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TradeStation is one of the most trader-oriented online brokers, and therefore most of its investment offerings, educational resources, customer support, and trading platform features were designed with this in mind. It's not perfect -- investors who want to simply buy and sell stocks for long-term investments, or who want an easy-to-navigate platform might be better off looking elsewhere. But if you aim to be an active investor, or want to learn how to trade futures or options, TradeStation could be worth a closer look.
On TradeStation's Secure Website.
A discount broker that's designed for active traders and cost-sensitive investors. You can often spend less than with other platforms.
$0 stock trades
$0
New accounts with qualifying assets earn $50 to $5,000 using code FOOLAFYJ
On TradeStation's Secure Website.
We recommend comparing brokerage options to ensure the account you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of our best trading platforms of 2026.
| Broker | Best For | Commissions | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Full-service investing at every experience level | $0 commission for online U.S. stock and ETFs*. No account fees****. |
Learn More for Fidelity
On Fidelity's Secure Website. |
4.90/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Low-cost investing with a full-featured platform | $0 stock, ETF, and Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource® trades. No fees to buy fractional shares. |
Learn More for Charles Schwab
On Charles Schwab's Secure Website. |
4.80/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Low fees on stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options | $0 on trades of stocks, ETFs and their options. Other fees may apply. |
Learn More for Robinhood
On Robinhood's Secure Website. |
TradeStation is a platform designed for active investors, and as such, it offers several types of investments and derivative securities. It does offer some accounts, specifically IRAs, that are most often used by long-term investors, so you can keep your trading and retirement accounts at the same broker.
TradeStation used to offer cryptocurrency trading. It launched the TradeStation crypto platform in November 2019, but made the decision to discontinue operations in Feruary 2024 due to the uncertain regulatory environment.
TIP
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We'd rank TradeStation towards the middle of the pack for commissions and fees. It isn't a particularly cheap broker, but its pricing is quite reasonable for such a full-featured brokerage platform.
| Reason | Cost |
|---|---|
| Stocks & ETFs | $0 |
| Options | $0 + $0.60 per contract |
| Futures | $0 + $1.50 per contract |
| Mutual funds | $14.95 per trade |
| Account transfer fee | $125 |
| Account maintenance fee | $0 ($35 per year for IRAs) |
Like many of its peers, TradeStation uses a tiered margin interest rate structure that depends on the customer's outstanding margin balance.
| Margin Balance | Margin Interest Rate |
|---|---|
| Under $50,000 | 13.5% |
| $50,000 - $499,999 | 12.5% |
| $500,000 or more | Negotiable |
TradeStation is designed with active investors and traders in mind, and therefore many of its educational resources are intended to teach the basics of trading and how to use the TradeStation platform.
It might not be the best choice if you're looking to learn things like the fundamentals of creating a retirement portfolio, conducting fundamental analysis, or other long-term investing concepts. It also doesn't offer access to third-party stock research reports, as this is a tool that is more commonly used by long-term investors, not traders.
As the company's name implies, TradeStation's key strength is its trading platforms. However, TradeStation doesn't offer a basic, easy-to-use interface to buy and sell stocks, so it might not be the best fit for beginners.
The company was initially formed as a technical analysis software provider, and that remains a key focus of the business today. It offers several ways to invest, including a web-based trading platform, a high-powered desktop platform, and a mobile app for trading on the go.
Even the web trading platform, which is the most basic of the three, offers powerful charting tools, advanced order entry capabilities, personalized views, and up-to-date market data and news.
The TradeStation desktop platform is the flagship interface and offers a feature-packed trading experience. Users can program their own automated trading strategies, conduct sophisticated options analysis, and much more.
It does offer a simulation (play money) mode, so you can test drive the platform before you decide to open an account.
TheTradeStation mobile app is one of the most sophisticated mobile trading platforms in the industry, offering many of the same charting and analysis features of the highly rated desktop platform. Like the web and desktop platforms, TradeStation's mobile app isn't the easiest to navigate, especially for newer investors, so if you're simply looking for a place to occasionally buy and sell stocks on the go, TradeStation might not be the ideal platform for you.
The TradeStation app has strong ratings, including a 4.5 out of 5-star rating based on over 17,000 reviews in the App Store and a 3.6 out of 5-star rating in the Play Store.
TradeStation's customer service has mixed reviews, with a 2.4 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot. When it comes to getting in touch with TradeStation, its customer support hours are more limited than some of its competitors, and it doesn't have branches.
There are several ways for TradeStation users to contact customer service:
As a highly sophisticated trading platform, TradeStation uses several technologies to help keep accounts safe and secure. Its websites and apps use encrypted communications, advanced hardware and software firewalls, and more, and the company has strict policies when it comes to customer privacy and sending customer alerts when a change is made to an account.
TradeStation's history dates all the way back to 1982 and was initially designed to allow investors to develop and back-test their own trading strategies. It was purely a market software company and became a brokerage for the first time in 2001. Today it is a subsidiary of Japan-based brokerage firm parent company Monex Group.
Keep reading about TradeStation on these pages:
At Motley Fool Money, brokerages are rated on a scale of one to five stars. We primarily focus on fees, available assets, and account types; however, we also take into account features like research, education, tax-loss harvesting, and highly rated mobile apps. Our highest-rated brokerages generally include low fees, a diverse range of assets and account types, and useful platform features.
