Traders consistently seek trusted and reliable trading platforms that suit their trading styles and preferences. FP Markets and TD Ameritrade are top-tier regulated brokers providing online trading services worldwide. FP Markets is known for its social trading and multi-asset platform, regulated in two Tier-1 jurisdictions, one Tier-2 jurisdictions and one tier -4 jurisdictions including ASIC, CySEC, SVGFSA, FSCA. 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 FP Markets 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.
FP Markets vs TD Ameritrade: In a Nutshell
FP Markets
Established in 2005, FP Markets is an Australian-based forex and CFD broker that offers online trading services worldwide. It is a global brand regulated by multiple authorities, including ASIC, CySEC, SVG, FSA, and FSCA. The broker provides traders access to more than 10,000 trading instruments on its four platforms: MT4, MT5, IREAA, and cTrader. It also provides access to tools like Autochartist, Trading Central, free VPS, social trading, and more. FP Markets is a low-cost forex broker with spreads as low as 0.0 pips. To learn more, you can read our review about FP Markets.
FP Markets Overview
- Founded In: 2005
- Founder: Matthew Murphy
- Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
- Minimum Deposit: 100 AUD or equivalent.
- Maximum Leverage: 500:1
- Regulations: ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSA
- Trading platform: MT4, MT5 and Ctrader
- Account Types: Islamic, Account Funding, Fund withdraw
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, BPAY, Dragonpay, FasaPay, Klarna, Neteller, Ngan Luong, PayPal, PayTrust88, PerfectMoney, Poli, Rapid Transfer, Skrill, SticPay, Transfer from Existing Broker, UnionPay
- US Clients: 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
FP Markets vs : TD Ameritrade Features
FP Markets:
- Trading Instruments: 10000+ trading instruments including Forex, Crypto CFDs, Indices CFDs, Commodities CFDs, Stocks CFDs,
- Maximum leverage: up to 1:500
- Minimum Deposit: 100 AUS or equivalent.
- Account Types: Offers 2 account types: Standard, Raw
- Fees: starting from 1.0 pips for a standard account, $3.5 commission on Raw account per side
- PAMM/ MAM: Yes,
- Zulutrade: Yes
- 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
FP Markets vs TD Ameritrade: Pros and Cons
FP Markets
- Regulated by ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, SVGFSA, AFS, FSP
- The Maximum leverage is 1:500
- Offers popular trading platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, WebTrader, IRESS
- Hedging, Scalping, EA/Robot, and Copy trading are allowed
- Easy, Fast and Digital account opening
- Offers passive investment programs like MAM, PAMM Accounts
- Faster order execution (40ms)
- FP Markets offers consistently tighter spreads from 0.0 pips
- No FCA regulation.
- The Minimum deposit is $100, which might be high for a beginner
- High Stock CFD fees
- US traders are not accepted
- Only two types of accounts ( Standard, Raw)
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).
FP Markets vs TD Ameritrade: Side-by-Side Comparison
FP Markets Vs TD Ameritrade: Our Scores and Ratings
We rated both brokers, FP Markets 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.
FP Markets :
TD Ameritrade
Final Verdict :
Both FP Markets and TD Ameritrade are regulated online trading platforms in the industry, offering services to traders and investors. However, there are some differences between them. FP Markets is a multi-asset and social trading platform, providing trading instruments, including forex, indices, shares, commodities, metals, digital currencies, bonds & ETFs. 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 FP Markets is 9.2 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 FP Markets. However, if you prefer online forex and CFD brokers, you may choose TD Ameritrade.
