Day traders open and close positions within the same day to manage risk, and they require tra🐠ding plat🌸forms that are both robust and nimble enough to handle quick entries and exits across a variety of asset classes. The best day trading platforms offer favorable pricing, strong trading technology, access to a wide range of assets, real-time data, and more, so that intra-day traders can have the best chance at being successful.
Investopedia's in-house editors and researchers conducted hundreds of hours of research on 26 trading platforms, analyzing data and performing trades on live broker demonstration platforms. As a result of this evaluation process, we determined that Interactive Brokers is the best overall platform for day trading. We came to this conclusion because of how Interactive Brokers' pricing, flawless user experience, and wide range of tools combine to suit the needs of highly active traders.
Best Brokers for Day Trading for June 2025
- Best Overall, Best Broker for Advanced Day Traders, Best Charting Platform for Day Traders: 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网: Interactive Brokers
- Also Good for Advanced Day Traders: 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网: TradeStation
- Best Low Cost Day Trading App: Webull
- Best Mobile Day Trading App: E*TRADE
- Best Day Trading Platform for Options: 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网: tastytrade
Best Overall, Best Broker for Advanced Day Traders, Best Charting Platform for Day Traders : Interactive Brokers
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Interactive_brokers-16255f7886b2458db559e806f54c81a4.jpg)
Interactive Brokers
- Account Minimum: $0.00
- Fees: For U.S. residents using IBKR Lite, the fee is $0.00 per share for stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). For IBKR Pro, the fee for stock and ETF shares ranges from $0.0005 to $0.0035 per share, depending on volume. ETFs with no transaction fees are $0.00. Options are $0.15 to $0.65 per share, depending on the tier you choose. Futures are $0.35 to $0.85 per contract. Spot currencies are 0.08 to 0.20 basis points multiplied by the trade value per order. Bonds are 10 basis points times the face value per order. Mutual Funds are the lesser of 3% the trade value or $14.95 per transaction. On no- transaction fee funds, the fee is $0.00.
Best Overall
Interactive Brokers offers two attractively priced plans aimed at small and large traders: IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro. We chose them as best overall for their professional pricing, globaꦬl trading access, premier technology, robust trading tools, and platform security.
Best Broker for Advanced Day Traders
Interactive Brokers offers powerful trading platforms for traders of all styles and expertise levels. These include IBKR Global Trader, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, and Trader Workstation (TWS). They also offer specialty trading platforms like IBKR Forecaster.
Best Charting Platform for Day Traders
IBKR platforms are user-friendly. They offer a powerful suite of trading tools that allow traders to research and analyze up to 160 markets. They include IBKR GlobalAnalyst with a world Map Screener that allows traders to find stocks around the world that match specific trading strategies. They also offer ♊charting tools that allo🎀w traders to analyze securities using a wide range of layouts and indicators.
Powerful research tools and execution abiliജty available on the same platform
IBKR 🍷Lite🍌 and IBKR Pro are available for different levels of traders.
Extensive research and education resources
Margin rates up to 53% lower than the industry
Steep Learning Curve
API complicates integration
Interactive Brokers is a member of the NYSE, FINRA, and SIPC. It was founded in 1977 by Thomas Peterffy, who is its chairman. The company is headquartered in Greenwich, Conn. However, as a global firm, it maintains offices in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Ireland, Switzerland, India, China, Australia, and other jurisdictions around the world. It currently employs almost 3,000 workers worldwide.
While most investors will find what they n🎉eed in IBKR Client Portal IBKR GlobalTrader, or IBKR Desktop, active traders will gravitate towards Trader Workstation (TWS), the most powerful desktop platform. TWS includes advanced trading tools as well as IB SmartRouting, a high-speed order routing system. IBKR is constantly updating and improving its platforms. Recent additions include a new options focused tab in IBKR Desktop as well as AI summaries of news to increase the speed at which traders can absorb market information.
TWS has over 90 order types, every🐲 screener imaginable, and algorithmic trading capabilities built right in. And all these tools can be leveraged for a wide range of asset types and markets. Interactive Brokers is a powerhouse when it comes to taking your active trading global, offering up 160 markets and allowing you to fund your account in 28 currencies. IBKR doesn’t get everything right, however. For example, there are complaints on API integration issues, but its market scope and toolset more than make uꦑp for any flaws.
Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Interactive Brokers review.
Also Good for Advanced Day Traders : TradeStation
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Tradestation-0e4ea6db078a42fbb47bf91b09326eea.jpg)
TradeStation Logo
- Account Minimum: $0.00
- Fees: $0 stocks and ETFs; options are $0.60/contract, and futures are $1.50/contract ($0.50 for micro e-minis)
TradeStation is another excellent platform for advanced traders. Investopedia finds TradeStation's platform to be among the most sophisticated in the industry, with powerful features like EasyLanguage programming, exceptional order execution, available 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:ap🔯plication programming in𓄧terface (APIs), and more.
Offers excellent fundꦬamental and technical res𓆏earch tools
Simulated 🌳trading account and backtesting capabilities
High🍸ly sophisticated platform with excellent order execu꧟tion
Competitive pricing
EasyLanguage allows for easy algorith🔜m development
No fractional share trading
Uninvested cash earns low interest
Effective platform use requir🤪es a steep learniꦗng curve
Since its founding in 1982, TradeStation has built a reputation of being a trusted resource for sophisticated traders. The Plantation, Florida’s platform is built with the advanced trader in mind, delivering some of the industry’s best tools and features for effective analysis and trading of stocks, options, futures, futures options, and penny stocks. TradeStation’s lineup also includes advanced order types and superb order execution, with market orders that fill in 0.043 seconds and fall within the range of 96.69% or better on the intended price measured by the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:National Market System (NMS).
TradeStation's “The Research Window,” a powerful research application that enables traders to find trades through fundamental and technical methods, is one of the platform's many standout products. Another highlight is EasyLanguage, the company's easy-to-use programming language for creating and customizing trading algorithms. The platform’s paper trading capability is also a useful tool traders can use to practice using new strategies in real-time.
Where TradeStation falls short, however, is in the area of cash management, where the platform pays low interest on invested cash. Plus, if you’re looking to take your trading to a high level after building your skills at one of TradeStation’s more basic competitors, you will find that becoming efficient with the platform requires a steep learning curve.
Best Low Cost Day Trading App : Webull
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/WebullLogo-0728cf59141c4d76aa3c3e3ae1945d40.jpg)
澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Webull (Provided)
- Account Minimum: $0.00
- Fees: $0.00 for trading stocks, ETFs, and options listed on U.S. Exchanges. For some index options trades, Webull charges $0.55 per contract. Webull may also pass on fees charged by regulatory agencies to customers. They do not profit from these fees.
Webull is an easy choice for traders who prefer to trade using a mobile app. With the ability to trade fractional shares, no trading commissions on shares, and no account minimums, Webull is an excellent choice for day traders with smaller account sizes and less complex trading requirements.
Research and trade on the go
Free fractional stocks when you fund your account
Extended hours trading
No order routing options
Potential for poorꦿ trade execution because of PFOF
Webull was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in St. Petersburg, ๊Fla It is an electronic trading platform owned by Hunan Fumi Information Technology, a Chinese h❀olding company.
Webull’s simple-to-use, no-fuss platform attracts its most important demographic: millennials. The platform offers no commission trading on stocks, options, and ETFs. Webull also offers 3.75% APY on uninvested cash (as of May 2025). Like IBKR, Webull is always making changes and improvements to its offering. Webull has added fixed income, integrated its screeners into the mobile app, and continued to beef up its charting capabilities.
The only real caution with Webull is the potential that active traders are sacrificing a little of the execution quality due to the company’s model of making its money off 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:payment for order flow (PFOF). Of course, that same dependence on PFOF is why you get access to their solid trading platform with zero commissions, so it is up to individual day traders to decide if they want the lowest costs or the best execution.
Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Webull review.
Best Mobile Day Trading App : E*TRADE
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ETRADE-logo-2025-3bdd4f60fd8d46569b7f436345c93741.jpg)
- Account Minimum: $0.00
- Fees: $0.00 commissions on stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. For options, the fee is $0.65 per option contract. Futures cost $1.50 per futures contract. E*TRADE charges $1.00 per bond.
