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Broker Comparisons

Pick one of the 4 head-to-head broker comparisons below to see fees, trading platforms, regulation and account features for two brokers laid out side by side.

This page collects our broker comparisons in one place. There are 4 of them: Fidelity vs. Robinhood, Vanguard vs. Fidelity, Charles Schwab vs. Fidelity, and Robinhood vs. Coinbase. Each one takes two brokers and sets out the same points for both, such as fees, the platforms and apps on offer, how the firm is regulated and which account types it has. The Schwab and Fidelity page also covers day trading. All four are signed by the Forex & Brokers Desk, the team that writes our broker reviews, regulation checks and trading guides.

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All broker comparisons

4 pages

How to read a comparison

Start with the costs you would actually pay. Commissions, account fees and any charges for moving money out tend to matter more than headline features, and they differ by account type. Next, look at the platforms and apps. A broker built around a phone app suits a different user than one with a full desktop platform and research tools. Then check regulation and client protection, which tell you who supervises the firm and what happens to your money if it fails.

Keep the pairing in mind. Robinhood vs. Coinbase sets a stock and options app against a crypto exchange, so some rows compare different products rather than like for like. If a fee or rule is missing, it usually means the broker shows it only after login or after setting up an account. In that case we say so and record no figure rather than guess.

Where the figures come from

Prices, rules and fees come from each broker’s own pages. When we run a brand check, we open the official site in a real browser from a server in Tallinn, Estonia, at desktop and phone sizes, and keep the page text and screenshots. A language model pulls out each fact with an exact quote, and code accepts the fact only if that quote appears word for word in the captured text. Licence claims are checked by searching the regulator’s register, with a screenshot of each step.

Where a broker has a recorded check, its review carries a “How we checked” section and the date of the check. Broker scores are computed by code: regulation 35%, client protection 10%, years in business 15%, Trustpilot reputation 20%, number of platforms 10% and EUR/USD spread 10%. A missing input counts as half marks, never zero. Editors do not adjust scores by hand. Full details are in our methodology.

Using this alongside other pages

A comparison answers one question: which of these two fits you better. If neither does, our stock broker rankings and the full broker reviews list cover more firms. For crypto, the crypto exchanges section shows each exchange with its published CoinGecko trust score. Before you fund any account, run the firm’s name through our Safety Check and confirm the legal entity you would sign up with.

We have no paid partnerships or affiliate links, and no broker can pay for a better result in a comparison. Investing and trading, especially options, CFDs and crypto, carry a real risk of losing money. Nothing here is financial advice.

FAQ

Did you open accounts or trade at these brokers?

No. Our checks cover what a broker's official site shows publicly. We record pages, screenshots and the legal entities and licence numbers the site names, and we search regulator registers. Where a sign-up start is reachable without an account, we note whether an account is required first. We do not open accounts, deposit, trade, request withdrawals or contact support.

Can a broker pay to come out ahead in a comparison?

No. No brand can pay for a review, a score or a position in a ranking or comparison. We currently have no paid partnerships and no affiliate links, and the site shows no display advertising. Links to brokers go to their official sites. If partner links are ever added, the Advertising disclosure page and the links themselves will say so.

Why does a comparison say a fee was not found?

Some brokers show a price or fee only after you log in or configure an account. We record a figure only when it appears on a public page and an exact quote matches the captured text. If it does not, we say the figure was not found instead of estimating it. In a score, a missing input counts as half marks.

How do I report something that looks wrong?

Use the form on our Contact page with your name, email and a short message describing the error and where you saw it. Messages reach the editors. Broker fees and rules change, so pointing us to the broker's own page that shows the current figure helps us check it against our record quickly.