Traders consistently seek trusted and reliable trading platforms that suit their trading styles and preferences. Etoro and TD Ameritrade are top-tier regulated brokers providing online trading services worldwide. Etoro is known for its social trading and multi-asset platform, regulated in four tier-1 jurisdictions and one tier-4 jurisdiction including CySEC, FCA, Finra, FSA-S, and SIPC. On the other hand, TD Ameritrade specializes in online forex trading regulated by three tier-1 jurisdictions including SEC, FINRA, and SIPC. While these brokers offer similar services, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. In this article, I have compared Etoro and TD Ameritrade in terms of trading platforms, Pros, Cons, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. This analysis aims to help you determine which broker better suits your trading style and preferences.
eToro vs TD Ameritrade: In a Nutshell
eToro:
eToro is a multi-asset investment company that offers 5000+ trading instruments for clients worldwide. Its headquarters are located in Central Israel. The platform is known for its advanced proprietary social investing and copy-trading platform. eToro is regulated by multiple regulatory authorities including FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FINRA, SEC, and SIPC. etoro is also available on NASDAQ with the FTCV ticker. It has built a huge community comprising over 30 million traders who interact with each other while investors automatically copy the trades of expert traders. Additionally, you can trade real stocks, ETFs, and cryptos with eToro. To learn more, you can read our review on Etoro.
Etoro Overview
- Founded In: 2007
- Founder: Yoni Assia, Ronen Assia
- Headquarters: UK
- Minimum Deposit: $50
- Maximum Leverage: 30:1 EU, 50:1 USA
- Regulations: SEC, FINRA, FCA, CySEC, FSA-S, SIPC
- Trading platform: eToro Trading Platforms
- Account Types: Standard, Professional, Corporate
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, Giropay, Local Bank Deposits, Local Bank Transfers, Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, UnionPay, WebMoney, Yandex Money
TD Ameritrade:
Founded in 1971 as Ameritrade, TD Ameritrade is a well-known American online brokerage firm that offers a wide range of financial services including stocks, Forex, options, ETFs Mutual Funds, fixed income, and other investment products TD Ameritrade went through a couple of acquisitions and mergers. In 2006, it acquired the US operations of TD Waterhouse, followed by the acquisition of Scottrade in 2017. Finally, in 2020, Charles Schwab Corporation acquired TD Ameritrade. TD Ameritrade provides access to both US and non-US traders to trade on this platform.
TD Ameritrade At a Glance
- Founded In: 1978
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Maximum Leverage: 1:50
- Regulations: SEC , FINRA , SIPC
- Trading platform: Web Platforms, thinkorswim desktop, thinkorswim® web, Mobile Trading
- Account Types: Standard, Retirement, Education and Specialty accounts.
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), ACH (Automated Clearing House), Check, Physical Stock Certificates, Transfer from Existing Broker
- US Clients : Accepted
TD Ameritrade
- Trading Instruments: 4,700+ trading instruments including Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, fixed income, futures, and forex, as well as margin lending and cash management services
- Maximum Leverage: 50:1. Offers both leverage and non-leverage assets.
- Minimum Deposit: TD Ameritrade does not require a minimum deposit to open a trading account
- Account Type: Brokerage and Trading, Retirement Account, Education and Custodian, charitable giving, lending, Small business retirements, Checking and Savings, Robo and Dedicated Advice, credit cards, Annuities, Trust and Estate, Insurance
- Trading Fees: TD Ameritrade offers a $0 account minimum with no charges for trading stocks and ETFs. Bond trades are $1 per bond, and most options contracts cost $0.65 each. Mutual fund trades typically cost around $50, but the firm also provides access to over 3,600 no-transaction-fee funds
- PAMM/MAM: Not Available
- News Trading: Allowed
- Scalping: Allowed
- Automated Trading: Allowed
eToro vs TD Ameritrade: Pros and Cons
eToro:
- Regulated in numerous jurisdictions including CySEC, FCA, ASIC, FinCEN, MSB, FSA Seychelles, FSC Gibraltar, and FSA Malta.
- Trading over 5,000 forex and CFD assets plus real stocks/ETFs and Cryptocurrencies.
- A large community of social traders
- Trading tools like market sentiments, news feed, Trading Central analysis, etc.
- Investors can copy the trades of expert traders or invest in ‘CopyPortfolios’
- Real Stocks and ETFs are Available
- Negative Balance Protection
- Traders pay withdrawal fees, inactivity fees, and conversion fees.
- You have no other platform choice than the eToro platform.
- You cannot automate your strategies via trading robots.
- No multiple account types; you can only have a retail account or a professional account.
- Margin trading is not available to U.S. users
- No limit orders for stocks.
- Not Available in American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands
TD Ameritrade
- ETF, non-penny stock, and options trades are commission-free
- Expansive trading tools and resources for all types of investors
- Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading)
- Regulated by FINRA, SIBC
- Part of Charles Schwab Corporation since October 2020, with a combined 28 million clients and $6 trillion in assets.
- The company does not charge fees for trading in American and Canadian stocks, options, and ETFs.
- There is a large selection of investments from which to choose
- Broker-assisted trades are somewhat costly
- No direct crypto Trading
- Forex trading via thinkorswim, a trading platform where you can trade forex
- No MT4, MT5, cTraders trading platforms are offered
- Fractional shares are not offered
- Accounts mostly limited to US residents
- As a U.S.-only forex broker, TD Ameritrade does not offer copy trading or MetaTrader (MT4).
eToro vs TD Ameritrade: Side-by-Side Comparison
eToro Vs TD Ameritrade: Our Scores and Ratings
We rated both brokers, eToro and TD Ameritrade, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0.1 increments. To achieve a comprehensive rating, we broadly grouped all services offered by brokers into 6 macro categories and assigned percentage weights to them. Each macro category is subdivided into several data points which contributes to the total score of 1.0-10.0 assigned to each macro category. Since all categories are not equally important, our weight percentage plays a significant role in assessing the broker accurately. For example, Regulation and Security contributes a total weight of 40% to the whole ratings because this is the most important rating category. To learn more, read our methodology.
eToro :
TD Ameritrade:
Final Verdict :
Both eToro and TD Ameritrade are regulated online trading platforms in the industry, offering services to traders and investors. However, there are some differences between them. eToro is a multi-asset and social trading platform, providing over 5000+ trading instruments, including Forex, CFDs, real stocks, and cryptocurrencies. It offers both leverage and non-leverage tradable assets. On the other hand, TD Ameritrade is a forex and CFD broker offering Stocks, Options, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Futures, Forex, Margin Trading, Bonds & Fixed Income. Both platforms accept US clients.
Our score for eToro is 8.5, and for TD Ameritrade, it is 8.8 (based on our research; a score above 8 is considered safe and trustworthy). If you are seeking a social trading platform where you can copy other successful traders and have a one-stop solution for various types of trading, you may choose eToro. However, if you prefer online forex and CFD brokers, you may choose TD Ameritrade.
Risk Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
