VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View Charles SchwabView Markets.comBack to Home

Head-to-head

Charles Schwab vs Markets.com comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Charles Schwab adds Portfolio, Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Paper Trading, Smart/Direct Routing, News, Calendar, Order Book / Level II, Videos, Blogs, Newsletters, and Screeners coverage that Markets.com skips.

Markets.com includes Copy/Social Trading, and Education 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..

Markets.com is known for: Multi-asset CFD coverage including forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds, and crypto (where permitted)., Choice of platforms: proprietary web and mobile apps, MetaTrader 4/5 desktop, and full TradingView integration., and Built-in social and copy trading via Pelican, allowing users to follow signal providers or become one themselves, with performance-based fees..

Markets.com 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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Markets.com logo

Markets.com

markets.com

A global CFD broker offering trading across web, mobile, MT4/MT5, and TradingView. Accounts come with 0% commissions and no deposit, withdrawal, or order fees — though spreads, overnight swaps, and currency conversion charges apply. Social and copy trading is enabled via Pelican Exchange Europe and through MT4/MT5 integrations. Retail leverage is capped at 1:30 depending on jurisdiction, with some regions requiring protections such as guaranteed stop-losses. Crypto CFDs are not available to UK residents.

Platforms

Web
Mobile
Desktop

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Multi-asset CFD coverage including forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds, and crypto (where permitted).
  • Choice of platforms: proprietary web and mobile apps, MetaTrader 4/5 desktop, and full TradingView integration.
  • Built-in social and copy trading via Pelican, allowing users to follow signal providers or become one themselves, with performance-based fees.
  • Risk management tools include stop-loss and take-profit orders, floating spreads, and push/SMS/email alerts for key events.
  • Simple pricing structure: no commissions, account, deposit, or withdrawal fees; trading costs primarily come from spreads, swaps, and conversions.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

3 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Brokerage, Advanced Order Types, and Alerts.

Where they differ

Charles Schwab

Distinct strengths include:

Portfolio
Watchlist
Options & Derivatives
Paper Trading
Smart/Direct Routing
News
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.

Markets.com

Distinct strengths include:

Copy/Social Trading
Education
  • Multi-asset CFD coverage including forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds, and crypto (where permitted).
  • Choice of platforms: proprietary web and mobile apps, MetaTrader 4/5 desktop, and full TradingView integration.
  • Built-in social and copy trading via Pelican, allowing users to follow signal providers or become one themselves, with performance-based fees.
  • Risk management tools include stop-loss and take-profit orders, floating spreads, and push/SMS/email alerts for key events.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeCharles SchwabMarkets.com
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Brokerage, Advanced Order Types, Alerts

Unique: Portfolio, Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Paper Trading, Smart/Direct Routing, News, Calendar, Order Book / Level II, Videos, Blogs, Newsletters, Screeners

Shared: Brokerage, Advanced Order Types, Alerts

Unique: Copy/Social Trading, Education

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

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

Currencies, Stocks, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, 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

Free

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

  • Multi-asset CFD coverage including forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds, and crypto (where permitted).
  • Choice of platforms: proprietary web and mobile apps, MetaTrader 4/5 desktop, and full TradingView integration.
  • Built-in social and copy trading via Pelican, allowing users to follow signal providers or become one themselves, with performance-based fees.
  • Risk management tools include stop-loss and take-profit orders, floating spreads, and push/SMS/email alerts for key events.
  • Simple pricing structure: no commissions, account, deposit, or withdrawal fees; trading costs primarily come from spreads, swaps, and conversions.
  • Leverage up to 1:30 for retail clients, varying by entity and regulatory jurisdiction.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

Not yet

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Standard listing

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

Both platforms cover Brokerage, Advanced Order Types, and Alerts workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

Markets.com 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 Markets.com?

Both Charles Schwab and Markets.com 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 Markets.com stands out for Multi-asset CFD coverage including forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds, and crypto (where permitted)., Choice of platforms: proprietary web and mobile apps, MetaTrader 4/5 desktop, and full TradingView integration., and Built-in social and copy trading via Pelican, allowing users to follow signal providers or become one themselves, with performance-based fees..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

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

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.