Webull vs Firstrade (2025)

Firstrade or Webull: who is better? Compare investing accounts, online trading fees, stock broker extended hours, and differences.

Webull vs Firstrade Comparison

Which brokerage is better, Firstrade or Webull? Firstrade has more securities; while Webull stands out with its software.

Cost

Broker Fees	Stock/ETF Commission	Mutual Fund Commission	Options Commission	Maintenance Fee	Annual IRA Fee
WeBull	$0	na	$0 per contract	$0	$0
Firstrade	$0	$0	$0 per contract	$0	$0

Services

Broker Review	Cost	Investment Products	Trading Tools	Customer Service	Research	Overall Rating
WeBull
Firstrade

Webull Pros and Cons

Webull offers the following benefits:

Modern desktop platform
Excellent commission structure
Complimentary stocks
Fractional shares

But Webull has these drawbacks:

Fewer investment choices
Limited account types

Firstrade Pros and Cons

Why pick Firstrade:

Large lineup of mutual funds
On-screen trade bar
Separate options trading tool

But Firstrade has these downsides:

Less-advanced software
Reduced customer support

Available Investments

It’s important to know which products a brokerage provides. If you want mutual funds but the broker doesn’t have them, that’s a problem.

Firstrade clients can trade:

Stocks
Bonds
Mutual funds
ETFs and closed-end funds
Options

Firstrade’s stock service includes OTC listings.

Webull's menu:

Stocks (but no OTC)
ETFs and closed-end funds (no mutual funds)
Options
Bonds
Futures

Winner: Firstrade

Education

Webull’s site has a detailed FAQ that addresses many issues for new users. A search tool at the top makes it easy to look up topics.

Webull’s trading platforms show important stock details, such as:

Analyst opinions
Target prices
Global index figures (though no global trading)
News articles
Heat maps
Financial statements

Webull does have a stock screener, but it’s basic. And it doesn’t have a fund screener, which is a major oversight.

Firstrade has a fund screener. In fact, there are two: one for ETFs and another for mutual funds. Both are user-friendly and include many filtering options. There’s a good stock screener, too.

Firstrade’s security profiles are powered by Morningstar. This creates a browsing experience similar to visiting Morningstar.com, with plenty of data like:

Commentaries
Target price
Financial statements
Return details
Dividend info
Valuation data

Firstrade also provides articles and a handful of videos on basic investing.

Winner: Firstrade

Website Trading

Webull’s site now allows login (which it didn’t before). It has minimal stock summaries, account management, and no direct trading. The broker does have a browser platform that appears in a new tab. On it, you’ll see:

Order ticket with 5 order types
Bracket orders
Watchlists
Practice trading
Charting with some tools

Firstrade doesn’t have a browser-based platform. However, after you log in, there’s a trade bar at the bottom of the screen. It lacks bracket orders but supports 6 order types and provides some basic chart analysis.

Firstrade versus Webull

Firstrade’s site has two chart styles: one by Morningstar and one by TradingView. TradingView lets you go full-screen, with a hundred technical studies and several drawing tools.

Winner: Tie

Desktop Software

If Webull’s browser platform isn’t your style, check out its desktop program. The newest version is 4.1.3. It resembles the browser system but includes:

Webull or Firstrade

Active trade ticket with colored buttons for quick orders
Level II quotes
Net Order Imbalance Indicator
25 technical studies (the browser version has just 10)
Widgets panel

Many features seen in the browser system are also on the desktop software, including paper trading, watchlists, and margin info.

Firstrade has no desktop platform, so there’s nothing to report there.

Winner: Webull

Mobile Apps

Firstrade may not have a desktop platform, but it does have a decent mobile app. Apple users can log in with Touch ID for quick access. Firstrade’s mobile platform offers:

Firstrade or Webull

Several watchlists (including pre-set ones)
Order ticket with trailing orders
A dedicated short button
Sideways charting with 7 display styles

Webull’s app also has Touch ID. A feature Firstrade doesn’t have is a demo account for practice trades. Other highlights are:

Webull vs Firstrade

Multiple watchlists
Sideways charting with dual charts and a replay feature
Level II data
Extended hours
Bracket orders

Webull’s app includes a community forum, something that Firstrade’s app lacks.

Winner: Webull

Options Trading

Both brokers support derivatives, but their tools vary a lot. Webull has calls and puts on its platforms—just basic chains. No spreads, and you can’t design your own options strategy.

Firstrade’s site supports calls, puts, and multi-leg setups like straddles and calendars. Plus, Firstrade offers OptionsPlay, an easy-to-use tool that suggests option trades based on whether you’re bullish or bearish on a certain stock. It pre-populates an order ticket and provides charts for maximum and minimum profit/loss.

Both brokers show free Greek data.

Winner: Firstrade

Miscellaneous Services

Dividend reinvestment program: Available at both.

IRAs: Both firms in this comparison have retirement accounts. Firstrade’s options include SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, which Webull doesn’t offer.

Automatic mutual fund investing: Firstrade supports this.

Winner: Firstrade

Our Recommendations

Stock/ETF trading: We like Webull’s updated desktop platform, especially for day and swing trading.

Beginners: Webull is the sole brokerage here with paper trading built into its system. Go with Webull.

Small accounts: Either Firstrade or Webull works fine.

Long-term investors and retirement savers: Firstrade is the better option, thanks to its variety of IRA choices and large mutual fund selection.

Promotions

Webull: Up to $7,500 cash and 20 FREE shares when you make a deposit at Webull.

Firstrade: 3% match on contributions and 2% on transfers with a No-Fee IRA.

Webull vs Firstrade Judgement

Webull is excellent for frequent equity traders due to its desktop platform. Firstrade is a stronger choice for mutual fund traders and options fans.

Updated on 1/30/2025.

About the Author

Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.