Webull vs E*TRADE

Webull and E*TRADE both offer commission-free U.S. stock and ETF trading, so headline pricing does not separate them. The meaningful differences are structural: Webull is built as an active-trading platform with a broad self-directed product set, while E*TRADE is a full-service brokerage operating inside Morgan Stanley with deeper traditional investing infrastructure.

Options pricing works differently

Webull charges $0 commission and $0 per-contract fee on ordinary stock and ETF options, with index options at $0.50 per contract under the controlling pricing page, and a $0.10 per contract oversized-order fee at 500 contracts or more. E*TRADE charges $0.65 per contract, reduced to $0.50 for customers who execute at least 30 stock, ETF or options trades per quarter. Exchange and regulatory fees apply at both. For a high-volume options trader, that per-contract structure can dominate total cost; for an infrequent trader the difference may be immaterial next to platform preference and account breadth.

Futures are only at Webull

Webull provides futures through Webull Futures LLC, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA member, at $1.25 per contract for regular futures, $0.70 for mini and $0.25 for micro, across equity index, interest rate, currency, agriculture, metals, energy and cryptocurrency products, with a futures ladder, futures options data and futures paper trading. E*TRADE's canonical record establishes futures at $1.50 per contract per side. Both are live products, so the comparison is about pricing, product coverage and platform tooling rather than availability.

Event contracts are established only at Webull

Webull's record documents event contracts through Kalshi with a $0.01 per contract firm fee and $0.01 per contract exchange fee, a $0.02 total transaction charge per contract on open and on close. E*TRADE's canonical record does not establish a prediction-market or event-contract product, and none should be inferred.

Direct crypto exists at both with different scope

Webull provides direct crypto through Webull Pay LLC with Coinbase execution and custody, and Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC in New York, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, with a 70+ headline asset count, a $0 separately stated commission and a 1% spread included in the buy and sell price on many current trades, $0 custody fee, 24/7 trading and crypto access through OpenAPI. E*TRADE provides crypto through Zero Hash covering Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana at 0.50%. Neither product is SIPC protected or FDIC insured.

E*TRADE has the deeper traditional infrastructure

E*TRADE's canonical record includes a mutual fund marketplace with no-load no-transaction-fee funds, fixed income, and Core Portfolios managed investing with a $500 minimum and a 0.30% annual advisory fee, plus tax-loss harvesting, automatic rebalancing and a socially responsible option, with underlying fund expenses charged separately. Webull's record establishes bonds, corporate and municipal debt, Treasuries and money market fund access, with a 0.10% treasury markup and a 0.10% corporate bond markup subject to a $10 minimum, but no mutual fund marketplace. Webull Advisors provides managed portfolios with a $100 minimum and annual advisory fees of 0.15%–0.30%.

Webull is stronger on programmatic access

Webull documents OpenAPI with HTTP, broker, connect, trading and market-data APIs, MQTT streaming and gRPC event streaming, Python and Java SDKs, and coverage across stocks, fractional stocks, options, futures, crypto and event contracts. E*TRADE's canonical review does not establish an equivalent public trading API, and one should not be inferred from the platform's other capabilities.

Extended and overnight sessions

Webull documents premarket from 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET, regular hours, after-hours to 8:00 PM ET and an overnight session from 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM ET on select securities, Sunday evening through Thursday overnight. E*TRADE's record establishes extended-hours trading, but session windows are not detailed. Overnight and extended sessions can carry lower liquidity and wider spreads.

Which is better for active options trading?

Webull's $0 commission and $0 per-contract fee on ordinary stock and ETF options, combined with its options screener, probability analysis, profit and loss diagrams and rolling tools, can suit high-frequency options activity. E*TRADE's Power E*TRADE remains a substantive options platform, so the fit depends on volume and workflow preference.

Which is better for a broad investing relationship?

E*TRADE, based on its mutual fund marketplace, fixed-income depth, managed portfolios and account infrastructure inside Morgan Stanley.

Which is better for futures?

Both support futures. Compare the per-contract pricing above along with product coverage and platform tooling for the specific contracts you trade.

Practical distinction

A single ranking would not be useful. Webull may fit better when the priority is active trading, overnight sessions, futures, direct crypto, event contracts and programmatic access. E*TRADE may fit better when the priority is a full-service brokerage relationship with mutual funds, fixed income and managed portfolios.