tastytrade
- Best for: Active options and futures traders who place multiple trades per week
- What Sets It Apart: $1 options commissions capped at $10 per leg; $0 to close; order tools built for speed
- Cost: $0 stock and ETF trades; options $1 per contract to open, $0 to close; futures $1 each way; crypto carries a 0.50% to 0.75% spread
- Features: Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, futures options, crypto, and forex; desktop, web, and mobile platforms; free tastylive education
- Pros: Lowest-tier options pricing; per-leg commission cap; fast order and roll tools
- Cons: No mutual funds or direct bonds; thin research; high margin rates
If you trade options more than a few times a month, switch to a broker that prices for volume. tastytrade charges $1 per contract to open stock and ETF options, nothing to close, and caps commissions at $10 per leg. Casual buy-and-hold investors should skip it and stick with a mainstream brokerage.
tastytrade is an online brokerage designed for people who place options and futures trades weekly, not investors who buy index funds and wait. It covers stocks, ETFs, options, futures, crypto, and forex, and everything from pricing to platform layout assumes you trade often.
Key Features
- $0 commissions on stocks and ETFs, including fractional shares
- Stock and ETF options cost $1 per contract to open, $0 to close, capped at $10 per leg
- Futures run $1 each way, micro futures $0.75, futures options $1.25
- Crypto trades carry no commission but a 0.50% to 0.75% spread built into the price
- Individual, joint, retirement, and trust accounts on desktop, web, and mobile platforms
Pros
- Among the lowest options commissions of any major broker
- The $10 per-leg cap means a 50-contract spread costs the same as a 10-contract one
- Order tools built for speed, including one-click position rolls and pre-trade profit-and-loss curves
- Free education and live trading content through the affiliated tastylive network
- Ranked #1 for options trading in StockBrokers.com’s 2026 awards
Cons
- No mutual funds and no direct bond trading
- Research and fundamental stock data are thin next to Fidelity or Schwab
- Mobile app charts lack technical indicators
- Margin rates run high, from 8% to 11% depending on balance
- Crypto spread markup undercuts the $0 commission headline
For active options and futures traders, tastytrade’s math is hard to beat, and the tools match the pricing. If your portfolio is index funds and patience, keep it at a full-service brokerage and save tastytrade for the day you start trading for income.
tastytrade, Inc. (“tastytrade”) has entered into a Marketing Agreement with Money Crashers (“Marketing Agent”) whereby tastytrade pays compensation to Marketing Agent to recommend tastytrade’s brokerage services. The existence of this Marketing Agreement should not be deemed as an endorsement or recommendation of Marketing Agent by tastytrade and/or any of its affiliated companies. Neither tastytrade nor any of its affiliated companies is responsible for the privacy practices of Marketing Agent or this website. tastytrade does not warrant the accuracy or content of the products or services offered by Marketing Agent or this website.
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