Interactive Brokers vs E*Trade
Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of E*Trade on 3 of the 6 things that decide this, going by what each company publishes and what independent review sites report. The one that matters for you may be one the leader loses.
The verdict
Interactive Brokers takes it, 3–0 on rounds.
On the published figures and the independent review sites, Interactive Brokers takes 3 of 6 rounds. Treat that as a starting point and check the current figures on both pages, because prices and plans move.
Choose Interactive Brokers if…
- • You want Interactive Brokers's edge on what borrowing on margin costs and what stockbrokers.com scored it
Choose E*Trade if…
- • You have a reason to pick E*Trade that is not on this list
Round by round
- Round 1What borrowing on margin costsInteractive Brokers winsInteractive Brokers8/10
5.380%
IBKR Pro margin rate for USD 0-100,000
- IBKR Pro margin rate; tiered, so the same rate applies at 50,000 and 100,000 dollars
Source: investingintheweb.com ↗
E*Trade5/1011.70%
Margin rate for $50,000 to $99,999.99
- 12.45%, against 5.12%
Source: investingintheweb.com ↗
Interactive Brokers wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 2What StockBrokers.com scored itInteractive Brokers winsE*Trade5/10
4.5 out of 5 stars
StockBrokers.com rating
- 4.5 out of 5 stars, against 5 out of 5 stars
Source: stockbrokers.com ↗
Interactive Brokers wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 3What customers say on TrustpilotInteractive Brokers winsInteractive Brokers8/10
3.1 out of 5
TrustScore from 5,511 reviews on Trustpilot
Source: trustpilot.com ↗
E*Trade5/101.1 out of 5
TrustScore from 769 reviews on Trustpilot
- 1.1 out of 5, against 3.1 out of 5
Source: trustpilot.com ↗
Interactive Brokers wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 4What an options contract costsTieE*Trade7/10
65 cents
per options contract, 50 cents at 30 or more trades a quarter
Source: work-club.com ↗
Nothing to separate them here.
- Round 5What a stock trade costsTie
Nothing to separate them here.
- Round 6What it takes to open an accountTie
Nothing to separate them here.
Side by side
- IBKR Pro margin rate; tiered, so the same rate applies at 50,000 and 100,000 dollars
- per options contract
- 65 cents, against 0 cents
- 3.1 out of 5, against 3.9 out of 5
- 5,511 reviews, against 14,081 reviews
- 12.45%, against 12.075%
- 4.5 out of 5 stars, against 5 out of 5 stars
- 1.1 out of 5, against 1.3 out of 5
- 12.45%, against 11.825%