E*TRADE offers two levels of mobile trading apps. The more advanced, Power E*TRADE app is well suited for day trading. It is packed with usef🐎ul tools, such as Behind the Move, which highlights stocks moving and explains reasons for price moves. The app also provides int💦eractive charts, streaming real-time quotes, over 100 technical studies and much more.
User-friendly interface
Real-time streaming data
Two levels of apps to choose from
Behind the Move highlights stocks on the move
Close short options positions for free
No cryptocurrency trading
Does not provide fractional shares
Margin rates are hi🌃gher than some other brokerages
Interest rate offered on uninvested cash is low
E*TRADE was founded in 1982 in Palo Alto, Calif. It pioneered mobile trading apps and was one of the f﷽irst brokerages to build a powerful online trading service. In 2020, it was acquired by Morgan Stanley for $13 billion.
E*TRADE offers its customers two levels of mobile trading apps. The E*TRADE Mobile App is the more basic platform, but it still provides a robust set of tools for the casual trader. The more advanced mobile platform is the Power E*TRADE app, which is specifically designed for active traders, including day traders.
In addition to nice features like Behind the Move, E*TRADE also has the Dime Buyback Program that allows you to close short option positions priced at 10 cents or less without any contract fees. Despite a strong app for day trading and some good features, E*TRADE is a bit hampered by its lack of fractional s♕hares, lower interest rate on uninvested cash, exclusion of crypto, and higher margin rates.
Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:E*TRADE review.
Best Day Trading Platform for Options : tastytrade
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tastytradelogo-454669c3e9e543468182244f6f493b38.png)
- Account Minimum: $0.00
- Fees: Options on stocks and ETFs are $1.00 to open, $0.00 to close. Options on futures are $2.50 per contract and $1.50 for options on micro futures. Futures and micro futures are $2.50 and $1.70 pre contract respectively. Fees for trades of stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrency are $0.00.
tastytrade offers a reliable, fast, and secure way to trade options on your desktop, tablet, or mobile device. Versions for both Android and iOS exist. For active options traders, tastytrade has many tools, including a liquidity rating indicator, an analysis tab to gauge profit and loss potential of the trade, and more.
Robust research and options trading tools
A liquidity rating in♛dicator to find the best options to trad𓄧e
Robust educational content, including videos
Traders need to learn the platform
Focus of educational and other content i🐼s limited to options
Tastytrade was founded in 2017 by two former CBOE traders, Tom Sosnoff and Scott Sheridan. They were also the founders of ThinkorSwim, a well-regarded trading platform acquired by TD Ameritrade which was itself acquired by Charles Schwab. With tastytrade, the founders' mission was to build a new type of trading platform that provides the technology, know-how, and the business structure to both active and retail traders.
Tastytrade's goal is to make trading fun through its technology-driven system. As expert traders who started out on the trading floor, tastytrade, aims to provide both retail and active traders everything they could possibly need for success. Tastytrade has also added integration with TradingView recently and backtesting for options strategies.
Tastytrade has $0 commissions for stocks and ETFs, and charges $0 for crypto purchases and sales, but its real focus is options. For options trades, they charge $1.00 per option contract but only for opening trades and not closing. This means that, effectively, they charge $0.50 for each side of an options trade, which is competitive when compared with the industry as a whole. They also cap their commissions at $10 per leg, so this fee structure heavily favors active oཧptions traders.
In keeping with tastytrade's floor trader roots, they offer an in-platform trading video feed that allows account holders to watch professional traders trade, every minute the market is open to gain inspiration and learn about strategies, concepts and market movements.
If you are primඣarily an options trader, then tastytrade is an excellent choice. If you are a more general day trader, the options centric nature of the platform may leave you wanting some of that passion applied to other asset classes and markets.
Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:tastytrade review.
Why You Should Trust Us
Investopedia, through hundreds of hours of research, collected data from 27 online brokers. We used a proprietary methodology that examined 89 factors that are important to active traders. We used this data to compare and review each brokerage to determine how it ranked in terms of fees, research, customer support, and other key factors. Investopedia has been helping investors determine which online brokers meet their specific criteria since 2019.
How Do Day Trading Platforms Work?
