Interactive Brokers vs E*TRADE
Interactive Brokers is a good discount broker for experienced, high volume traders. . How does it compare to E*TRADE? 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 E*TRADE offers stock trades at $0 per trade. There is a $500 minimum deposit, no maintenance fee and no inactivity fee.
Compare Interactive Brokers with E*TRADE, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.
Interactive Brokers | E*TRADE | |
---|---|---|
Learn more about E*TRADE - | ||
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) | |
Options Trading | $.15-$.70 per contract ($1 minimum per order) |
|
Minimum Deposit | $10,000 for individual accounts; $5,000 for IRAs; $3,000 for clients 25 and under | $0 for self-directed brokerage accounts; Managed portfolios start at $500 minimum |
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 | $0 for no-load, no-transaction-fee funds; $19.99 for transaction-fee funds |
Commission Free ETFs | ||
Penny Stocks | ![]() | |
Broker Assisted Trades | ||
Customer Service | United States: Monday-Friday 8am - 10pm ET; Sunday 1pm - 7pm ET (24/7 Weekday service available in other countries) | |
Inactivity Fee | $10/month for accounts under $100,000; $20/month for accounts under $2,000; $3/month for clients 25 and younger | |
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. | |
Banking | Checking account offers no minimum balance requirements, free online bill pay, and unlimited debit card and check transactions. | |
Mobile App | ![]() | |
Desktop App | 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) | |
Forex Trading | Available for qualified customers | |
Futures Trading | $1.50 per contract, per side + fees (excluding bitcoin futures) | |
Locations | ||
Online Community | ||
Seminars | ||
Virtual Trading | ||
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:
| Pros:
|
Bottom Line | Good discount broker for experienced, high volume traders... | Online broker with one of the best user interfaces... |
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. E*TRADE: Pricing information from published website as of 12/05//2020. |
Which is Better: Interactive Brokers or E*TRADE?
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, options trading, and banking are notable. In particular, the stock trading and options trading are outstanding. E*TRADE's ease of use is outstanding.