A Must-Read for U.S. Stock Traders in 2026! In-Depth Review of Five Major Platforms and a Complete Guide to Local Taiwanese Brokerage Firms

Entering a new investment era, an increasing number of Taiwanese investors are turning their attention to the US stock market. However, choosing the right trading platform is crucial for trading in US stocks. This article will comprehensively analyze the selection criteria for US stock trading platforms, compare mainstream US brokerage firms, and introduce local Taiwanese broker’s sub-agency services to help you find the most suitable investment tools.

Five Core Indicators for Choosing the Right US Stock Trading Platform

The US stock market offers a wide variety of trading platforms, but not all are suitable for you. Before making a decision, you must clarify your investment situation: Are you a beginner or an experienced trader? How large is your account capital? Do you need the convenience of a mobile app?

After establishing your investment goals, the following five dimensions can serve as screening criteria:

Fund Security and Regulatory Qualifications

First and foremost, consider whether your funds are protected when investing overseas. The key to evaluating a broker’s strength is whether it is recognized by authoritative regulatory agencies. FINRA and SIPC in the US, ASIC in Australia, and other recognized regulators are industry gold standards. If these organizations’ members encounter operational difficulties, investors’ assets will be compensated accordingly.

Trading Instruments and Restrictions

Different platforms offer different trading instruments. Some platforms restrict options combinations, some prohibit short selling. These can be obstacles for investors seeking flexible hedging or advanced trading strategies. Be sure to thoroughly review the platform’s trading rules on its official website before opening an account.

Fee Structure and Promotional Policies

The fee structure for US stock trading usually falls into two categories: per trade or per share. However, the true costs are often hidden in other fees. Some platforms charge extra when trading beyond certain share limits. Additionally, new customer promotions such as trial funds or account bonuses can significantly reduce investment costs.

Chinese Support and Language Services

For Chinese-speaking investors, comprehensive Chinese language support can avoid many communication barriers. Many US stock trading platforms now offer full Chinese services and 24-hour customer support, greatly enhancing the trading experience.

Fund Flow Efficiency

The speed of depositing, withdrawing, and transferring funds directly impacts trading efficiency. Platforms that process deposits and withdrawals quickly enable you to seize market opportunities swiftly. Conversely, slow processing may cause you to miss good opportunities or affect capital turnover.

Benchmark Analysis of Five Mainstream US Stock Trading Platforms

Based on the above standards, the following five well-known and sizable platforms are good choices:

Interactive Brokers: Institutional-Grade Trading Tools

Platform Overview

• Founded: 1977
• Minimum Deposit: $0
• Chinese Support: Available, but no local Taiwan branch
• Trading Fees: Fixed $0.005 per share or tiered ($0.0005–$0.0035/share, adjusted by monthly trading volume)

Range of Trading Instruments Interactive Brokers offers stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, options, futures, forex, and more, covering almost all mainstream asset classes. It also supports cross-market trading, including UK, German, Japanese, Korean stocks, and other international markets, making it especially suitable for professional traders with international investment needs.

Advantages and Disadvantages Its strengths are powerful features and comprehensive product offerings, with relatively low costs for large-volume trading. The tiered fee structure encourages higher trading volumes, with lower per-share costs as monthly volume increases. However, the interface is complex and not very friendly for beginners; small-capital traders face higher costs; accounts require a minimum of $2000 to use margin accounts.

Mitrade: The Best Entry Point for Small-Amount US Stock Trading

Platform Overview

• Founded: 2011
• Global Users: Millions
• Chinese Support: Yes, with local Taiwanese customer service
• Trading Fees: $0 commission, floating spreads from 0.01

Core Competitiveness Mitrade is an ideal stepping stone for beginners entering US stock trading. Its interface is very user-friendly, allowing even those with no trading experience to get started quickly. The key advantage is its very low minimum trading amount—only $50 to open a US stock position, with a minimum lot size of 0.01 lot.

Mitrade offers assets including stocks, indices, forex, gold, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and more, meeting diversified investment needs. It charges no trading commissions, providing a clear cost advantage for small investors. Leverage ranges from 1-200x, allowing investors to adjust according to their risk tolerance.

