Lightspeed

Lightspeed is the brokerage for professional day traders who need the fastest execution possible. The platform offers direct market access (DMA) routing, sub-millisecond execution, and per-share pricing that rewards high-volume traders with costs as low as $0.001 per share.

Unlike consumer brokerages that route orders through market makers, Lightspeed gives traders direct access to exchanges and ECNs. This means better fills, faster execution, and the ability to route orders to specific venues. For traders executing hundreds or thousands of trades per day, the difference in execution quality is measurable.

Lightspeed's platform options include Lightspeed Trader (desktop), Sterling Trader Pro (for institutional-grade routing), and Eze EMS (for hedge funds and prop firms). The minimum account is $25,000 (pattern day trader requirement), and the per-share pricing structure means costs scale with volume. This is not a platform for casual investors — it is built for professionals.