Webull vs Firstrade in 2026

Firstrade vs. Webull

Primary Points:

• Self-directed brokerage accounts can be opened at Webull and Firstrade.

• Firstrade (but not Webull) offers mutual fund investing.

• The best tools for active trading will be found at Webull.

Before opening your next investment account, be sure to compare Webull and Firstrade. These two firms are quite different and offer very different experiences.

Cost

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

Services

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

Accounts and Assets

Traders at Webull and Firstrade can open self-directed brokerage accounts that provide access to these investments:

Options (equity and index)
Stocks
ETFs
Closed-end funds
Money-market funds
Treasury bonds

Webull customers also get futures, Chinese and Hong Kong stocks, and event contracts. Firstrade offers mutual funds and a larger bond lineup, including corporate and municipal debt.

Webull has a Premium program with discounts and bonuses for clients who enroll. It costs $3.99 per month or $40 per year. Firstrade does not offer a similar program.

For managed investing, Webull offers robo accounts that invest in ETFs. There are no advisor-led accounts with a human planner. Firstrade does not offer managed accounts at all.

Accounts at either firm can be opened by residents of several countries. With Webull, some customers may need to use a non-U.S. branch of the company. Firstrade allows non-U.S. residents to open a U.S.-based account.

Winner: We’ll take Firstrade

Margin Services

Self-directed accounts at either broker can be set up as cash or margin accounts. Margin enables short selling, leverage, and option spreads. Using margin has interest charges, though. Here are the rates:

Webull: flat 8.74% (with discounts for Premium customers)
Firstrade: 8% to 12%

Webull’s software and Firstrade’s website both show initial margin requirements for specific ticker symbols. Only Webull shows maintenance requirements. For example, we found these margin details for Microsoft (MSFT):

Maintenance requirement (long): 25%
Maintenance requirement (short): 30%

Winner: Tie

Computer Software

The software comparison starts on the websites. Firstrade’s site has a trade bar at the bottom that can place orders for stocks, ETFs, and options. For a more advanced options experience, there is a full-page ticket that can submit spread orders.

Firstrade versus Webull

Through a partnership with TradingView, Firstrade’s website includes charts with many drawing tools, technical indicators, and plot styles. Charts can also be expanded to the full width of the screen.

Firstrade’s website also includes an AI tool called FirstradeGPT. It can answer many investing questions without giving specific advice.

Webull also offers an advanced experience through its web-based trading platform. The platform includes multiple order tickets with several order types, such as stop limit and take profit. Charts include many tools, and simulated trading is available for extra practice.

Webull or Firstrade

Webull’s browser platform is also available as a desktop program with extra features. Firstrade does not offer desktop software.

Winner: Firstrade

Mobile Apps

On mobile, Webull again delivers a strong platform. The app includes paper trading (look for the paperTrade icon under the Menu tab), multiple watchlists, market news, and a community forum called Feeds.

Webull vs Firstrade

The mobile order ticket can be switched between two versions (Classic and Turbo). The Classic ticket includes advanced orders like bracket, OTO, and conditional. Charts also include many useful tools.

Firstrade or Webull

The Firstrade app is simpler. The order ticket has one version with only five order types. There is no simulator, although we did find a large library of market news. Firstrade also offers free technical analysis from Trading Central, and FirstradeGPT appears here as well.

Winner: Firstrade

Additional Features

Fractional-share Trading: Available at both securities firms.

IPO Access: Webull customers can buy shares of Initial Public Offerings.

Automatic Mutual Fund Purchases: Firstrade clients can set up recurring purchases of mutual funds. Webull customers can do the same for stocks and ETFs.

Fully-paid Securities Lending Program: Traders at both Webull and Firstrade can earn extra income by loaning out their shares of securities.

Dividend Reinvestment Plan: Both firms have free DRIPs.

Extended Hours: Pre-market, after-hours, and overnight trading are available at both brokerage houses. Firstrade also has 24-hour trading.

IRA Lineups: An Individual Retirement Account can be opened at either firm in this contest.

Winner: Tie

Recommendations

Beginners: Firstrade was built with beginners in mind.

Retirement Planning & Long-term Investing: Webull does not offer as much here. We will take Firstrade.

Mutual Funds: Firstrade is the choice. The broker’s website has a strong fund screener with thousands of results.

Small Accounts: With fractional-share trading and no account fees, either broker works well for self-directed investing. A robo account at Webull has a $100 minimum to start.

Stock and ETF Trading: Webull has slightly better trading tools.

Webull vs Firstrade Judgement

Firstrade is a strong choice for bonds, mutual funds, and AI tools. Webull looks stronger for active traders.

Updated on 1/6/2026.

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.