menuclose
StockBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn how we make money.

Charles Schwab vs Interactive Brokers 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Interactive Brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Charles Schwab
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65 info

Range of investments

Bottom line: Interactive Brokers offers the broadest investing menu, led by built-in crypto trading (11 coins), and holds the top spot for Range of Investments with a 5-star rating and a #1 ranking from StockBrokers.com. Charles Schwab is close behind with a 4.5-star rating and a #3 ranking, and it stands out if you want in-house advisor services. Choose Interactive Brokers for the widest asset coverage, or Schwab if advisor support matters more than crypto.

Both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers cover the core markets: stock trading, margin trading, fractional shares, OTC stocks, mutual funds, options, forex, and futures. Each also supports Traditional IRA and Roth IRA retirement accounts, making them solid choices for long-term investors as well as active traders.

The key difference is digital assets and guidance. Interactive Brokers supports cryptocurrency trading with 11 available coins, while Charles Schwab does not offer crypto. Conversely, Schwab provides advisor services, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. If your priorities are stocks, options, forex, futures, mutual funds, and fractional shares, either platform will work; if you want crypto access, go with Interactive Brokers, and if you want advisor services under the same roof as your brokerage account, pick Charles Schwab.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes Yes
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Futures Trading info Yes Yes
Crypto Trading info No Yes info
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 0 11 info
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026

Trading platforms and tools

If you’re choosing between Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers for trading platforms and tools, both earn 4.5 out of 5 stars, with StockBrokers.com ranking Schwab #1 and Interactive Brokers #2 out of 14 brokers. In simple terms: pick Charles Schwab if you want the most built-in indicators and deeper study controls, including the ability to build your own studies; pick Interactive Brokers if you value a larger set of drawing tools and bigger watch lists. Both deliver full desktop and web access plus practice trading and journaling, so your final choice comes down to which toolset fits how you like to analyze and manage trades.

Platforms and core tools: Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers each offer downloadable platforms for Windows and Mac, along with a browser-based platform. You can paper trade on both and keep a trading journal. On the charts, both let you adjust open orders directly, add notes, view your past trades, display earnings, splits, and dividends, set custom date ranges, detect automated chart patterns, and save multiple chart layouts.

Where they differ: Charles Schwab packs 374 technical indicators and 35 editable fields on a simple moving average study, and it supports creating custom studies. Interactive Brokers offers 155 indicators and 6 SMA edit fields, and it does not support custom studies. For drawing, Interactive Brokers leads with 85 tools versus Schwab’s 24. For watch lists, Interactive Brokers supports 659 columns while Schwab supports 580. In short, Schwab leans toward richer indicator libraries and customization, while Interactive Brokers leans toward expansive drawing and data views.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 580 659
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 374 155
Charting - Drawing Tools info 24 85
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026

Featured Offers


5/5 Stars

A full-featured account for investing

4.5/5 Stars

Get up to $1K on new brokerage account*

Beginners and education

For beginner and self-directed investors, both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers offer wide education across key topics: stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds. Each provides hands-on practice with paper trading, plus a mix of learning tools like videos, webinars, quizzes, and the ability to track your progress. Whether you’re starting out or brushing up on strategy, both brokers cover the essentials in an accessible way.

In head-to-head ratings, Charles Schwab has the edge: it earns 5 stars for education and ranks #2 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com. Interactive Brokers also performs well with a 4-star education rating and a #3 ranking. If you want the highest-rated learning experience, Schwab is the slight favorite, while IBKR remains a strong alternative with similar topic coverage and study tools.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes Yes
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026

Stock trading apps

Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers both deliver top-tier stock trading apps, each earning 5 stars, but Schwab takes the #1 spot in StockBrokers.com’s rankings (Interactive Brokers is #2). For most investors, the headline difference is charting depth: Schwab packs in far more built-in technical studies (373 vs 97 for Interactive Brokers). If you want the widest selection of indicators right on your phone, Schwab has the edge; otherwise, both are excellent choices for everyday trading and monitoring.

Both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps along with Apple Watch support. You can trade options on mobile, view streaming quotes, watch live TV, and browse videos on demand. Essential tools are covered on both sides: stock alerts, custom watchlists, and the ability to tailor watchlist columns to what matters most to you.

Charting on mobile is solid with either provider, including landscape mode, multiple time frames, after-hours charting, and the ability to compare stocks on the same chart. The key split is the number of technical studies available—Schwab’s 373 versus Interactive Brokers’ 97—which can sway traders who lean heavily on indicators.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 373 97
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026

Fees

Bottom line: Interactive Brokers generally has lower ongoing costs than Charles Schwab, thanks mainly to its cheaper margin rates and a $0 fee for full ACAT transfers. Both brokers are tied on the basics—no minimum deposit, $0 stock trades, $0.65 per options contract, and $0 IRA fees—so your choice may come down to how often you use margin or plan to transfer an account.

