Charles Schwab vs AvaTrade 2025

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Regulation

Charles Schwab and AvaTrade are noteworthy options for online brokerage, each with unique characteristics regarding their regulatory standing. Charles Schwab, established in 1971, is a publicly traded company and operates as a bank. It holds an impressive five Tier-1 regulatory licenses, which are deemed highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com. This contributes to its almost perfect Trust Score of 99, classifying it as a highly trusted platform. In contrast, AvaTrade, founded in 2006, is not publicly traded and does not function as a bank. It maintains four Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, resulting in a commendable Trust Score of 94.

While both brokers are deemed trustworthy, Charles Schwab's status as a public company and bank with a longer history might appeal to those who prefer maximum regulatory assurance. AvaTrade, on the other hand, still presents a reliable choice with a slightly lower trust rating, supported by a combination of Tier-1 and Tier-2 licenses. Whether prioritizing the extensive regulatory credentials of Charles Schwab or the balanced license portfolio of AvaTrade, investors can find a fit tailored to their preferences and standards of trust.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Year Founded info	1971	2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	Yes	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	5	4
Tier-2 Licenses info	0	3
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	1
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	1

Fees

Comparing commissions and fees for forex, the headline difference is spread pricing. Based on EUR/USD averages, AvaTrade is cheaper: about 0.9 pips as of June 2024 (or 0.6 pips on its Professional account if you qualify) versus Charles Schwab at 1.35 pips in October 2024. Reflecting that, AvaTrade holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #13 out of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while Charles Schwab earns 4 stars and ranks #26.

Charles Schwab doesn’t charge commissions for forex; your trading cost is the bid/ask spread. There’s no minimum deposit for its primary brokerage account types, and forex access runs through the Schwab One account on thinkorswim. All trades settle in U.S. dollars, the smallest trade size is 10,000 units (about $500 minimum margin at 20:1 leverage), and the platform includes an overnight financing calculator. If you want to place international trades in a non-USD currency from Schwab One, you must call in. For multi-currency investing, the Schwab Global account reaches 12 markets with currency conversion fees of 0.2%–1% depending on balance size.

AvaTrade’s standard spreads sit near the industry average at roughly 0.9 pips on EUR/USD, though they’re a touch higher than the entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. Qualified professionals can access about 0.6 pips, which is competitive with peers like FP Markets. Overall, AvaTrade’s lower typical spreads help explain its higher 4.5-star rating and #13 ranking for Commissions and Fees compared with Schwab’s 4 stars and #26.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$100
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	1.32 info	0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	1.32 info	0.61 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Charles Schwab vs. AvaTrade: for pure range of investments, Schwab is the clear heavyweight. Schwab lists about 40,000 tradeable symbols compared with AvaTrade’s 1,260. Both brokers support forex (as CFD or spot), but Schwab offers 73 currency pairs versus AvaTrade’s 53. Reflecting that breadth, Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 for Range of Investments, while AvaTrade earns 4 stars and ranks #33.

Asset access also differs. Schwab lets you buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges (so you can purchase actual shares like Apple or Vodafone), whereas AvaTrade does not offer direct share dealing and focuses on CFDs. Neither broker lets you buy actual cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs. For extra features, AvaTrade supports copy trading while Schwab does not. In short, choose Schwab if you want the widest market access and real share ownership; pick AvaTrade if you prefer CFD trading and want copy trading tools.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	40000	1260
Forex Pairs (Total) info	73	53
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	No
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Disclaimers	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

Charles Schwab vs. AvaTrade for trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide free paper (demo) accounts, their own in-house platforms, Windows desktop software, and browser-based platforms. Each lets you place trades straight from charts. AvaTrade also offers copy trading and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which can appeal to forex and automated strategies. Charles Schwab does not offer copy trading or MT4/MT5, focusing instead on its proprietary platform suite.

For quality scores, ForexBrokers.com rates Charles Schwab 5 stars and ranks it #5 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars and ranks #13. Counts for built-in chart indicators and watchlist columns were not specified. If you want MT4/MT5 and copy trading, AvaTrade is the better fit; if you prefer top-rated in-house tools, Charles Schwab stands out.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	374	80
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Both Charles Schwab and AvaTrade offer fully featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and watchlist syncing with your online account, so updates carry over between devices. You can also draw trendlines on charts in both apps, making it easier to track setups and manage trades on the go.

For charting power, Charles Schwab stands out with 374 technical studies and auto-saving for chart drawings, while AvaTrade offers 73 studies and does not auto-save drawings. Reflecting these differences, Charles Schwab is rated 5 stars and ranked #6 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps by ForexBrokers.com, whereas AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars and ranks #13.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	374	73
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	Yes	No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

For market research, Charles Schwab stands out with daily market commentary, premium forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and a clear economic calendar. That depth helps explain its 5-star Research rating and #5 ranking out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. AvaTrade also delivers premium forex news and an economic calendar, but it does not publish daily commentary.

When it comes to tools, neither broker offers Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. AvaTrade does include Trading Central and a sentiment tool that shows the long/short split across instruments—features Schwab doesn’t provide. Even so, Schwab’s overall research package earns the higher marks (5 stars vs. 4; #5 vs. #35). Choose Schwab if you want steady in-house insights and daily updates; choose AvaTrade if Trading Central signals and crowd sentiment are priorities.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	No	Yes
Client sentiment data info	No	Yes
TipRanks info	No	No
Acuity Trading info	No	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Comparing Charles Schwab and AvaTrade for beginner trading education, both brokers offer frequent learning touchpoints. Each hosts online client webinars at least once a month and provides sizeable video libraries with 10+ beginner videos and 10+ advanced videos, giving newcomers clear, step-by-step guidance while also supporting growth into more complex topics.

For forex and CFD education specifically, the provided data does not confirm whether either broker has 10 or more pieces focused on those subjects. In overall education quality, ForexBrokers.com rates Charles Schwab 5/5 stars and ranks it #6 out of 63 brokers, while AvaTrade earns 4/5 stars but ranks higher at #2 out of 63. Bottom line: Schwab holds the higher education score, AvaTrade sits higher in the education ranking, and both are solid picks for beginners who value frequent webinars and plenty of videos.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than AvaTrade. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13.

Charles Schwab is a highly trusted financial institution and multi-asset broker catering to U.S.-based and international forex traders. Schwab's award-winning thinkorswim platform offers over 70 tradeable currency pairs alongside impressive tools, research, and education. That said, the broker’s forex offering is still largely limited to what is available on thinkorswim.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	94
Range of Investments
Commissions & Fees
Platforms & Tools
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	94
Winner	check_circle
Review	Charles Schwab Review	AvaTrade Review

Broker Screenshots	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Trust Score info	99	94
Year Founded info	1971	2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	Yes	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	No	Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info	5	4
Tier-2 Licenses info	0	3
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	1
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	1

Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	No	Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info		Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info	Yes	No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info	Yes	No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info	Yes	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info		No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	No	Yes info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info		Yes
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info		Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info		Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info		No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info

Investments	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	40000	1260
Forex Pairs (Total) info	73	53
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	No
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Disclaimers	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).

Cost	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	1.32 info	0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	1.32 info	0.61 info
Inactivity Fee info	No	Yes
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	No
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$100
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
cTrader info	No	No

Trading Tools	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	374	80
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	374	73
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	Yes	No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	No	Yes
TipRanks info	No	No
Client sentiment data info	No	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Charles Schwab Review	AvaTrade Review

Overall	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	94
Winner	check_circle
Review	Charles Schwab Review	AvaTrade Review