Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Capital.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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.
Charles Schwab, established in 1971, stands out for its strong regulatory credentials and high trust factor as a leading online broker. It is publicly traded and operates as a bank, providing an additional layer of security for its clients. Schwab boasts five Tier-1 licenses, highlighting its position as a highly trusted entity according to ForexBrokers.com, and it achieves a standout Trust Score of 99. This score places it at the top of the trust spectrum for online brokers.
Capital.com, on the other hand, entered the market in 2016 and, although not publicly traded or a bank, still maintains a solid reputation with three Tier-1 licenses and an additional Tier-2 license. These factors contribute to its Trust Score of 87, categorizing it as a trusted platform. While it doesn't quite reach Schwab’s level of trust, Capital.com remains a reliable choice for those seeking an alternative in the trading landscape.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Comparing Charles Schwab vs Capital.com on commissions and fees, Capital.com comes out cheaper for most forex traders thanks to tighter average spreads. Schwab is commission-free for forex, but its spreads are wider. Ratings reflect this: Charles Schwab earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 26th of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while Capital.com earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks 3rd of 63.
Charles Schwab charges no commission on forex; your trading cost is the spread, which averaged 1.35 pips on EUR/USD in October 2024—higher than the industry average. There’s no minimum deposit for its main brokerage accounts, and forex is available through Schwab One with trades settled in U.S. dollars. The smallest trade size is 10,000 units (about $500 minimum margin at 20:1 leverage). If you use the Schwab Global account to trade in local currencies, expect currency conversion fees that range from 0.2% to 1%, depending on your balance. Schwab also shows overnight financing (carry) charges in-platform so you can estimate holding costs.
Capital.com’s pricing is slightly better than the industry average, led by low spreads. Its EUR/USD spread averaged 0.6712 pips in April 2024, which is notably tighter than Schwab’s and helps reduce total trading costs. Capital.com offers a single retail account (and an elective professional option) with straightforward, spread-based pricing—making it an appealing pick if minimizing forex trading costs is your priority.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | 0.67 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | 0.67 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing Charles Schwab and Capital.com on range of investments, Schwab delivers far more breadth, with about 40,000 tradeable symbols versus Capital.com’s 5,585. Schwab also lets you buy and sell exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, so you can own shares like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) or Vodafone (VOD-GB). Capital.com does not offer listed share dealing and focuses on derivatives instead. Both support forex trading (CFD or spot), though Capital.com lists more currency pairs (125 vs. Schwab’s 73). Each offers cryptocurrency CFDs but not actual delivered crypto, and neither supports copy trading.
For Range of Investments, Charles Schwab is rated 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Capital.com holds 4.5 stars and ranks #23. Choose Schwab if you want the widest symbol count and direct access to U.S. and global shares. Pick Capital.com if you mainly trade CFDs—especially forex—and don’t need listed stock access.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 5585 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 125 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
Charles Schwab and Capital.com both check key boxes for everyday traders: each offers a free paper (demo) account, in-house platforms, a web platform, a Windows desktop download, and the ability to place trades right from a chart. Neither broker supports copy trading. Platform extras differ, though: Capital.com supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Charles Schwab does not; neither broker offers MT5. Counts for built-in technical indicators and watch list columns were not specified.
For trading platforms and tools, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Capital.com earns 4.5 stars and ranks #10. Choose Charles Schwab if you want a top-rated platform suite with paper trading and both web and desktop options. Pick Capital.com if MT4 access matters to you alongside a free demo, web trading, and a Windows platform.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 97 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Charles Schwab and Capital.com both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes stock and forex price alerts, allows you to draw trendlines on charts, and auto-saves your chart drawings, so your work is there the next time you open the app.
Differences show up in syncing and chart depth. Schwab syncs watchlists with your online account, while Capital.com does not. Schwab also offers far more technical studies for charting (374 vs. 30). According to ForexBrokers.com, Schwab is rated 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, whereas Capital.com is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #11. Go with Schwab if you want advanced chart tools and synced watchlists; choose Capital.com if fewer indicators are fine and you still want a highly rated app.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Charles Schwab and Capital.com deliver daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg/Reuters/Dow Jones or similar), and an economic calendar. Neither broker offers Autochartist, Trading Central tools, or Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre. Capital.com stands out with a sentiment-based trading tool and research from TipRanks, two extras that Schwab does not provide.
For overall research quality, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Capital.com scores 4.5 stars and ranks #14. Choose Capital.com if you want built-in sentiment data and TipRanks insights; pick Charles Schwab if higher-rated, broad market research is your priority.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner traders comparing education at Charles Schwab vs. Capital.com, both brokers deliver large video libraries with at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos that cover trading topics from the ground up. In independent ratings, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers, while Capital.com scores 4.5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63. That means Schwab edges ahead overall, but Capital.com remains a strong choice for structured, on-demand learning.
Key difference: Schwab hosts live client webinars at least once a month, which can help beginners learn in real time and ask questions; Capital.com does not offer monthly educational webinars. The information provided does not confirm whether either broker meets the threshold of 10 or more forex- or CFD-focused pieces, so forex/CFD learners should check each broker’s library directly. If you want live classes and top-rated education, Schwab has the advantage. If you prefer video-based lessons without needing regular webinars, Capital.com fits well.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than Capital.com. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10.
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
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Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 |
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Charles Schwab vs. Capital.com: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading exposure.
Comparing online brokers Charles Schwab vs Capital.com: Schwab supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires but not PayPal or Skrill, while Capital.com offers PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
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| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Capital.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
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