Regulation and Security Regulated by both CIMA and ASIC, with license numbers 1612446 and 398528 respectively. Supports deposits and withdrawals in New Taiwan Dollars, with flexible withdrawal policies—free monthly withdrawals if total deposits are under $10,000; more than that, two free withdrawals per month.

User Experience Details Offers both real trading accounts and demo accounts. The demo account provides $50,000 virtual funds, allowing beginners to familiarize themselves with platform functions risk-free. Demo accounts are valid for 3 months.

SogoTrade: The Choice for Large Capital Traders

Platform Overview

• Founded: 1986
• Minimum Deposit: $0
• Chinese Support: Yes
• Trading Fees: $2.88 per trade for under 100 shares; no commission for orders over $2000

Target Audience SogoTrade’s fee structure favors high-volume traders. Small retail investors may find higher costs here, but for those with substantial funds, per-trade fees are more economical. The platform often offers significant account opening promotions, which are a major attraction.

Caution Recently, the platform has had issues with scam phishing websites. Investors should open accounts only through official, legitimate channels to avoid scams.

Firstrade: A Lightweight Choice for Quick Entry

Platform Overview

• Founded: 1985
• Minimum Deposit: $0, no minimum account balance
• Chinese Support: Yes, but no real-time online customer service
• Trading Fees: No commission, $25 withdrawal fee

Feature Analysis Firstrade’s biggest appeal is its zero minimum deposit and commission-free policy. This allows new investors to start trading US stocks easily and quickly. The platform offers an app with a Chinese interface.

However, some issues include potential delays in market quotes; although commission-free, there are hidden costs via PFOF (payment for order flow); customer service responses may be slow; customer support hours are limited to US Eastern Time.

Fidelity: Institutional-Grade Investment Platform

Platform Overview

• Founded: 1946
• Trading Fees: Zero commission for individual investors
• Restrictions: Only supports trading in Taiwan, no account opening available locally

Applicable Scenario Fidelity offers free trading of US stocks and ETFs, including its mutual funds. It does not charge recurring fees, which is rare in the industry. However, for Taiwanese investors, its practical use is limited because you cannot open an account directly in Taiwan. It’s mainly suitable for users who have already registered accounts elsewhere. Additionally, margin interest rates are relatively high (around 5.5%–9.825%), which is a consideration.

Quick Comparison Table of Platforms

Comparison of Local Taiwanese Brokers’ Sub-Agency Services

Besides opening accounts directly with international brokers, many Taiwanese investors also use local brokers’ sub-agency services to buy US stocks. Sub-agency means Taiwanese brokers place orders on your behalf with international brokers, saving you the trouble of opening an international account.

Mainstream Sub-Agency Broker Comparison

Yuanta Securities

• Founded: 1961
• Branches: Most in Taiwan
• US Stock Fees: 0.5%–1%, minimum $35
• Regular Investment: Up to $1 per transaction

Fubon Securities

• Founded: 1988
• Features: Supports binding with over 40 banks for deposits/withdrawals (limited to Taiwan stocks)
• US Stock Fees: 0.25%, no minimum
• Regular Investment: 0.2%

KGI Securities

• Founded: 1988
• Features: Integration of Taiwan stocks, overseas stocks, and funds accounts
• US Stock Fees: 0.5%–1%, minimum $39.9
• Regular Investment: 1 TWD

Capital Securities

• Founded: 1988
• Features: Supports sub-accounts, multi-bank binding
• US Stock Fees: 0.2%, minimum $3
• Regular Investment: 0.16%

Mega Securities

• Founded: 1989
• Features: Pioneered per-share fee model
• US Stock Fees: $0.10/share, minimum $1
• Regular Investment: 0.25%

Actual Cost Components of US Stock Trading

Many investors misunderstand the costs of opening a US stock account, thinking high fees are involved. In fact, accounts with licensed, regulated institutions are completely free to open.

