Tradestation vs E*Trade Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)
Tradestation and E*Trade 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 | E*Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://www.tradestation.com/ | https://us.etrade.com/home |
| Broker Type | Discount | Online self-directed brokerage (Morgan Stanley; full-service advisors available) |
| Trading: Stock & ETF? | Yes | Yes |
| ETF & Stock commission | $0; routing/clearing fees may apply | $0 online US-listed stocks/ETFs (OTC $6.95; other fees may apply) |
| Fractional Shares? | No | Yes, select listed stocks/ETFs (up to 3 decimals, $5 min notional; expanding) |
| Percent Allocations? | No | No (Prebuilt templates with suggested allocations; Core Portfolios managed) |
| Crypto Trading? | Yes | Yes; BTC, ETH, SOL via linked zerohash account for US individual brokerage clients. |
| Crypto Fees | Tiered maker/taker pricing based on account balance | 0.50% of notional value (no spread/markup); charged by zerohash (E*TRADE receives a portion). |
| Options Trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Options Fee | $0.80/contract standard tier; $0.40/contract multi-leg | $0.65/contract ($0.50 with 30+ trades/quarter) plus regulatory/exchange fees. |
| Bond Trading Available? | Yes; Treasuries, corporate, and municipal bonds | Yes; 50,000+ bonds/CDs from many issuers. |
| Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? | Yes | Yes (receives PFOF on NMS stocks, ETFs, and options). |
| Interface: Web trading? | Yes | Yes; E*TRADE web/app and Power E*TRADE web/app/desktop. |
| Desktop trading? | Yes; TradeStation Desktop/Web/Mobile | Yes, Power E*TRADE Pro (Windows/Mac download) |
| API Trading? | Yes; TradeStation WebAPI and FIX APIs | Yes (Developer Platform REST API; unattended algo orders prohibited) |
| Mutual Funds: Offered? | Yes | Yes |
| Total Mutual Funds | Over 2,000 | 5,000+ (6,000+ NTF listed on pricing) |
| NTF Mutual Funds | Not publicly stated | 6,000+ |
| Non-NTF Fund Fee | $14.95 | $0 online (no-load NTF); loads per prospectus |
| Early Redemption Fee? | Varies by fund | Yes (no E*TRADE fee; fund fees may apply) |
| Redemption Hold (Days) | Fund-specific | None (0 days); E*TRADE charges no short-term redemption fee (fund prospectus fees may apply) |
| Early Redemption Fee | Fund-specific | $0 from E*TRADE; fund prospectus redemption fees may apply |
| Accounts: Margin Accounts? | Yes | Yes |
| IRAs Offered? | Yes; Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, and Rollover | Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, others) |
| HSAs Offered? | No | No |
| Money Market Sweep? | No | Yes (Bank Deposit Program / BDP) |
| CDs Offered? | No | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor: Offered | No | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor Service | None | Core Portfolios |
| Robo-Advisor Fees | Not applicable | 0.30% annual advisory fee ($500 min.) |
| Basics: Headquarters | Plantation, FL | Arlington, VA |
| Year Founded | 1982 | 1982 |
| Clearing Firm | TradeStation Securities, Inc. (self-clearing) | Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC |
| Local Branches? | No; corporate offices only | No |
| New Account Minimum | $0 |
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