Usability

Investors can easily open and fund an account at E*TRADE and Fidelity. Both brokers have established two platforms—one for the casual trader and one for the advanced trader. Each offers a user-friendly design, with multiple tools and features to accommodate investor needs.

Usability Verdict: Tie

Both E*TRADE and Fidelity are easy to get started with. Overall, we found E*TRADE i𒅌s a good choice for active traders and investors—especially those who want access to a suite of excellent options tools. Fidelity is better for casual investors and traders looking for low costs and access to international trading.

Trade Experience

Desktop Trade Experience

Both platforms offer real-time, streaming quotes and several customizable features. Both platforms are a bit lackluster with regard to their standard platform functionality and ease of use. However, when it comes to the more advanced trading platforms—Power E*TRADE and Fidelity’s A♈ctive Trader Pro—investors can find several additional options for screening, staging, and placing orders.

Desktop Trade Experience Verdict: E*TRADE

Although it was close, we found that E*TRADE offers a more satisfying desktop trading experience due to its robust Power E*TRADE platform and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:backtesting capabilities.

Mobile Trade Experience

E*TRADE and Fidelity offer mobile apps that are easy to use. However, that easiness comes at a price; some desktop trading functions are absent from the mobile apps. Neither E*TRADE nor Fidelity offers fixed income trading on theiꦇr mobile apps. Additionally, Fidelity’s mobile app has very limited analysis and charting abilities. In contrast, E*TRADE offers robust watchlists via mobile as well as desktop or mobile. And E*TRADE’s app lets investors place conditional orders.

Both apps are well-rated on the App Store. E*TRADE has 4.7 sta🔥rs from 304,000 reviews, while Fidelity has 4.8 stars from 2.7 million reviews.

Mobile Trade Experience Verdict: E*TRADE

Overall, we found that both apps fit the needs of casual investors and traders, but only E*TRADE supports conditional orders, wಌhich⛄ can be a valuable distinction for active traders.

Range of Offerings

E*TRADE and Fidelity provide all the conventional trading products, such as s🔜tocks, ETFs, bonds, and mutual funds. Moreover, each has worthwhile distinctions. While E*TRADE offers futures and options trading, Fidelity provides access to forex, cryptocurrency, fractional share purchases, and trading through several overseas exchanges.

Range of Offerings Verdict: Fidelity

While both brokers offer a wide range of assets, we give Fidelity the edge here mainly for its wider support of fractional shaꦡre purchases.

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Order Types

E*TRADE and Fidelity platforms both support typical order types—market, limit, stop, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:trailing stops, and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:conditional. When it comes to conditional orders, E*TRADE offers investors a limited number of conditional orders𒊎 via mobile; in contrast, Fidelity does not off▨er conditional orders on mobile. Additionally, the E*TRADE platforms offer investors the ability to stage orders and select specific tax lots for trading, while Fidelity platforms allow clients to automatically allocate investments across several securities in an equal dollar amount or number of shares.

Order Types Verdict: E*TRADE  

In terms of orꦇder types, the gap between the two brokers is negligible for most individual investors, but E*TRADE’s greater flexibility versus Fidelity is an important plus for active traders.

Trading Technology

E*TRADE's order routing uses advanced technology to look for the best combination of execution speed and quality. According to its execution quality report, orders are filled in 0.15 to 0.22 seconds on average, with price improvements of $5.90 to $8.37 on average on share orders of 100 to 9,999 shares. The broker also receivܫes some ဣmoney for payment for order flow (PFOF).

Using what’s known as smart order routing technology, Fidelity seeks the best price available and can access all types of market venues, including dark pools, exchanges, and market makers. The company reports a net price improvement of $24.50 per 1,000 equity shares and an average execution speed of 0.04 seconds, which Fidelity says it achieves because it generally does not receive payment for order flow.

Trading Technology Verdict: Fidelity

Overall, Fidelity wins in the trading technology department due to its superior price improvement statistไics, faster execution speeds, and lack of payme🍌nt for order flow.

Costs

E*TRADE and Fidelity charge $0 base commissions for stock, ETF, and options trades. Options cost $0.65 per contract at both brokers; however, E*TRADE drops that fee to $0.50 if you place 30 trades per quarter. E*TRADE has better pricing on broker-assisted trades, with a $25 fee versus Fidelity’s $32.95 fee. Of the two brokers, only E*TRADE offers futures, which you can trade for $1.50 per contract, per side. Margin rates at Fidelity are slightly less than E*TRADE’s—on a $100,000 balance, the rate is 11.075% at Fidelity versus 11.70% with E*TRADE.

