Why are traders looking for Fidelity alternatives?

Fidelity is built around long-term investing, retirement accounts, and advisory services rather than 24/7 leveraged or multi-asset derivatives trading. It holds customer assets, so access depends on a centralized broker-dealer rather than self-custody, and its extended-hours sessions do not run on weekends.

What is the best non-custodial alternative to Fidelity?

Liquid is a non-custodial alternative with perpetual markets across stocks, pre-IPO companies, commodities, FX, indices, and crypto — 300+ markets, up to 50x multipliers, and an AI assistant, Co-Invest. Funds stay in your wallet and trades settle on-chain. Smart-contract, protocol, oracle, liquidity, front-end, self-custody, and jurisdictional risks still apply.

How do fees compare between Fidelity and its alternatives?

Fidelity charges $0 online for U.S. stocks and ETFs and $0.65 per options contract, with foreign exchange wires costing up to 3% of principal and a $50 foreign settlement fee per trade. Liquid's perps are 0.095% taker / 0.065% maker at Tier 0, with spot at 0.070% / 0.040%.

Can I trade after hours or on weekends on Fidelity alternatives?

Fidelity's extended hours are a Premarket session from 7:30 a.m. ET and an After Hours session from 4 to 8 p.m. ET, with no weekend trading. Liquid trades 24/7 including weekends and holidays, while Schwab and Webull offer 24/5 overnight sessions and Interactive Brokers runs 04:00–20:00 ET.

Who should stay with Fidelity?

Fidelity remains a strong choice for long-term investors and retirement accounts, where its full-service offering and $0 online stock and ETF commissions are the priority. Liquid is a derivatives venue with no fiat custody and no retirement accounts, so it serves a different need.

Fidelity Alternatives: Best Trading Platforms in 2026

The short answer

The best Fidelity alternatives in 2026 are Liquid for 24/7, non-custodial, multi-asset perpetual trading with up to 50x multipliers; Charles Schwab for full-service brokerage and thinkorswim's 24/5 overnight sessions; Interactive Brokers for global market access at low commissions; and Webull for commission-free stocks with overnight trading. Fidelity still suits long-term investors and retirement accounts.

Why traders look beyond Fidelity

Custodial model. Fidelity holds customer assets, so access depends on a centralized broker-dealer rather than self-custody. Fidelity commissions (accessed 2026-09-24).
No weekend trading. Fidelity's extended-hours trading runs as a Premarket session and an After Hours session through an ECN — premarket orders can be placed from 7:30 a.m. ET and after-hours orders from 4 to 8 p.m. ET — but markets close for the weekend. Fidelity extended hours (accessed 2026-09-24).
Per-contract options fee. Online US stock and ETF trades are $0, but online options trades carry a $0.65 per-contract fee. Fidelity commissions (accessed 2026-09-24).
Full-service focus. Fidelity is built around long-term investing, retirement accounts, and advisory services rather than around 24/7 leveraged or multi-asset derivatives trading. Fidelity commissions (accessed 2026-09-24).
Foreign and specialty costs. Foreign exchange wires can cost up to 3% of principal, and a $50 foreign settlement fee applies per trade on foreign ordinary stock that is not DTC-eligible. Fidelity commissions (accessed 2026-09-24).

Compare Fidelity alternatives at a glance

Platform	Custody	Trading hours	Max multiplier	Asset classes	AI assistant	Best for
Liquid	Non-custodial	24/7 incl. weekends	Up to 50x	Stocks, pre-IPO, commodities, FX, indices, crypto — as perps	Yes (Co-Invest)	24/7 multi-asset perps + AI
Charles Schwab	Custodial	24/5 overnight (thinkorswim)	Margin (varies)	Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, funds	No	Full-service + thinkorswim
Interactive Brokers	Custodial	Extended hours 04:00–20:00 ET	Margin (varies)	Global stocks, options, futures, FX, bonds, funds	No	Global access, low cost
Webull	Custodial	24/5 overnight (select)	Margin (varies)	Stocks, ETFs, options, futures	Yes (Agentic)	Commission-free + overnight
Fidelity	Custodial	Premarket + after-hours ECN; no weekends	Margin (varies)	Stocks, ETFs, options, funds, bonds	No	Full-service + retirement

Fees compared

Fees differ by product, so we show every platform's published schedule in the same format: headline rate, structure, and other costs. Compare like-for-like — a stock commission and a perpetual-contract fee are not the same product.

