General stock and ETF brokers
Broker Review
Firstrade
Firstrade entered the market in 1985 under John Liu. Its role in the U.S. retail landscape is distinctive: it competes as an independent discount broker with unusually generous commission-free options pricing. That positioning determines which customers, instruments and account structures the service is designed to support. The company is privately held or not separately listed, so no public market capitalization is available.
Strengths
- Competes as an independent discount broker with unusually generous commission-free options pricing
Drawbacks
- At Firstrade, the feature set that distinguishes Firstrade can add complexity, service charges or eligibility rules that a buy-and-hold customer may never use
Profile
What you can trade
Stocks, ETFs, options, more than 11,000 mutual funds, bonds, CDs and fixed-income products; futures and spot forex are not offered.
Account types
The standard Firstrade relationship is a self-directed taxable account with cash or approved margin. Retirement, joint and entity registrations are offered only where the broker’s current forms permit them. The registration structure reflects the fact that the service competes as an independent discount broker with unusually generous commission-free options pricing.
Platform
Firstrade provides web and mobile account access; desktop software, APIs and third-party integrations are available only where specifically supported. The resulting workflow is tailored to a business that competes as an independent discount broker with unusually generous commission-free options pricing.
Who it suits
Best suited to Firstrade customers whose principal requirement is the capability described in this profile, rather than investors choosing a broker only because of a zero-commission headline.
Where it is offered
Firstrade is principally offered to eligible U.S. residents who can supply a Social Security number, domestic address and tax certification. Policies for territories, citizens living abroad and international applicants are specific to this firm.
Regulation and sources
Official website: https://firstrade.com/ Regulatory status should be verified through FINRA BrokerCheck, SEC/IAPD, NFA BASIC, state regulators or applicable alternative-asset disclosures. Last verified: 2026-08-11.