Written by StockBrokers.com
Is Firstrade better than Vanguard? After testing 18 of the best online brokers, our analysis finds that Firstrade (87.7%) is better than Vanguard (80.3%). 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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Options |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Customer Service |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Ease Of Use |
|
| |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Firstrade Review | Vanguard Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0 | Varies | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $1.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $19.95 | $25 |
| Margin Rates | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.75% | 13.75% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.5% | 13.25% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 13% | 12.75% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.5% | 12.25% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 12.25% | 11.75% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 10.35% | 10.5% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 9.75% | Varies |
| Account Fees | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $25.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $55.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $75.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares | Yes | No | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | No | No | |
| Forex Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 0 | |
| Mutual Funds (No Load) | 15460 | N/A | |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 19666 | N/A | |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds (Corporate) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds (Municipal) | Yes | Yes | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
| Order Types | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
| Beginners | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | No | No | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Bonds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | No | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | No | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | No | No | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | No | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | No |
| Stock App Features | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | No | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | No | |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | No | |
| Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 50 | 9 |
| Stock App Charting | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | No | No | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 81 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Firstrade Navigator | N/A | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Journal | No | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 50 | 9 |
| Stock Chart Features | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 102 | 9 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | No | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | No | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 1 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
| Streaming TV | No | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
| Short Locator | No | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 1 | 2 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
| ETF Research | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | 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 | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | Yes |
| Options Trading | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains - Streaming | No | No | |
| Option Chains - Total Columns | 8 | 9 | |
| Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 0 | |
| Option Chains - Quick Analysis | No | No | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No | |
| Option Probability Analysis | No | No | |
| Option Probability Analysis Adv | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Greeks | No | No | |
| Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | No | No | |
| Option Positions - Adv Analysis | No | No | |
| Option Positions - Rolling | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Grouping | No | No |
| Banking | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| 24/7 Support | No | No |
| Overall | Firstrade | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Options |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Ease Of Use |
|
| |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Firstrade Review | Vanguard Review |
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 Vanguard.
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 Vanguard. Firstrade offers investors access to Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (Options) and Education (Retirement), while Vanguard offers investors access to Videos, Education (Stocks) and Education (Retirement). Neither have Paper Trading, Education (ETFs), Education (Mutual Funds) and Education (Bonds).
Firstrade and Vanguard charge the same amount for regular stock trades, $0.00. Option contracts are pricier at Vanguard, costing $1.00 per contract versus $0.00 per contract at Firstrade. Firstrade and Vanguard both charge (Not offered) per option contract. For a deeper dive, see our best brokers for free stock trading or options trading guides.
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 Vanguard. Firstrade ranks #6 out of 18 brokers for our Investment Options category, while Vanguard ranks #9.
Firstrade offers investors access to Stock Trading, Fractional Shares, Options Trading, OTC Stocks and Mutual Funds, while Vanguard offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds and Advisor Services. Neither have Futures Trading and Forex Trading. Looking at Mutual Funds, Vanguard trails Firstrade in its offering of no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds, with Firstrade offering 4206 and Vanguard offering .
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 Vanguard offer crypto trading.
To compare the day trading platforms of Firstrade and Vanguard, 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.
After testing 25 features across the stock trading apps of Firstrade and Vanguard, 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 Vanguard ranks #18.
Firstrade Trading App Gallery
Vanguard Trading App Gallery
For research, Firstrade offers superior market research than Vanguard. Firstrade ranks #6 and Vanguard ranks #9.
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.
Firstrade requires a minimum deposit of $0.00, while Vanguard requires a minimum deposit of $0.00. From our testing, we found that SoFi is the only broker that requires a minimum deposit.
Firstrade charges 13.75% for accounts under $25,000 while Vanguard charges a margin rate of 13.75%. The industry average of the 18 brokers we track is 9%.
While Firstrade offers fractional shares, Vanguard 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.
Both Firstrade and Vanguard allow you to trade penny stocks. Firstrade charges $0.00 per trade while Vanguard charges $0.00. 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.
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 Vanguard offers none. Neither have Savings Accounts, Credit Cards and Mortgage Loans.
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.
Vanguard was rated 6th out of 13 brokers, with an overall score of 8.33 out of 10.
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.
Vanguard is aimed squarely at buy-and-hold investors, and its platform reflects that focus. Vanguard is known for its low-cost funds, and the investment platform is really built for those looking to invest solely in mutual funds and ETFs.
Overall winner: Firstrade
Fidelity
Merrill Edge
E*TRADE
TradeStation
Interactive Brokers
Charles Schwab
tastytrade
eToro
