Robinhood vs E*TRADE

Robinhood and E*TRADE both offer $0 online U.S. stock and ETF commissions. The differences appear in options pricing, in which asset classes are supported, and in how much traditional account infrastructure sits behind the trading screen.

Every fact below comes from the two canonical ROIStreet review records. Where a record does not establish a fact, it is described as not established rather than filled in from the other platform.

Options pricing

Robinhood charges $0 base and $0 per contract on stock and ETF options, with index options priced separately at $0.50 per contract standard and $0.35 with Gold, plus regulatory and exchange charges.

E*TRADE charges a $0 base commission and $0.65 per contract, falling to $0.50 per contract for active traders placing 30 or more stock, ETF or options trades per quarter. E*TRADE also applies a dime buyback: no contract fee to buy to close qualifying short equity options priced at $0.10 or less. E*TRADE runs four options approval levels with strategy scanning, portfolio risk analysis and probability tooling.

For a reader trading ordinary equity options frequently, this is the largest recurring cost difference between the two platforms.

Futures and options on futures

Robinhood offers futures through Robinhood Derivatives, LLC at $0.75 per contract non-Gold and $0.50 with Gold, plus a $0.02 NFA fee and product-dependent exchange fees of $0.20 to $7.50. Micro and crypto futures are supported. Robinhood states options on futures are not supported.

E*TRADE offers futures through E*TRADE Futures LLC at $1.50 per contract per side, with crypto futures at $2.50 per contract per side where applicable, plus NFA and exchange fees. Options on futures are supported.

So the cheaper futures commission and the broader futures product set do not sit on the same platform.

Crypto is structured differently on each side

Robinhood offers direct spot crypto through Robinhood Crypto, LLC with a $0 explicitly stated transaction fee and market-maker compensation of 0.95% of notional volume embedded in the spread, plus exchange routing tiers of 0.00% to 0.95%. Staking is available where eligible at 25% of the staking APY earned, and external crypto deposits and withdrawals are supported.

E*TRADE offers direct crypto through Zero Hash LLC at a 0.50% commission on notional trade value, covering Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, with a $10 minimum and $500,000 maximum trade, 24/7 trading and market and limit orders. The crypto account is a separate non-brokerage Zero Hash account linked to an eligible E*TRADE brokerage account. Neither platform's crypto is SIPC protected or FDIC insured.

Event contracts exist on one side only

Robinhood supports prediction-market event contracts through Robinhood Derivatives, priced by a formula rather than a flat commission, with a maximum $0.01 per contract Robinhood commission and an exchange fee of up to $0.01 per contract. No prediction-market or event-contract product is established in the E*TRADE record.

Platforms and sessions

E*TRADE runs a platform family: E*TRADE Web, the E*TRADE mobile app, Power E*TRADE Web, the Power E*TRADE App and Power E*TRADE Pro desktop, with Level II quotes, advanced charting, a futures ladder, advanced order types and options risk analysis.

Robinhood runs the mobile app, web classic and Robinhood Legend, which covers equities, options, futures and crypto with advanced charting, a real-time scanner, customizable layouts and chart-based trading at a $0 additional platform fee. Robinhood's record states simulated paper trading is not offered.

Both support extended-hours trading. Robinhood adds a 24 Hour Market on select stocks and ETFs, using whole-share limit orders, Sunday 8 PM ET through Friday 8 PM ET. An equivalent overnight session is not established in the E*TRADE record.

Traditional products separate the two most clearly

E*TRADE carries mutual funds, bonds, brokered CDs, Treasuries and IPO access, with online secondary bond pricing of $1 per bond subject to a $10 minimum and $250 maximum, and a broad account lineup covering SEP, SIMPLE, individual 401(k), custodial, trust, Coverdell and business retirement accounts. Automated investing runs through Core Portfolios at a $500 minimum and a 0.30% annual advisory fee.

Robinhood's record states no mutual funds, no individual bonds, no Treasuries and no brokered CDs. Its managed offering is Robinhood Strategies through Robinhood Asset Management, LLC at 0.25% annually with a $50 minimum, with the management fee not applied to assets above $100,000 in a single managed account for Gold subscribers.

Fees, subscriptions and cash

E*TRADE lists a $20 broker-assisted fee plus product pricing, a $25 outgoing wire, a $75 full outgoing account transfer, $2 paper statements where applicable and margin rates published on a variable schedule. Fractional trades start at $5 with up to three decimal places.

Robinhood's fractional minimum is $1, its margin rates checked 2026-09-02 range from 5.00% down to 3.95% with the first $1,000 interest-free for Gold, and Gold costs $5 per month or $50 per year, bundling a 3.35% APY cash program as of 2026-02-11, reduced index-option and futures pricing and a larger IRA match.

How to read the difference

Neither platform is the better one in the abstract. Robinhood is cheaper per equity-options contract, supports event contracts and overnight equity trading, and sits across several separate entities. E*TRADE supports options on futures, mutual funds, bonds, CDs, a wider account lineup and a deeper desktop platform stack under Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.