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Personal Finance · head to head

E*TRADE vs Personal Capital

E*TRADE logo

E*TRADE

Personal Finance

Express your investing style

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Personal Capital logo

Personal Capital

Personal Finance

Invest wisely, retire confidently

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Personal Capital has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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); Personal Capital wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • They diverge on capability: E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Personal Capital covers Investment tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where E*TRADE and Personal Capital differ
AttributeE*TRADEPersonal Capital
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded19562010

Identical on both: 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
  • Research tools
  • Mobile trading
  • Wire transfers

Only in Personal Capital

  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement calculator
  • Fee analyzer
  • Net worth tracking
  • Investment accounts
  • Real estate

Both cover

  • 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 Personal Capital
  • Expense Trackingnot Personal Capital
  • Investment Trackingnot Personal Capital

Personal Capital

  • Tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboardnot E*TRADE
  • Managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investorsnot E*TRADE
  • Retirement planning projections across linked accountsnot 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)

Personal Capital

  • Wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • The annual advisory fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management on a tiered structure rather than a flat subscription
  • Assets are custodied at Pershing Advisor Solutions rather than by the provider itself

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

Personal Capital

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Account tracking
    • Net worth monitoring
    • Investment analysis
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Financial advisor access
    • Personalized advice

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 Personal Capital if

  • You need investment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement calculator.
Personal Capital review

Questions people ask

Is E*TRADE or Personal Capital better?
Neither clearly leads. E*TRADE starts at On request and Personal Capital at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, E*TRADE or Personal Capital?
Personal Capital has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for E*TRADE and Free for Personal Capital.
Does E*TRADE or Personal Capital run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Personal Capital for free?
Yes. Personal Capital has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. E*TRADE starts at On request.
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 Personal Capital is typically brought in for.
What can E*TRADE do that Personal Capital cannot?
E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Personal Capital: How are advisory fees calculated at Personal Capital?

Advisory fees are calculated based on the amount of assets under management (AUM). Specific percentage rates are available in their Form ADV filing but not detailed on the homepage.

Source
Personal Capital: Does Personal Capital charge account fees for its high-yield cash account?

The high-yield cash account has no account fees and no minimum balance requirement.

Source
Personal Capital: What is the difference between Personal Strategy and Private Client tiers?

Personal Strategy ($100k minimum) includes 1:1 advisor support and personalized planning. Private Client ($1M minimum) offers premium planning with access to private equity, tax optimization, and legacy planning services.

Source
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