eToro versus TradeStation
eToro continues to grow its 25M+ social trading base, offering its proprietary CopyTrader and CopyPortfolios. The in-house managed thematic investment portfolios cater to passive investors, while beginners benefit from the eToro Academy, eToro plus, and The Bull Club. Its latest cryptocurrency venture, an NFT fund, expands the eToro presence in this sector, meeting client demand.
TradeStation features its cutting-edge trading platform, which supports algorithmic trading, and API trading is also available. It also maintains a dedicated crypto trading app and an IPO trading platform. Retirement accounts, margin trading, and fully paid stock lending are also available. Beginner traders get a quality educational platform and market research.
We have conducted an in-depth review of eToro and TradeStation to determine which one presents the better overall choice and which traders will benefit the most at either broker.
- Features and Platforms
- Available Markets
- Typical Spreads and Fees
- Security and Trust
- eToro vs. TradeStation - Verdict
 |  | |
Headquarters | Israel | United States |
Regulators | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSA | N/A |
Tier 1 Regulator(s)? | ||
Owned by Public Company? | ||
Year Established | 2007 | 1982 |
Execution Type(s) | Market Maker | ECN/STP, Market Maker |
Minimum Deposit | $50 - $10,000 | N/A |
Negative Balance Protection | N/A | |
Trading Platform(s) | Proprietary platform | Proprietary platform |
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | 1.0 pips | N/A |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | 2.2 pips | N/A |
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil | $0.05 | N/A |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $0.45 | N/A |
Retail Loss Rate | 74% | N/A |
Minimum Raw Spreads | 0.8 pips | N/A |
Minimum Standard Spreads | 1.3 pips | N/A |
Minimum Commission for Forex | $0.00 | N/A |
Islamic Account | ||
Signals | ||
US Persons Accepted? | ||
Managed Accounts | ||
| Get Started | Get Started |
Features and Platforms
| | |
MT4 | ||
MT5 | ||
MT4/MT5 Add-Ons | N/A | |
cTrader | ||
Proprietary Platform | ||
Automated Trading | ||
Social/Copy Trading | N/A | |
DOM? | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Scalping | ||
Hedging | ||
One-Click Trading | ||
OCO Orders | ||
Interest on Margin | ||
| Get Started | Get Started |
eToro offers commission-free direct share dealing, quality cryptocurrency trading tools, and plans an IPO. TradeStation pays up to 6% annual interest on eligible cryptocurrency assets.
Available Markets
| | |
Currency Pairs | N/A | |
Cryptocurrencies | N/A | |
Commodities | ||
Crude Oil | ||
Gold | ||
Metals | ||
Equity Indices | ||
Stocks (non-CFDs) | ||
Bonds | N/A | |
ETFs | ||
Options | ||
Futures | ||
Synthetics | ||
| Get Started | Get Started |
eToro presents traders with more balance, but TradeStation has more quantity in its sector coverage. Forex trading is unavailable at TradeStation, but it offers mutual funds and more ETFs, ideal for retirement accounts. Most traders will find eToro a superior choice, as it caters better to the requirements of its core client base.
Typical Spreads and Fees
| | |
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | 1.0 pips | N/A |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | 2.2 pips | N/A |
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil | $0.05 | N/A |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $0.45 | N/A |
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin | $574 | N/A |
Minimum Raw Spreads | 0.8 pips | N/A |
Minimum Standard Spreads | 1.3 pips | N/A |
Minimum Commission for Forex | $0.00 | N/A |
Deposit Fee | N/A | |
Withdrawal Fee | N/A | |
Inactivity Fee | $10 monthly after 12 monthd | N/A |
| Get Started | Get Started |
While eToro has relatively high Forex trading costs, equity traders have lower costs than at TradeStation, where commission-free trading only applies to select US assets under the TradeStation TS Select account. Equity traders in the TS Go account pay an additional $10 fee per trade, while other assets range between $0.60 and $14.95.
Security and Trust
| | |
Country of the Regulator | Australia, Cyprus, Seychelles, United Kingdom | United States |
Name of the Regulator | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSA | N/A |
Regulatory License Number | 491139, 109/10, 583263, SD076 | 39473, 8-48711 |
Regulatory Tier | N/A | 1 |
| Get Started | Get Started |
Both brokers segregate client deposits from corporate funds, and eToro also has a $1,000,000 third-party insurance program underwritten by Lloyd's of London. The US unit of eToro and TradeStation are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the self-regulatory organization with SEC oversight. The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) protects clients up to $500,000 per net equity or $250,000 for cash claims.
eToro vs TradeStation – Verdict
eToro
| Pros | Cons |
| Copy-trading with a community numbering almost 25 million traders | Higher minimum deposit requirement but within a reasonable range |
| User-friendly web-based trading platform and mobile app | Absence of MT4 and no algorithmic trading |
| Quality educational offering for beginner traders via videos | |
| Balanced asset selection with a focus on equity CFDs and ETFs |
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TradeStation
| Pros | Cons |
| Competitive proprietary trading platform and Trading App Store | Limited deposit and withdrawal options |
| Quality market research and education for beginner traders | Higher overall trading costs |
| A secure and trustworthy trading environment | |
| 6% annual interest on eligible cryptocurrency assets |
TradeStation offers a competitive trading infrastructure for short-term algorithmic traders using its cutting-edge desktop trading platform, cryptocurrency traders, and passive investors who benefit from 2,000+ commission-free ETFs. eToro presents a better overall choice, especially for beginners, mobile, and social traders, due to its high-quality custom trading services and active trading community.
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FAQs
Which broker is better than eToro?
While eToro offers social traders an active community and services, some brokers offer better trading conditions in certain categories.
How good is TradeStation?
TradeStation is a good choice for US-based short-term and algorithmic traders and long-term passive portfolios due to a competitive product and services portfolio.
How many customers does TradeStation have?
TradeStation does not provide customer data, but its unaudited business metrics page stated fewer than 170,000 active accounts as of October 2021.
Can you buy Bitcoin on TradeStation?
TradeStation allows clients to buy Bitcoin.
Who is the owner of TradeStation?
Japanese financial services conglomerate Monex Group has owned TradeStation since 2011.
Is TradeStation an American company?
Cuban-born brothers founded TradeStation, which maintains its headquarters in the US but is under Japanese ownership.
How much margin does TradeStation give?
The maximum leverage at TradeStation is 1:50, resulting in a margin requirement of 2%, but it remains asset dependent.
Is eToro any good?
eToro offers a valuable environment for beginner and social traders. It is best suited to casual, social, and mobile traders.
Is it worth copying on eToro?
It depends on the thoroughness of the due diligence performed. eToro caters to retail traders, where roughly 80% operate at a loss. The absence of attractive compensation for signal providers unfortunately lowers the broad-based quality of the active eToro social trading community.