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

Firstrade and SoFi 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 SoFi Invest (2026)
Feature Firstrade SoFi Invest
Website https://www.firstrade.com/ https://www.sofi.com/invest/
Broker Type Discount (self-directed online brokerage) Discount (self-directed online brokerage + robo-advisor)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 online ($19.95 broker-assisted) $0 commissions
Fractional Shares? Yes (most U.S. stocks/ETFs; $5 min) Yes ($5 min on select stocks/ETFs)
Percent Allocations? No No
Crypto Trading? No Yes. SoFi Crypto offers 28 cryptocurrencies (as of May 2026); requires SoFi Checking & Savings.
Crypto Fees N/A Tiered 1.90%/1.50%/1.25%/0.90% of trade value by monthly volume (<$1k/$1-5k/$5-10k/$10k+); possible ≤0.10% spread.
Options Trading? Yes Yes. Options trading available (long calls/puts, covered calls, cash-secured puts; 0DTE and IRAs).
Options Fee $0 commission and $0/contract; plus pass-through ORF (~$0.02/contract from Jul 2026) and SEC sell fees $0 commissions and $0 contract fees. Regulatory fees apply (e.g., ORF $0.02, OCC $0.025 per contract).
Bond Trading Available? Yes (web only; net yield basis/markup) No. Individual bonds not offered; exposure via bond ETFs and mutual funds only.
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes Yes. Receives payment-for-order-flow revenue share via Apex Clearing.
Interface: Web trading? Yes Yes. Full trading on SoFi mobile app (iOS/Android) and sofi.com website.
Desktop trading? No No
API Trading? No No
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes Yes
Total Mutual Funds 11,000+ 6,800+
NTF Mutual Funds 11,000+ 6,800
Non-NTF Fund Fee $0 online; $19.95 broker-assisted (no-load) 0.2% of purchase (max $20); 2% for interval/tender funds
Early Redemption Fee? No ($19.95 if held <90 days) Yes (no SoFi short-term fee)
Redemption Hold (Days) 90 days Fund-specific (CDSC varies by fund); no SoFi-imposed hold.
Early Redemption Fee $19.95 Fund-specific CDSC (varies); SoFi charges none (purchase tx fee 0.2% max $20).
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes (approval; $2,000 min assets; not IRAs/custodial/ESA) Yes (Self-Directed; apply, $2,000 min).
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Rollover) Yes: Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs.
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (FDIC sweep via Apex; 0.15%; not margin/SIMPLE IRA/ESA) Yes (optional FDIC bank sweep via Apex).
CDs Offered? Yes (primary $30; secondary net yield) No
Robo-Advisor: Offered No Yes
Robo-Advisor Service N/A SoFi Automated Investing (Robo Investing)
Robo-Advisor Fees N/A 0.25% annual wrap/advisory fee plus fund expenses; $50 min.
Basics: Headquarters Flushing, NY San Francisco, CA
Year Founded 1985 2011
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

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