Key Takeaways
- Webull is a commission-free, mobile-first broker regulated by FINRA and the SEC, and it supports active day trading.
- The SEC approved FINRA’s amendment to Rule 4210 in April 2026, eliminating the old pattern day trader (PDT) designation and its $25,000 minimum equity requirement.
- Webull’s zero-commission structure and paper trading simulator make it approachable, though its indicator library and stock screener are still fairly thin.
I’ve traded through the entire 25-year run of the old PDT rule, so believe me when I say I never thought I’d see this day. For as long as most of us have been trading U.S. stocks, you needed $25,000 sitting in a margin account just to take more than three day trades in a week. That’s no longer true, and it changes how I’d answer questions about brokers like Webull today.
Below, I’ll walk through what Webull actually offers, what the new rule means for your account, and whether it’s still a smart place to start.
Day Trading With Webull
Webull is an online brokerage founded in 2017 by Wang Anquan, an alum of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi and e-commerce giant Alibaba (BABA).
It is regulated by both FINRA and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), so traders should feel comfortable trusting them with your money.
The mobile-focused brokerage has taken off since it announced its app in 2018. Originally founded as a research platform, Webull increased its client base tenfold in 2020, and it now boasts over 10 million users. Many of those new traders are millennial day traders who ditched rival trading app Robinhood.
Webull wanted its app to be accessible to everyone, so it eliminated all commission fees on stock trades to keep up with the trend set by Robinhood and other major brokerages.
Before Robinhood disrupted the brokerage industry, anyone who wanted to trade stocks would be charged a fee between $5 and $10 per trade. Brokers also required traders to have a minimum of $500 to open an account.
Can You Day Trade With Webull?
Yes, Webull allows clients to day trade – the act of buying and selling the same security within the same day – on its app.
However, there are two things that anyone looking at day trade stock needs to know first: the newly overhauled PDT rule and order types.
The PDT Rule Just Changed, and It’s a Big Deal
The Pattern Day Trader rule used to require a $25,000 minimum balance in any margin account flagged for taking more than three day trades in five business days. That’s gone now.
On April 14, 2026, the SEC approved FINRA’s amendment to Rule 4210, and on April 20, 2026, FINRA confirmed the details in Regulatory Notice 26-10. The change took effect June 4, 2026, eliminating both the day-trade-count trigger and the $25,000 equity floor entirely.
In their place is a real-time, exposure-based system: your buying power is now tied to your actual intraday margin position rather than a fixed dollar threshold or a trade counter. Practically, that means margin accounts only need to carry the standard $2,000 minimum equity that’s long applied to margin trading in general, not a special day-trading tier.
We covered the full mechanics, including why this took 25 years and how it could reshape beginner behavior, in our deep dive on the PDT rule change.
One caveat to note: brokers have up to 18 months, through October 20, 2027, to fully implement the new framework, so how quickly Webull rolls this out for your specific account can vary.
Order Types
Traders also need to learn about the various order types they will use while day trading with Webull and understand how to use them properly. This brokerage offers an array of order types on its platform.
The most common types of orders you will find on the app are:
- Limit buy and limit sell
- Market buy and market sell
- Stop loss, buy stop, and buy stop limit
- Sell stop limit
- Trailing stop limit and trailing stop loss
Knowing when to use each one matters more than the PDT rule ever did, so it’s worth practicing these in a trading simulator before trading live.
Pros and Cons of Day Trading on Webull
Starting with the pros:
Easy-to-use platform
New traders might be overwhelmed by the numerous screens, graphs, charts, and indicators available on Webull app, but someone with even a little bit of experience can quickly begin to figure it out thanks to its slick, fast, and easily manipulated interface.
The tools available on platform provide insights and information to help traders make more profitable trades. You can utilize them to perform both technical and fundamental analysis.
Zero commissions
Like all top discount brokerages, Webull charges zero commission for trading U.S.-listed stocks, options, and ETFs on both its mobile and desktop platform. The zero commissions give new and inexperienced traders a way to play small ball and learn how to trade actively.
Paper trading simulator
Webull also offers an advanced paper trading platform that allows new and inexperienced traders to practice trading using virtual currency. The brokers hold daily and weekly competitions with monetary prizes on the platform, further proving its dedication to the budding trader.
