E*TRADE vs Merrill Edge

E*TRADE is an online broker with one of the best user interfaces. How does it compare to Merrill Edge? Read our comparison chart below.

E*TRADE offers stock trades at $0 per trade. There is a $500 minimum deposit, no maintenance fee and no inactivity fee.

While Merrill Edge (a subsidiary of Bank of America) offers stock trades at $0 commission and options trading at $0 + $0.65 per contract. There is no account minimum, no maintenance fee, and no inactivity fee.

Compare E*TRADE with Merrill Edge, side-by-side.

	E*TRADE	Merrill Edge
	SPECIAL OFFER Learn more about ETRADE - Learn More* Read E*TRADE Review	SPECIAL OFFER $100 Bonus Offer - Learn More
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	$0 per trade	$0 per trade
Options Trading	$0 per trade + $0.65 per contract $0 per trade + $0.50 per contract if you make 30+ trades a quarter	$0 + $0.65 per contract
Annual Fee	None
Minimum Deposit	$0 for self-directed brokerage accounts; Managed portfolios start at $500 minimum	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	$0 for no-load, no-transaction-fee funds; $19.99 for transaction-fee funds	$0 for no load, no-transaction-fee funds ($39.95 short-term redemption fee if the fund is held less than 90 days) $19.95 for no load, transaction-fee funds
Commission Free ETFs	250+
Penny Stocks
Broker Assisted Trades	$25 + Regular Commission	$29.95
Inactivity Fee	$0	None
Maintenance Fee	$0	$0
Banking	Checking account offers no minimum balance requirements, free online bill pay, and unlimited debit card and check transactions.	Through Bank of America
Mobile App		Yes
Desktop App	Power E*TRADE Pro (requires you to execute at least 30 trades during a calendar quarter or maintain brokerage account balance of at least $250,000)	Yes
Forex Trading		No
Futures Trading	$1.50 per contract, per side + fees (excluding bitcoin futures)	No
Customer Service	800-387-2331	24/7
Locations		More than 2,100 Bank of America locations
Online Community		No
Seminars		Yes
Trading Platform	Web Trading, Mobile Apps
Virtual Trading	Yes	No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Banking
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Online Community
Research
Trading Platform
Pros & Cons	Pros: Expansive set of resources and tools Easy to use website Industry leader Cons: Trade fees
Bottom Line	Online broker with one of the best user interfaces... Read full review
	Learn more about ETRADE Personal Checking Account - $300 Bonus ETRADE Account - Up to $10,000 Bonus	$100 Bonus Offer $150 Bonus Offer $250 Bonus Offer
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. E*TRADE: Pricing information from published website as of 11/09/2024. Merrill Edge: Pricing information from published websites as of 08/01/2024.

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing E*TRADE or Robinhood.