Firstrade vs TD Ameritrade Comparison
Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. We spend hundreds of hours each year testing the platforms, mobile apps, trading tools and general ease of use among online brokerages, as well as comparing commissions and fees, to find the best online broker.
Though many U.S. brokers offer basic trading features, such as an app, charting tools, stock research and educational content, the depth of those features can vary widely. Let's compare Firstrade vs TD Ameritrade.
Is Firstrade or TD Ameritrade better for beginners?
In stock trading, the more you know, the better you’ll do. Taking advantage of resources like articles, webinars, videos and interactive elements is a great way to shorten the learning curve. In our analysis, we examine the availability of several different types of educational materials.
For 2024, our review finds that Firstrade offers more comprehensive new investor education for beginning investors than TD Ameritrade. Firstrade offers investors access to Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (Options) and Education (Retirement), while TD Ameritrade offers investors access to Paper Trading, Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (ETFs), Education (Options), Education (Mutual Funds), Education (Bonds) and Education (Retirement).
What about Firstrade vs TD Ameritrade pricing?
Firstrade and TD Ameritrade charge the same amount for regular stock trades, $0.00. Option contracts are pricier at TD Ameritrade, costing $0.65 per contract versus $0.00 per contract at Firstrade. For futures, TD Ameritrade charges $2.25 per contract and Firstrade charges (Not offered) per contract. For a deeper dive, see our best brokers for free stock trading or options trading guides.
Does Firstrade or TD Ameritrade offer a wider range of investment options?
Looking at a full range of investment options, including order types and international trading, our research has found that Firstrade offers a more comprehensive offering than TD Ameritrade. Firstrade ranks #6 out of 18 brokers for our Investment Options category, while TD Ameritrade ranks #N/A.
Firstrade offers investors access to Stock Trading, Fractional Shares, Options Trading, OTC Stocks and Mutual Funds, while TD Ameritrade offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds, Futures Trading, Forex Trading and Advisor Services. Looking at Mutual Funds, TD Ameritrade trails Firstrade in its offering of no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds, with Firstrade offering 4206 and TD Ameritrade offering 3610.
Do Firstrade and TD Ameritrade offer cryptocurrency?
In our analysis of top U.S. brokerages, we research whether each broker offers the ability to trade cash cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and ethereum. Though crypto has risen steadily in popularity, availability still varies from broker to broker. Our review finds that neither Firstrade or TD Ameritrade offer crypto trading.
Which trading platform is better: Firstrade or TD Ameritrade?
To compare the day trading platforms of Firstrade and TD Ameritrade, we focused on trading tools and functionality across both web and desktop-based platforms. Popular day trading platform tools include streaming real-time quotes, stock alerts, trading hotkeys, direct market routing, streaming time and sales, customizable watch lists, backtesting, and fully functional charting packages, among many others. For day trading, Firstrade offers a better experience.
Does Firstrade or TD Ameritrade offer a better stock trading app?
After testing 25 features across the stock trading apps of Firstrade and TD Ameritrade, we found Firstrade to be better overall. The best stock market apps are easy to use, have excellent design, and deliver a fully featured online trading experience. Firstrade ranks #6 out of 18 brokers, while TD Ameritrade ranks #N/A.
Firstrade Trading App Gallery
TD Ameritrade Trading App Gallery
Which broker is better for researching stocks?
For research, Firstrade offers superior market research than TD Ameritrade. Firstrade ranks #6 and TD Ameritrade ranks #N/A.
Over the years, we've found that the best brokers provide rich market commentary, a variety of third-party research reports, and thorough quote screens that are not just easy to navigate, but that also include a comprehensive selection of fundamental data. Robust stock, ETFs, and mutual fund screeners are also must-haves for trade idea generation.
How do Firstrade and TD Ameritrade compare in terms of minimum deposit required?
Firstrade requires a minimum deposit of $0.00, while TD Ameritrade requires a minimum deposit of $0.00. From our testing, we found that SoFi is the only broker that requires a minimum deposit.
Which broker offers better margin rates for accounts under $25,000?
Firstrade charges 13.75% for accounts under $25,000 while TD Ameritrade charges a margin rate of 14.75%. The industry average of the 18 brokers we track is 9%.
Does Firstrade offer fractional shares? Does TD Ameritrade?
While Firstrade offers fractional shares, TD Ameritrade does not. Our research has found that 48% of brokers offer fractional shares investing. Fractional shares allow traders to buy a part of a whole share of stock. For example, if Amazon is trading at $1,000, you could buy half a share for $500.
Can you trade penny stocks with Firstrade or TD Ameritrade?
Both Firstrade and TD Ameritrade allow you to trade penny stocks. Firstrade charges $0.00 per trade while TD Ameritrade charges $6.95. Penny stocks are companies whose shares trade for under $5 and are listed over the counter (OTC). For brokers that do offer penny stock trades, the average commission is $3.
Does either broker offer banking?
Online banking can be a benefit for investors, and some brokerages do provide banking services to customers. Checking Accounts and Debit Cards are offered by Firstrade, while TD Ameritrade offers Checking Accounts, Debit Cards and Credit Cards. Neither have Savings Accounts and Mortgage Loans.
Which broker offers stronger customer service?
StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research group Confero to conduct phone tests from locations across the United States to thoroughly evaluate the quality and speed of brokerage customer service. (Read more about How We Test.) Here are the results of our current testing.
Firstrade was rated 9th out of 13 brokers, with an overall score of 7.43 out of 10.
TD Ameritrade was rated 1st out of 14 brokers, with an overall score of 9.3 out of 10.
Is Firstrade good?
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.
In the 2024 StockBrokers.com Annual Awards, Firstrade placed among Best in Class for Penny Stock Trading.
Is TD Ameritrade good?
TD Ameritrade delivers $0 trades, fantastic trading platforms, excellent market research, industry-leading education for beginners and reliable customer service, making it one of our top overall brokers in 2023. Note, however, that TD Ameritrade was acquired in 2020 by Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade client accounts are currently being migrated in batches to Schwab, which has retained the standout thinkorswim platform.
In the 2023 StockBrokers.com Annual Review, TD Ameritrade was rated No. 1 for Platforms & Tools, Mobile Trading Apps, Ease of Use, Beginners, and Customer Service. It also ranked among Best in Class for Commissions & Fees, Research, Investment Options, Education, Active Trading and Overall. TD Ameritrade also won two StockBrokers.com Industry Awards: No. 1 for Phone Support and Trader App.
Firstrade vs TD Ameritrade Winner
Overall winner: Firstrade
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