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.
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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 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Charles Schwab offers commission-free forex trading, which can help keep costs simple for traders. Instead of charging a trading commission, Schwab makes money through the bid/ask spread, and its average EUR/USD spread of 1.35 pips is on the higher side compared with many competitors. Schwab does not require a minimum deposit for its main brokerage accounts, and forex traders can use the Schwab One account to access thinkorswim, with trades settled in U.S. dollars. Charles Schwab is rated 4 stars and ranked #24 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
Capital.com is the lower-cost option overall, with pricing that is slightly better than the industry average. Its average EUR/USD spread was 0.6712 pips, which is notably tighter than Schwab’s and makes it a stronger pick for traders looking to reduce forex trading costs. Capital.com offers both retail and professional account options, though professional clients do not receive the same level of regulatory protection as retail clients. Capital.com is rated 5 stars and ranked #3 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
In simple terms, both brokers keep forex trading commission-free, but Capital.com has the edge on spread pricing. Schwab may appeal to traders who want access to thinkorswim and a wider range of account types, while Capital.com is better suited for those focused mainly on lower trading costs.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | 0.7 |
| 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.
When it comes to range of investments, Charles Schwab offers a wider lineup than Capital.com. Schwab lists about 40,000 tradeable symbols, compared with Capital.com’s 5,585, and it also gives access to more of the market outside forex and CFDs. Charles Schwab lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while Capital.com does not offer direct stock investing on either. Both brokers offer forex trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither supports copy trading or the purchase of actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
For forex traders, Capital.com has more currency pairs available, with 125 compared with Charles Schwab’s 73. Even so, Schwab comes out ahead overall for investment choice, earning a 5-star rating for Range of Investments and a #5 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. Capital.com is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #18, making it a good option for forex-focused traders, while Charles Schwab is better suited to investors who want a broader mix of assets, including U.S. and international shares.
| 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.
When comparing Charles Schwab vs. Capital.com for trading platforms and tools, both brokers give traders a free demo account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based trading platform. Each also lets you place trades directly from a chart, which can make trading faster and easier to manage. Neither broker offers copy trading, so if you want to follow other traders automatically, you will need to look elsewhere.
The biggest difference is that Capital.com supports both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while Charles Schwab does not. For trading platforms and tools, Charles Schwab earns a higher rating at 5 stars and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Capital.com’s 4.5 stars and #10 ranking. If you want access to MetaTrader, Capital.com has the edge; if you prefer a slightly higher-rated overall platform experience, Charles Schwab comes out ahead.
| 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 make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving for chart drawings. Both apps also cover the basics well for mobile traders, so either option can work for users who want to follow markets and manage trades from a phone or tablet.
Where Charles Schwab stands out is in charting and account sync. Its mobile app offers 374 technical studies, compared with 30 at Capital.com, and it also syncs watchlists with the online account so changes carry over between devices. That stronger feature set helps explain why Charles Schwab is rated 5 stars and ranked #6 for Mobile Trading Apps, while Capital.com is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #11.
| 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.
When comparing Charles Schwab vs Capital.com for market research, both brokers give traders useful everyday tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar with key global events. Neither broker includes research from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, so users looking for those third-party insights will not find them here.
The biggest difference is that Capital.com offers a sentiment-based trading tool that shows how many traders are long or short on a given market, while Charles Schwab does not. Even so, Charles Schwab comes out slightly ahead overall for research, with a 5-star rating and a #5 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Capital.com’s 4.5-star rating and #14 ranking.
| 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 beginners looking for learning support, Charles Schwab has the edge over Capital.com in education. Schwab offers monthly online client webinars, at least 10 beginner trading videos, and at least 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders, giving new users a clear path to keep learning as they grow. It also earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for Education. One area to note is that Charles Schwab does not appear to offer forex or CFDs education with at least 10 dedicated pieces on those topics.
Capital.com also gives beginners useful educational content, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, plus forex or CFDs education that meets the minimum standard of 10 dedicated pieces. However, it does not offer monthly online educational client webinars, which may matter to traders who prefer live learning sessions. Overall, Capital.com is still strong for education, with a 4.5-star rating and a #8 ranking out of 36 brokers, but Charles Schwab offers more support for beginners through its webinar schedule and slightly higher education score.
| 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 | 0.7 | |
| 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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