See our full methodology here: Ratings Methodology
Motley Fool Stock Disclosures
Matt Frankel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Best Buy, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Interactive Brokers Group, and Target. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $43.75 calls on Interactive Brokers Group and short January 2027 $46.25 calls on Interactive Brokers Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Fidelity disclosure
Investing involves risk, including risk of loss
* - $0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (historically from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). Other exclusions and conditions may apply. A limited number of ETFs are subject to a transaction-based service fee of $100. See full list at Fidelity.com/commissions. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through Fidelity Institutional® are subject to different commission schedules.
**Fidelity Crypto® is offered by Fidelity Digital Assets®. Investing involves risk, including risk of total loss. Crypto as an asset class is highly volatile, can become illiquid at any time, and is for investors with a high risk tolerance. Crypto may also be more susceptible to market manipulation than securities. Crypto is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Investors in crypto do not benefit from the same regulatory protections applicable to registered securities. Fidelity Crypto® accounts and custody and trading of crypto in such accounts are provided by Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, which is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services to engage in virtual currency business (NMLS ID 1773897). Brokerage services in support of securities trading are provided by Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“FBS”), and related custody services are provided by National Financial Services LLC (“NFS”), each a registered broker-dealer and member NYSE and SIPC. Neither FBS nor NFS offer crypto as a direct investment nor provide trading or custody services for such assets. Fidelity Crypto and Fidelity Digital Assets are registered service marks of FMR LLC.
***Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk. Before trading options, please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request.
****Zero account minimums and zero account fees apply to retail brokerage accounts only. Expenses charged by investments (e.g., funds, managed accounts, and certain HSAs) and commissions, interest charges, or other expenses for transactions may still apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for further details.
Robinhood disclosure
Margin borrowing increases your level of market risk, as a result it has the potential to magnify both your gains and losses. Before using margin, customers must determine whether this type of strategy is right for them given their investment objectives and risk tolerance. Regardless of the underlying value of the securities you purchased, you must repay your margin loan. Robinhood Financial can change its maintenance margin requirements at any time without prior notice. If the equity in your account falls below the minimum maintenance requirements (varies according to the security), you’ll have to deposit additional cash or acceptable collateral. If you fail to meet your minimums, Robinhood Financial may be forced to sell some or all of your securities, with or without your prior approval. For more information please see Robinhood Financial’s Margin Disclosure Statement, Margin Agreement and FINRA Investor Information.
Margin trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Borrowing on margin increases your level of market risk and can amplify both gains and losses.
Robinhood Financial may change maintenance margin requirements at any time without prior notice. If the equity in your account falls below minimum maintenance requirements, you may need to deposit additional cash or collateral. If those requirements are not met, Robinhood Financial may sell securities in your account without prior approval.
The 3% matching on annual contributions requires a subscription with Robinhood Gold ($5/mo) and customers must stay subscribed to Gold for 1 year from the date of the first eligible deposit to keep the full Gold match. The funds that earned the match must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid a potential Early IRA Match Removal Fee. Match rate subject to change. Non-Gold customers receive a 1% match. Offer only applies to self-directed IRAs. For more information refer to the IRA Match FAQ.
You must have compensation (wage income) in order to contribute to an IRA. Funds being contributed into or distributed from retirement accounts may entail tax consequences. Contributions are limited and withdrawals before age 59 1/2 may be subject to a penalty tax. Robinhood does not provide tax advice; please consult with a tax adviser if you have questions.
The Robinhood IRA is available to any U.S. customer with a Robinhood brokerage account in good standing.
The 3% matching on annual contributions requires a subscription with Robinhood Gold ($5/mo) and customers must stay subscribed to Gold for 1 year from the date of the first eligible deposit to keep the full Gold match. The funds that earned the match must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid a potential Early IRA Match Removal Fee. Match rate subject to change. Non-Gold customers receive a 1% match. Offer only applies to self-directed IRAs. For more information refer to the IRA Match FAQ.
You must have compensation (wage income) in order to contribute to an IRA. Funds being contributed into or distributed from retirement accounts may entail tax consequences. Contributions are limited and withdrawals before age 59 1/2 may be subject to a penalty tax. Robinhood does not provide tax advice; please consult with a tax adviser if you have questions.
The Robinhood IRA is available to any U.S. customer with a Robinhood brokerage account in good standing.
Robinhood Strategies charges an annual management fee of 0.25% on the net portfolio value of each managed account. Eligible Robinhood Gold subscribers pay no management fees on the portion of their managed account net portfolio value that exceeds $100,000, thereby limiting the annual management fee to $250. Other fees apply.
All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible.
Brokerage services are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, ("RHF") a registered broker dealer (member SIPC) and clearing services through Robinhood Securities, LLC, ("RHS") a registered broker dealer (member SIPC).
RHF and RHS are not banks. All are separate but affiliated entities. Securities offered by RHF are not FDIC insured and involve risk, including possible loss of principal.
Robinhood Gold is a subscription-based membership program of premium services offered through Robinhood Gold, LLC.
Portfolio management of managed accounts by Robinhood Asset Management, LLC (“Robinhood Strategies”), an SEC-registered investment advisor.
Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before trading options.
Cryptocurrency trading is offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Trading and holding digital assets involves significant risk, including the risk of substantial loss. Cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected.
*Trading and owning digital assets involves significant risk, including the risk of substantial loss. Cryptocurrency trading is offered through an account with Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Robinhood Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the
New York State Department of Financial Services. Cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected.
** Network fees may apply. Availability may be subject to regulatory approval in certain states.