Core fees are nearly identical. Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers both require $0 to open an account and charge $0 for regular stock trades. Options pricing is also a match at $0.65 per contract, with $0 for options exercise and assignment at either broker. IRA annual fees and IRA closure fees are $0 at both. For account transfers, partial ACATs are free at both firms, but full ACATs cost $50 at Charles Schwab and $0 at Interactive Brokers.

Margin rates are where the difference stands out. For balances under $25,000, Charles Schwab is 12.58% versus Interactive Brokers at 6.83%. From $25,000 to $49,999, Schwab is 12.08% while Interactive Brokers stays at 6.83%. Between $50,000 and $99,999, Schwab is 11.13% compared with Interactive Brokers at 6.83%. If you plan to use margin, Interactive Brokers is the cheaper pick across these tiers.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 $0.65 info
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $0.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026

Day Trading

When it comes to day trading capabilities, both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers provide a comprehensive array of tools and features suited for traders. Both platforms offer streaming time and sales for stocks, allowing traders to keep tabs on market movements in real-time. Each broker also provides streaming live TV, direct market routing, and ladder trading, enhancing their offerings for active trading scenarios. Additionally, both services support trading hotkeys for fast trade execution, offer access to level 2 quotes for a granular view of market depth, and enable backtesting of both basic and advanced trading strategies.

However, there are some differences to consider when choosing between these two brokers. For example, while Interactive Brokers offers order liquidity rebates for those who provide liquidity to the market, Charles Schwab does not. Moreover, each platform offers a short locator tool, allowing traders to view current real-time availability of shares for shorting by security. These subtle nuances may influence day traders when deciding which platform best suits their needs for effective market engagement.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes Yes
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info Yes Yes
Short Locator info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders

Market Research

Choosing between Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers for market research comes down to priorities. Both earn 4.5 stars, but Charles Schwab holds the higher independent rank (#2 of 14 on StockBrokers.com) while Interactive Brokers is #5. Interactive Brokers, however, offers more downloadable reports, with 17 stock PDFs and mutual fund PDFs available, compared with Schwab’s 7 stock PDFs and no mutual fund PDFs. If you value a higher third‑party ranking, Schwab is appealing; if you want the biggest library of downloadable reports, Interactive Brokers stands out.

On day‑to‑day research needs, the brokers look very similar. Both provide research on stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets/OTC, and bonds. Each lets you see portfolio allocation by asset class, tap social media sentiment for stock ideas, and review ESG insights. Screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds are available at both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers, helping you filter the market quickly.

The key difference is downloadable research depth. Interactive Brokers supplies 17 downloadable PDF research reports for stocks, offers ETF PDFs, and uniquely adds mutual fund PDFs. Charles Schwab offers 7 downloadable stock PDFs and ETF PDFs, but no mutual fund PDFs. With both earning 4.5 stars, your best pick hinges on whether you prefer Schwab’s higher research ranking or Interactive Brokers’ wider set of downloadable reports.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Screener - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Banking

Comparing Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers for banking features, Charles Schwab functions more like a full-service option: it offers checking and savings accounts, a debit card, credit cards, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs). Interactive Brokers is narrower on the banking side, offering credit cards and CDs but no checking or savings accounts, no debit card, and no mortgage loans. If you want everyday banking and investing in one place, Charles Schwab is the easier fit; if you mainly invest and only need a brokerage with a credit card or CDs, Interactive Brokers can work.

Feature Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Checking Accounts info Yes No
Savings Accounts info Yes No
Debit Cards info Yes No
Credit Cards info Yes Yes
Mortgage Loans info Yes No
Brokerage CDs info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than Interactive Brokers. Charles Schwab finished with an overall score of 93.3%, while Interactive Brokers finished with a score of 90.6%.

For most investors, the search for a great broker ends with Charles Schwab. Retaining the #1 Overall ranking in 2026, Schwab continues to set the industry standard. The broker uniquely balances scale with sophistication, offering both simplified mobile tools and the professional-grade thinkorswim platform. From buying a first fractional share to managing a multimillion-dollar estate, Schwab provides a platform tailored to every need, serving as the definitive operating system for modern wealth.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Charles Schwab or Interactive Brokers?

Charles Schwab does not offer crypto trading, while Interactive Brokers provides access to trading with 11 different cryptocurrencies.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Charles Schwab or Interactive Brokers offer IRAs?

