Firstrade vs Ally Invest Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)

Firstrade and Ally Invest 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: Firstrade vs Ally Invest (2026)
Feature Firstrade Ally Invest
Website https://www.firstrade.com/ https://www.ally.com/invest/
Broker Type Discount (self-directed online brokerage) Discount (online self-directed brokerage)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 online ($19.95 broker-assisted) $0 eligible US stocks/ETFs ($2+); $4.95 + $0.01/share if <$2
Fractional Shares? Yes (most U.S. stocks/ETFs; $5 min) No
Percent Allocations? No No
Crypto Trading? No No
Crypto Fees N/A N/A
Options Trading? Yes Yes
Options Fee $0 commission and $0/contract; plus pass-through ORF (~$0.02/contract from Jul 2026) and SEC sell fees $0 commission + $0.50 per contract
Bond Trading Available? Yes (web only; net yield basis/markup) Yes
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes Yes
Interface: Web trading? Yes Yes
Desktop trading? No No
API Trading? No No
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes Yes
Total Mutual Funds 11,000+ Thousands (500+ fund families)
NTF Mutual Funds 11,000+ Over 5,400
Non-NTF Fund Fee $0 online; $19.95 broker-assisted (no-load) $0 (no-load); fund loads otherwise
Early Redemption Fee? No ($19.95 if held <90 days) Yes (no Ally fee)
Redemption Hold (Days) 90 days Varies by fund (prospectus); no Ally broker hold period listed
Early Redemption Fee $19.95 Fund-specific (often 0–2%); Ally $0 for no-load sales
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes (approval; $2,000 min assets; not IRAs/custodial/ESA) Yes ($2,000 minimum equity required)
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Rollover) Yes (Traditional/Roth/Rollover at Invest; SEP at Ally Bank)
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (FDIC sweep via Apex; 0.15%; not margin/SIMPLE IRA/ESA) Yes (Apex FDIC bank sweep; 0% interest)
CDs Offered? Yes (primary $30; secondary net yield) Yes (brokered CDs; $24.95 per transaction)
Robo-Advisor: Offered No Yes
Robo-Advisor Service N/A Robo Portfolios
Robo-Advisor Fees N/A 0% cash-enhanced (30% cash buffer) or 0.30% market-focused; ETF expenses extra
Basics: Headquarters Flushing, NY Charlotte, NC
Year Founded 1985 2017
Clearing Firm Apex Clearing Corporation Apex Clearing Corporation
Local Branches? Yes (Flushing, NY HQ office, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ET); no nationwide network No
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 Firstrade to All Brokers