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Trading 101

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Commission-Free Trading: How It Actually Works

Trader analyzing charts on the SageTrader platform

Trading used to cost money. Real money. A market order to buy 100 shares of a stock might've set you back $7, $10, sometimes $15. Per trade.

Now it costs zero. At least with us.*

SageTrader offers commission-free equity trading as standard. SageTrader Pro starts as low as $0.0003/share with direct route access. But what does "commission-free" actually mean? How does it work if you're not paying us? And what are you giving up, if anything?

Here's the honest answer.

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What commission-free trading is

Commission-free trading means you don’t pay a per-trade fee to execute a buy or sell order on U.S-listed stocks.

You don’t pay us anything, but it’s not totally free. Even at $0, small SEC and FINRA regulatory fees still apply on every trade, fractions of a cent, passed straight through.

A trade that would have cost $7 several years ago costs nothing in commissions today. Whether you're trading 1 share or 1,000, we don't charge a commission for placing or executing the order.

How SageTrader's commission-free model works

SageTrader's commission-free trading is built for the trader who wants U.S equities, a clean app and a real broker without the per-trade cost.

And it's not just zero commissions: you can also short stocks, and every trade gives back.

What you get:

  • $0 commission on U.S equity trades
  • $0 ECN fees
  • Accounts open at $100
  • Web and mobile trading
  • Every trade supports The SageTrader Foundation
  • Short-selling on a curated list of easy-to-borrow names (deposit $3,000, maintain $2,000, margin is 1:1)

What you don't get on free:

  • Options trading (Pro)
  • Route selection (Pro)
  • Locates on hard-to-borrow names (Pro)
  • Level 2 market data (Pro)
  • DAS Trader or BlackArrow (Pro)

If you outgrow the free tier, because you want options, route control or locates, SageTrader Pro is one click away. Same broker, just more tools.

A little more about the SageTrader Foundation

With every trade you make on SageTrader, we make a donation to The SageTrader Foundation. It supports causes our team cares about: children's education, animal welfare, environmental work and others. Learn more about The SageTrader Foundation

Should you trade commission-free? While we can't answer that for you….

Here’s a quick self-check.

You may want the free product if:

  • You're starting out
  • You trade U.S equities, not options
  • You want a clean, easy to use, app
  • You want zero commissions and zero ECN fees

You may want to consider SageTrader Pro if:

  • You trade options or want to start
  • You want to short-sell hard-to-borrow names
  • You want to choose your own routes
  • You want Level 2 data and professional platform choices

If you’d like to get started with SageTrader or SageTrader Pro click one of the below buttons.

Get Started

*Not applicable to SageTrader Pro customers. Specialized order routing options carry a per-share fee, from $0.0003, for that added control.

*Short selling involves substantial risk, including the potential for unlimited losses, since a shorted security's price can rise without limit. This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. SageTrader, LLC does not offer investment advice; consider your own financial situation and consult a licensed advisor before trading.