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CloseTradeStation Review
TradeStation's powerful technology, tools, and reliable performance make it a go-to platform for active traders.
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TradeStation is known for facilitating lots of trades at breakneck speeds — reliably.
Hence, the platform has a become a favorite among day traders. But will TradeStation only appeal to active traders? The answer might surprise you.
The firm now offers $0 trades in a likely attempt to appeal to the more casual investor. It has also taken numerous steps to increase the usability of its web-based platform, to make trading much less intimidating.
Does TradeStation have what you’re looking for? Let’s find out. 👇
FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.
Fast Facts
- Account Minimum: $2000 for TS Select; $0 for TS Go
- Fees: Stocks and ETFs are $0; Options are $0.6(TS Select) or $0.5(TS Go)
- Best For: Active options and penny stock trading
- Highlight: One of the best platforms for professionals
Rating
- Usability: 7/10
- Research and Education: 5/10
- Customer Service & Help: 8.5/10
- Commissions & Fees: 4/10
- Tools & Resources: 9.5/10
- Overall: 8/10
Investor Warning: Past performance, whether actual or indicated by historical tests of strategies, is no guarantee of future performance or success. There is a possibility that you may sustain a loss equal to or greater than your entire investment regardless of which asset class you trade (equities, options or futures); therefore, you should not invest or risk money that you cannot afford to lose. Online trading is not suitable for all investors.
What is TradeStation? 📚
TradeStation is an online brokerage firm founded in 1982 under the name Omega Research, inc.
They are best known for outstanding technical analysis software and electronic trading platforms that allow users to heavily customize their trading experience. TradeStation was acquired by the Japanese Monex Group in 2011.
Experienced day traders are TradeStation’s main audience but casual traders will also find the company’s web trading platform comprehensive and handy.
The multiple pricing plans users can choose from offer low commissions for most investment types, but options and penny stocks are where TradeStation really shines. This platform is not the best choice for beginners but pros will love the plethora of powerful analytical features available.
TradeStation Overview and Summary
TradeStation most notable features:
- Some of the best trading technology in the industry. TradeStation Desktop, their most popular platform, is one of the most impressive and feature-packed trading platforms you can find.
- Great for professional traders, especially when it comes to penny stocks and options trades.
- Users can choose their pricing plan, and there’s even a special low-cost plan for veterans and active military personnel.
- Outstanding and customizable platforms with powerful analytical tools.
- Tech-savvy investors can modify or create features with TradeStation’s EasyLanguage.
- Research and education are not lacking in features and content but you can probably find better alternatives among the top-ranking brokers.
What Can You Trade with TradeStation? 🤔
Tradestation offers just about all investment types on their platform. This includes Stocks, ETFs, Penny Stocks, Futures, Options, Mutual Funds, and Bonds. Users can trade stocks, ETFs, and some options with no commission fees.
There is no international trading available and all mutual funds orders have to be phoned in. The platform offers a wide array of tradable securities, ensuring that traders have access to a diverse range of investment options.
Also, if you have money sitting idly on your account, it will earn you a 0.55% interest every year. This is rare in the industry, and it’s a pleasant circumstance since you are safe from inflation. Well… partially at least. It’s better than nothing.
TradeStation Compared
$0
$0
$0
$100
TS Select: $2,000
TS GO: $0
$100
Active options and penny stock trading
Casual investors
Powerful tools for professionals
Great retirement planning tools
50% Off Future
None
$0
$3 or $5/month
$100
$5 required to start investing
$100
$0 to open account
Casual investors
People who struggle to save
Great retirement planning tools
“Invest spare change” feature
None
Commissions
$0
$0
$3 or $5/month
Account minimum
$0
$100
$5 required to start investing
Minimum initial deposit
TS Select: $2,000
TS GO: $0
$100
$0 to open account
Best for
Active options and penny stock trading
Casual investors
People who struggle to save
Highlight
Powerful tools for professionals
Great retirement planning tools
“Invest spare change” feature
Promotion
50% Off Future
None
TradeStation Review: Platform & Technology 💻
Users can choose between two platforms: TradeStation Desktop, which is the brokerage’s more popular platform, and Web Trading, a more simple and intuitive browser-based platform. Both of these platforms are outstanding and extensively customizable.
TradeStation Web Trading 🌐
Some investors want an easy-to-use platform without an overwhelming number of features. TradeStation Web Trading provides this and more, as the fundamental tools you have available are top-class.
