15 brokers ranked by StockBrokers.com, reflecting its focus on niche markets.
Both Firstrade and tastytrade cater to basic retirement account options by offering traditional and Roth IRA accounts, although neither provides advisor services. Ultimately, Firstrade might appeal to investors looking for a wider selection of traditional investment options, while tastytrade could be the better choice for those interested in expanding into futures and cryptocurrency markets.
Feature |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes |
OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | No | Yes |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 4 |
Range of Investments |
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Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to choosing between Firstrade and tastytrade for trading platforms, traders might find tastytrade to be the more appealing choice. Tastytrade offers a range of advanced features including desktop downloads for both Windows and Mac, unlike Firstrade which only provides a browser-based platform. While neither broker provides paper trading or a trading journal, tastytrade stands out with an array of 308 technical indicators, significantly more than Firstrade's 102. Additionally, tastytrade allows traders to adjust open orders directly on charts and offers extensive tools for customizing chart experiences, areas where Firstrade falls short.
Firstrade may appeal to users who prefer simplicity, especially with its extensive watch list capabilities featuring 50 fields compared to tastytrade's 33. However, traders looking for depth in their charting tools might lean toward tastytrade, which has 31 drawing tools and the ability to incorporate notes, historical trades, and corporate events on charts—features not available with Firstrade. Furthermore, tastytrade supports saving multiple chart profiles and creating custom studies, offering greater flexibility and personalization compared to Firstrade.
Overall, while Firstrade provides a competent and simplistic trading platform, it lacks the comprehensive tools and flexibility offered by tastytrade. With a performance rating of 4 out of 5 stars compared to Firstrade's 3 stars, and a higher ranking on StockBrokers.com, tastytrade emerges as the preferred platform for traders seeking an enriching and detailed trading experience. Whether you're looking for detailed charting capabilities or advanced order management, tastytrade seems to deliver an edge over Firstrade. However, for those who prioritize simplicity with basic features, Firstrade remains a worthwhile consideration.
Feature |
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Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | Yes |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 50 | 33 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 102 | 308 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 31 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokerage Accounts for 2025, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to beginner and investor education, both Firstrade and tastytrade provide valuable resources, but there are distinct differences in their offerings. Firstrade shines by offering educational videos and webinars, making it a suitable option for those who value visual learning methods. While Firstrade offers stock and options education, it does not provide educational resources for ETFs, mutual funds, or bonds. Despite not offering paper trading or quizzes, Firstrade's educational offerings earn a respectable 3.5-star rating among users.
In contrast, tastytrade garners a higher rating of 4 stars by focusing on a more structured educational experience. Tastytrade covers stock, ETF, and options education but, like Firstrade, lacks resources for mutual funds and bonds. A standout feature of tastytrade's educational platform is its ability to track learning progress, a beneficial tool for those who want to monitor their growth. While it doesn't offer educational videos, tastytrade complements its learning resources with engaging webinars. Overall, tastytrade is ranked higher by StockBrokers.com, coming in at #10 out of 15 brokers, compared to Firstrade's #13 ranking.
Feature |
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|
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | No | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
Education (Bonds) | No | No |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Videos | Yes | No |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
Both Firstrade and tastytrade offer well-rounded stock trading apps with distinct strengths, catering effectively to traders of various preferences. Firstrade receives a slightly higher ranking than tastytrade according to StockBrokers.com, although both are rated equally by users at 4.5 stars. The main differences lie in specific features like mobile after-hours stock trading and stock alerts, both of which are available with Firstrade but not fully supported by tastytrade. Meanwhile, tastytrade allows for after-hours charting, giving a slight edge to those who delve into chart analysis.
In terms of accessibility, both apps support iPhone and Android devices but do not extend their offerings to Apple Watch. Mobile options trading is easy with both apps, and streaming quotes are readily available, ensuring active traders can stay updated on market movements. If you're seeking education or entertainment through your trading app, you might want to look elsewhere as neither Firstrade nor tastytrade offer streaming live TV or on-demand videos.
