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 and Capital.com are online brokers with different profiles. Charles Schwab, founded in 1971, is publicly traded and operates as a bank. Capital.com, founded in 2016, is privately held and not a bank.
In terms of regulation and trust, Charles Schwab holds 5 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 0 Tier-2 licenses, while Capital.com holds 3 Tier-1 and 3 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). On ForexBrokers.com’s 0–99 Trust Score, Charles Schwab scores 99—rated highly trusted (90–99)—and Capital.com scores 89—rated trusted (80–89).
| 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 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Charles Schwab and Capital.com are two well-regarded online brokers, each offering unique advantages for traders with different needs. Charles Schwab stands out with no minimum deposit requirement for its primary brokerage accounts, making it accessible for forex traders. It offers the Schwab One and Schwab Global accounts, providing platforms for trading both U.S. dollar-settled forex and diverse international securities with varying currency conversion fees. While Schwab does not charge commissions for forex trading, the average EUR/USD spread of 1.35 pips is on the higher end. Charles Schwab earned a 4-star rating and ranks #23 in the Commissions and Fees category according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, Capital.com is celebrated for its competitive pricing, featuring an average EUR/USD spread of just 0.67 pips as of April 2024, which is notably lower than the industry standard. This makes Capital.com an attractive option for traders focused on minimizing forex trading costs. Their account offerings cater to retail and professional traders, with the latter category acknowledging different regulatory protections. Capital.com has been awarded a 5-star rating for commissions and fees, securing a high ranking of #3 among 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | 0.64 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | 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 online brokers on range of investments, Charles Schwab offers a much broader catalog than Capital.com, with 40,000 tradeable symbols versus 5,585. Capital.com leads on currency breadth with 125 forex pairs, while Schwab lists 73. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD or spot, depending on location), and both provide access to cryptocurrency via CFDs; neither offers direct, delivered crypto.
If you want actual exchange-traded shares, Schwab has the edge: you can buy listed stocks and ETFs on U.S. markets (such as Apple) and on select international exchanges (such as Vodafone). Capital.com does not offer exchange-traded shares and focuses on derivatives. Copy trading is not available at either broker. For Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com rates Schwab at 5 stars and ranks it #5 out of 63 brokers, while Capital.com earns 4.5 stars and ranks #18.
| 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 trading platforms and tools. Each broker offers a free demo (paper trading) account, an in-house platform, a web browser platform, and a Windows desktop download. You can place orders directly from charts on both, but neither supports copy trading.
Where they differ is third-party platform support and overall ratings. Capital.com works with MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Charles Schwab does not. For platform quality, ForexBrokers.com rates Charles Schwab at 5 stars and ranks it #7 out of 63 in Trading Platforms and Tools; Capital.com earns 4.5 stars and ranks #10. Pick Capital.com if you need MT4 or MT5; choose Charles Schwab if you prefer a higher-rated, in-house platform suite across web and desktop with paper trading and chart trading available.
| 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 | Yes |
| 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.
Charles Schwab and Capital.com both deliver daily market commentary and stream forex news from leading sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each broker also features an economic calendar for tracking global events. If you want third‑party add‑ons, keep in mind that neither offers tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. The key difference is sentiment: Capital.com includes a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning across instruments, while Schwab does not.
When it comes to overall market research, ForexBrokers.com rates Charles Schwab at 5 stars (ranked 5th of 63 brokers) and Capital.com at 4.5 stars (ranked 14th). Schwab stands out for highly rated research and broad coverage, whereas Capital.com is appealing if a built‑in sentiment gauge is important to your trading routine.
| 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 | No |
| 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 #12.
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
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 89 |
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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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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 89 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Capital.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 89 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | 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). |
| Cost | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | 0.64 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | 0.67 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 97 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Capital.com Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 89 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Capital.com Review |
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