mrkts
Methodology

How we review brokers and trading platforms

Every rating on mrkts comes from the same scorecard, applied the same way, whether or not we have a deal with the company.

Last updated October 23, 2026

We test with real accounts

For each broker or platform we review, we open and fund an account, place real trades, and use the desktop and mobile apps through live sessions, including the open. We capture screenshots of what we test and check every fee against the company's published schedule.

What we score

Each review scores six areas from 1 to 5. The overall rating is the weighted average. For guides aimed at a specific kind of trader, such as options or day trading, we say which areas we weighted more heavily and why.

30%
Costs
Commissions, per-contract options fees, margin rates, payment for order flow, and the fees that hide in the fine print (transfers, data, inactivity).
25%
Platform and tools
Desktop, web, and mobile apps: charting, options chains, order types, screeners, and how fast you can get an order in.
15%
Execution and reliability
Fill quality where we can measure it, outages during busy sessions, and how the app holds up at the open.
10%
Trust and safety
Regulation (SEC, FINRA, SIPC coverage), disciplinary history, account protection, and two-factor login.
10%
Research and data
Market data included, news, earnings and economic calendars, and options analytics.
10%
Account features
Account types, minimums, extended hours, fractional shares, cash interest, and how quickly money moves in and out.

Partners can't buy a rating

  • Ratings and rankings are set before we look at whether a company pays us.
  • We review companies we have no deal with, and say so when we recommend one.
  • Partners don't see reviews before they're published and can't ask for changes, except to correct a factual error.
  • When a link on mrkts pays us, it is marked, and our Disclosures page lists how that works.

We keep reviews current

Brokers change fees and features often. We recheck every review at least every six months, and sooner when a company announces a pricing change. Each review shows when it was last updated and what changed.

Spot a mistake?

Email hello@mrkts.gg or tell us on X @mrktsgg. We fix factual errors quickly and note the correction on the page.