2025 Taiwan's Complete Guide to Buying US Stocks | Comparison of 5 Popular Platforms' Fees + Account Opening Test

Want to buy US stocks in Taiwan but don’t know where to start? Global stock markets are attracting more and more Taiwanese investors, but choosing a US stock platform can be overwhelming. This article tests and compares five popular US stock trading platforms, detailing account opening processes, fees, regulatory qualifications, helping you quickly find the most suitable US stock platform.

Why choose the right US stock platform?

Opening a US stock account may seem simple, but it requires caution. Different platforms have vastly different fee structures, saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. More importantly, choosing the wrong platform may lead to withdrawal difficulties, unresponsive customer service, and other issues. Therefore, before investing, you must understand:

• Is the platform regulated by legitimate financial authorities (e.g., FINRA, SIPC, ASIC)?
• Does the trading product meet your investment needs?
• Is the fee structure transparent and reasonable?
• Does it offer Chinese language support and 24-hour customer service?
• Can the speed of fund deposits and withdrawals keep up with your trading rhythm?

Which US stock platforms are commonly used by Taiwanese investors?

Foreign brokers vs. Chinese-commissioned platforms, how to choose?

Taiwanese investors mainly have two ways to buy US stocks:

Open an account directly with a foreign broker — open an account with an overseas broker yourself. Advantages: low fees, diverse trading products, flexible leverage. Disadvantages: possible language barriers, regulatory risks on your own.

Use Taiwanese brokers via Chinese-commissioned trading — delegate order placement to Taiwanese brokers. Advantages: fully Chinese support, fund safety guaranteed. Disadvantages: higher fees, limited trading products.

Which to choose? Depends on your capital size and risk tolerance. Small investors are recommended to open accounts directly with foreign brokers; larger capital or those seeking peace of mind can opt for Chinese-commissioned trading.

Testing and comparing 5 major foreign US stock platforms

Detailed platform reviews

####1. Interactive Brokers — The choice for professional traders

Suitable for: High-volume, well-funded investors seeking comprehensive trading options

Fee structure:

• Fixed: $0.005/share
• Tiered: lower per-share costs with higher monthly trading volume ($0.0035–$0.0005/share)
• Minimum deposit: $0 ; margin account minimum: $2,000

Platform advantages: ✅ Trade nearly all products: stocks, ETFs, options, futures, forex, funds ✅ Supports multiple markets: US, Germany, Japan, Korea, etc. ✅ Lower costs for large trades, over 100 million shares/month as low as $0.0005/share ✅ Powerful features, supports advanced trading strategies

Disadvantages: ❌ Complex interface, steep learning curve for beginners ❌ Higher fees for small trades ❌ No physical Taiwan branch, account opening fully online

####2. Mitrade — Best choice for small investors

Suitable for: Beginners, small capital investors, those seeking simple and convenient trading

Fee structure:

• No commission; spread from $0.01
• Minimum deposit: $50 USD
• Leverage: adjustable from 1x to 200x

Platform advantages: ✅ Intuitive, user-friendly interface, easy for beginners ✅ Start trading US stocks with as little as $50 ✅ No commission, only floating spread, transparent costs ✅ Supports NTD deposits/withdrawals, no currency exchange hassle ✅ Local Taiwanese customer service, 24/5 Chinese support ✅ Wide product range: stocks, ETFs, forex, crypto, indices, gold ✅ Demo account available with $50,000 virtual funds

Disadvantages: ❌ Demo account valid for 3 months ❌ CFD trading involves overnight fees

Mitrade withdrawal policy (2025 update): Less than $10,000 deposit per month, 1 free withdrawal; over $10,000, 2 free withdrawals per month, additional withdrawals at $5 fee each.

$0 #3. SogoTrade — Suitable for medium to large traders

Suitable for: Investors trading over $2,000 per transaction

Fee structure:

• Under 100 shares: $2.88 per trade
• Over $2,000: zero commission
• Withdrawal fee: ###
• Minimum deposit: $50

Platform advantages: ✅ Attractive account opening promotions ✅ No commission for large trades, cost-effective ✅ Established since 1986, long history

Disadvantages: ❌ Small trades cost $2.88/trade ❌ Not ideal for small diversified investments ❌ Recent risks of phishing scams

$0 #4. Firstrade — Quick start for beginners

Suitable for: New investors wanting fast setup, okay with slight quote delays

Fee structure:

• No commission
• No deposit minimum
• No minimum account balance

Platform advantages: ✅ Fully commission-free, low trading costs ✅ No deposit requirement, start anytime ✅ Supports stocks, ETFs, options, funds ✅ Chinese app and partial support available

Disadvantages: ❌ Quote delays of 5–15 minutes possible ❌ Hidden costs from PFOF (payment for order flow) ❌ Limited Chinese customer service hours, time zone issues

####5. Fidelity — The choice for global investors

Suitable for: Investors with accounts in other countries, seeking reputable large brokers

Fee structure:

• No commission
• No deposit minimum

Platform advantages: ✅ Founded in 1946, reputable ✅ Free stock and ETF trading ✅ No recurring fees

Disadvantages: ❌ No account opening in Taiwan (only existing accounts supported) ❌ High margin rates (5.5%–9.825%) ❌ Limited Chinese support

Domestic Taiwanese brokers offering US stock via Chinese-commissioned trading

Not interested in opening an overseas account? Using Taiwanese brokers via Chinese-commissioned trading is also an option. Here are five brokers offering US stock services:

Advantages of Chinese-commissioned trading: Fully Chinese support, fund safety guaranteed, can use Taiwanese bank accounts.

