TD Ameritrade vs Expert Option

TD Ameritrade vs Expert Option Comparison Table 2024
TD Ameritrade Expert Option
4
3.5

TD Ameritrade is a leading discount brokerage offering a vast range of instruments including forex, stocks, futures, options and crypto. The company has nearly 40 years of experience and authorization from the SEC, FINRA and CFTC. Trading takes place via its well-known thinkorswim platform, which offers sophisticated tools and features including stock screeners and calculators.

Expert Option is an offshore broker that offers a simple and intuitive trading experience through a bespoke, user-friendly platform. Short-term traders can access 100 popular assets via binary options contracts with payouts up to 95%, free educational resources, and market data available to upper-tier account holders.

Customer Reviews
5
Bonus Offer
100% deposit bonus
Comment by Reviewer
"Traders who want access to a huge range of stocks from a reputable broker with low fees should consider TD Ameritrade. On the downside, we miss access to the familiar MetaTrader 4 software." "Expert Option will suit aspiring traders who want to access the financial markets through an options broker with a very easy-to-learn bespoke platform. The user-friendly day trading platform is clear and reliable."
Pros
  • Advanced order types, including OCO and brackets
  • Automated trading capabilities, including robo-advisors
  • Several trading platforms including proprietary award-winning software
  • TD Ameritrade provides rich in-depth research and educational resources
  • Extended 24/7 trading hours allow for international access to the markets
  • The broker facilitates automatic syncing between desktop and mobile trading platforms
  • There is access to over 350 technical studies, 20 drawing tools and 8 Fibonacci tools
  • Active chat rooms to share ideas and communicate with thousands of experienced traders
  • The Economic Data tool allows access to a range of data about the health of global economies
  • Management Services and Essential Portfolios. Reviews of which show high levels of customer satisfaction
  • Portfolio margin gives some users increased leverage by basing margin requirements on total portfolio risk
  • The broker offers an easy to use, beginner-friendly proprietary trading platform with 4 chart types and social trading features
  • The diverse range of account currencies and 20+ accepted payment methods allow for flexible funding
  • There's a decent range of educational resources, including trading strategies, webinars and platform tutorials
  • The analytical tools for higher-level accounts are a useful addition for experienced day traders
  • High payouts up to 95% are above the industry average
  • There are no deposit and withdrawal fees which is ideal for active traders
  • Minimum deposits are low, starting from $10
Cons
  • CFD trading not available
  • No MT4 or MT5 integration
  • Fractional shares are not offered
  • No direct cryptocurrency trading
  • Broker-assisted trade commissions are around $25
  • Stringent margin maintenance requirements and high fees
  • New traders may be overwhelmed by the vast amount of information and tools available
  • There's a very small list of binary assets with just 100 on offer compared to 1000+ offered by some competitors
  • Expert Option isn't available in several countries, including the EU, Australia and the US
  • The SVGFSA is a weak financial regulator with limited safeguarding measures
  • Very expensive $50 dormancy fee after 3 months of no trading activity
  • The broker doesn't offer any popular leveraged products such as CFDs
Awards
  • Best Broker for Beginners 2022 - Investopedia Best Online Broker Awards
  • Best Online Broker for Stock Trading Platform and Research 2022 - NerdWallet's Best-Of Awards
  • #1 Platform & Tools, #1 Active Trading, #1 Options Trading, #1 Customer Service, and #1 Phone Support 2022 - StockBrokers.com Online Broker Review
Instruments
Forex, Stocks, ETFs, Cryptos, Futures, Options, Commodities, Bonds Options, Stocks, Commodities, Forex, Crypto, Futures,
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $10
Trading Platforms
  • eSignal
  • AutoChartist
  • Expert Option Web Platform
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$0 $1
Regulator
SEC, FINRA, CFTC SVGFSA
Margin Trading
Yes No
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
Yes No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
Yes No
Negative Balance Protection
No No
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No No
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
App Review

TD Ameritrade offers currency trading via Android and iOS mobile and tablet apps. Users can speculate on over 75 currency pairs with low fees and advanced trading tools. Deposit funds and manage accounts in a few clicks.

Expert Option has an unusual mobile trading offering in that it balances education with trading, potentially serving new traders. However, our tests reveal very basic quizzes and learning materials that barely scratch the surface of binaries. The ‘Tap Game’ is also gimmicky and does little to serve serious traders.

Android App Rating
4.2
iOS App Rating
2.5
Auto Trading
Yes - Auto trading available via bots ExpertBot
Copy Trading
No Yes
Copy Trading Platform
You can study and copy the positions of established VIPs to increase potential returns. Users can find master traders based on asset class and historic returns. A useful leaderboard is available to social traders.
Social Trading
No Yes
Trade Signals
Yes Only for Platinum and Exclusive accounts
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
Yes No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$0 $50
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • MYR
  • IDR
  • TRY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • RUB
  • PLN
  • CZK
  • AED
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
Forex Trading
Trade 70+ forex pairs including majors, minors or exotics via the desktop, mobile or webtrader app with no commission and 1:2 leverage. The choice of currencies is wider than most forex brokers. Expert Option traders can access some of the most popular forex pairs including USD/EUR, GBP/USD and GBP/EUR using binary options contracts that payout up to 95%, well above the industry average of around 85%.
Forex App

TD Ameritrade offers currency trading via Android and iOS mobile and tablet apps. Users can speculate on over 75 currency pairs with low fees and advanced trading tools. Deposit funds and manage accounts in a few clicks.

GBPUSD Spread
Variable Variable
EURUSD Spread
Variable Variable
EURGBP Spread
Variable Variable
Assets
75+ 6
Cryptocurrency
Gain exposure to cryptocurrency markets through OTC crypto trusts, mutual funds and ETFs and Bitcoin futures. This offers portfolio diversification opportunities and trading vehicles beyond standard crypto CFDs. Traders can speculate on Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) price movements using high/low binary options on a proprietary platform. These are three of the most popular cryptocurrencies on the market, but the offering lacks the variety and volatility offered by less popular tokens.
Spread
Commission fees apply $5 on any winning trades
Coins
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • MBT
  • MET
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Binary Options
Binary options trading not offered Expert Option is a well-known binary options broker providing access to 100 assets with a $5 charge on winning trades. Payouts are competitive and users can speculate on rising or falling prices with one-click in the web-accessible platform. Binaries are aimed at ultra-short-term traders, ranging from 60 seconds to 5 minutes.
Payout
95%
Expiry Times
60 seconds - 5 minutes
Ladder Options
No No
Boundary Options
No Yes
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