VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ A CURATED DIRECTORY OF FINANCIAL TOOLS ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Tool Comparison

Charles Schwab vs ETF.com comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Charles Schwab adds Brokerage, Options & Derivatives, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Alerts, Calendar, Order Book / Level II, Blogs, and Screeners coverage that ETF.com skips.

ETF.com includes ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Factors, ETF Holdings, Money Flow, IPO, Delisted, and Education categories that Charles Schwab omits.

ETF.com keeps a free entry point that Charles Schwab lacks.

Charles Schwab ships a mobile app. ETF.com is web/desktop only.

In depth comparison

Charles Schwab

schwab.com

One of the largest US brokerages, combining commission-free stock and ETF trading with deep functionality through the thinkorswim® platform suite (desktop, web, and mobile). Options are priced at $0.65 per contract, with 24/5 trading on over a thousand stocks and ETFs. Investors can trade futures and forex (approval required), use paperMoney® for risk-free practice, and even buy fractional shares of S&P 500 companies starting at $5 through Stock Slices®. Schwab also provides flexible alerts, advanced order types, tax integrations, and access to research and screeners-all backed by decades of brand trust.

Platforms

WebMobileDesktop

Pricing

Other

Quick highlights

Zero-commission online trades for stocks and ETFs; options at $0.65 per contract.
thinkorswim® platform suite (desktop, web, mobile) plus Schwab Mobile, with extended 24/5 trading access to 1,100+ stocks and ETFs.
paperMoney® virtual accounts that let you practice trading with live market data.
Tradable universe spans stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and forex-though futures and forex require separate approval and are offered by Schwab Futures & Forex LLC.
Fractional share investing via Stock Slices®: S&P 500 companies, starting from $5.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

ETF.com

etf.com

ETF.com is a web-based research suite for exchange-traded funds. A free account lets you save screeners and create up to five watchlists. Paid subscriptions unlock more: Content+ gives access to editorial content, while All Access provides unlimited use of tools, data, and saved screens.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

ETF Screener covering the U.S. ETF universe, powered by FactSet data. Results include total return metrics and can be saved with an account.
ETF Comparison tool to evaluate funds side by side on costs, performance, portfolio composition, factors, and ESG metrics.
Fund Flow Tracker to monitor ETF inflows and outflows, searchable by ticker and time period.
Holdings search tool: enter a stock to see which ETFs have meaningful exposure to it.
ETF Pulse highlights trending funds based on flows and performance indicators.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

Where they differ

Charles Schwab

Distinct strengths include:

Brokerage Options & Derivatives Paper Trading Advanced Order Types Smart/Direct Routing Alerts Calendar Order Book / Level II

Zero-commission online trades for stocks and ETFs; options at $0.65 per contract.
thinkorswim® platform suite (desktop, web, mobile) plus Schwab Mobile, with extended 24/5 trading access to 1,100+ stocks and ETFs.
paperMoney® virtual accounts that let you practice trading with live market data.
Tradable universe spans stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and forex-though futures and forex require separate approval and are offered by Schwab Futures & Forex LLC.

ETF.com

Distinct strengths include:

ETF Screeners ETF Comparison ETF Overview ETF Performance ETF Fundamentals ETF Factors ETF Holdings Money Flow

ETF Screener covering the U.S. ETF universe, powered by FactSet data. Results include total return metrics and can be saved with an account.
ETF Comparison tool to evaluate funds side by side on costs, performance, portfolio composition, factors, and ESG metrics.
Fund Flow Tracker to monitor ETF inflows and outflows, searchable by ticker and time period.
Holdings search tool: enter a stock to see which ETFs have meaningful exposure to it.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Charles Schwab	ETF.com
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Portfolio, Watchlist, News, Videos, Newsletters Unique: Brokerage, Options & Derivatives, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Alerts, Calendar, Order Book / Level II, Blogs, Screeners	Shared: Portfolio, Watchlist, News, Videos, Newsletters Unique: ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Factors, ETF Holdings, Money Flow, IPO, Delisted, Education
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Currencies	ETFs
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, Mobile, Desktop	Web
Pricing High-level pricing models	Other	Free, Subscription
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Zero-commission online trades for stocks and ETFs; options at $0.65 per contract. thinkorswim® platform suite (desktop, web, mobile) plus Schwab Mobile, with extended 24/5 trading access to 1,100+ stocks and ETFs. paperMoney® virtual accounts that let you practice trading with live market data. Tradable universe spans stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and forex-though futures and forex require separate approval and are offered by Schwab Futures & Forex LLC. Fractional share investing via Stock Slices®: S&P 500 companies, starting from $5. Advanced order types supported, including OCO brackets and conditional orders.	Unique ETF Screener covering the U.S. ETF universe, powered by FactSet data. Results include total return metrics and can be saved with an account. ETF Comparison tool to evaluate funds side by side on costs, performance, portfolio composition, factors, and ESG metrics. Fund Flow Tracker to monitor ETF inflows and outflows, searchable by ticker and time period. Holdings search tool: enter a stock to see which ETFs have meaningful exposure to it. ETF Pulse highlights trending funds based on flows and performance indicators. Portfolio Builder to create and track model ETF portfolios, integrating tickers from the screener or compare views.
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Not yet	Not yet
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Charles Schwab and ETF.com both support?

Both platforms cover Portfolio, Watchlist, News, Videos, and Newsletters workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

ETF.com offers a free entry point, while Charles Schwab requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

Which tool has mobile access?

Charles Schwab ships a dedicated mobile experience, while ETF.com focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Charles Schwab differentiates itself with Zero-commission online trades for stocks and ETFs; options at $0.65 per contract., thinkorswim® platform suite (desktop, web, mobile) plus Schwab Mobile, with extended 24/5 trading access to 1,100+ stocks and ETFs., and paperMoney® virtual accounts that let you practice trading with live market data., whereas ETF.com stands out for ETF Screener covering the U.S. ETF universe, powered by FactSet data. Results include total return metrics and can be saved with an account., ETF Comparison tool to evaluate funds side by side on costs, performance, portfolio composition, factors, and ESG metrics., and Fund Flow Tracker to monitor ETF inflows and outflows, searchable by ticker and time period..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.