Personal Finance · head to head
E*TRADE vs Quicken
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); Quicken quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal
- They diverge on capability: E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Quicken covers Budget creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which E*TRADE and Quicken actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
- Web support
- Android support
Only in Quicken
- Budget creation
- Bill management
- Investment tracking
- Tax planning
- Investment accounts
- Credit cards
- Windows support
- Mac support
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
E*TRADE
- Budget Managementnot Quicken
- Expense Trackingnot Quicken
- Investment Trackingnot Quicken
Quicken
- Individuals managing personal finances via Quicken Simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings trackingnot E*TRADE
- Freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via Quicken Business & Personal plannot E*TRADE
- Users preferring local data storage via Classic desktop editionsnot 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)
Quicken
- Quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal
- Renewal pricing significantly higher than introductory rate; annual cost jumps from $47.88 (promotional) to $83.88 (regular renewal)
Pricing, plan by plan
E*TRADE
On request- Stock & ETF TradingFree
- Commission-free trades
- Real-time quotes
- Advanced Trading$undefined/month
- All Stock & ETF features
- Options, futures
- Advanced tools
Quicken
$3.99/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Quicken review.
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.
Choose Quicken if
- You need budget creation.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- You also want bill management.
Questions people ask
- Is E*TRADE or Quicken better?
- Neither clearly leads. E*TRADE starts at On request and Quicken at $3.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, E*TRADE or Quicken?
- E*TRADE starts at On request and Quicken at $3.99/month.
- Does E*TRADE or Quicken run on more platforms?
- E*TRADE runs on Web, IOS, Android. Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- 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 Quicken is typically brought in for.
- What can E*TRADE do that Quicken cannot?
- E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Quicken covers Budget creation, Bill management, Investment tracking, Tax planning. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support.