Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab, Who's The Best?
Read our In-Depth Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab Review - Updated for 2025
Our review comparing Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab has been refreshed for 2025 from seasoned professionals boasting significant financial experience across Forex, CFDs, & Social Trading.
Please note that due to regulations for each broker, the content in this comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab does not apply to all countries as follows:
Interactive Brokers Excluded Countries
Brazil, Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Japan, and United States of America.
Charles Schwab Excluded Countries
Brazil, Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Japan, and United States of America.
Compare Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab
Every platforms for online trading has a few advantages and disadvantages, and a complete analysis of Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab would not be regarded as thorough without adopting a balanced approach.
Examine Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab to get a better understanding of just how they compare to each before you choose to make an account. A side-by-side comparison helps to place factors into perspective so that you're cognizant of what you should anticipate.
So you are looking for a professional broker and are choosing between Interactive Brokers or Charles Schwab. Who should you choose?
This Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab comparison contains the latest information so you can easily compare Charles Schwab against Interactive Brokers.
If you are a new entrant in the world of trading and brokerages, so many facts will be confusing for you. Getting into the world of trading requires expert analyzing skills and thorough understanding. You'll get proficient at all the concepts of broker since you keep trading. For starters, you have to select the right broker who will be clear with you always.
Within this fast-paced world of stock markets and trading, you'll need guidance to make proper decisions. A professionally lead investment program has the potential to generate hefty returns. Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab are just two such trading platforms that will take you along with your investment into great heights. It is crucial to compare Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab before you trust them with your cash.
Our Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab comparison will help you judge the effectiveness, price, ease of use and customer support, and whether you can trust Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab side by side.
Our full Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab Review covers everything you will need to learn about trading using either Interactive Brokers or Charles Schwab. A good agent can multiply your first investments and give you positive profits. If you would like to make profits, you should trade with a brokerage service that contrasts with your investment objectives.
There's absolutely no sure-fire method to guarantee profits; thus, you must carefully assess your agent before you choose them. It's a common misconception that all agents are the same, but that's not true. Wrong judgment, initially, can put your investments in danger.
Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab are both brokers which have forged their way successfully into the brokerage world. Within this review, we've attempted to collate some of the vital aspects of both Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab. This review will allow you to understand whether either Charles Schwab or Interactive Brokers is a good match for your investments or not. We have tried to breakdown all the qualities and charges for your advantage.
Benefits of Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab Compared
Interactive Brokers offers a minimum deposit of $1 while Charles Schwab has a $25 minimum deposit.
Why smaller minimum deposits are good and how Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab compare
The main reason is that you should only deposit what you can afford. If you you have a lower budget, the broker that offers the lowest deposit option will be more attractive. The other reason is because when speculating on riskier but potentially more rewarding financial instruments you should look to speculate with only a small percentage of your allocated trading funds. Don't let a higher minimum deposit totally put you off a broker, look at the overall trading features you are getting from the trading platform. Often a high minimum deposit gives greater choice in the financial assets and trading platform research features.
Interactive Brokers has around 100 financial instruments whilst Charles Schwab has around 100 on their platform.
The more instruments you can trade on the Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab trading platforms the better. It is good to have a diverse portfolio and the options available to a user will always vary. Trading is all about grasping potential opportunities and you seriously do not want to miss out on a trading opportunity due to the limitations of Interactive Brokers or Charles Schwab.
Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab Contact Details
Being able to contact a broker easily is a sign of a professional broker. Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab have the following contact details and social medias that you can use.
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Broker | Interactive Brokers | Charles Schwab |
Telephone Number | +1 203 618 5800 | |
support@interactivebrokers.com | ||
Address | One Pickwick Plz, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830, US | |
Interactive Brokers Twitter Account | Charles Schwab Twitter Account | |
Interactive Brokers Facebook Page | Charles Schwab Facebook Page | |
Interactive Brokers Instagram Account | Charles Schwab Instagram Account | |
Interactive Brokers LinkedIn Page | Charles Schwab LinkedIn Page | |
YouTube | Interactive Brokers YouTube Channel | Charles Schwab YouTube Channel |
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Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers Mobile App Comparison
It is becoming increasingly important for brokers to offer simple-to-use apps that provide the same services as desktop platforms.
This part of comparing Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab will examine whether their mobile app meets all our requirements.
Overall, we rate the user-friendliness of both apps as Better than the average.
It is important that any trading app has user friendly capabilities especially with the
Search Functions
Although most brokers do OK in this area, there are some bad apples out there. If you type 'Emerging markets' into the search box, the software will find all Emerging market ETFs, even if the name doesn't begin with 'emerging'. If you only ever traded US stocks and start typing 'Apple', will the AI show you the Apple stock or the obscure Irish stock Applegreen?
Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab - Awards
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Broker | Interactive Brokers | Charles Schwab |
Awards |
Interactive Brokers have won numerous industry awards over the years they have been running as an online broker. We list the most notable awards for Interactive Brokers here.
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At the time of writing this Charles Schwab review, and despite Charles Schwab’s impressive offering, the company has surprisingly not garnered any awards to date. |
Find Out More |
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Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab - Frequently Asked Questions
Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab - Headquarters And Year Of Founding
Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977 and has its head office in United States.
Charles Schwab was founded in 2010 and has its headquaters in United States.
What is the minimum deposit for Charles Schwab or Interactive Brokers
The minimum deposit for Interactive Brokers is $1.
The minimum deposit for Charles Schwab is $25.
Depending on your current situation, a lower minimum deposit can be beneficial. If you are experienced with forex trading but are looking for a change then both Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab are a good option.
Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab - Regulation And Licencing In More Detail
Interactive Brokers is regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Australian Securities and Investments Commission (AFSL: 453554) and is a participant of ASX, ASX 24 and Chi-X Australia. Is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA register entry number 208159. Is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). Is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI, reference number C423427). Is licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Hungary (Magyar Nemzeti Bank) under no. H-EN-III-623/2020. Is regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Is a member of NSE, BSE, SEBI. Regn. No. SEBI Registration No. INZ000217730; NSDL: IN-DP-NSDL-301-2008. CIN-U67120MH2007FTC170004. Is regulated by Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Registration No.187). Is licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Licence No. CMS100917)..
Charles Schwab is regulated by Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Both Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab have a strong collection of rules for ensuring honest trading onto their own platforms. For data encryption functions, they provide industry-standard secure socket layers (SSL).
As per their privacy regulations, client information is to not be shared with any other institutions or individuals. Including credit history and other financial details.
Compare Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab Commission And Fees
Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab are online brokerage platforms, and most online brokerages charge lower prices than traditional brokerages tend to bill. The reason for this is that the companies of online trading platforms are scaled better. That is, an online broker isn't necessarily affected by the number of customers they have.
However, this does not necessarily mean that online brokers don't charge any fees. They charge prices of varying rates for various services to make money. There are mainly three different types of penalties for this purpose.
The first sort of charges to look out for are trading charges. When you make a genuine trade, like buying a stock or an ETF, you're charged trading fees. In such cases, you are paying a spread, financing rate, or even a commission. The kinds of trading fees and the prices differ from broker to broker.
Commissions could be fixed or determined by the traded volume. On the flip side, a spread refers to the difference between the buying and selling cost. Funding or overnight rates are those that are charged when you maintain a leveraged position for longer than a day.
Apart from trading fees, online agents also bill non-trading fees. These are determined by the actions you undertake in your account. They are charged for surgeries like depositing money, not trading for lengthy periods, or withdrawals.
In general, neither Interactive Brokers or Charles Schwab charge high fees compared to other online agents. For operations other agents charge for, they either do not charge a broker fee, or they charge a lesser sum. This can be beneficial for those who regularly trade, such as weekly or daily trading.
But, non-trading fees charged by Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab are relatively greater. As a result, you're charged more for non-trading activities on your trading accounts, like withdrawal and deposits. These aren't about the sale and purchase of resources.
This Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab review for 2025 breaks down each of the relevant non-trading fees for you in detail.
Compare Broker Fees For Interactive Brokers And Charles Schwab
What Languages Do Interactive Brokers And Charles Schwab Support?
Being able to talk completely with your online broker is a key part of comparing online brokers to find your perfect broker. Not only for support but to ensure you understand everything on their site and inside their app as it is a key factor to success when trading online.
Below you can find all the languages that both Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab support.
How Many Clients Do Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab Have?
Both Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab are well established with their client base. It is really important to work with an online broker that is reputable and one of the most simple ways of understanding this is by knowing how many customers they already work with.
Below you will find details of how many users Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab are working with
What Payment Methods Do Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab Accept?
Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab both offer a wide range of payment options which is vital when you have a global customer base.
Below you will find details of all the payment options available at Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab
What Can You Trade With Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab?
Interactive Brokers offers 100 trading instruments and Charles Schwab offers 70.
Below you will find a full breakdown of what both Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab offer.
Interactive Brokers Review
Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab:
Table Of Contents
- Compare Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab
- Benefits of Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab Compared
- Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers Mobile App Comparison
- Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab - Awards
- Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab - Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the minimum deposit for Charles Schwab or Interactive Brokers
- Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab - Regulation And Licencing In More Detail
- Compare Broker Fees For Interactive Brokers And Charles Schwab
- What Languages Do Interactive Brokers And Charles Schwab Support?
- How Many Clients Do Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab Have?
- What Payment Methods Do Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab Accept?
- What Can You Trade With Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab?