E*Trade vs Firstrade Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)

E*Trade and Firstrade are two leading discount brokerages offering commission-free stock and ETF trading. Use this head-to-head comparison table to evaluate fees, features, trading tools, and account options to help you decide which broker is right for you in 2026.

Head-to-Head Comparison: E*Trade vs Firstrade (2026)
Feature E*Trade Firstrade
Website https://us.etrade.com/home https://www.firstrade.com/
Broker Type Online self-directed brokerage (Morgan Stanley; full-service advisors available) Discount (self-directed online brokerage)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 online US-listed stocks/ETFs (OTC $6.95; other fees may apply) $0 online ($19.95 broker-assisted)
Fractional Shares? Yes, select listed stocks/ETFs (up to 3 decimals, $5 min notional; expanding) Yes (most U.S. stocks/ETFs; $5 min)
Percent Allocations? No (Prebuilt templates with suggested allocations; Core Portfolios managed) No
Crypto Trading? Yes; BTC, ETH, SOL via linked zerohash account for US individual brokerage clients. No
Crypto Fees 0.50% of notional value (no spread/markup); charged by zerohash (E*TRADE receives a portion). N/A
Options Trading? Yes Yes
Options Fee $0.65/contract ($0.50 with 30+ trades/quarter) plus regulatory/exchange fees. $0 commission and $0/contract; plus pass-through ORF (~$0.02/contract from Jul 2026) and SEC sell fees
Bond Trading Available? Yes; 50,000+ bonds/CDs from many issuers. Yes (web only; net yield basis/markup)
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes (receives PFOF on NMS stocks, ETFs, and options). Yes
Interface: Web trading? Yes; E*TRADE web/app and Power E*TRADE web/app/desktop. Yes
Desktop trading? Yes, Power E*TRADE Pro (Windows/Mac download) No
API Trading? Yes (Developer Platform REST API; unattended algo orders prohibited) No
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes Yes
Total Mutual Funds 5,000+ (6,000+ NTF listed on pricing) 11,000+
NTF Mutual Funds 6,000+ 11,000+
Non-NTF Fund Fee $0 online (no-load NTF); loads per prospectus $0 online; $19.95 broker-assisted (no-load)
Early Redemption Fee? Yes (no E*TRADE fee; fund fees may apply) No ($19.95 if held <90 days)
Redemption Hold (Days) None (0 days); E*TRADE charges no short-term redemption fee (fund prospectus fees may apply) 90 days
Early Redemption Fee $0 from E*TRADE; fund prospectus redemption fees may apply $19.95
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes Yes (approval; $2,000 min assets; not IRAs/custodial/ESA)
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, others) Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Rollover)
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (Bank Deposit Program / BDP) Yes (FDIC sweep via Apex; 0.15%; not margin/SIMPLE IRA/ESA)
CDs Offered? Yes Yes (primary $30; secondary net yield)
Robo-Advisor: Offered Yes No
Robo-Advisor Service Core Portfolios N/A
Robo-Advisor Fees 0.30% annual advisory fee ($500 min.) N/A
Basics: Headquarters Arlington, VA Flushing, NY
Year Founded 1982 1985
Clearing Firm Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Apex Clearing Corporation
Local Branches? No Yes (Flushing, NY HQ office, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ET); no nationwide network
New Account Minimum $0 $0

Once you’ve chosen a broker, find high-performing, investable model portfolios at RecipeInvesting.com


Picked a Broker? Now Build Your Perfect Portfolio

Find high-performing, investable model portfolios (Tactical, Strategic, and Managed) at RecipeInvesting.com.

Get FREE Access
Recipe Investing Logo

Compare E*Trade to All Brokers