Disadvantages: Higher fees (around 0.2%–1%), no leverage, limited product range.

How much money do you need to start investing in US stocks?

A common misconception: thinking you need to pay to open a US stock account. Legitimate financial institutions offer free account opening; you only pay for the stocks you buy.

Traditional stock trading: For example, Facebook stock at $631, buying 1 share costs $631 (no leverage).

CFD trading (via Mitrade): Use leverage to control larger positions with less capital. For example, $50 can open a position with up to 200x leverage.

CFD costs include:

• Spread (buy-sell difference) — main cost
• Commission (some platforms charge) — Mitrade does not
• Overnight fees — holding positions overnight incurs costs, usually negative (interest earned) or small fees

For example, on Mitrade, as of Nov 11, 2025, overnight fee for gold:

• Buy: -0.016800%
• Sell: -0.014000% (negative means you earn interest)

3-step quick account opening with Mitrade

$0 Step 1: Register an account (5 minutes)

Visit Mitrade website, click “Create Account”:

• Enter email, set password
• Choose base currency (USD/AUD)
• Or log in with Facebook/Google

Automatically get a demo account with $50,000 virtual funds for practice.

$0 Step 2: Verify identity to open real account (10 minutes)

Upgrade to real account by providing:

• Country, name, ID number
• Date of birth, phone number
• Upload ID photos online

KYC review usually completed within 1 hour, with full Chinese support.

Step 3: Deposit and start trading (instant)

Supports multiple deposit methods:

• Credit card (Visa/Mastercard)
• E-wallets (Skrill, Poli)
• Bank transfer

Minimum deposit: $50, supports NTD deposits/withdrawals. Nearly 400 assets available for trading: US stocks, ETFs, forex, crypto, gold, indices, etc.

Comparing trading tools offered by US stock platforms

Modern US stock platforms are more than just trading tools—they are information hubs. Taking Mitrade as an example, features include:

Trading strategy analysis — Based on fundamentals and technicals, provides recent hot stocks’ trends and trading plans

Market commentary — Aggregates expert opinions on short- and medium-term trends to gauge market sentiment

Economic calendar alerts — Highlights economic data releases, market holidays, key speeches, and events affecting prices, categorized by importance

Real-time news push — Covers forex, commodities, crypto, indices, and more, with no delay

Real-time quotes and charts — Supports tracking real-time prices, with multi-timeframe candlestick analysis tools (e.g., TSM TSMC real-time trend)

Market sentiment index — Shows bullish/bearish ratios instantly, helping assess current market attitude

Risk management tools — Built-in take-profit/stop-loss functions, even trailing stops, allowing profits to rise with price and adjust stop levels automatically

Core advice for choosing a US stock platform

Back to the initial question: which platform should you choose?

If you are a small investor (starting from $500–$5,000) → Mitrade

• Lowest deposit threshold, no fees, transparent costs
• Taiwanese customer support, very beginner-friendly
• Leverage available to amplify gains, but manage risks carefully

If you are a moderate trader ($5,000–$50,000) → Firstrade or SogoTrade

• Fully commission-free, comprehensive product range
• Reasonable withdrawal fees ($25–$50)
• Suitable for steady dollar-cost averaging or medium-term holdings

If you are a professional trader ($50,000+) → Interactive Brokers

• Most extensive product range, supports global markets
• Lowest unit costs for high-volume trading
• Complex but powerful, suitable for advanced strategies

If you prioritize peace of mind → Taiwanese brokers via Chinese-commissioned trading

• Fully Chinese support, government-backed fund safety
• Higher fees (0.2%–1%)

Final reminders

Before opening an account, read these carefully:

1. Verify platform regulation (check if official licenses are displayed)
2. Confirm supported investment products (stocks, ETFs, options, etc.)
3. Understand all fees (not just commissions, also overnight, withdrawal, etc.)
4. Test customer service responsiveness (Chinese support availability, working hours)
5. Try demo accounts (risk-free platform familiarization)

Buying US stocks in Taiwan is no longer difficult—key is choosing the right platform. Whether you go for foreign brokers or Taiwanese brokers, remember: Consistent profits come from scientific planning and risk management, not platform promotions. Picking the right platform is just the first step; building disciplined investing habits and sticking to strategies are the real keys to long-term success.

Start your US stock investment journey now.