Firstrade vs Vanguard Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)
Firstrade and Vanguard 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.
| Feature | Firstrade | Vanguard |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://www.firstrade.com/ | https://investor.vanguard.com/ |
| Broker Type | Discount (self-directed online brokerage) | Full-Service |
| Trading: Stock & ETF? | Yes | Yes |
| ETF & Stock commission | $0 online ($19.95 broker-assisted) | $0 online |
| Fractional Shares? | Yes (most U.S. stocks/ETFs; $5 min) | Yes; eligible Vanguard ETFs/dollar-based trading |
| Percent Allocations? | No | Yes; Vanguard Digital Advisor/asset-allocation tools |
| Crypto Trading? | No | No |
| Crypto Fees | N/A | Not applicable |
| 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 | $1/contract |
| Bond Trading Available? | Yes (web only; net yield basis/markup) | Yes; Treasuries, bonds, and CDs |
| Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? | Yes | No |
| Interface: Web trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop trading? | No | No |
| API Trading? | No | No |
| Mutual Funds: Offered? | Yes | Yes |
| Total Mutual Funds | 11,000+ | Over 3,000 |
| NTF Mutual Funds | 11,000+ | Over 1,800 |
| Non-NTF Fund Fee | $0 online; $19.95 broker-assisted (no-load) | $20 online for transaction-fee funds; $0 for NTF funds |
| Early Redemption Fee? | No ($19.95 if held <90 days) | No |
| Redemption Hold (Days) | 90 days | 60 days |
| Early Redemption Fee | $19.95 | $50 |
| Accounts: Margin Accounts? | Yes (approval; $2,000 min assets; not IRAs/custodial/ESA) | Yes |
| IRAs Offered? | Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Rollover) | Yes; Traditional, Roth, SEP, Rollover, and Custodial |
| HSAs Offered? | No | No |
| Money Market Sweep? | Yes (FDIC sweep via Apex; 0.15%; not margin/SIMPLE IRA/ESA) | Yes; settlement-fund/cash-deposit sweep |
| CDs Offered? | Yes (primary $30; secondary net yield) | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor: Offered | No | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor Service | N/A | Vanguard Digital Advisor |
| Robo-Advisor Fees | N/A | 0.20% all-index; 0.25% active/index mix |
| Basics: Headquarters | Flushing, NY | Valley Forge, PA |
| Year Founded | 1985 | 1975 |
| Clearing Firm | Apex Clearing Corporation | Vanguard Brokerage Services |
| Local Branches? | Yes (Flushing, NY HQ office, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ET); no nationwide network | No; phone/online service |
| New Account Minimum | $0 |
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