When it comes to customization, both apps shine with features like custom watch lists and the ability to adjust watch list columns. However, Firstrade distinguishes itself in charting capabilities with a noteworthy 81 technical studies available, compared to tastytrade, which offers none. Both apps display charts in landscape mode and support multiple time frames for a comprehensive trading experience. However, neither provides stock comparisons on charts, which is something to consider based on your trading strategy needs.
Feature |
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iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | No | No |
Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes |
Charting - Technical Studies | 81 | 0 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When looking to open an account with either Firstrade or tastytrade, investors will find that both platforms offer attractive, fee-free structures for stock trading. Neither broker requires a minimum deposit to get started, making them accessible for newbies and experienced traders alike. However, when it comes to certain fees, Firstrade and tastytrade have notable differences. Firstrade excels in offering zero-cost options contracts, whereas tastytrade charges $0.50 per contract. For margin balances under various tiers, tastytrade tends to offer lower interest rates than Firstrade. Overall, Firstrade may be advantageous for those focusing on options trading without the extra charges, while tastytrade could be a more cost-effective option for those utilizing margin trading.
Both Firstrade and tastytrade do not charge IRA annual fees, providing a low-cost way to invest for retirement. However, potential account closures come with different costs: Firstrade charges nothing for IRA closure, whereas tastytrade imposes a $60 fee. This could be a consideration for those who might see a need to close their IRA accounts in the future. In terms of account transfers via Automated Customer Account Transfer (ACAT), both brokers charge $75 for a full transfer, but Firstrade slightly edges out with a $55 fee for partial transfers, compared to tastytrade's $75.
For options trading, Firstrade stands out by not charging any fees for exercise and assignment, making it an appealing choice for options traders who are cost-sensitive. On the other hand, tastytrade charges $5 each for options exercise and assignment, which could add up depending on trading frequency. These differences underscore the importance of considering not just upfront costs but also potential fees when options are a part of your portfolio strategy. With these insights, you can better assess which platform aligns more closely with your personal trading needs and financial goals.
Feature |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.50 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $60.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When considering Firstrade and tastytrade for day trading, each platform presents unique features and limitations. Firstrade lacks streaming time and sales data, live TV, direct market routing, ladder trading, trading hotkeys, level 2 quotes, strategy backtesting, and a short locator tool. In contrast, tastytrade offers some additional resources for day traders, notably streaming live TV and ladder trading, which might benefit those who prefer visual tools and more dynamic methods for tracking market trends and performing trades.
Both platforms, however, share some limitations. Neither Firstrade nor tastytrade provides direct market routing for stocks, trading hotkeys for quick trade entry, level 2 quotes, or basic or advanced strategy backtesting. Additionally, there's no offer of order liquidity rebates on either platform, and neither includes streaming time and sales for stocks. Despite these mutual limitations, tastytrade introduces a short locator tool, offering real-time availability of short-able shares, a marked difference that could influence a trader looking for comprehensive short-selling capabilities.
Feature |
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Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
Streaming TV | No | Yes |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
Short Locator | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
When comparing Firstrade and tastytrade for market research capabilities, Firstrade clearly stands out as the more comprehensive option. Rated at 4.5 stars in market research by StockBrokers.com and ranked 6th out of 15 brokers, Firstrade offers a wide range of research tools, including access to stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds information, as well as specialized research like pink sheets and bonds. On the other hand, tastytrade, with a market research rating of 1.5 stars and ranked 13th, is more limited, primarily focusing on stocks and ETFs without the breadth offered by Firstrade.
Firstrade provides investors with a more detailed understanding of their portfolios through offerings like ESG research and downloadable PDF reports for stocks and ETFs. Investors can explore social media sentiment data for stocks and access various screeners for identifying trade ideas across a wide array of asset classes. In contrast, tastytrade limits its research suite, with no PDF research reports, excluding mutual funds, pink sheets, bonds, or ESG data. They also lack screeners, which could benefit investors seeking new opportunities or diversified analyses.
