Interactive Brokers vs TD Ameritrade

Interactive Brokers is a good discount broker for experienced, high volume traders. . How does it compare to TD Ameritrade? Read our comparison chart below.

Interactive Brokers offers trades starting at just 0.5 cents per share. It also offers a tiered pricing plan that awards high volume traders with even lower rates. There is a $10,000 opening account minimum ($3,000 for clients 25 and younger). There is a monthly activity fee unless required commission minimums are met.

While TD Ameritrade offers $0 commission online stock, ETF, and option trades. This online broker also has more than 100 branch locations. There is no minimum deposit, no maintenance fee, and no inactivity fee.

Compare Interactive Brokers with TD Ameritrade, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.

	Interactive Brokers	TD Ameritrade
	Earn $200 with Referrals - Learn More Read Interactive Brokers Review	OFFER Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades - Learn More Read TD Ameritrade Review
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	Fixed pricing: $0.0005 - $0.0035 per share (min $0.35 per order, max 1.0% of trade value). Tiered pricing: Starts at $0.0035 per share for less than 300,000 shares (min $0.35 per order, max 1% of trade value)	$0 commission for online stock, ETF, and option trades
Options Trading	$.15-$.70 per contract ($1 minimum per order)	$0.65 per contract
Minimum Deposit	$10,000 for individual accounts; $5,000 for IRAs; $3,000 for clients 25 and under	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	$0 for no-transaction-fee funds. For transaction-fee funds, 3% trade value OR $14.95, per transaction, whichever is less, for transaction-fee funds	Up to $49.95 or $74.95 for buys. $0 for sells
Commission Free ETFs	48	550+ Commission-Free ETFs
Penny Stocks
Broker Assisted Trades	$30	$25
Customer Service	United States: Monday-Friday 8am - 10pm ET; Sunday 1pm - 7pm ET (24/7 Weekday service available in other countries)	(800) 669-3900 (Open 24/7)
Inactivity Fee	$10/month for accounts under $100,000; $20/month for accounts under $2,000; $3/month for clients 25 and younger	$0
Maintenance Fee	Waived if account value is at least $100,000 OR if monthly commission requirements are met. If not met, the activity fee is the difference. For accounts less than $100,000: the commission requirement is $10/month. For accounts less than $2,000: the commission requirement is $20/month. For clients 25 and younger: the commission requirement is $3/month.	$0
Banking	No	Cash Management account offers free ATM withdrawals, no monthly maintenance fees, free online bill pay, and free check writing.
Mobile App	Yes
Desktop App	Yes	Thinkorswim
Forex Trading	Available for qualified customers
Futures Trading	Yes	$2.25 per contract (plus exchange & regulatory fees)
Locations	No	More than 100 locations in 34 states
Online Community	Yes
Seminars	Yes	Online webcast
Virtual Trading	Yes	Paper Trading to practice/test strategies and ideas.
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Fund Trading
Online Platform
Banking
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Research
Online Community
Trading Platform
Pros & Cons	Pros: Large number of investments, including options, futures, and forex Customize trading platform Tools and opportunities for research Cons: $10,000 minimum to open an account. Platform can be too much for a beginner to understand Inactivity fees if you don't meet the trade commission requirements.	Pros: Easy to Use Thinkorswim Platform Customer Service Cons: Trade Fees
Bottom Line	Good discount broker for experienced, high volume traders... Read full review	Good online broker for long-term investors... Read full review
		Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades Open an IRA in 15 minutes or less
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. Interactive Brokers: Pricing information from published websites as of 09/15/2019. TD Ameritrade: Pricing information from published website as of 07/18/2019.

Which is Better: Interactive Brokers or TD Ameritrade?

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Interactive Brokers or eToro.

In short: Interactive Brokers' stock trading and options trading are outstanding. TD Ameritrade's ease of use and research are impressive.

Articles on Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers

Do you have $10,000 and plenty of trading knowledge? Interactive Brokers may provide you with a solid trading platform. With their competitive fees and robust trading options, they are a common choice for the experienced trader.

• Interactive Brokers vs Robinhood

Articles on TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade fees are higher than competitors, but is it worth it? We say yes and here's why. We analyze and compare it for you in our in-depth review.

TD Ameritrade Customer Service

TD Ameritrade offers 24/7 customer service - both online and on the phone. But the best way to actually contact TD Ameritrade may surprise you. Read on.

Which Do You Think is Best?

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