The Complete Guide to Buying U.S. Stocks in Taiwan in 2026: Platform Comparison, Fees, and Account Opening Guide

The U.S. stock market has long been attractive to Taiwanese investors, but choosing the right trading platform can be confusing. In reality, there are mainly two ways for Taiwan residents to buy U.S. stocks: opening an account directly with an international broker or using a local broker’s sub-commission agency service. Regardless of the method, the key is to find a platform that best fits your investment style and capital size.

Why Taiwanese Investors Need to Carefully Choose a U.S. Stock Trading Platform

There are many U.S. stock brokers available, but not all platforms suit every investor. Some emphasize professional trading tools, ideal for experienced traders; others focus on low costs and ease of use, better for beginners. Choosing the wrong platform can increase trading costs and affect your experience due to language barriers, service quality, or technical support differences. Therefore, understanding the features of different platforms before buying U.S. stocks in Taiwan is crucial.

A Map of U.S. Stock Brokers for Taiwanese Investors

Based on different needs, we’ve selected five well-known international U.S. stock trading platforms, comparing them across fees, withdrawal costs, regulation, and available products:

International Brokers vs. Local Sub-Agency: Which Is Better for You?

Advantages and Suitable Scenarios for International Brokers

Interactive Brokers (IBKR), founded in 1977, is known for its powerful features, especially suitable for high-volume traders. Its tiered fee structure means the more you trade, the lower your per-share cost, making it cost-effective for large investors. It supports a wide range of assets (stocks, ETFs, futures, forex) and multiple markets (US, UK, Germany, Japan, Korea, etc.), making it a top choice for professional traders.

IBKR’s main features include a broad product range, support for multiple countries’ markets, and suitability for professional investors. However, its interface is relatively complex, which may require a learning curve for beginners. Small investors might find the costs less favorable.

Mitrade is a newer platform that has gained over a million users worldwide since its establishment in 2011. Compared to IBKR’s complexity, Mitrade emphasizes ease of use and low entry barriers, offering full localized Chinese support and customer service for Taiwanese users.

Its biggest appeal is zero commissions, spreads as low as 0.01 points, leverage of 1-10x for U.S. stocks, and support for TWD deposits and withdrawals. This means you can start trading U.S. stocks directly with TWD without converting to USD or dealing with complex international transfers. For small investors, Mitrade’s low-leverage options allow starting with around fifty dollars.

SogoTrade, Firstrade, and Fidelity all offer commission-free trading but with different focuses. SogoTrade charges $2.88 for trades under 100 shares, which may not be ideal for small traders; Firstrade boasts no minimum account size but has some customer service delays; Fidelity, while large, cannot directly open accounts in Taiwan and is more of a backup option.

Local Taiwanese Brokers’ Sub-Agency Solutions

Investors who prefer not to open international accounts can buy U.S. stocks through Taiwanese brokers via sub-commission agency services, where Taiwan brokers place orders through foreign brokers on your behalf.

Major Taiwanese brokers’ U.S. stock sub-commission plans include:

• Yuanta Securities (established 1961): Fees 0.5%-1%, minimum $35. Extensive branch network across Taiwan.
• Fubon Securities (established 1988): 0.25% fee with no minimum, supports over 40 banks for deposits/withdrawals, avoiding opening separate bank accounts.
• KGI Securities (established 1988): Combines Taiwan stocks, foreign stocks, and funds accounts; simplified account opening. Fees 0.5%-1%, minimum $39.9.
• Capital Securities (established 1988): Supports sub-accounts and multi-bank linking; fee 0.2%, minimum $3, very competitive.
• Mega International Commercial Bank Securities (established 1989): Unique pricing at $0.10 per share, minimum $1 per trade, friendly for small to medium trades.

How to Choose the Most Suitable Platform

Different investors should base their choice on these five dimensions:

1. Capital Size and Investment Style

Small investors with monthly investments under a few thousand dollars may prefer Mitrade for its low leverage, small position sizes, and no commissions. If you trade in the tens of thousands of dollars per transaction, IBKR’s tiered fees could save money. If you prefer managing all investments through a Taiwanese broker, sub-agency services are also good options.

2. Security and Regulation

All the platforms listed are regulated by reputable authorities (FINRA, SIPC, ASIC, CySEC, etc.), ensuring investor assets are protected if a platform fails. There’s no significant difference here.

3. Trading Products and Tools

If you only want to buy U.S. stocks and ETFs, most platforms suffice. For options, futures, forex, or cryptocurrencies, IBKR and Mitrade offer more options. Mitrade also provides advanced tools like sentiment indices, real-time news, and trading strategies.

