VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

Charles Schwab vs Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Charles Schwab adds Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Videos, Blogs, Newsletters, and Screeners coverage that Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) skips.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) includes IPO, Dividends, Splits, and Buybacks & Authorizations 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..

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) is known for: HKEXnews: centralized hub for listed company announcements and regulatory filings with keyword and category search., Custom email and mobile alerts for issuer announcements and Disclosure of Interests notices., and Short Selling Turnover reports (intra-day and daily) for both Main Board and GEM listings..

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) keeps a free entry point that Charles Schwab lacks.

Charles Schwab logo

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

Web
Mobile
Desktop

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.

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Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) logo

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX)

hkex.com.hk

The official exchange site for Hong Kong. Provides free access to company filings via HKEXnews, corporate calendars, and market alerts. Real-time and historical tick data, as well as full order book feeds, are available through paid HKEX Market Data Services and the Data Marketplace. Quotes displayed on the public website are delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mobile apps include a Stock Options app with real-time options and selected futures data.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • HKEXnews: centralized hub for listed company announcements and regulatory filings with keyword and category search.
  • Custom email and mobile alerts for issuer announcements and Disclosure of Interests notices.
  • Short Selling Turnover reports (intra-day and daily) for both Main Board and GEM listings.
  • Trading and clearing calendar, downloadable as PDF or subscribable via iCal/URL.
  • HKEX Data Marketplace offering paid datasets such as CCASS shareholding and historical full order book data, delivered via SFTP, direct download, or cloud-to-cloud.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include News, Alerts, and Calendar plus 1 more area.

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.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX)

Distinct strengths include:

  • HKEXnews: centralized hub for listed company announcements and regulatory filings with keyword and category search.
  • Custom email and mobile alerts for issuer announcements and Disclosure of Interests notices.
  • Short Selling Turnover reports (intra-day and daily) for both Main Board and GEM listings.
  • Trading and clearing calendar, downloadable as PDF or subscribable via iCal/URL.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeCharles SchwabHong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX)
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: News, Alerts, Calendar, Order Book / Level II

Unique: Brokerage, Portfolio, Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Videos, Blogs, Newsletters, Screeners

Shared: News, Alerts, Calendar, Order Book / Level II

Unique: IPO, Dividends, Splits, Buybacks & Authorizations

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Currencies

Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, Options, Futures

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

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

  • HKEXnews: centralized hub for listed company announcements and regulatory filings with keyword and category search.
  • Custom email and mobile alerts for issuer announcements and Disclosure of Interests notices.
  • Short Selling Turnover reports (intra-day and daily) for both Main Board and GEM listings.
  • Trading and clearing calendar, downloadable as PDF or subscribable via iCal/URL.
  • HKEX Data Marketplace offering paid datasets such as CCASS shareholding and historical full order book data, delivered via SFTP, direct download, or cloud-to-cloud.
  • Real-time market datafeeds (OMD-C/OMD-D) with Level 1, Level 2, and Full Book options, including 10-level depth and full tick order data.
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 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) both support?

Both platforms cover News, Alerts, Calendar, and Order Book / Level II workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) offers a free entry point, while Charles Schwab requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

How can you access Charles Schwab and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX)?

Both Charles Schwab and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) 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 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) stands out for HKEXnews: centralized hub for listed company announcements and regulatory filings with keyword and category search., Custom email and mobile alerts for issuer announcements and Disclosure of Interests notices., and Short Selling Turnover reports (intra-day and daily) for both Main Board and GEM listings..

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.