Platform	Product basis	Headline rate	Structure	Other costs
Liquid	Perps & spot	Perps 0.095% taker / 0.065% maker (Tier 0); spot 0.070% / 0.040%	Tiered by 14-day weighted volume; maker rebates paid continuously	Funding on perps; spreads
Charles Schwab	Stocks/ETFs/options	$0 online; options $0.65/contract	Flat	Broker-assisted trades +$25; regulatory/industry fees
Interactive Brokers	Stocks/ETFs	$0 (Lite); $0.0005–$0.0035/share (Pro Tiered) or $0.005 fixed	Tiered or fixed	Regulatory fees; market data
Webull	Stocks/ETFs/options	$0; index options from $0.50/contract	Flat	Regulatory pass-throughs; $75 outgoing stock transfer
Fidelity	Stocks/ETFs/options	$0 online; options $0.65/contract	Flat — no tiers	Additional Assessment on sells (~$0.01–$0.03 per $1,000); margin interest

Full published schedules: Liquid · Charles Schwab · Interactive Brokers · Webull · Fidelity

1. Liquid

Overview: AI-native, non-custodial platform for perpetual contracts across stocks, pre-IPO companies, commodities, FX, indices, and crypto — 300+ markets in one account, up to 50x multipliers, instant settlement, and Co-Invest, an AI assistant in Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Meta Muse, and iMessage.

Best for: Traders who want the same markets 24/7 — including weekends — with leverage, without handing custody to a broker.

Fees: Perps all-in 0.095% taker / 0.065% maker at Tier 0; spot 0.070% / 0.040%; tiered by rolling 14-day weighted volume. Fee guide.

Custody: Non-custodial — funds stay in your wallet and trades settle on-chain; contracts are independently audited. Security docs.

Trading hours: 24/7 across listed markets, including weekends and holidays. Liquidity, spreads, and reference pricing can differ when the underlying market is closed.

Limitations: No fiat custody (by design). Available markets, features, and eligibility vary by jurisdiction. Perpetual contracts are derivatives and do not confer share ownership.

2. Charles Schwab

Overview: Full-service brokerage offering stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and funds, with the thinkorswim platform suite.

Best for: Traders who want a full-service broker with overnight access and a professional desktop platform.

Fees: $0 online for US-listed stocks and ETFs; options $0.65/contract; futures $2.25/contract. Schwab pricing.

Custody: Custodial.

Trading hours: 24/5 overnight on thinkorswim for all S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow 30 stocks plus 600+ ETFs; pre-market 7:00–9:25 a.m. ET, after-hours 4:05–8:00 p.m. ET. Schwab extended hours.

Limitations: Custodial. Overnight is 24/5, not weekends. Extended hours accept limit orders only, and availability varies by security and platform.

3. Interactive Brokers

Overview: Global brokerage known for low commissions and broad market access across stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds.

Best for: Active and international traders who need many global exchanges and products in one account.

Fees: $0 (IBKR Lite) for US stocks and ETFs; $0.0005–$0.0035/share (Pro Tiered) or $0.005 fixed; options $0.15–$0.65/contract. IBKR pricing.

Custody: Custodial.

Trading hours: Outside regular trading hours 04:00–20:00 ET on listed products, under program rules.

Limitations: Custodial. No weekend trading. Pricing plans and product availability vary by account and region.

4. Webull

Overview: Commission-free brokerage aimed at active retail traders, with strong charting and an overnight session.

Best for: Traders who want commission-free stocks and ETFs plus 24/5 overnight access from a mobile-first app.

Fees: $0 commissions on US-listed stocks, ETFs, and options; index options from $0.50/contract; $75 outgoing stock transfer. Webull pricing.

Custody: Custodial (cleared through Apex).

Trading hours: Overnight 8:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m. ET Sunday–Thursday (24/5, select securities). Webull overnight trading.

Limitations: Custodial. Overnight is 24/5, not weekends. The overnight session is limit-orders only, does not support shorting or margin usage, and covers select securities only.

How we evaluated these platforms

We compared platforms on fees, custody model, trading hours, market coverage, and account fit for traders considering a move from Fidelity. Fees use each platform's published schedule, shown in a uniform format. Data is from platform documentation, cited inline; verified 2026-09-24. We did not independently test execution quality or liquidity.

Verdict

For long-term investing and retirement accounts, Fidelity remains a strong choice. Move to an alternative if you need weekend trading, non-custodial control, or broad multi-asset leverage: Liquid covers all of these with 24/7 perpetual markets and up to 50x multipliers. If you want a full-service broker with thinkorswim's overnight sessions, choose Charles Schwab; for global market access at low commissions, Interactive Brokers; for commission-free stocks with 24/5 overnight trading, Webull.

About the author

Franklyn Wang is the CEO & Founder of Liquid, an AI-native, non-custodial trading platform. X · LinkedIn

Sources & further reading

Fidelity commissions — accessed 2026-09-24
Fidelity extended hours trading — accessed 2026-09-24
Charles Schwab pricing — accessed 2026-09-24
Charles Schwab extended hours trading — accessed 2026-09-24
Interactive Brokers commissions — accessed 2026-09-24
Webull pricing — accessed 2026-09-24
Webull Agentic AI — accessed 2026-09-24
Webull overnight trading — accessed 2026-09-24
Liquid fee documentation — accessed 2026-09-24
Liquid security documentation — accessed 2026-09-24
Related: Where can I trade stocks 24/7? · Which leverage trading platforms are non-custodial?

Educational content only — not investment advice. Trading perpetual futures involves substantial risk and may not be suitable for every investor. Past performance is not indicative of future results.