Head to head
Interactive Brokers vs Fidelity
- Written by
- Juan Manuel Gonzalez
- Published
- Data verified
Verdict
These two lead our overall ranking for opposite reasons, and the choice between them is unusually clean. Interactive Brokers publishes the widest product and market access of any firm we scored — every asset class we track, across four regional markets. Fidelity publishes the widest set of account wrappers, including the only HSA and one of only two solo 401(k)s in our set. If you need reach, it is IBKR. If you need wrappers, it is Fidelity.
The widest published market access in our set, with a two-tier commission model and no account minimum.
- Safety and regulation
- 9/10
- Fees and total cost
- 9/10
- Investment selection
- 10/10
- Account types and features
- 8/10
A full-service US brokerage with a zero-commission equity schedule and no account minimum.
- Safety and regulation
- 9/10
- Fees and total cost
- 9/10
- Investment selection
- 8/10
- Account types and features
- 10/10
What actually separates them
Pricing complexity is the real difference
Fidelity publishes one schedule: $0 on US stocks and ETFs, $0.65 per options contract, $0 to transfer assets. Interactive Brokers publishes two plans, four regional tables and a set of carve-outs — IBKR Lite is $0 but only for US residents, and moves OTC stocks, warrants, delisted ETPs, overnight trades and recurring investments onto Fixed pricing instead. IBKR Pro is cheaper than Fidelity at scale and more expensive on small orders, because of a $0.35 or $1.00 per-order minimum.
Account types rule one of them out for many readers
Fidelity publishes taxable, joint, all IRA variants, custodial, trust, solo 401(k) and HSA. Interactive Brokers names individual, joint, IRA and certain trust accounts in its IBKR Lite eligibility terms, with no HSA or solo 401(k) identified. If you have self-employment income or a high-deductible health plan, that gap is decisive regardless of commissions.
Both have long, clean registration records
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC has been a FINRA member since January 1979 (CRD 7784, SEC 8-23292). Interactive Brokers LLC holds CRD 36418 and SEC 8-47257. Both are active, both are SIPC members, and we identified no headline retail enforcement matter against either in our sourced review. Safety is not the axis that separates them.
Fractional shares are priced explicitly at one and not the other
Interactive Brokers states that fractional trades are charged at the same rate as whole shares with a $0.01 minimum, and gives worked examples. Fidelity offers fractional shares but we did not find equivalent per-trade pricing detail on the schedule we read. For very small, frequent contributions this is worth checking directly.
Consider Interactive Brokers if
You want non-US listings, futures, spot currencies or bonds on one platform, you trade in size where per-share pricing beats a flat fee, or you are outside the United States and need a firm whose Pro plan is published as open to all.
Consider Fidelity if
You want one straightforward fee schedule, you need an HSA, a solo 401(k) or a custodial account, or you value paying nothing to move your assets in or out.
These are conditionals describing which published facts favour which firm, not recommendations. Neither is a statement about what is suitable for you.
Full side-by-side
Both firms across every field we track, verified on August 28, 2026. You can add up to two more brokers to the comparison.
Sources
- [1]Interactive Brokers — Stocks, ETFs, warrants and structured products commissionsRead August 28, 2026
- [2]Interactive Brokers — Options commissionsRead August 30, 2026
- [3]FINRA BrokerCheck — Interactive Brokers LLCRead August 28, 2026
- [4]Interactive Brokers — Other feesRead August 30, 2026
- [5]Fidelity — Commissions and margin ratesRead August 28, 2026
- [6]FINRA BrokerCheck — Fidelity Brokerage Services LLCRead August 28, 2026
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