The real costs come from purchasing stocks themselves. Taiwanese stocks are traded in units of 1000 shares, while US stocks are traded in units of 1 share, theoretically allowing any number of shares to be traded. For example, Facebook’s current price is about $631; buying directly requires paying that amount.

Traditional US Stock Trading vs CFD Contracts

Besides traditional stock trading, CFDs (contracts for difference) offer another way to invest in US stocks. Using margin and leverage, investors can control larger positions with less capital. This makes small investments feasible but requires careful risk management of leverage.

Cost Components of CFD Trading:

Spread Cost The difference between buy and sell prices is called the spread. This is usually the main cost in CFD trading. Spreads widen with larger trade sizes. Platforms like Mitrade offer relatively competitive spreads and do not charge commissions.

Overnight Fees Holding positions overnight incurs overnight financing costs, calculated as: number of lots × contract size per lot × opening price × overnight interest rate. For gold, overnight fees are typically around -0.01% to -0.02% on mainstream platforms.

Commission Some platforms charge trading commissions (usually a percentage of trade value or fixed), but many mainstream platforms like Mitrade have eliminated this fee.

Practical Tools Ecosystem of US Stock Trading Platforms

Modern US stock trading platforms are no longer just order execution tools; they also provide rich analysis and decision support features.

Trading Strategies and Analysis

Platforms analyze recent trends based on technical and fundamental analysis, helping investors make informed decisions.

Market Sentiment and Sentiment Index

Expert short- and medium-term outlooks can serve as market sentiment indicators. Sentiment indices aggregate the ratio of bears to bulls, reflecting market attitudes toward specific assets.

Economic Calendar and Real-Time News

Platforms highlight key economic data releases, holidays, central bank speeches, and other events, graded by impact. They also provide multi-dimensional real-time information on forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, indices, and technical analysis.

Real-Time Quotes and Charting Tools

Support zero-latency quote tracking and multi-timeframe candlestick charts, helping investors accurately grasp price trends.

Risk Management Features

Platforms offer stop-loss and take-profit settings, allowing flexible target and risk levels during order placement or modification. Trailing stop functions can automatically adjust stop-loss levels based on profit, enabling efficient profit locking without constant monitoring.

Starting Capital Requirements for US Stock Trading

A common question is the cost to open an account. The answer is clear: opening a US stock account with a regulated financial institution is free.

The actual cost only involves the funds used to buy stocks. The minimum trading unit is 1 share, so theoretically, any stock can be bought with its corresponding price. If using leverage via CFD trading, you can start with less capital (e.g., $50).

Quick Start: Three-Step Account Opening Process Using Mitrade as an Example

Step 1: Register an Account

Visit the platform, fill in basic information including email, password, base currency (USD/AUD, etc.). You can also log in quickly using Facebook or Google accounts.

After completing step 1, you will immediately have a demo account (with 50,000 virtual funds), allowing you to familiarize yourself with platform functions risk-free and test trading strategies.

Step 2: Verification and Activation of Real Account

If satisfied with the demo experience, activating a real account only requires completing personal information, including residence country, name, ID type and number, date of birth, phone number, etc. All verification can be done online.

After submission, the platform conducts KYC review. During review, customer service can communicate in Chinese if needed. As a licensed Australian-regulated entity, all operations are fully compliant.

Step 3: Deposit and Start Trading

Supports multiple deposit methods such as Skrill, Poli, Visa/MasterCard, wire transfer for quick funding. After depositing, you can choose from nearly 400 financial products to begin your US stock trading journey.

Final Advice on Choosing a US Stock Trading Platform

The best approach is to consider your investment scale, experience level, and dependence on Chinese language support.

For small investors and beginners, Mitrade or Firstrade are recommended for their low thresholds and friendly services; investors with certain capital and trading experience can consider Interactive Brokers for its comprehensive features; those needing local support can also enter via Taiwanese brokers’ sub-agency services.

Regardless of the path chosen, it’s essential to fully understand the platform’s features, fee structure, and risk management mechanisms before investing. Overseas investing differs from local markets, and choosing a professional platform is the first step toward long-term success.