VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing Charles Schwab and Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) will find that Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) concentrate on Brokerage, Portfolio, and Watchlist workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Charles Schwab leans into Paper Trading, Alerts, and Calendar, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) stands out with Financials that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
Charles Schwab vs Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- Charles Schwab adds Paper Trading, Alerts, Calendar, Videos, Blogs, Newsletters, and Screeners coverage that Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) skips.
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) includes Financials categories that Charles Schwab omits.
- Charles Schwab 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., and paperMoney® virtual accounts that let you practice trading with live market data..
- Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) is known for: Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee)., Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades., and Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals..
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.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
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.
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
fidelity.com
A leading U.S. brokerage offering commission-free stock and ETF trades, plus robust platforms for both casual investors and active traders. Options contracts are priced at $0.65 each. Advanced conditional order types and streaming Level II data are available through Active Trader Pro, Fidelity’s professional desktop platform.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee).
- Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades.
- Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals.
- Supports advanced conditional orders including Contingent, Multi-Contingent, OCO, OTO, and OTOCO, both on Fidelity.com and within Active Trader Pro.
- Options chain displays real-time Greeks and supports multi-leg strategies inside Active Trader Pro.
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
Charles Schwab
Distinct strengths include:
- 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.
Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)
Distinct strengths include:
- Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee).
- Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades.
- Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals.
- Supports advanced conditional orders including Contingent, Multi-Contingent, OCO, OTO, and OTOCO, both on Fidelity.com and within Active Trader Pro.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Charles Schwab | Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, News, Order Book / Level II Unique: Paper Trading, Alerts, Calendar, Videos, Blogs, Newsletters, Screeners | Shared: Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, News, Order Book / Level II Unique: Financials |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Currencies | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Cryptos |
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, Mobile, Desktop |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Other | Other |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
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 Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) both support?
Both platforms cover Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, News, and Order Book / Level II workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Charles Schwab and Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) require subscriptions?
Neither platform maintains a free tier. Budget for a subscription to unlock the research coverage highlighted in this comparison.
How can you access Charles Schwab and Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC)?
Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.
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 Fidelity (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC) stands out for Commission-free online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs; options contracts at $0.65 each (a small number of ETFs still carry a $100 service fee)., Execution quality reports highlight strong fill statistics, with most trades price-improved and executed in fractions of a second. Fidelity discloses savings per order and does not accept payment for order flow on stock and ETF trades., and Active Trader Pro® desktop platform provides streaming market data, Level II quotes with time & sales, and real-time analytics with trading signals..
Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.