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

ZacksTrade and Firstrade 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: ZacksTrade vs Firstrade (2026)
Feature ZacksTrade Firstrade
Website https://www.zackstrade.com/ https://www.firstrade.com/
Broker Type Discount Discount (self-directed online brokerage)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0.01 per share (minimum $1); 1% of trade value below $1/share $0 online ($19.95 broker-assisted)
Fractional Shares? No Yes (most U.S. stocks/ETFs; $5 min)
Percent Allocations? Yes; Rebalance Portfolio No
Crypto Trading? No No
Crypto Fees Not applicable N/A
Options Trading? Yes Yes
Options Fee $1 for first contract + $0.75 per additional $0 commission and $0/contract; plus pass-through ORF (~$0.02/contract from Jul 2026) and SEC sell fees
Bond Trading Available? Yes; corporate and government bonds Yes (web only; net yield basis/markup)
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes Yes
Interface: Web trading? Yes Yes
Desktop trading? Yes; Zacks Trade Pro/Client Portal/app No
API Trading? No No
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes Yes
Total Mutual Funds Not publicly stated 11,000+
NTF Mutual Funds Not publicly stated 11,000+
Non-NTF Fund Fee $27.50 $0 online; $19.95 broker-assisted (no-load)
Early Redemption Fee? Varies by fund No ($19.95 if held <90 days)
Redemption Hold (Days) Fund-specific 90 days
Early Redemption Fee Fund-specific $19.95
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes Yes (approval; $2,000 min assets; not IRAs/custodial/ESA)
IRAs Offered? Yes; Traditional, Roth, SEP, and Rollover Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Rollover)
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? No Yes (FDIC sweep via Apex; 0.15%; not margin/SIMPLE IRA/ESA)
CDs Offered? No Yes (primary $30; secondary net yield)
Robo-Advisor: Offered No No
Robo-Advisor Service None N/A
Robo-Advisor Fees Not applicable N/A
Basics: Headquarters Chicago, IL Flushing, NY
Year Founded 2013 1985
Clearing Firm Interactive Brokers LLC Apex Clearing Corporation
Local Branches? No; online broker Yes (Flushing, NY HQ office, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ET); no nationwide network
New Account Minimum $0 $0

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