Better options commissions -- TDAmeritrade or IB?

Anyone out there actually have experience trading options with both brokers? You can't compare commissions simply based on what's stated on the website because IB doesn't have all-in-one pricing, so there are exchange/cancel/modify fees to take into consideration, and although IB's SMART routing finds you the best price/execution, it can't take cost into consideration.

If anyone has traded options on both platforms, is there a platform that's overall cheaper than the other?

 

I have accounts at both.

TDA charges $9.99 per transaction plus $ 0.75 per contract and $19.99 for assignment and exercise. The transaction fee is a killer since it makes scaling in and out unreasonably costly.

IB is $0.25 to $1.00 per contract (even lower if you do size) with no per transaction fee, free assignment and exercise. As for cancel fees, if you actually trade any options, the credit on executions offsets them.

It's a no brainer which costs far less.

 

You can get the transaction fee waived fwiw.

Edit: I know you can at TOS, not sure about TD customers.

 

TD will come down, but I'd be surprised if they waived altogether.

 

wow, that's harsh.

 

Is there some activity level required for waiving?

Or do they just do it because you ask nicely?

 

https://www.thinkorswim.com/tos/myAccounts/displayRates.tos

 

Thanks for the insight, spindr0.

 

Based on volume. Email them and quote other brokers commission rates and let them know estimated monthly volume. See what happens.

 

I have TDAmeritrade, and they waived my transaction fee.