Tool Comparison
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) vs Firstrade
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, Desktop
Best if
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want advanced order types, smart/direct routing, and order book / level II.
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You want downloadable tax reports.
Start here
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction · Web · Mobile · Desktop
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want advanced order types, smart/direct routing, and order book / level II.
Pick Firstrade instead if
Firstrade
Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction · Web · Mobile
- You want downloadable tax reports.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Firstrade cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) simply does more: 9 categories to Firstrade's 5, including advanced order types, smart/direct routing, and order book / level II. Firstrade counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
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Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
- Broader coverage
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)9 vs 5 categories
- Desktop app
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
- Asset coverage
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)Adds cryptos
What Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) does best
- Direct access to a Fidelity brokerage account for U.S. stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, mutual funds, fractional shares, and eligible crypto rather than using a standalone market-data website.
- Online U.S. stock and most ETF trades have no Fidelity commission.
- Trading access for options with a $0 online base commission plus $0.65 per contract, with eligibility, margin, and options-approval requirements where applicable.
- Fidelity Trader+ provides real-time quotes, Level II data, charting, alerts, and trading across web, desktop, and mobile.
- Place advanced conditional orders such as Contingent, Multi-Contingent, OCO, OTO, and OTOCO from Fidelity.com or Active Trader Pro.
What Firstrade does best
- Online stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and listed options with $0 stated commission.
- Selected stock and ETF fractions using dollar or share orders during market hours.
- U.S. individual, joint, custodial, education, IRA, entity, and club registrations.
- International individual and eligible joint brokerage for 27 named countries and regions.
- Treasuries, agencies, municipals, bonds, and CDs using net-yield or disclosed transaction pricing.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction | Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction |
Free tier | No | No |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 4 limits: Options: contract fee: $0.65 per contract, Secondary Bonds and CDs: online fee: $1 per bond or CD +2 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | Yes | No |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | No | — |
Integrations | Quicken and QuickBooks | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 9 | 5 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: Streaming and Real-time, Granularity: Tick and EOD +1 more | — |
Capabilities | 3 signals: Multi-leg options, Greeks +1 more | — |
| Try it | Visit Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) | Visit Firstrade |
Standout features
The best features of Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Firstrade.ShowHide
Standout features
What Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) does best
- Direct access to a Fidelity brokerage account for U.S. stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, mutual funds, fractional shares, and eligible crypto rather than using a standalone market-data website.
- Online U.S. stock and most ETF trades have no Fidelity commission.
- Trading access for options with a $0 online base commission plus $0.65 per contract, with eligibility, margin, and options-approval requirements where applicable.
- Fidelity Trader+ provides real-time quotes, Level II data, charting, alerts, and trading across web, desktop, and mobile.
- Place advanced conditional orders such as Contingent, Multi-Contingent, OCO, OTO, and OTOCO from Fidelity.com or Active Trader Pro.
What Firstrade does best
- Online stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and listed options with $0 stated commission.
- Selected stock and ETF fractions using dollar or share orders during market hours.
- U.S. individual, joint, custodial, education, IRA, entity, and club registrations.
- International individual and eligible joint brokerage for 27 named countries and regions.
- Treasuries, agencies, municipals, bonds, and CDs using net-yield or disclosed transaction pricing.
All details
Every attribute we track for Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Firstrade.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsOptionsBondsMutual FundsCryptos | StocksETFsOptionsMutual FundsBonds |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPAC | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle East |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Identifiers: Ticker and CUSIP |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | StreamingReal-time | Not specified |
Data granularity | TickEOD | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
Integrations | QuickenQuickBooks | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVExcelPDF | CSVPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Multi-leg optionsGreeksTax lots | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Fidelity Investments (FMR LLC) / Fidelity Brokerage Services LLCCountry: USFounded 1946Support: Chat and Phone | Firstrade Securities Inc.Country: United StatesSupport: Phone and Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 4/5Reliability 5/5UX 4/5 | Not specified |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free“Brokerage Account” | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Firstrade?
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) leans toward brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist, while Firstrade puts more weight on brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Firstrade cost?
Neither has a free plan; you'll need a paid subscription for the full feature set of either. Check each tool's current plan details before buying.
Should I choose Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) or Firstrade?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) if advanced order types and smart/direct routing matter to you; go with Firstrade if you'd rather have downloadable tax reports. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Firstrade cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) also handles cryptos.
Does Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) or Firstrade have real-time data?
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. Firstrade runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Can I export data from Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Firstrade?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Can I track my portfolio with Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) or Firstrade?
Yes, both do portfolio tracking: holdings, performance, and allocation in one place.
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