Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Robinhood, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: For range of investments, Charles Schwab outpaces Robinhood. Schwab is rated 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 14 brokers for Range of Investments on StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #12. Pick Schwab if you want the broadest menu across traditional markets; pick Robinhood if having stocks, options, and access to 22 cryptocurrencies in one place matters most.
Both brokers offer stock trading, margin trading, fractional shares, OTC stocks, options, and futures. Schwab adds mutual funds and forex trading, which Robinhood does not support. Robinhood, however, offers crypto trading with 22 coins, while Schwab does not offer crypto at all.
For accounts and help, both Charles Schwab and Robinhood support Traditional and Roth IRAs and provide advisor services. If you need mutual funds and forex, Schwab is the clear fit; if crypto access is a must, Robinhood is the better match.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 22 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
On trading platforms and tools, Charles Schwab clearly outpaces Robinhood. Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 14 brokers for platforms and tools, while Robinhood holds 3.5 stars and ranks #9, according to StockBrokers.com. If you want more platform choice, paper trading, deep charting, and heavy customization, Schwab is the stronger pick; if you prefer a simple, browser-focused experience with fewer extras, Robinhood can still get the job done.
Platform access and core tools: Charles Schwab offers downloadable platforms for both Windows and Mac, plus a browser-based platform. Robinhood does not offer Windows or Mac downloads; it is browser-based. Schwab also includes paper trading and a built-in trading journal, which Robinhood lacks. Watchlists are far more detailed at Schwab (580 fields) than at Robinhood (34). Both brokers let you adjust open orders directly on a stock chart and add notes to charts, but only Schwab shows your historical trades and corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends. Both let you set custom date ranges.
Charting and customization: Schwab supplies 374 technical indicators versus Robinhood’s 90 and supports automated technical analysis (chart patterns), which Robinhood does not. Robinhood lists 2326 drawing tools versus Schwab’s 24, but Schwab allows far more study tweaking—35 fields when editing a simple moving average (vs 6 at Robinhood)—and it’s the only one that lets you create custom studies. Both can save multiple chart profiles. For traders who rely on in-depth analysis and testing, the added controls at Charles Schwab are a major advantage.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 34 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 90 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 2326 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
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Charles Schwab and Robinhood both offer beginner-friendly education on stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds, with videos available on each platform. Schwab goes further for new investors by also covering mutual funds (Robinhood does not), hosting live webinars, offering paper trading to practice without risk, providing quizzes, and letting you track your learning progress. If you want a wider range of topics and hands-on tools, Schwab has the edge; if you just need the basics with videos, Robinhood can work.
For quality and depth, StockBrokers.com rates Charles Schwab 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 14 brokers for education. Robinhood earns 4 stars and ranks #8 out of 14. In short: Schwab is the better pick for comprehensive learning and practice, while Robinhood suits those who prefer simple, on-demand lessons.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
Bottom line: Charles Schwab’s mobile trading app is the stronger all‑around choice, earning 5 stars and the #1 spot out of 14 brokers from StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood scores 4.5 stars and ranks #7. Schwab stands out for richer research, education, and advanced charting tools, making it a better fit for investors who want deeper analysis on the go. Robinhood remains a solid pick for straightforward, everyday trading.
Both brokers offer iPhone, Android, and Apple Watch apps along with key features like options trading, streaming quotes, price alerts, custom watchlists, and the ability to customize watchlist columns. Schwab supports mobile after‑hours trading; the Robinhood detail isn’t specified in the data provided. For education and market coverage, Schwab includes streaming live TV and on‑demand videos, which Robinhood does not.
Charting is where Schwab pulls ahead. Both apps support after‑hours charting and multiple time frames, but Schwab allows landscape charts (Robinhood does not), offers 373 technical studies versus Robinhood’s 90, and lets you compare multiple stocks on a chart (Robinhood does not). If you value deeper charts and more ways to analyze the market from your phone, Schwab is the clear winner; if you just need simple charts and quick trades, Robinhood can get the job done.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 90 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
In comparing Charles Schwab and Robinhood, potential investors should focus on the significant differences in margin rates and account transfer fees. Both platforms offer $0 minimum deposits and zero commission fees on regular stock trades, making them attractive to new investors. However, Robinhood stands out by offering no fees on options contracts, which may entice those interested in options trading. On the other hand, Charles Schwab has varying margin rates depending on balance size, which are higher compared to Robinhood's more competitive rates across all tiers.
