Head-to-head comparison across ratings, fees, asset coverage, and platform breadth.
E*TRADE (Morgan Stanley)
4.4 / 5
Solid full-service broker for mainstream investors who value Power E*TRADE's active-trader tools, deep mutual-fund and bond shelves, and Morgan Stanley's wealth backbone. No fractional shares is the standout weakness.
Last reviewed May 13, 2026Data may be outdated — verify rates before acting
Robinhood
4.3 / 5
Best mobile-first broker for beginners, casual options traders, IRA contributors who want a 3% match, and 24-hour stock access. Significant gaps in OTC, mutual funds, and bonds.
Last reviewed May 13, 2026Data may be outdated — verify rates before acting
Sub-rating overlap
Each broker scored 0–5 across the same 8 dimensions.
Detailed comparison
Green cells mark the winner on each metric. Tie rows are uncoloured.
Metric
E*TRADE
Robinhood
Winner
OverallEditorial score
4.40 / 5
4.30 / 5
E*TRADE
Sub-ratingsCommissions & fees
4.00
5.00
Robinhood
Sub-ratingsPlatforms & tools
4.50
4.00
E*TRADE
Sub-ratingsMobile app
4.50
5.00
Robinhood
Sub-ratingsResearch
4.50
3.50
E*TRADE
Sub-ratingsEducation
4.50
3.50
E*TRADE
Sub-ratingsCustomer service
4.70
3.80
E*TRADE
Sub-ratingsRange of investments
4.50
3.50
E*TRADE
Sub-ratingsActive trading
4.30
4.00
E*TRADE
PricingLowest margin rate
10.45%
5.00%
Robinhood
PricingDefault cash sweep yield
3.60%
3.35%
E*TRADE
PricingPFOF on equities
Accepts
Accepts
Tie
Where they differ on asset coverage
Asset class
E*TRADE
Robinhood
OTC / penny stocks
Limited
Fractional shares
No
Yes
Options (single & multi-leg)
Yes
Mutual funds
Yes
No
US Treasuries
Yes
Corporate / muni bonds
Yes
Crypto (direct)
Limited
Yes
International stocks
Limited
24-hour overnight equity trading
Limited
Yes
OTC / Pink Sheets / OTCQX / OTCQB
No
Options (equity, ETF, index)
Yes
Bonds
No
International stocks (from US)
No
Pre-market trading
Yes
After-hours trading
Yes
Prediction markets
Yes
E*TRADE strengths
Power E*TRADE platform — strong options analytics, paper trading, charting
Morgan Stanley research and wealth tools backing the brokerage
Premium Savings account ~3.6% APY for idle cash
$0 commissions on stocks, ETFs, and listed options ($0.65/contract)
Spot crypto launched (BTC/ETH/SOL at 50 bps) in May 2026
6,000+ mutual funds available
Robinhood strengths
$0 commission on stocks, ETFs, and options — including no per-contract options fee
3% IRA match for Gold members (1% standard) on Traditional/Roth/Rollover IRAs
Robinhood Legend desktop platform with 90+ indicators, futures ladder, Cortex AI
24/5 trading on ~900 stocks and ETFs via Blue Ocean ATS — clean UX
Cleanest mobile onboarding in retail brokerage; fractional shares from $1
Crypto coverage: ~20 coins with staking + Robinhood Wallet self-custody