Interactive Brokers vs Fidelity Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)
Interactive Brokers and Fidelity 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 | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://www.interactivebrokers.com/ | https://www.fidelity.com/ |
| Broker Type | Self-directed online discount broker | Full-service |
| Trading: Stock & ETF? | Yes | Yes |
| ETF & Stock commission | 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) | $0 online US stocks/ETFs |
| Fractional Shares? | Yes (eligible US/CA/EU stocks & ETFs, from $1) | Yes (7,000+ US stocks/ETFs, $1 min) |
| Percent Allocations? | Yes (TWS Rebalance Portfolio sets custom target %) | Yes (Fidelity Basket Portfolios) |
| Crypto Trading? | Yes (spot crypto via Paxos/Zero Hash for eligible US IB LLC clients; permissions required; also futures/ETPs) | Yes, via Fidelity Crypto® (BTC, ETH, SOL, LTC, FIDD) for US retail; also crypto ETPs in brokerage. |
| Crypto Fees | 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 | 1% of executed market value on buys/sells (Fidelity Crypto®/IRAs); none on FIDD vs USD. |
| Options Trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Options Fee | 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 | $0 commission + $0.65/contract online; $0 for buy-to-close ≤$0.65. Extra fees for some indexes/pros. |
| Bond Trading Available? | Yes (US Treasuries, corporates, munis, CDs, 1M+ global bonds) | Yes; $0 online for new issues/US Treasuries; $1 per bond secondary (caps apply). |
| Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? | Sometimes (Lite receives PFOF on US stocks/options; Pro generally avoids via SmartRouting) | Yes (receives PFOF on equities from wholesalers and on options). |
| Interface: Web trading? | Yes (Client Portal web; IBKR Mobile and GlobalTrader apps) | Yes (Fidelity.com web; Fidelity Investments iOS/Android app; Fidelity Trader+). |
| Desktop trading? | Yes; Trader Workstation (TWS) and IBKR Desktop. | Yes (Fidelity Trader+ Desktop, PC/Mac; Active Trader Pro Classic also available) |
| API Trading? | Yes; TWS API and Web API for retail algorithmic trading. | No (no official public retail trading API) |
| Mutual Funds: Offered? | Yes | Yes |
| Total Mutual Funds | 50,000+ | Over 10,000 |
| NTF Mutual Funds | 20,000+ | Thousands (all Fidelity funds plus many NTF third-party) |
| Non-NTF Fund Fee | Lesser of 3% of trade value or USD 14.95 per transaction (US). | $49.95 per purchase (some up to $100); $0 redemption |
| Early Redemption Fee? | Yes (no IBKR fee); fund companies may charge per prospectus. | No ($49.95 Fidelity short-term fee on most NTF funds held <60 days) |
| Redemption Hold (Days) | None by IBKR (0 days); fund prospectus may impose. | 60 days (NTF FundsNetwork non-Fidelity funds) |
| Early Redemption Fee | $0 from IBKR; funds may charge per prospectus. | $49.95 online (NTF funds held <60 days) |
| Accounts: Margin Accounts? | Yes (Cash, Margin, or Portfolio Margin; typically $2,000 equity for margin). | Yes |
| IRAs Offered? | Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Inherited, Rollover). | Yes (traditional, Roth, SEP) |
| HSAs Offered? | No | Yes |
| Money Market Sweep? | Yes (Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program). | Yes |
| CDs Offered? | Yes (brokered CDs). | Yes (brokered CDs) |
| Robo-Advisor: Offered | Yes | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor Service | Interactive Advisors | Fidelity Go |
| Robo-Advisor Fees | 0.10%–0.75% AUM/year (varies by portfolio; IA 0.10%–0.20%, managers 0.25%–0.75%); no commissions | $0 under $25,000; 0.35%/yr for $25,000+ |
| Basics: Headquarters | Greenwich, CT | Boston, MA |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1946 |
| Clearing Firm | Self-clearing | National Financial Services LLC |
| Local Branches? | No | Yes, ~215 U.S. Investor Centers |
| New Account Minimum | $0 | $0 |
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