The most serious day trading platforms often spend considerable time finding a broker with the right platform to support their trading goals. They tend to prioritize speed and reliability, along with low-cost fees, high liquidity and robust backtesting capabilities. Those who use automated strategies may also need extremely clean, reliable data, as errors can cost them thousands of dollars in losses.

TD Ameritrade is popular among day traders because of its thinkorswim desktop platform, which provides a customizable downloadable charting application and a wide range of tools for analyzing stocks. The brokerage also offers a mobile app, decent margin and leverage rates, and real-time news streaming. The broker also offers a comprehensive suite of research and educational content to aid investors in making informed trading decisions.

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Another notable option is Interactive Brokers, or IBKR, which offers a fast execution-driven platform that prioritizes order completion and offers low fees. The firm’s Trader Workstation is the go-to desktop platform for frequent day traders, and it can be used to implement a custom algorithm that automates trades. IBKR’s low costs and fast execution speeds make it a great choice for those who frequently trade stocks, ETFs and options. Traders who also invest in currencies, bonds and commodities will need to look elsewhere for a brokerage. Lastly, there is Webull, a new broker that has gained prominence with day traders for its low-cost platform. However, it is a bit limited in its asset offerings and lacks some key features like backtesting and the ability to tile multiple charts on the screen.