Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Earn, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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Comparing Charles Schwab and Earn provides a clear picture of their differences in trust and regulatory standing. Founded in 1971, Charles Schwab is a publicly traded company and also functions as a bank. Known for holding five Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com, Schwab boasts a perfect Trust Score of 99. By contrast, Earn was established in 1994 and is not publicly traded nor does it operate as a bank. While it holds one Tier-1 license, Earn's Trust Score of 71 indicates an average risk, highlighting its less established regulatory position compared to Schwab.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 1994 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When comparing Charles Schwab and Earn in terms of commissions and fees for forex trading, Schwab stands out with a user-friendly approach. Schwab doesn’t require a minimum deposit for its primary brokerage accounts, making it accessible for beginner traders. With two key account options—Schwab One and Schwab Global—traders can access the thinkorswim platform to trade forex. Schwab does not charge commissions on forex trades; instead, trading costs come from the bid/ask spread, with an average spread of 1.35 pips on the EUR/USD. Additionally, Schwab provides a useful calculator for estimating overnight carry charges, helping traders manage costs effectively.
Schwab offers comprehensive options for international trading through its Schwab Global account, which allows access to twelve international markets in local currencies. There's a small conversion fee of 0.2% to 1% for currencies different from the respective market, depending on account balance size. This account type suits experienced traders familiar with various currencies. However, for trades in specific international currencies via the Schwab One account, clients must place orders over the phone.
Both Charles Schwab and Earn have a 4-star rating for their commissions and fees. However, Schwab ranks higher at #23 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, whereas Earn is positioned at #45. Schwab's competitive offerings in forex trading, combined with a lack of commission and versatility in trading international securities, give it an edge over Earn in this category.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.35 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.35 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Charles Schwab and Earn in terms of investment options, Charles Schwab stands out with a massive offering of 40,000 tradeable symbols, including 73 forex pairs. In contrast, Earn provides a more limited selection of 500 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs. Additionally, Charles Schwab allows investors to purchase exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, giving access to well-known companies like Apple and Vodafone. Unfortunately, Earn doesn't offer exchange-traded securities on these exchanges but provides the chance for customers to engage in copy trading, a feature absent in Charles Schwab's offerings.
Both Charles Schwab and Earn permit trading in cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither broker supports the purchase of actual cryptocurrency. In terms of overall performance in the Range of Investments category, Charles Schwab is highly rated with 5 stars and ranks 5th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Earn, on the other hand, receives a rating of 3.5 stars and ranks 45th in the same category, underscoring Charles Schwab's more comprehensive and varied investment options.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 61 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 it comes to trading platforms and tools, Charles Schwab and Earn offer intriguing options for online investors, each catering to different preferences. Charles Schwab stands out with its proprietary platform, built in-house to ensure a seamless trading experience, and offers both a Windows-based desktop download and a web-based platform. It also provides simulated (paper) trading, allowing users to practice their strategies with a free virtual demo account. Though Schwab lacks copy trading and does not support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), it compensates with an extensive selection of charting tools, including 24 drawing capabilities, and the functionality to trade directly from a stock chart. Its platform is highly customizable, offering an incredible 580 columns for watchlists.
On the other hand, Earn provides versatility with a web-based platform and a Windows-based desktop option. Earn users can also enjoy simulated trading through a demo account. Notably, Earn excels in providing copy trading options, supporting popular third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), as well as ZuluTrade. Though it does not offer a proprietary platform, Earn's embrace of popular trading platforms makes it a flexible choice for traders seeking familiar tools. However, with only 15 drawing tools for charting and 7 columns in its watchlists, it offers less customization compared to Schwab. Despite these differences, both brokers allow for trading directly from stock charts. Overall, Charles Schwab is rated 5 stars, ranking 5th among 63 brokers, while Earn is rated 4 stars, coming in at 51st place, reflecting Charles Schwab's superior trading platform offerings.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 35 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 24 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 580 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both Charles Schwab and Earn offer iPhone and Android apps that cater to the needs of traders on the go. They both provide stock and forex price alerts and allow users to draw trendlines on charts. However, Charles Schwab stands out with its ability to sync watchlists seamlessly between the mobile app and the online account, a feature that Earn does not offer. For those who value in-depth analysis, Charles Schwab takes the lead with 374 technical studies available in its mobile app, compared to Earn's 35.
Both apps support viewing multiple time frames on charts, and they automatically save any drawings made. Creating watchlists with real-time quotes is possible on both platforms. However, in terms of user ratings and industry rankings, Charles Schwab scores higher with a perfect 5-star rating and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers, while Earn receives a commendable 4 stars and ranks #27. This demonstrates Charles Schwab's strong reputation and user satisfaction in the mobile trading app category compared to Earn.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Charles Schwab and Earn both offer quality market research, making them strong contenders for traders seeking daily insights. Both platforms provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Additionally, they offer economic calendars to keep users informed on global news events. However, neither broker includes tools from companies like Autochartist or Trading Central, nor do they feature sentiment-based trading tools, resources from TipRanks, or Acuity Trading solutions.
When it comes to ratings, Charles Schwab outshines Earn with a 5-star mark for research, while Earn is rated at 3.5 stars. In the ranking of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab secures the impressive 4th position, whereas Earn stands at 38th. This demonstrates that while both platforms provide similar basic offerings, Charles Schwab's comprehensive research resources and higher user satisfaction make it a more favored choice among traders.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners who are diving into the trading world, Charles Schwab proves to be a standout choice compared to Earn. Charles Schwab offers a wealth of resources, including over ten educational pieces focused on forex and CFDs. They provide clients with monthly online webinars and a searchable archive of past webinars for continuous learning. Moreover, beginners can access at least ten educational videos tailored to introduce trading concepts, easing novices into the trading space. Their educational strength is further highlighted with a comprehensive investor dictionary featuring definitions of over 50 trading terms. On the other hand, Earn falls short in these areas, lacking the extensive educational content and access to learning opportunities that Charles Schwab provides.
Charles Schwab also caters to more advanced traders, offering at least ten in-depth educational videos that delve into more complex trading topics. This dedication to education earns Charles Schwab a five-star rating for their educational resources, ranking them sixth out of 63 brokers in the Education category, according to ForexBrokers.com. Conversely, Earn is rated only 3.5 stars and ranks 62nd, indicating a significant gap in the quality and availability of educational materials. Beginners looking to build a solid foundation in trading will likely find Charles Schwab's offerings far superior to those of Earn, making them a preferable choice for educational support.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
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 Earn. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Earn finished with an overall rank of #50.
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
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 71 |
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Both Charles Schwab and Earn do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing online brokers Charles Schwab and Earn, Charles Schwab supports ACH and SEPA transfers as well as bank wires for account transactions, but lacks options like PayPal, Skrill, Visa, and Mastercard; while Earn does not offer ACH or SEPA transfers, it allows deposits or withdrawals via Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but lacks PayPal support.
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 | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 1994 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.35 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.35 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 580 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 35 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 24 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Charles Schwab Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review |
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