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Personal Finance · head to head

E*TRADE vs Fidelity

E*TRADE logo

E*TRADE

Personal Finance

Express your investing style

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Personal Finance

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: E*TRADE stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023); Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • They diverge on capability: E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Fidelity covers Commission-free trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which E*TRADE and Fidelity actually diverge.

Attributes where E*TRADE and Fidelity differ
AttributeE*TRADEFidelity
Founded19561946

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (transaction), free tier (No), platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in E*TRADE

  • Advanced trading tools
  • Options and futures
  • Mobile trading
  • Wire transfers

Only in Fidelity

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Advisory services
  • Investment accounts

Both cover

  • Research tools
  • Bank accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

E*TRADE

  • Budget Managementnot Fidelity
  • Expense Trackingnot Fidelity
  • Investment Trackingnot Fidelity

Fidelity

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFsnot E*TRADE
  • Holding IRAs, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accountsnot E*TRADE
  • Trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one accountnot E*TRADE

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

E*TRADE

  • Stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)

Fidelity

  • Options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Non Fidelity mutual funds carry a 49.95 USD transaction fee per purchase
  • Secondary market bonds cost 1.00 USD per bond, while new issues are free
  • A foreign settlement fee of 50 USD applies per trade
  • Margin rates are tiered by debit balance, from 11.825 percent below 25,000 USD down to 7.50 percent at 1 million USD or more, against a base rate of 10.575 percent effective 12 December 2025
  • Margin liquidation by the broker costs 32.95 USD per liquidation

Pricing, plan by plan

E*TRADE

On request
  • Stock & ETF TradingFree
    • Commission-free trades
    • Real-time quotes
  • Advanced Trading$undefined/month
    • All Stock & ETF features
    • Options, futures
    • Advanced tools

Fidelity

On request
  • Brokerage$undefined/month
    • Commission-free trading
    • Research tools
  • Advisory$undefined/month
    • Personal advisor
    • Wealth management

Which should you pick?

Choose E*TRADE if

  • You need advanced trading tools.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want options and futures.
E*TRADE review

Choose Fidelity if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Fidelity review

Questions people ask

Is E*TRADE or Fidelity better?
Neither clearly leads. E*TRADE starts at On request and Fidelity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, E*TRADE or Fidelity?
E*TRADE starts at On request and Fidelity at On request.
Does E*TRADE or Fidelity run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is E*TRADE best used for?
E*TRADE is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Fidelity is typically brought in for.
What can E*TRADE do that Fidelity cannot?
E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Mobile trading, Wire transfers. Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Advisory services, Investment accounts. Both handle Research tools, Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support.
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