As more people get involved in online trading, the level of competition gets stiffer. In fact, because there are so many sites that offer online trading solutions, companies are starting to post a lot of advertisements to lure more investors.

There are banners that tell of their brokers' wonderful achievements, claims of making other investors' stocks earn double in the first three months and so on. Surprisingly, they still do not attract as much customers as expected.

To get their share of clients, some brokerages offer free online trading for a specific period (about a month) if you subscribe to their service. So if you are interested in saving up on broker's fees, you might want to try these free services out especially if you are just starting out and is merely keen on trading a few stocks.

But if you are already a seasoned trader and do multiple stocks on a monthly basis, maybe free online trading is not for you. It would please you to know that there are brokerage houses that offer to do multiple transactions for you at a discounted fee. Just like if you were a retailer who puts on bulk orders and manages to get bulk order discounts.

In these types of services, you only have to pay a monthly subscription fee therefore maximizing your savings. But remember that this will only work to your advantage if you are a regular market investor, meaning you trade on a monthly basis.

Still, some others do not offer discounts nor do they offer free online trading. What they do offer is the free use of their stock trading software. Some of these stock trading software programs offer you real time stock prices, which is very essential if you want to survive in the market.

As you may well know, trading is really all about perfect timing. A minute's lapse could earn you huge losses. In fact, some brokerages that offer free online trading do not charge for commission fees but rather charge for the use of their software.

Which brings us to a point: apart from your broker, the software will be your best friend. If you are going to choose your brokerage house, make sure that they have a good stock trading software. Some would offer you low fees but they are not equipped with a stock trading software.

This could cost you your investments. A good stock trading software would give you access to real time stock prices, historical data on stocks as well as technical charts, tools that are essential so that you won't lose out on opportunity.

Indeed, technology has given us cost-saving opportunities to place our investments. However, these online trading services do not offer you the entire package.

If you are not a regular trader and if you are new to the market and would only try trading for a month, you could avail of these free services. But be careful in choosing your brokerage provider.

Research and compare your options. And most importantly, make sure that they have the right trading equipment to make your investments work for you, after all, you will not gamble on your money. Good luck!