VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Robinhood will find that Both Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Robinhood concentrate on Brokerage, Portfolio, and Watchlist workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) leans into Smart/Direct Routing, and Financials, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. Robinhood stands out with Downloadable Tax Reports that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) vs Robinhood
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) adds Smart/Direct Routing, and Financials coverage that Robinhood skips.
- Robinhood includes Downloadable Tax Reports categories that Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) omits.
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) highlights: Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee)., Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades., and Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals..
- Robinhood is known for: Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold)., Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs., and Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders..
- Robinhood keeps a free entry point that Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) lacks.
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
fidelity.com
A leading U.S. brokerage offering commission-free stock and ETF trades, plus robust platforms for both casual investors and active traders. Options contracts are priced at $0.65 each. Advanced conditional order types and streaming Level II data are available through Active Trader Pro, Fidelity’s professional desktop platform.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee).
- Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades.
- Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals.
- Supports advanced conditional orders including Contingent, Multi-Contingent, OCO, OTO, and OTOCO, both on Fidelity.com and within Active Trader Pro.
- Options chain displays real-time Greeks and supports multi-leg strategies inside Active Trader Pro.
Robinhood
robinhood.com
Robinhood is a US and UK brokerage offering commission-free trading in stocks, ETFs, and options, plus access to futures and crypto. Options carry per-contract fees. Robinhood Gold ($5/month after a 30-day trial) unlocks Nasdaq TotalView Level II, Morningstar research, larger instant deposits, and a 3% IRA match for eligible customers. The platform also offers 24-Hour Market trading on select symbols, real crypto wallets with deposits/withdrawals, and an accessible mobile-first design.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold).
- Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs.
- Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders.
- 24-Hour Market on select symbols, running Sunday evening through Friday evening ET, alongside extended trading hours.
- Options support includes multi-leg strategies such as spreads and iron condors, with a Strategy Builder tool and Greeks displayed in the chain.
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
Distinct strengths include:
- Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee).
- Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades.
- Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals.
- Supports advanced conditional orders including Contingent, Multi-Contingent, OCO, OTO, and OTOCO, both on Fidelity.com and within Active Trader Pro.
Robinhood
Distinct strengths include:
- Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold).
- Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs.
- Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders.
- 24-Hour Market on select symbols, running Sunday evening through Friday evening ET, alongside extended trading hours.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Advanced Order Types, Order Book / Level II, News, Options & Derivatives Unique: Smart/Direct Routing, Financials | Shared: Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Advanced Order Types, Order Book / Level II, News, Options & Derivatives Unique: Downloadable Tax Reports |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Cryptos | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Cryptos |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, Mobile, Desktop | Web, Mobile |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Other | Free, Subscription, Other |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Robinhood both support?
Both platforms cover Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Advanced Order Types, Order Book / Level II, News, and Options & Derivatives workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Which tool offers a free plan?
Robinhood offers a free entry point, while Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.
How can you access Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Robinhood?
Both Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) and Robinhood support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) differentiates itself with Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee)., Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades., and Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals., whereas Robinhood stands out for Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold)., Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs., and Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders..
Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.