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

E*Trade and Tradestation 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 Tradestation (2026)
Feature E*Trade Tradestation
Website https://us.etrade.com/home https://www.tradestation.com/
Broker Type Online self-directed brokerage (Morgan Stanley; full-service advisors available) Discount
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 online US-listed stocks/ETFs (OTC $6.95; other fees may apply) $0; routing/clearing fees may apply
Fractional Shares? Yes, select listed stocks/ETFs (up to 3 decimals, $5 min notional; expanding) No
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. Yes
Crypto Fees 0.50% of notional value (no spread/markup); charged by zerohash (E*TRADE receives a portion). Tiered maker/taker pricing based on account balance
Options Trading? Yes Yes
Options Fee $0.65/contract ($0.50 with 30+ trades/quarter) plus regulatory/exchange fees. $0.80/contract standard tier; $0.40/contract multi-leg
Bond Trading Available? Yes; 50,000+ bonds/CDs from many issuers. Yes; Treasuries, corporate, and municipal bonds
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) Yes; TradeStation Desktop/Web/Mobile
API Trading? Yes (Developer Platform REST API; unattended algo orders prohibited) Yes; TradeStation WebAPI and FIX APIs
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes Yes
Total Mutual Funds 5,000+ (6,000+ NTF listed on pricing) Over 2,000
NTF Mutual Funds 6,000+ Not publicly stated
Non-NTF Fund Fee $0 online (no-load NTF); loads per prospectus $14.95
Early Redemption Fee? Yes (no E*TRADE fee; fund fees may apply) Varies by fund
Redemption Hold (Days) None (0 days); E*TRADE charges no short-term redemption fee (fund prospectus fees may apply) Fund-specific
Early Redemption Fee $0 from E*TRADE; fund prospectus redemption fees may apply Fund-specific
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes Yes
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, others) Yes; Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, and Rollover
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (Bank Deposit Program / BDP) No
CDs Offered? Yes No
Robo-Advisor: Offered Yes No
Robo-Advisor Service Core Portfolios None
Robo-Advisor Fees 0.30% annual advisory fee ($500 min.) Not applicable
Basics: Headquarters Arlington, VA Plantation, FL
Year Founded 1982 1982
Clearing Firm Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC TradeStation Securities, Inc. (self-clearing)
Local Branches? No No; corporate offices only
New Account Minimum $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