The web platform helps traders manage active positions, place trades, watch lists, open orders, and conduct stock chart analysis effortlessly. TradeStation Web Trading is superior to most similar platforms, as it is clean, simple, and has very impressive tools.
TradeStation Desktop 🖥
This is Tradestation’s flagship product, geared toward professionals who are familiar with complexity. Users have a huge number of features at their disposal, for example, the historical data that is available for analysis goes back more than 45 years.
Users also have a whopping 274 indicators/studies at their disposal. Many active investors find the top-notch technology extremely valuable, making TradeStation one of the best brokers for day trading. The tools are user-friendly too, as they can be adjusted and changed however the client sees fit through TradeStation’s coding language, EasyLanguage. But that’s not all. Let’s take a look at other notable features of this platform.
Trading Options with OptionStation 🤝
Options traders will love OptionStation Pro. This built-in tool is made for streamlined trading. Users will get access to features like advanced position analysis, grouping for current positions, and streaming greeks in real-time. All of the chart routines and analytical features should yield fantastic results in the hands of a capable trader.
The main feature of OptionStation Pro is the Theoretical Position Panel. This feature analyzes trading positions, which are hypothetical at first. Powerful tools combined with the low commissions on options can be a great opportunity for any options trader. With world class tools and technology, TradeStation is one of the best options trading platforms out there.
Portfolio Maestro 🔧
Portfolio Maestro is a portfolio analysis tool that can compare the performance of various investment strategies, or analyze your portfolio as a whole. This is a good tool to find out if something is working and if something else is working better.
Code with EasyLanguage 👨💻
If you’re feeling up to it, you can create your own trading strategies and unique analysis tools using the platform’s EasyLanguage feature. This is a coding language available only on TradeStation and it allows users to modify existing strategies and indicators, or create new ones. This feature is for the tech-savvy investor who wants to further optimize this feature-rich platform.
Other Tools & Resources 🧰
TradeStation Desktop has a ton of great tools, including Matrix (for ladder trading), Radar Screen (for streaming watchlists in real-time), Walk-Forward Optimizer (for testing strategies), and Scanner (for custom screening), to name a few.
A Few Drawbacks 🤨
Users can’t sync the watchlists from TradeStation Web Trading with TradeStation Desktop. This is not a huge drawback, but it is an annoyance for users who operate on both platforms. There is also an absence of automated technical analysis, so the charting feature is not as good as it could be.
Mobile Platform 📱
The mobile platform has the same important basic features as the desktop versions. For example, all prices are streaming in Real-time and you can trade all options strategies from your mobile device.
The mobile software can sync with your TradeStation Desktop and TradeStation Web Trading accounts. The app doesn’t have alert and watch list features.
🤓 How does TradeStation stack up to the competition? See our TradeStation vs. TD Ameritrade comparison.
TradeStation Fees 💳
First, you have to choose the pricing system you want. There are a lot of things to keep in mind, so it can get a bit confusing. Let’s go through the most popular pricing plans, starting with the top two, TS Select and TS Go
TS Select ☑️
Our review of Station suggests TS Select is the platform’s popular pricing system, which has a $2,000 minimum account balance. As one of the best free trading brokers, TradeStation offers a number of assets to be traded for free. With TS Select, you can access all TradeStation’s trading platforms and trade stocks and ETFs with no commissions. Options trades are only $0.6 per contract.
TS Go ☑️
You can get even lower fees with TS Go. You can trade unlimited Stocks and ETFs with no commissions and options trades are $0.5 per contract. All of TradeStation’s platforms are available but there’s a catch. There is a $10 fee for placing orders through TradeStation Desktop.
| Pricing | Stocks & ETFs | Stocks Options | Futures | Futures Options | Minimum Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TS Select | $0 | $0 ($0.60 per contract) | $0 ($1.50 per contract, per side) | $1.50 per contract, per side | $2.000 |
| TS Go | $0 | $0 ($0.50 per contract) | $0 ($0.85 per contract, per side) | $1.50 per contract, per side | $0 |
Is TradeStation Good for Penny Stocks? 🧐
Whichever of the aforementioned plans you decide to use, the commissions on penny stock are the same. Penny stock trades cost $0 for the first 10.000 shares. After the 10.000th, they are $0.001 per share. The incredibly low fees make TradeStation one of the top brokers for penny stock trading — competing with the likes of E*Trade, TD Ameritrade, and Fidelity.
