Traders consistently seek trusted and reliable trading platforms that suit their trading styles and preferences. FBS and TD Ameritrade are top-tier regulated brokers providing online trading services worldwide. FBS is known for its social trading and multi-asset platform, regulated in two Tier-1 jurisdictions and one Tier-4 jurisdictions, including ASIC , FSC , CySEC.. On the other hand, TD Ameritrade specializes in online forex trading, regulated by three tier-1 jurisdictions including SEC , FINRA , SIPC. While these brokers offer similar services, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, I have compared FBS 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.
FBS vs TD Ameritrade: In a Nutshell
FBS
Established in 2009, FBS is one of the leading forex and CFD brokers, offering online trading services worldwide. It is a global brand with headquarters in Belize and regional offices in Cyprus and the Marshall Islands. FBS provides opportunities for trading forex, stocks, metals, energies, and indices. It has about 17 million clients and over 60 prestigious awards for excellent services. FBS.eu offers low spreads and split-second executions without requotes. FBS is one of the highest leverage forex brokers, with leverage up to 1:3000 for its global clients.
FBS Overview
- Founded In: 2009
- Founder: Satthakarn Chuenkomol
- Headquarters: Belize City, Belize
- Minimum Deposit: $5
- Maximum Leverage: 1:3000
- Regulations: ASIC, FSC, CySEC
- Trading platform: MT4, MT5, Webtrader
- Account Types: Standard, Cent, Pro
- Payment Options: VISA, MasterCard, Local Exchangers, Neteller, PerfectMoney, Skrill, SticPay
- US Traders: Not Accepted
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
FBS vs : TD Ameritrade Features
FBS:
- Trading Instruments: Forex, Stock, Indices, Crypto, Metals, Energies, Forex Exotic.
- Maximum leverage: 1:3000
- Minimum Deposit: $5
- Account Types: Three ( Standard, Cent, Pro)
- Trading Fees: Spread starting from 1 pip for Standard Account and Cent Account
- PAMM/ MAM: Not available
- Scalping: Allowed
- News Trading: Allowed
- EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed
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
FBS vs TD Ameritrade: Pros and Cons
FBS:
- Regulated by the CySEC, ASIC, FSCA South Africa, and FSC Belize.
- The Maximum Leverage is as high as 1:3000
- The Minimum deposit is $5
- Trading is on the MT4, MT5, and FBS trader platforms.
- There is an account type to suit newbies, experienced, and pro traders.
- Low spreads, high leverage, and fast order executions
- Easy and fast account opening
- Forex Guidebook, Forex Intensive, trading ideas, webinars, and other training resources are provided.
- Tradable assets are not much, especially when compared to other top brokers.
- Daily Market news and analysis on FBS.eu are not regularly updated.
- No premium trading tools to assist traders.
- No investor protection for non-EU Clients
- Managed Accounts & Social Trading is unavailable
- Few Account Base Currencies
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).
FBS vs TD Ameritrade: Side-by-Side Comparison
FBS Vs TD Ameritrade: Our Scores and Ratings
We rated both brokers, FBS 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.
FBS :
TD Ameritrade
Final Verdict :
Both FBS and TD Ameritrade are regulated online trading platforms in the industry, offering services to traders and investors. However, there are some differences between them. FBS is a multi-asset and social trading platform, providing over 5000 trading instruments, including currency pairs, metals, energies, and shares. 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.
Our score for FBS is 8.8, 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 FBS. However, if you prefer online forex and CFD brokers, you may choose TD Ameritrade.