4. Language and Customer Service

Taiwanese investors should prioritize platforms offering full Chinese support. Mitrade provides 24/5 Chinese customer service; IBKR supports Chinese but has no physical branches in Taiwan; Firstrade’s support hours may have time zone issues. Local sub-agency services have no language barriers.

5. Fund Flow Efficiency

Mitrade supports TWD deposits and withdrawals with quick transfers; international brokers usually require bank wire transfers, taking 1-3 business days; local sub-agencies integrate seamlessly with Taiwanese banking systems.

Practical Steps to Open a U.S. Stock Account in Taiwan (Using Mitrade as Example)

Step 1: Create an Account

Click “Create Account” on the website, enter your email, set a password, choose your base currency (USD, AUD, etc.). You can also link Facebook or Google accounts. After completing, the system provides a simulated $50,000 for practice, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the platform without risking real money.

Step 2: Complete Profile and Deposit Funds

To activate a real account, fill in your country, name, ID number, date of birth, phone number, etc. The platform performs KYC verification (usually 1-2 business days). Once approved, you can deposit funds via Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Poli, wire transfer, etc., with TWD deposits being the most convenient.

Step 3: Select Products and Place Orders

The platform offers nearly 400 products, including U.S. stocks, indices, forex, gold, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, etc. Choose your target assets and place orders. Beginners are advised to practice with a demo account first.

Cost Reality for Small Investors: How Much Capital Do You Need?

Many think opening a U.S. stock account costs money, but in regulated financial institutions, opening an account is usually completely free. The real costs come from purchasing stocks.

In Taiwan, stocks are traded in lots of 1,000 shares; in the U.S., the minimum is 1 share. For popular stocks, buying one share might cost $500–$1,000, which can be a barrier for small investors.

However, there’s an alternative: CFD trading (Contracts for Difference). This allows trading U.S. stocks with margin and leverage, requiring less capital. For example, with 2x leverage on Mitrade, a $250 deposit can control a $500 stock.

Main costs for CFD trading include:

• Spread: The difference between buy and sell prices, which is the primary cost. Smaller lot sizes tend to have larger spreads; larger trades get more competitive spreads.
• Commission: Mitrade charges no commission, making it very competitive.
• Overnight Fees: Holding positions overnight incurs interest costs, depending on position size, leverage, and asset type.

For beginners, low-leverage CFD trading allows starting with tens or hundreds of dollars while managing risk effectively.

Advanced Tools Comparison for U.S. Stock Platforms

Modern platforms offer more than just buy/sell functions, providing rich analysis and decision-making tools.

Mitrade’s free tools include:

• Trade Strategy Analysis: Based on recent trends, offering fundamental and technical insights, and suggested actions.
• Expert Opinions: Short- and medium-term views from industry experts, reflecting market sentiment.
• Economic Calendar: Highlights data releases, holidays, speeches, and other events that may impact prices, with importance levels.
• Real-Time News: Latest info across forex, commodities, crypto, indices, and technical analysis.
• Live Quotes and Charts: Delayed-free quotes with multiple charting tools for precise trend analysis.
• Market Sentiment Index: Shows the ratio of bulls to bears, helping gauge current market attitude.
• Risk Management Tools: Features like take profit, stop loss, and trailing stops to lock in profits or limit losses without constant monitoring.

These tools help beginners develop good trading habits and assist professional investors in optimizing strategies.

Final Advice: Decision Framework for Choosing a Platform in Taiwan

There’s no absolute “best” platform—only the one that’s most suitable for you. Follow this decision process:

Step 1: Clarify your profile. Are you a beginner or advanced? Monthly investment of hundreds or thousands of dollars? Focus solely on U.S. stocks or diversify assets?

Step 2: Filter platforms based on your profile. Beginners or small investors should prioritize Mitrade; large capital traders may prefer IBKR; those accustomed to Taiwan’s environment might consider sub-agency services.

Step 3: Conduct a comprehensive comparison. Look at fees, withdrawal speed, customer support, trading tools, etc., and shortlist three candidates.

Step 4: Test the platforms. Many offer demo accounts or free trials—use these to experience the interface, support, and overall feel before making a final decision.

In summary, the key to buying U.S. stocks in Taiwan is to find a platform that matches your capital, risk appetite, and investment style. Overseas investing can be unfamiliar, so choosing the right broker at the start is crucial. With the right platform, your investment journey will become much smoother.