Stock Broker Commissions Comparison
1 - fees charged in some cases; see broker reviews for details.
For retail traders and investors, the expense of purchasing and selling securities is an important consideration when choosing an online broker. Commissions and other trading expenses vary throughout the
industry, and differences in pricing can result from each broker’s business structure, available services, technology, and customer-support standards. Many investors search for the
lowest available brokerage commissions and fees, but concentrating only on price is not always the best strategy because it may cause them to miss shortcomings in
customer assistance, platform quality, trade execution, or services designed for active traders.
Because retail investors trade stocks and ETFs so frequently, commissions on these products are commonly used to measure and compare brokerage costs. A large share of the advertising from
brokerage firms highlights stock and ETF pricing, although many leading online brokers now offer $0 base commissions on online trades of U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs.
Stock Commission Comparison of Major Brokers
Five well-known brokerage firms—Fidelity, Vanguard, Charles Schwab, Robinhood, and E*TRADE—currently charge
$0 base commissions on online U.S.-listed stock and ETF transactions. Exceptions and additional costs can apply to OTC securities, international stocks, broker-assisted orders, regulatory assessments, and various other transactions.
Despite similar base commissions, major and smaller brokers can differ significantly in areas such as customer support, available investments, execution quality, research resources, and trading software.
Charles Schwab provides customers with one of the industry’s leading trading platforms, while Fidelity has maintained a long-standing reputation as a
dependable brokerage firm.
Several large brokers also provide banking or cash-management services, including bill payment, checkwriting, and debit or ATM cards. These
services differ among firms and may matter to investors who prefer to keep their banking and brokerage activities with one company. Since $0 online stock and ETF commissions have become common, customers should examine additional fees and services instead of assuming that paying a higher commission automatically provides greater value.
Cost Comparison: Least and Most Expensive Stock Commission Brokers
Among the brokerage firms covered here, Robinhood applies
$0 base commissions to stock, ETF, and equity-options transactions. Still, Robinhood cannot be considered uniquely the cheapest broker because several competing firms also provide $0 base commissions. Regulatory assessments, exchange charges, and other fees can continue to apply.
Another brokerage offering low basic trading expenses is
Webull, which provides
$0 base commissions on qualifying U.S. stocks, ETFs, and equity and ETF options. Customers may still be responsible for applicable regulatory and exchange charges.
Brokerage commission schedules can change, and Muriel Siebert’s current publicly available fee page no longer shows the former $14.95 stock-trade commission associated with the firm. As a result, that outdated price cannot be used to classify Muriel Siebert as today’s most expensive retail brokerage. Investors should examine each firm’s latest pricing for account maintenance, transfers, retirement accounts, broker-assisted orders, foreign securities, and other services.
Typical Stock Commissions: The Current Industry Standard
A large number of online brokerage firms now provide $0 base commissions on online U.S.-listed stock and ETF transactions. Higher fees can still apply to OTC equities, international securities, representative-assisted orders, options contracts, bonds and other fixed-income products, futures, and additional investments. Regulatory transaction assessments may also be charged on sales.
Ultimately, each investor or trader must decide which services best fit their particular needs. A $0 commission is beneficial, but it should be weighed alongside execution quality, platform stability, research resources, customer service, cash-sweep yields, margin rates, and account charges. Investors who expect to own a stock or ETF for several months or years may find that commissions matter less than bid-ask spreads, fund expense ratios, taxes, and other continuing expenses. Financial strength and regulatory compliance are critical considerations, but they do not mean that every inexpensive broker will be equally appropriate for every customer.
Updated on 9/6/2026.
Chad Morris has been analyzing investment firms for Brokerage-Review.com since 2015. Backed by FINRA Series 65, 66, and SIE credentials, his work reflects a deep knowledge of the retail brokerage industry and digital trading tools.
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