Choosing the Best Options Trading Platform

The best options trading platform is one that offers a robust bank of smart tools, a solid app, a wide array of assets to trade, low pricing, and excellent educational resources. Choosing the right platform can help you maximize your profits and minimize your losses in this complex form of derivatives trading.

When you trade options, you’re predicting the future trajectory of an asset by entering a contract to buy (a call) or sell (a put) at a particular price at a certain time in the future. Options can be risky and should be traded only on a well-tested strategy backed by research and data. The best options platforms have tools to analyze a trade, backtest strategies against historical market data, and show you a visual representation of your trade’s risk/reward probability.

Options Made Simple: Exploring the Best Options Trading Platforms

Investors can find these features on many of the top-rated online brokerage platforms. Some of these include Charles Schwab with its competitive options pricing, thinkorswim investing platform, and extensive education and tools for options traders, e*TRADE’s robust research amenities and easy-to-use mobile app, TD Ameritrade’s industry-leading options trading technology and access to global markets, and tastytrade with its zero to low options fees and excellent educational materials.

Other brokers with strong options offerings include eOption, which has great mobile apps and backtesting tools, and TradeStation, which provides an advanced trading platform with a robust lineup of analytical tools that can make you a more effective trader. But no matter which option trading platform you choose, it’s important to pay close attention to the trading fees since these can add up quickly.