Both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers provide options for traditional and Roth IRA accounts without any annual fees or closure charges, offering affordable and flexible retirement savings solutions for investors.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

Popular trading guides

More trading guides

Popular broker reviews


Select Brokers

×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlly Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxE*TRADE
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFidelity
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFirstrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxJ.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMerrill Edge
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPublic.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRobinhood
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxtastytrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradeStation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxWebull

Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Overall 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Charles Schwab Review Interactive Brokers Review
Broker Screenshots Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Minimum Deposit info $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $6.95 $0.01
Mutual Fund Trade Fee info Varies $14.95 info
Options (Per Contract) info $0.65 $0.65 info
Futures (Per Contract) info $2.25 $0.85 info
Broker Assisted Trade Fee info $25 Varies info
Margin Rates Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Margin Rate Under $25,000 info 12.58% 6.83% info
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 info 12.08% 6.83% info
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 info 11.13% 6.83% info
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 info 11.08% 6.83% info
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 info 10.83% 6.83% info
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 info Varies info 6.83% info
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 info Varies info 6.83% info
Account Fees Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
IRA Annual Fee info $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $0.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $50.00 $0.00
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) info Yes Yes
OTC Stocks info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs info 4 6
Futures Trading info Yes Yes
Forex Trading info Yes Yes
Crypto Trading info No Yes info
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 0 11 info
Fixed Income (Treasurys) info Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) info Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) info Yes Yes
Traditional IRAs info Yes Yes
Roth IRAs info Yes Yes
Advisor Services info Yes No
International Countries (Stocks) info 12 36
Order Types Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Order Type - Market info Yes Yes
Order Type - Limit info Yes Yes
Order Type - After Hours info Yes Yes
Order Type - Stop info Yes Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop info Yes Yes
Order Type - OCO info Yes Yes
Order Type - OTO info Yes Yes
Order Type - Broker Assisted info Yes Yes
Beginners Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Education (Stocks) info Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) info Yes Yes
Education (Options) info Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Fixed Income) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes Yes
Videos info Yes Yes
Webinars info Yes Yes
Progress Tracking info Yes Yes
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info Yes Yes
Stock Trading Apps Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info Yes Yes
Trading - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trading - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Trading - Simple Options info Yes Yes
Trading - Complex Options info Yes Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes info Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes info Yes Yes
Stock App Features Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Mobile Research - Market Movers info Yes Yes
Stream Live TV info Yes Yes
Videos on Demand info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Option Chains Viewable info Yes Yes
Watchlist (Real-time) info Yes Yes
Watchlist (Streaming) info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization info Yes Yes
Stock App Charting Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Charting - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info Yes Yes
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 373 97
Charting - Study Customizations info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Active Trading Platform info thinkorswim info IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS)
Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Mac) info Yes Yes
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info Yes Yes
Trade Journal info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 580 659
Stock Chart Features Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 374 155
Charting - Drawing Tools info 24 85
Charting - Notes info Yes Yes
Charting - Historical Trades info Yes Yes
Charting - Corporate Events info Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Date Range info Yes Yes
Charting - Custom Time Bars info Yes Yes
Charting - Automated Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Save Profiles info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info Yes Yes
Charting - Study Customizations info 35 6
Charting - Custom Studies info Yes No
Day Trading Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Streaming Time & Sales info Yes Yes
Streaming TV info Yes Yes
Direct Market Routing - Equities info Yes Yes
Ladder Trading info Yes Yes
Trade Hot Keys info Yes Yes
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info Yes Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info Yes Yes
Short Locator info Yes Yes
Order Liquidity Rebates info No Yes
Research Overview Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB info Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Screener - Fixed Income info Yes Yes
Portfolio Asset Allocation info Yes Yes
Stock Research Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 7 17 info
Stock Research - Earnings info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders info Yes Yes
Stock Research - Social info Yes Yes
Stock Research - News info Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG info Yes Yes
Stock Research - SEC Filings info Yes Yes
ETF Research Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
ETFs - Investment Objective info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets info Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure info Yes Yes
ETFs - Risk Analysis info Yes Yes
ETFs - Ratings info Yes Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap info Yes Yes
ETFs - PDF Reports info Yes Yes
Mutual Fund Research Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Prospectus info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - StyleMap info Yes Yes
Options Trading Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Option Chains - Total Greeks info 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes Yes
Banking Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Bank (Member FDIC) info Yes No
Checking Accounts info Yes No
Savings Accounts info Yes No
Credit Cards info Yes Yes
Debit Cards info Yes No
Mortgage Loans info Yes No
Customer Service Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) info Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
Email Support info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) info No No
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
24/7 Support info Yes Yes
Overall Charles Schwab Interactive Brokers
Overall 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Charles Schwab Review Interactive Brokers Review
arrow_upward

close