Day trading platforms are brokerages that make an emphasis on offering features useful to 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:day traders such as speedy executi🥀on of trades, low margin 🎃rates, and tools and data for monitoring securities prices, news, and other real-time developments.
These brokerages typically offer commission-free trading in securities like stocks, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:mutual funds. Some brokerages also offer commission-free options trading, but many charge a fee per option cont𝓰ract.🍎
While all of the day trading platforms on our list have no account minimums, some traders may be subject to FINRA ‘澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:pattern day trading’ rules that require to have a minimum of $25,000 available in their margin account.With 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:margin accounts, investors can borrow money from a broker and the securities they hold are considered 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:collateral. Trading on margin✱ can magnify gains and losses.
A trader is considered a pattern day trader by FINRA if they execute ‘four or more day trades within five business days’ and if those trades 'represent more than 6 percent of their total trades during that five day period’. When a day trader’s margin ♏account falls below the $25,000 threshold, they won’t be allowed to day trade until they’ve replenished their account.
Pros & Cons of Day Trading
Higher potential returns
Leveraged returns
Gains are subject to higher taxes
High volatility and risk
High required minimum investment
Losses can be significant
Pros Explained
- Higher potential returns: Day traders attempt to profit off small changes in stock prices throughout the day. If a day trader is able to consistently execute multiple successful trades everyday, it can be a very profitable venture.
- Leveraged returns: Many day traders trade on margin, which means they use 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:borrowed funds to execute trades with higher volumes. This can amplify returns.
Cons Explained
- Gains are subject to higher taxes: Since day traders hold securities for short periods of time (ie. less than a year), gains are taxed at the short-term 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:capital gains rate, which is the same as your ordinary income tax rate.
- High volatility and risk: When investors day trade, they don’t do so based on the fundamentals of a company. Instead, they’re interested in profiting off short-term changes in securities prices. Stock prices can vary considerably throughout the day, so day trading can be very risky.
- High required minimum investment: If you’re considered a ‘pattern day’ trader by FINRA, you’ll be required to have at least $25,000 in your margin account when day trading.
How We Picked The Best Day Trading Platforms
Providing readers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of the best day trading platforms is a top priority for Investopedia. We combined our industry research and subject matter expertise to guide the research and weightings for our 2ജ025 online broker rankings. To collect the data, our team of researchers collected data points through online research of provider websites and conducted conversations with each company directly. The data collection process spanned from Dec. 20, 2024 to Feb 19, 2025.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/the-best-brokers-for-day-trading-8762913-final-darklogo-bc0933b89f024530b4ae41f133ca9563.png)
Investopedia / Julie Bang
Related Articles
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1438609735-7c385bea5ffd4400a2e0526a48c8aa64.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/RoundUpRecircImage-CreditInvestopedia_MichelaButtignol-8038889984444161a02ba9872fe45c0a.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/PRM-BestBrokerAwards-BestBrokersforInternationalTrading-5d0b135af59f4697b826f415a89dd3e4.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/the-best-brokers-for-etfs-8763336-0f93f6ba9ef2400e8a18ccd09ee81884.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/PRM-BestBrokerAwards-BestBrokersforPennyStocks-294250f041544ebd9558dbf5fce80eae.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/PRM-BestBrokerAwards-BestOnlineBrokersandTradingPlatforms-1eb95e8ab19646f78d688a7df41a1f55.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/PRM-BestBrokerAwards-BestOnlineBrokersandTradingPlatforms-1eb95e8ab19646f78d688a7df41a1f55.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1398113520-0b758848b6b8493bb5bf51548eed9819.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/PRM-BestBrokerAwards-BestOnlineBrokersforBeginners-a91d85b9a49047d4b0e3446925a128da.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2213626356-d76092426c904c90b03e79b4c3dea322.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1297809831-5c205d4b848e49fa887f83771047ff80.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2199727515-d0c68461d0b34e44a81fd282058d2769.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2198663413-541f9b72ce134186b3fc20919d9f5172.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/the-best-online-brokers-for-crypto-trading-8765274-v1-c87365623d8947fb8e4950a71004925d.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1229489878-749090572ed74751bbd1710dd137be4a.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1490133656-82d195869d294e2da86444a34c91c518.jpg)