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, AvaTrade tends to be cheaper on spreads than Charles Schwab for forex. AvaTrade’s typical EUR/USD spread was about 0.9 pips as of June 2024 (and around 0.6 pips for elected Professional accounts), while Schwab’s average EUR/USD spread was 1.35 pips in October 2024. For the Commissions and Fees category, ForexBrokers.com rates AvaTrade 4.5/5 stars (ranked #14 of 63) and Charles Schwab 4/5 stars (ranked #23 of 63).

Charles Schwab charges no commission for forex; you pay the bid/ask spread. All trades settle in U.S. dollars, the smallest trade size is 10,000 units, and at 20:1 leverage the minimum margin to place that trade is $500. There’s no minimum deposit for Schwab’s main brokerage accounts. If you use the Schwab Global account to access 12 international markets in local currencies, currency conversion fees apply when funding in a different currency (roughly 0.2% to 1%, depending on your balance). With Schwab One, you can trade international securities in USD; to place an order in a foreign currency you’ll need to call. Overnight financing (carry) costs are displayed in a calculator within the thinkorswim platform.

AvaTrade’s spreads sit near the industry average at about 0.9 pips on EUR/USD, though that is slightly higher than the entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. Traders who qualify for AvaTrade’s Professional account can see tighter pricing near 0.6 pips, comparable to FP Markets. Overall, AvaTrade offers a more aggressive spread profile than Schwab, reflected in its higher rating and ranking for fees.

Feature	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$100
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	1.27 info	0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	1.27 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

Comparing Charles Schwab and AvaTrade for range of investments, Schwab offers far more markets: about 40,000 tradeable symbols versus 1,260 at AvaTrade. Schwab lists 73 forex pairs to AvaTrade’s 53, and both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot. Each also offers cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual (delivered) crypto.

For exchange-traded securities, Charles Schwab lets you buy stocks on U.S. exchanges (for example, Apple) and on international exchanges (for example, Vodafone). AvaTrade does not offer exchange-traded shares, though it does provide copy trading. Reflecting these differences, ForexBrokers.com rates Schwab 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks it #5 of 63 brokers, while AvaTrade earns 4 stars and ranks #26. Choose Schwab if you want the widest market access including listed stocks; pick AvaTrade if you focus on CFDs and want copy trading.

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 and AvaTrade both check key boxes for trading platforms and tools: each offers paper trading with a free demo account, an in-house proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The key differences are extras. AvaTrade supports copy trading and also offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Charles Schwab does not provide copy trading or MetaTrader support.

According to ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars and ranks #13. If you want MetaTrader or social/copy features, AvaTrade is a fit. If you prefer a higher-rated suite with paper trading, desktop and web platforms, and chart-trading, 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

Comparing market research, Charles Schwab stands out for delivering daily market commentary, while AvaTrade does not. Both brokers provide forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters and include an economic calendar. In terms of add-on tools, neither broker integrates Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. However, AvaTrade offers Trading Central analytics and a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning, features that Charles Schwab does not provide.

For overall research quality, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. AvaTrade earns 4 stars and ranks #28 out of 63. Choose Charles Schwab if you value steady in-house commentary alongside premium news, and consider AvaTrade if Trading Central signals and sentiment indicators are priorities, with strong news coverage and an economic calendar available at both brokers.

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 #15.

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
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Charles Schwab	AvaTrade
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
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 (FSA 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	1.27 info	0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	1.27 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
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	94
Winner	check_circle
Review	Charles Schwab Review	AvaTrade Review