VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View Charles SchwabView OptionChartsBack to Home

Head-to-head

Charles Schwab vs OptionCharts comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Charles Schwab adds Brokerage, Portfolio, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, News, Alerts, Calendar, Order Book / Level II, Videos, and Newsletters coverage that OptionCharts skips.

OptionCharts includes Data Visualizations, Options, and Options P&L 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..

OptionCharts is known for: Interactive Option Strategy Profit & Loss chart with multi‑leg templates (e.g., covered call, verticals, iron condor, calendar)., Per‑ticker chart library: volume, open interest, greeks (Δ, Γ, Θ, ν), implied vol skew, max pain, expected move, probability distribution., and Gamma Exposure (GEX) and Delta Exposure (DEX) visualizations..

OptionCharts keeps a free entry point that Charles Schwab lacks.

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

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.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes
You haven't voted yet
View full profileVisit site
OptionCharts logo

OptionCharts

optioncharts.io

Web app for options analytics and visualizations (P&L, greeks, IV skew, expected move, GEX/DEX, option history) with market‑wide trend screens. Free tier uses 15‑minute delayed OPRA; real‑time options available on Ultimate plan after exchange agreements. Not a broker; no trading execution.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Interactive Option Strategy Profit & Loss chart with multi‑leg templates (e.g., covered call, verticals, iron condor, calendar).
  • Per‑ticker chart library: volume, open interest, greeks (Δ, Γ, Θ, ν), implied vol skew, max pain, expected move, probability distribution.
  • Gamma Exposure (GEX) and Delta Exposure (DEX) visualizations.
  • Option Contract History (price, volume, OI, greeks) with intraday history (up to ~1‑minute intervals) and extended history.
  • Market Trends screens: most active by ticker/contract, highest OI, IV/IV rank, unusual activity, options flow (aggregates update ≈10 min).

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes
You haven't voted yet
View full profileVisit site
Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, and Blogs plus 1 more area.

Where they differ

Charles Schwab

Distinct strengths include:

Brokerage
Portfolio
Paper Trading
Advanced Order Types
Smart/Direct Routing
News
Alerts
Calendar
  • 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.

OptionCharts

Distinct strengths include:

Data Visualizations
Options
Options P&L
  • Interactive Option Strategy Profit & Loss chart with multi‑leg templates (e.g., covered call, verticals, iron condor, calendar).
  • Per‑ticker chart library: volume, open interest, greeks (Δ, Γ, Θ, ν), implied vol skew, max pain, expected move, probability distribution.
  • Gamma Exposure (GEX) and Delta Exposure (DEX) visualizations.
  • Option Contract History (price, volume, OI, greeks) with intraday history (up to ~1‑minute intervals) and extended history.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeCharles SchwabOptionCharts
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Blogs, Screeners

Unique: Brokerage, Portfolio, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, News, Alerts, Calendar, Order Book / Level II, Videos, Newsletters

Shared: Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Blogs, Screeners

Unique: Data Visualizations, Options, Options P&L

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

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

Options, Stocks, 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

  • Interactive Option Strategy Profit & Loss chart with multi‑leg templates (e.g., covered call, verticals, iron condor, calendar).
  • Per‑ticker chart library: volume, open interest, greeks (Δ, Γ, Θ, ν), implied vol skew, max pain, expected move, probability distribution.
  • Gamma Exposure (GEX) and Delta Exposure (DEX) visualizations.
  • Option Contract History (price, volume, OI, greeks) with intraday history (up to ~1‑minute intervals) and extended history.
  • Market Trends screens: most active by ticker/contract, highest OI, IV/IV rank, unusual activity, options flow (aggregates update ≈10 min).
  • Watchlists and Saved Trades dashboards (Premium features).
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 OptionCharts both support?

Both platforms cover Watchlist, Options & Derivatives, Blogs, and Screeners workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

OptionCharts 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 OptionCharts 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 OptionCharts stands out for Interactive Option Strategy Profit & Loss chart with multi‑leg templates (e.g., covered call, verticals, iron condor, calendar)., Per‑ticker chart library: volume, open interest, greeks (Δ, Γ, Θ, ν), implied vol skew, max pain, expected move, probability distribution., and Gamma Exposure (GEX) and Delta Exposure (DEX) visualizations..

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.