For margin balances below $25,000, Charles Schwab charges an interest rate of 12.58%, whereas Robinhood more than halves that rate at 5.75%. This pattern continues with higher balance tiers, with Robinhood consistently offering lower rates—5.75% for $25,000 to $49,999 and 5.55% for balances between $50,000 and $99,999, while Schwab's rates remain high. This disparity makes Robinhood a more cost-effective choice for those who plan on utilizing margin accounts.
Both Charles Schwab and Robinhood offer free IRA management with no annual or closure fees. However, for investors planning on transferring accounts, Schwab offers free partial account transfers but charges $50 for full transfers. Robinhood, in contrast, charges $100 for both partial and full account transfers. This might make Schwab more appealing to those who value flexibility in transferring their assets. Overall, while both brokers offer appealing features, Robinhood's more generous options contract rates and lower margin rates could be a strong draw for cost-conscious investors.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
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For day trading features, Charles Schwab offers a deeper toolkit than Robinhood. Schwab supports streaming time and sales, streaming live TV, direct market routing for stocks, trading hotkeys, Level 2 quotes, both basic and advanced strategy backtesting, and a short locator tool to check real‑time borrow availability. Robinhood provides Level 2 quotes and ladder trading, but does not offer streaming time and sales, streaming TV, direct routing, hotkeys, or any form of strategy backtesting or a short locator. Neither platform pays maker/taker liquidity rebates.
If you want more control over trade execution and analysis, Schwab’s platform will suit active day traders better. If your needs are simpler and you just want Level 2 and a ladder interface, Robinhood can cover the basics.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
| Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2025 for Beginners and Active Traders
For market research, Charles Schwab clearly outpaces Robinhood. Schwab earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #1 of 14 brokers at StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood earns 2 stars and ranks #10. Schwab covers more asset classes, offers more screening tools, and provides more downloadable reports and specialized insights.
Both brokers offer stock and ETF research, plus Pink Sheets/OTCBB coverage, and both let you view portfolio allocation by asset class. Schwab goes further with mutual fund and bond research, which Robinhood does not provide. When it comes to downloadable research, Schwab supplies seven PDF stock reports and offers PDF reports for ETFs; Robinhood has no downloadable stock or ETF reports. Neither broker offers downloadable mutual fund reports.
For idea generation, both include a stock screener. Schwab also adds ETF, mutual fund, and bond screeners, which Robinhood lacks. Schwab layers on social media sentiment for stocks and ESG research; Robinhood offers neither of these extras.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Research |
|
|
When evaluating the banking capabilities of Charles Schwab and Robinhood, several distinctions emerge. Charles Schwab provides a comprehensive range of banking services including checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs). In contrast, Robinhood offers fewer traditional banking services, focusing more on its investment platform. While Robinhood supplies both debit and credit cards, it does not offer checking or savings accounts, mortgage loans, or CDs, which might limit its banking convenience for some users. Charles Schwab’s diverse offerings cater to those seeking a more integrated banking and investment experience.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
| Savings Accounts | Yes | No |
| Debit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025
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 Robinhood. Charles Schwab finished with an overall score of 99.2%, while Robinhood finished with a score of 77.3%.
With the addition of TD Ameritrade's thinkorswim platforms and the enhancement of several features, Schwab is now a vigorous competitor with thought-provoking research and commentary and a client experience to fit any preference.
Compared to Robinhood, which provides crypto trading with access to 22 different coins, Charles Schwab does not offer any cryptocurrency trading options.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Both Charles Schwab and Robinhood offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts without annual fees and impose no charges for closing these accounts, making them cost-effective options for retirement savings.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
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| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Robinhood Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
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| Trading Fees | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $6.95 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $2.25 | $0.75 | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | N/A |
| Margin Rates | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.58% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.08% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.13% | 5.55% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.08% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 10.83% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | Varies | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | Varies | 5% |
| Account Fees | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $100.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 | $100.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 22 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 12 | 1 |
| Order Types | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 90 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | thinkorswim | Robinhood Legend | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 34 |
| Stock Chart Features | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 90 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 2326 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 35 | 6 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
| Day Trading | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 7 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
| ETF Research | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes | No | |
| Checking Accounts | Yes | No | |
| Savings Accounts | Yes | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| Customer Service | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Robinhood | |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Robinhood Review |
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