Both Firstrade and tastytrade allow investors to see portfolio allocation by asset class, but Firstrade's additional tools and extensive research capabilities provide a deeper dive into potential investments. The availability of stock screeners and trade ideas suggests that Firstrade caters more effectively to active traders and research-focused investors. Overall, for those seeking a well-rounded market research experience, Firstrade emerges as the superior choice between the two.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No |
Research |
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When comparing the banking capabilities of Firstrade and tastytrade, it's clear that Firstrade provides more options for those interested in specific banking features. Firstrade offers checking accounts and debit cards, which tastytrade does not. Furthermore, Firstrade offers certificates of deposit (CDs) to its users, another feature not available with tastytrade. Neither Firstrade nor tastytrade provides savings accounts, credit cards, or mortgage loans, making them similar in these respects. Overall, Firstrade might be a better choice for someone looking to integrate certain banking services with their brokerage account.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
Savings Accounts | No | No |
Debit Cards | Yes | No |
Credit Cards | No | No |
Mortgage Loans | No | No |
CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Bank Accounts for Trading Stocks for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 15 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Firstrade is better than tastytrade. Firstrade finished with an overall score of 81.8%, while tastytrade finished with a score of 80.1%.
Firstrade scored well for penny stock trading in our 2024 Annual Awards, and is a great choice for Chinese-speaking investors. However, it lags behind the competition in certain areas, especially platforms, tools and education.
When comparing online brokers, Firstrade does not offer crypto trading services, while tastytrade provides options for trading 4 different cryptocurrencies, making it a suitable choice for investors interested in digital assets.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Firstrade and tastytrade both offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees, but while Firstrade charges no closure fee when closing IRA accounts, tastytrade imposes a $60.00 closure fee.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
Select Brokers
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
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Overall |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Customer Service |
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Education |
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Ease Of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Firstrade Review | tastytrade Review |
Broker Screenshots | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
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Trading Platform & Tools Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Education Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | N/A | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0 | N/A | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.50 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | $1.25 | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $19.95 | $0 |
Margin Rates | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.75% | 11% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.50% | 10.5% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 13.00% | 10% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.50% | 9.5% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 12.50% | 9% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 12.50% | 8.5% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 12.50% | 8% |
Account Fees | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $60.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $55.00 | $75.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $75.00 | $75.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $5.00 |
Investment Options | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | No | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
Futures Trading | No | Yes | |
Forex Trading | No | No | |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 4 | |
Mutual Funds (No Load) | 15460 | 0 | |
Mutual Funds (Total) | 19666 | 0 | |
Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes | No | |
Bonds (Corporate) | Yes | No | |
Bonds (Municipal) | Yes | No | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Advisor Services | No | No | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
Order Types | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
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 | No | |
Order Type - OCO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OTO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
Beginners | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | No | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
Education (Bonds) | No | No | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | No | No | |
Videos | Yes | No | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | No | Yes | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
Stock Trading Apps | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch App | No | No | |
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 | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | No | No | |
Videos on Demand | No | No | |
Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 81 | 0 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | No |
Trading Platforms | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | N/A | tastytrade | |
Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | Yes | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | No | No | |
Trade Journal | No | No | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 50 | 33 |
Stock Chart Features | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 102 | 308 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 31 | |
Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | No | Yes | |
Charting - Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | No | No | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | No | No | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | No | No | |
Charting - Save Profiles | No | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 7 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | No | Yes |
Day Trading | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
Streaming TV | No | Yes | |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No | |
Ladder Trading | No | Yes | |
Trade Hotkeys | No | No | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
Short Locator | No | Yes | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
Research Overview | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No | |
Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | Yes |
Stock Research | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 1 | 0 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
ETF Research | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Strategy Overview | Yes | No | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | No | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | No | |
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | Yes | No | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
Mutual Fund Research | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
Options Trading | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | Yes | |
Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | Yes | |
Option Chains - Streaming | No | Yes | |
Option Chains - Total Columns | 8 | 20 | |
Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Chains - Quick Analysis | No | Yes | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes | |
Option Probability Analysis | No | Yes | |
Option Probability Analysis Adv | Yes | Yes | |
Option Positions - Greeks | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Adv Analysis | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Rolling | Yes | Yes | |
Option Positions - Grouping | No | Yes |
Banking | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
Checking Accounts | Yes | No | |
Savings Accounts | No | No | |
Credit Cards | No | No | |
Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
Mortgage Loans | No | No |
Customer Service | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | No | No |
Overall | Firstrade | tastytrade | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Education |
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Ease Of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Firstrade Review | tastytrade Review |