Firstrade vs Interactive Brokers Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)

Firstrade and Interactive Brokers 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 Interactive Brokers (2026)
Feature Firstrade Interactive Brokers
Website https://www.firstrade.com/ https://www.interactivebrokers.com/
Broker Type Discount (self-directed online brokerage) Self-directed online discount broker
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 online ($19.95 broker-assisted) IBKR Lite: $0 US-listed stocks/ETFs (US residents); IBKR Pro: $0.005/share fixed (min $1) or $0.0005–$0.0035/share tiered (min $0.35)
Fractional Shares? Yes (most U.S. stocks/ETFs; $5 min) Yes (eligible US/CA/EU stocks & ETFs, from $1)
Percent Allocations? No Yes (TWS Rebalance Portfolio sets custom target %)
Crypto Trading? No Yes (spot crypto via Paxos/Zero Hash for eligible US IB LLC clients; permissions required; also futures/ETPs)
Crypto Fees N/A 0.12%–0.18% of trade value (monthly volume tiers), USD 1.75 min/order (capped at 1% of value); no added spreads/markups/custody fees; possible $0.15/mo Paxos fee
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 US: Lite $0.65/contract ($1 min; Pro rates after 1k contracts/mo); Pro $0.15–$0.65/contract (volume/premium tiers), $1 min/order + exchange/reg/clearing fees
Bond Trading Available? Yes (web only; net yield basis/markup) Yes (US Treasuries, corporates, munis, CDs, 1M+ global bonds)
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes Sometimes (Lite receives PFOF on US stocks/options; Pro generally avoids via SmartRouting)
Interface: Web trading? Yes Yes (Client Portal web; IBKR Mobile and GlobalTrader apps)
Desktop trading? No Yes; Trader Workstation (TWS) and IBKR Desktop.
API Trading? No Yes; TWS API and Web API for retail algorithmic trading.
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes Yes
Total Mutual Funds 11,000+ 50,000+
NTF Mutual Funds 11,000+ 20,000+
Non-NTF Fund Fee $0 online; $19.95 broker-assisted (no-load) Lesser of 3% of trade value or USD 14.95 per transaction (US).
Early Redemption Fee? No ($19.95 if held <90 days) Yes (no IBKR fee); fund companies may charge per prospectus.
Redemption Hold (Days) 90 days None by IBKR (0 days); fund prospectus may impose.
Early Redemption Fee $19.95 $0 from IBKR; funds may charge per prospectus.
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes (approval; $2,000 min assets; not IRAs/custodial/ESA) Yes (Cash, Margin, or Portfolio Margin; typically $2,000 equity for margin).
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Rollover) Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Inherited, Rollover).
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (FDIC sweep via Apex; 0.15%; not margin/SIMPLE IRA/ESA) Yes (Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program).
CDs Offered? Yes (primary $30; secondary net yield) Yes (brokered CDs).
Robo-Advisor: Offered No Yes
Robo-Advisor Service N/A Interactive Advisors
Robo-Advisor Fees N/A 0.10%–0.75% AUM/year (varies by portfolio; IA 0.10%–0.20%, managers 0.25%–0.75%); no commissions
Basics: Headquarters Flushing, NY Greenwich, CT
Year Founded 1985 1977
Clearing Firm Apex Clearing Corporation Self-clearing
Local Branches? Yes (Flushing, NY HQ office, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ET); no nationwide network No
New Account Minimum $0 $0

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