TradeStation Salutes 🎖️
This is a pricing program made for veterans, first responders, and active military personnel. TradeStation Salutes is a program unique to TradeStation and it provides users with free stocks, options, and ETFs trades.
TradeStation Tools and Research 🛠️
TradeStation’s research capabilities are very detailed and powerful in some aspects while lacking in others.TradeStation’s platforms provide over 150 indicators, and more can be created or downloaded. Notifications will warn clients about approaching earnings announcements or significant market moves based on their positions.
Research Tools & Resources 🔎
The platform has a built-in software called OptionStation Pro, which is a great tool for analyzing strategies and placing orders. You can make stock screens that are based on technical data through RadarScreen, TradeStation’s stock scanner.
Users have access to a huge historical database, which holds about 50 years of trading history. TradeStation Market Insights, TradeStation’s market commentary is accessible through the desktop platform. It is updated frequently throughout the trading day.
Limitations ⚠
Some investors may be disappointed since there is no mutual fund or fixed income research and no traditional basic stocks research. Research capabilities for ETFs are also very limited. The platform does not provide analyst reports for users but that is not a great problem since there are other useful sources of market commentary, like TradeStation Market Insights.
💡 Interested in trading ETFs? These are some of the best ETF brokers.
Education and Community 🏫
Educational resources are abundant at TradeStation University, including articles, e-books, video tutorials, and more. Viewers of TradeStation’s YouTube channel can watch numerous video tutorials to learn about the basics like asset classes, placing trades, options trading, and technical analysis.
Live webinars are streamed very often, and you can also go to one of TradeStation’s five-day “Masterclass” events held in Plantation, Florida and Chicago. TradeStation Labs holds pre-market briefings and interviews every day.
TradeStation Today’s content includes tutorials, real-time news, and special tutorials that explain to users how experts organize and utilize the plentiful arsenal of tools on TradeStation’s platforms. All platforms give users access to live streaming lessons and discussions about trading IPOs, ETFs, and numerous other relevant topics.
TradeStation is currently upgrading TradeStation University in order to offer users more lessons, as well as quizzes to test their knowledge. All of these features provide great value to users but maybe you should consider better alternatives if you are a beginner.
Where Tradestation Shines 🌟
Tradestation is a platform geared towards experienced active traders. The potential of its complex platforms can only be harnessed by traders who know what they’re doing. If you figure out the platform, then you can make a great profit by trading low-commission securities efficiently.
Overall Excellent Platforms 🚀
TradeStation’s trading platforms are regarded as one of the best choices for advanced traders who can benefit from the truckload of powerful tools and data. TradeStation Desktop is the company’s flagship product, intended for experienced traders who won’t get overwhelmed by the myriad of complicated features. This platform is not recommended for beginners.
There is a bit less complex alternative called, TradeStation Web Trading. Users have access to all fundamental features on this platform and can trade, watch lists, and do different kinds of analysis.
The tools on TradeStation Web Trading are fewer in number but of almost unrivaled quality. This platform isn’t the best for beginners but it is still fairly more user-friendly than TradeStation Desktop.
Customer Support ☎
Tradestation users can get 24hr phone assistance from the company’s Client Services and Technical Support from Sunday to Friday. Users and potential customers can also get help from Tradestation’s representatives through email and live chat.
The representatives usually live up to the good reputation of the brokerage with their professionalism and knowledge, but they get mixed reviews, like most phone services. The brokerage also has a comprehensive and informative FAQ section on their site.
Where TradeStation is Lacking 🚧
Tradestation is generally better suited for experienced traders, so beginners will probably find a bunch of better alternatives to get them started in investing. The software and the range of offerings are fantastic, but they are not without drawbacks.
The mobile app is available for Android and iOS, but not for Windows phones. There are also no rollover IRAs available on TradeStation.
👴 Looking to save for retirement? These are some of the best brokers for IRA accounts.
Final Thoughts: TradeStation Review 🏁
Since its founding almost 40 years ago, TradeStation has earned a very good reputation in the investing world. The software they offer is plentiful and among the best in the industry, and there are platform options for very advanced traders and more casual investors alike.
Without a doubt, TradeStation is a great broker with powerful tools that active traders love. Some traders pair their strategy with a top options trading alert service—giving themselves the best of both worlds.
