Tradestation vs Ally Invest Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)
Tradestation 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.
| Feature | Tradestation | Ally Invest |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://www.tradestation.com/ | https://www.ally.com/invest/ |
| Broker Type | Discount | Discount (online self-directed brokerage) |
| Trading: Stock & ETF? | Yes | Yes |
| ETF & Stock commission | $0; routing/clearing fees may apply | $0 eligible US stocks/ETFs ($2+); $4.95 + $0.01/share if <$2 |
| Fractional Shares? | No | No |
| Percent Allocations? | No | No |
| Crypto Trading? | Yes | No |
| Crypto Fees | Tiered maker/taker pricing based on account balance | N/A |
| Options Trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Options Fee | $0.80/contract standard tier; $0.40/contract multi-leg | $0 commission + $0.50 per contract |
| Bond Trading Available? | Yes; Treasuries, corporate, and municipal bonds | Yes |
| Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? | Yes | Yes |
| Interface: Web trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop trading? | Yes; TradeStation Desktop/Web/Mobile | No |
| API Trading? | Yes; TradeStation WebAPI and FIX APIs | No |
| Mutual Funds: Offered? | Yes | Yes |
| Total Mutual Funds | Over 2,000 | Thousands (500+ fund families) |
| NTF Mutual Funds | Not publicly stated | Over 5,400 |
| Non-NTF Fund Fee | $14.95 | $0 (no-load); fund loads otherwise |
| Early Redemption Fee? | Varies by fund | Yes (no Ally fee) |
| Redemption Hold (Days) | Fund-specific | Varies by fund (prospectus); no Ally broker hold period listed |
| Early Redemption Fee | Fund-specific | Fund-specific (often 0–2%); Ally $0 for no-load sales |
| Accounts: Margin Accounts? | Yes | Yes ($2,000 minimum equity required) |
| IRAs Offered? | Yes; Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, and Rollover | Yes (Traditional/Roth/Rollover at Invest; SEP at Ally Bank) |
| HSAs Offered? | No | No |
| Money Market Sweep? | No | Yes (Apex FDIC bank sweep; 0% interest) |
| CDs Offered? | No | Yes (brokered CDs; $24.95 per transaction) |
| Robo-Advisor: Offered | No | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor Service | None | Robo Portfolios |
| Robo-Advisor Fees | Not applicable | 0% cash-enhanced (30% cash buffer) or 0.30% market-focused; ETF expenses extra |
| Basics: Headquarters | Plantation, FL | Charlotte, NC |
| Year Founded | 1982 | 2017 |
| Clearing Firm | TradeStation Securities, Inc. (self-clearing) | Apex Clearing Corporation |
| Local Branches? | No; corporate offices only | No |
| New Account Minimum | $0 |
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