But with pros come the cons, be it whatever. The same applies to Webull. Here are some drawbacks of day trading with this broker:
Few technical indicators
Webull’s library of technical indicators is severely lacking and offers only ten of the most popular indicators, with several notables like relative strength index (RSI) and ADX missing.
The technical indicators currently available on its desktop platform are exponential moving average, simple moving average, Ichimoku cloud, Bollinger bands, Keltner channels, Volume, SAR, KDJ, VWAP, and MACD.
Inferior stock screener
A stock screener should provide you with a wide array of information based on specific criteria and help you identify potential winners.
Webull’s stock screener has limited customization possibilities and a few filters. But it’s quite impressive, considering Robinhood, Webull’s main rival, doesn’t offer any stock-screening capabilities.
Lack of Hot Keys on App
One thing we always promote for day trading is the use of hotkeys. They allow you to get in and out of a trade with the press of a button.
The Webull App does not have hotkeys, however, the Webull Desktop does.
Webull Fees
Even though Webull offers zero-commission on trades, you will have to pay with some FINRA and SEC fees.
- FINRA fees: A trading activity fee of $0.000119 per share on stock sales only with a minimum of 1 cent and a maximum of $5.95.
- SEC fees: A charge of $13 for a total of $1 million of principal on stock sales only, with a minimum of 1 cent.
When it comes to day trading on margin, Webull margin rates are almost the same as those of most other U.S. brokerages but are noticeably higher than Robinhood margin rates.
Basically, trading on margin means that you borrow money from the brokerage and can use the funds to buy more shares than you could with just your available cash balance.
However, you have to pay back the loan with interest. The interest rate is known as the margin rate and it can account for a huge portion of your trading costs.
Margin trading also carries real risk of loss beyond your initial investment, a point the SEC’s own investor guidance emphasizes for anyone new to borrowing against a brokerage account.
Day Trading Alternatives to Webull
As Webull alternatives go, the first online brokerage that comes to mind is Robinhood.
Robinhood revolutionized the way millennial traders trade various financial instruments by eliminating trading commissions and minimums. The app offers commission-free trades on stocks, options, cryptocurrencies, and ETFs.
If you want to leave Webull for an alternative online broker, TD Ameritrade is worth a shot.
Founded in 1975, TD Ameritrade boasts comprehensive learning resources — from videos with progress tracking to courses with quizzes —for new people looking to jump into the trading world.
As for trading fees, you will pay zero commissions when trading U.S.-listed stocks, options, and ETFs. Nevertheless, options contracts will cost you 65 cents per contract.
With free trades and its intuitive desktop trading platform called Thinkorswim, TD Ameritrade is without a doubt one of the best online brokers on the market.
Another platform we really like is LightSpeed.
They are one of the best brokers for day traders and is what Ross and Mike both use. They offer direct market access for quick executions, hotkeys, and much more.
Bottom Line
Webull is a good option for the undercapitalized active trader who only wants to day trade stocks and options.
It could also be an excellent choice if you don’t have a lot of money to trade these securities because there are no trading fees or minimum deposit requirements.
While this broker may not be suitable for highly active traders who need direct market access because it lacks the ability to create sophisticated keyboard macros, it offers an easy-to-use trading platform and a unique community experience that will appeal to most day traders.
FAQs
Do I still need $25,000 to day trade on Webull?
No. As of June 4, 2026, the $25,000 pattern day trader minimum was eliminated. Margin accounts now only need to meet the standard $2,000 minimum equity requirement, though your specific account’s transition date depends on Webull’s implementation timeline.
Is day trading on Webull safe for beginners?
Webull is regulated and has a beginner-friendly interface, but day trading carries significant risk, regardless of the platform. Most day traders lose money, so practicing with a simulator and starting small are still essential, even with the lower account minimum.
Does the new rule apply to every broker immediately?
Not necessarily. FINRA gave member firms up to 18 months to implement the new intraday margin framework, so timing can vary by broker. Check directly with Webull, or whichever platform you use, to confirm when your account transitions.
Sources:
Self-Regulatory Organizations | U.S. SEC
FINRA Adopts New Intraday Margin Standards | FINRA
Neural Correlates of Direct Access Trading in a Real Stock Market | National Library of Medicine