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Personal Finance · head to head

Personal Capital vs E*TRADE

Personal Capital logo

Personal Capital

Personal Finance

Invest wisely, retire confidently

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
E*TRADE logo

E*TRADE

Personal Finance

Express your investing style

From
On request
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: 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; 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)
  • They diverge on capability: Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Personal Capital and E*TRADE differ
AttributePersonal CapitalE*TRADE
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
Free tierYesNo
Founded20101956

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 Personal Capital

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

Only in E*TRADE

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

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.

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

E*TRADE

  • Budget Managementnot Personal Capital
  • Expense Trackingnot Personal Capital
  • Investment Trackingnot Personal Capital

Where each one falls short

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

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

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)

Pricing, plan by plan

Personal Capital

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

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

Which should you pick?

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

Choose E*TRADE if

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

Questions people ask

Is Personal Capital or E*TRADE better?
Neither clearly leads. Personal Capital starts at Free and E*TRADE at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Personal Capital or E*TRADE?
Personal Capital has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Personal Capital and On request for E*TRADE.
Does Personal Capital or E*TRADE 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 Personal Capital best used for?
Personal Capital is most often used for tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboard, managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investors, retirement planning projections across linked accounts. Of those, tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboard and managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investors are not what E*TRADE is typically brought in for.
What can Personal Capital do that E*TRADE cannot?
Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking. E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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