VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

Charles Schwab vs Yahoo Finance 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, Order Book / Level II, Videos, Blogs, and Newsletters coverage that Yahoo Finance skips.

Yahoo Finance includes Data Visualizations, Financials, Analyst Recommendations, Analyst Price Targets, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, ETF Performance, Options, Dividends, Splits, 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..

Yahoo Finance is known for: Free plan with optional Silver and Gold subscriptions that unlock advanced features and research., Historical price downloads in CSV format are gated to Gold; portfolio and watchlist exports remain free., and Coverage spans 100+ exchanges worldwide, with clear labeling of real-time versus delayed data..

Yahoo Finance 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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Yahoo Finance logo

Yahoo Finance

finance.yahoo.com

Hands-on review

One of the most widely used finance portals, offering global market coverage, news, screeners, and portfolio tools. A free plan provides core features, while paid Silver and Gold tiers add extras such as research, enhanced filters, and historical data downloads. Real-time vs delayed quotes vary by exchange, and mobile apps support price alerts and personalized news.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Free plan with optional Silver and Gold subscriptions that unlock advanced features and research.
  • Historical price downloads in CSV format are gated to Gold; portfolio and watchlist exports remain free.
  • Coverage spans 100+ exchanges worldwide, with clear labeling of real-time versus delayed data.
  • Interactive full-screen charts with dozens of technical indicators and extended-hours toggles.
  • Equity, ETF, and mutual fund screeners with hundreds of filters; Plus tiers add premium filters such as Morningstar ratings.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

6 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Portfolio, Watchlist, and News plus 3 more areas.

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.

Yahoo Finance

Distinct strengths include:

  • Free plan with optional Silver and Gold subscriptions that unlock advanced features and research.
  • Historical price downloads in CSV format are gated to Gold; portfolio and watchlist exports remain free.
  • Coverage spans 100+ exchanges worldwide, with clear labeling of real-time versus delayed data.
  • Interactive full-screen charts with dozens of technical indicators and extended-hours toggles.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeCharles SchwabYahoo Finance
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Portfolio, Watchlist, News, Alerts, Calendar, Screeners

Unique: Brokerage, Options & Derivatives, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Order Book / Level II, Videos, Blogs, Newsletters

Shared: Portfolio, Watchlist, News, Alerts, Calendar, Screeners

Unique: Data Visualizations, Financials, Analyst Recommendations, Analyst Price Targets, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, ETF Performance, Options, Dividends, Splits, Education

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

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

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

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

  • Free plan with optional Silver and Gold subscriptions that unlock advanced features and research.
  • Historical price downloads in CSV format are gated to Gold; portfolio and watchlist exports remain free.
  • Coverage spans 100+ exchanges worldwide, with clear labeling of real-time versus delayed data.
  • Interactive full-screen charts with dozens of technical indicators and extended-hours toggles.
  • Equity, ETF, and mutual fund screeners with hundreds of filters; Plus tiers add premium filters such as Morningstar ratings.
  • Portfolio tracking with editable lots and transaction history; certain brokerages can be linked for automatic holdings sync.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

Yes

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Standard listing

Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Charles Schwab and Yahoo Finance both support?

Both platforms cover Portfolio, Watchlist, News, Alerts, Calendar, 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?

Yahoo Finance 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 Yahoo Finance?

Both Charles Schwab and Yahoo Finance 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 Yahoo Finance stands out for Free plan with optional Silver and Gold subscriptions that unlock advanced features and research., Historical price downloads in CSV format are gated to Gold; portfolio and watchlist exports remain free., and Coverage spans 100+ exchanges worldwide, with clear labeling of real-time versus delayed data..

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.