Costs Verdict: Fidelity

Overall, you might save money at Fidelity if you trade OTC o🍃r use margin, but E*TRADE is cheaper if mutual funds or options are your focus.

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Research and Account Amenities

E*TRADE and Fidelity provide a similar range of research tools, including extensive stock, ETF, mutual fund, and options screeners, calculators, idea generators, and professional research. While both brokers offer automatic investment into cash sweep accounts, Fidelity’s current APY of 2.21%, edges out E*TRADE’s; E*TRADE’s rates range from 0.01% to 0.15% APY currently.

Research and Ac🎃count Amenities Verdict: Fidelity

While Fidelity’s screens edged out E*TRADE’s in our tests, E*TRADE nearly took the lead for its news offerings. In the end, it was the much higher rate of interest Fidelity pays you on uninvested cash that🔯 won Fidelity this category.

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Portfolio Analysis

Overall, you get many of the standard features on both E*TRADE and Fidelity platforms—access to real-time quotes, disclosure of realized and unrealized gains, tax reporting data, and margin information. E*TRADE does offer time-weighted measures for gains 💝and losses, thereby eliminating the misleading performance effects of money flowing into and out of portfolios. Fidelity, however, offers investors an enhanced experience when it comes to portfolio analysis by allowing clients to sync account data to see an aggregate view of their entire portfolio and financial situation. In contrast to E*TRADE, Fidelity also offers you a real-time internal rate of return (IRR).

Portfolio Analysis Verdict: Fidelity

Fidelity has a large edge in terms of portfolio analysis, and it takes external accounts into consideration as w♓ell.

Education

E*TRADE and Fidelity both offer quite a bit of educational content, including articles, planning tools, videos/webinars, and even in-person events. However, E*TRADE offers a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:demo account option that allows investors to run scenarios, implement their investment strategies, and simpl🥀y experience the platform without having to risk real dollars. This tool can be useful for beginner investors who want to ease into the market. It also grants sophisticated investors🌼 the ability to fine-tune their strategy before implementing it in their actual portfolio.

Education Verdict: E*TRADE

Overall, E*TRADE takes a slight lead here by offering 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:paper trading capabilities a🦩nd a broꦏader range of educational topics.

Customer Service

E*TRADE and Fidelity both offer 24/7 customer service via telephone and onl𝔍ine chat, email, social media, and access to FAQs and help c🎐enters—where most investor questions can be answered. Additionally, Fidelity offers a specific crypto help desk, as well as a fixed-income desk for bond investors. E*TRADE also offers a 24/7 phone line with access to brokers, retirement specialists, financial consultants, active trader consultants, and product specialists.

Customer Service Verdict: Tie

Overall, you can count on reliable customer service from e🧸ither b🅘roker.

Security

You will fiಌnd similar industry-standard security measures at both E*TRADE and Fidelity. Both companies offer investors extra security with two-factor authentication available on all platforms and biometric recognition (face or fingerprint) for logging into the apps. Finally, both brokerages offer SIPC insurance, which covers account values of up to $500,000 with a $250,000 limit on cash. Additionally, both brokers have an excess of SIPC insurance with a $1 billion aggregate limit, which covers you if the firm should go bankrupt.

Security Verdict: Tie

Both of these brokers are large, aཧnd their security steps are up t🐈o industry standards. Your money is safe with either firm.

Account Types

E*TRADE and Fidelity boꦿth offer the standar🌼d account types, including:

• Individual brokerage accounts
• Custodial accounts
• 澳洲幸运5ꦺ开奖号码历史查询:Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs)
• Individual retirement accounts (IRAs)—traditional, Roth, rollover, beneficiary, SIMPLE, SEP, and IRAs for minors

Fidelity also offers a number of specialty accounts like 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:health savings accounts (HSAs) and a non-custodial youth account where young investors can make their ownꦫ investing decis꧙ions.

Account Types Verdict: Fidelity

Fidelity has the edge thanks to more specialty account types. Still, investors generally can find most of the account types they need at either o🦹f these brokers.

The Bottom Line

E*TRADE and Fidelity are both very reputable𒆙 online brokerages, and many investors find that their investing needs are met by either company. Fidelity was ranked as our best option for most investors due to the company’s low costs, low margin rates, and access to international trading. If you are a more active trader, though, you might enjoy the additional pricing perks that E*TRADE offers.