Users can also pick the pricing plan they want, but all plans are good since stocks, ETFs, and penny stocks suffer no commission fees. Active and former military personnel can get a TradeStation Salute account and start trading stocks, ETFs, and options commission-free. All in all, TradeStation offers a well-rounded service, suitable for most investors.
TradeStation: FAQs
-
How Much Does it Cost to Open a TradeStation Account?
The minimum deposit varies by account type. To open a stock and options account with TradeStation, you’ll need to deposit at least $500. For a margin account, the minimum deposit is $2,000. Futures accounts, on the other hand, have a $5,000 minimum deposit.
Opening a TS Go account doesn’t require a minimum deposit, but you’ll need to have at least $2,000 in your account if you want to open a TS Select account.
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Is TradeStation Free?
When it comes to stocks and ETFs, TradeStation doesn’t charge anything. However, depending on the account you choose, some other fees can apply. For example, Tradestation can charge a monthly account service fee of $149.95, although it can easily be avoided by meeting the minimum activity requirements. This account service fee doesn’t apply to TS Select and TS Go clients, however.
TradeStation’s pricing and fees can be quite confusing. As far as trading fees go, they are as follows:
- Stocks and ETFs: $0
- Options: $0.60 per contract for TS Select, $0.50 for TS Go
- Futures: $1.50 per contract for TS Select, $0.85 for TS Go
- Mutual funds: $14.95 per trade
- Micro E-Mini Futures: $0.50 per contract for TS Select, $0.50 for TS Go
- Futures Options: $1.50 per contract for TS Select, $1.50 for TS Go
- Bonds: $14.95 + $5 per bond
You should also keep in mind that the fees we’ve just listed for TS Go only apply if you use the mobile app or the web-based platform. If you opt for TS Go and use the desktop platform, you will be charged with an additional $10 fee for all equity and options trades that you make. In the case of futures trades, an additional fee of $1.40 is charged per contract.
And those aren’t the only fees that you might run into. As the entire fee schedule is too long and complex to incorporate here, you can check it out at TradeStation’s website.
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Is TradeStation Good for Beginners?
TradeStation is geared toward experienced investors – the powerful features, complexity, and customization of the platform will most likely prove too much to handle for novices.
TradeStation’s platform is jam-packed with powerful tools, and you’ll need a rock-solid understanding of the fundamentals in order to make good use of them – unfortunately, education is one of the areas in which TradeStation falls short.
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How do I Withdraw Money From TradeStation?
To withdraw money from your TradeStation account, you’ll have to log in to the client center on their website. In the top menu, select Transfer Funds – this will take you to the Deposits & Transfers page. You will see an option labeled Manage External Accounts on the left side. You can use this option to link your TradeStation account with an external bank account.
If that’s taken care of, you can navigate back to the Deposits & Transfers section and select Smart Transfer. This will bring up an ACH transfer form. If you would prefer a wire transfer, simply click on the Wire Transfer option.
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Is TradeStation a Direct Access Broker?
Yes – TradeStation’s desktop platform, which is available to TS Select and TS Go clients, offers direct market access, and so do the web-based and mobile app versions of the platform.
Although this is a huge benefit regardless of platform, it will provide the biggest advantage to TS Select users who opt for the desktop platform, as the benefits of both have the greatest synergy.
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Does TradeStation Have a Demo Account?
Yes – however, to use TradeStation’s demo account, you first have to open an account and meet the minimum funding requirement, which is $500 for a brokerage account.
Although the simulated trading account is excellent, the fact that you have to sign up with TradeStation before trying it makes it quite inaccessible when compared to the demo accounts offered by competitors.
Due to this fact, we wouldn’t recommend using TradeStation’s demo account as a learning tool. If you already have some experience under your belt, it can offer you a fantastic way to familiarize yourself with the platform – but beginners are likely to be overwhelmed, and should look elsewhere.
Compare TradeStation
See how TradeStation compares to the top investing platforms by reading one of the reviews below.
All reviews, research, news and assessments of any kind on The Tokenist are compiled using a strict editorial review process by our editorial team. Neither our writers nor our editors receive direct compensation of any kind to publish information on tokenist.com. Our company, Tokenist Media LLC, is community supported and may receive a small commission when you purchase products or services through links on our website. Click here for a full list of our partners and an in-depth explanation on how we get paid.
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