Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs eToro, 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 eToro are well-known online brokers with solid track records. Charles Schwab was founded in 1971 and eToro in 2007. Both are publicly traded; Schwab is also a bank, while eToro is not. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, Schwab scores 99/99 and eToro 96/99—both fall in the highly trusted 90–99 range.
On regulation, Charles Schwab holds five Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and no Tier-2 licenses. eToro holds four Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license (trusted). In simple terms, both brokers are overseen by top-tier regulators, with Schwab slightly ahead on the number of highest-grade licenses.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When comparing Charles Schwab and eToro for commissions and fees, it's important to consider the unique offerings of each platform. Charles Schwab provides an accessible entry point for forex trading, as it doesn't require a minimum deposit for its primary brokerage accounts. Notably, Schwab offers a wide range of account types, but the Schwab One and Schwab Global accounts are key for forex traders. While Schwab doesn't charge commissions for forex trading, costs arise from the bid/ask spread, with October 2024 data showing the EUR/USD spread at 1.35 pips, which is higher than the industry average. The Schwab Global account, on the other hand, charges currency conversion fees ranging from 0.2% to 1%, depending on account balance size. Overall, Charles Schwab earns a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ranking #23 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
eToro, known for its social copy trading platform rather than just competitive spreads, offers a variable spread of 1 pip on the EUR/USD, which is just above the industry average. However, traders are attracted to eToro not for the spreads, but for the social trading capabilities. The platform features a VIP club called eToro Club with five tiers, from Silver to Diamond. These tiers are designed for traders with account balances ranging from $5,000 to $250,000, providing a range of benefits like a dedicated account manager and discounted fees. In terms of commissions and fees, eToro surpasses Schwab with a 4.5-star rating and holds the #22 spot in the ForexBrokers.com ranking.
Both Charles Schwab and eToro offer specific advantages depending on your trading needs. Schwab excels with its comprehensive range of account types and its no-commission forex trading, albeit with slightly higher average spreads. In contrast, eToro's allure lies more with its social trading community and VIP perks, even if its variable spreads aren't the most competitive. Ultimately, your choice between the two will depend on whether trading tools or social connectivity is more vital for your trading strategy.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50-$10,000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Charles Schwab vs eToro for range of investments: Schwab lists about 40,000 tradeable symbols versus eToro’s 7,441. For forex, Schwab offers 73 tradeable currency pairs and eToro 55, and both let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot contracts. Each broker provides access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. markets (like Apple) and on select international exchanges (such as Vodafone in London). For crypto, both support cryptocurrency CFDs; only eToro also lets you buy actual coins, while Schwab does not. Copy trading is available at eToro but not at Charles Schwab.
Both brokers earned 5 stars for Range of Investments at ForexBrokers.com. In the category ranking out of 63 brokers, Charles Schwab placed #5 and eToro ranked #11. In short, choose Charles Schwab if you want an especially wide symbol list and more forex pairs; pick eToro if you want copy trading and the option to purchase real crypto alongside stocks on U.S. and international exchanges.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 7441 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| 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 eToro both offer free paper trading and their own in‑house platforms, plus web-based trading you can use in any browser. If you want a downloadable Windows desktop platform, Charles Schwab has one, while eToro does not. Copy trading is a key difference: eToro supports it, and Charles Schwab does not. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both brokers let you place trades directly from a chart.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Charles Schwab at 5 stars and ranks it #7 out of 63 brokers; eToro earns 4.5 stars and ranks #8. In short, pick Charles Schwab if a full-featured Windows desktop platform matters to you, and choose eToro if you want an easy web experience with copy trading baked in.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Charles Schwab and eToro both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock or forex price alerts and syncs watchlists with your online account so changes carry across devices. In testing by ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab’s mobile app earned 5 stars and ranked #6 out of 63 brokers, while eToro’s app earned 4.5 stars and ranked #10, giving Schwab a slight edge for overall mobile experience.
For charting tools, Charles Schwab is the more advanced option: it includes 374 technical studies versus eToro’s 104. Schwab’s app also lets you draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves those drawings, while eToro does not currently support trendline drawing or auto-saving. Both apps cover the essentials—alerts and synced watchlists—making either a practical choice for trading on the go.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing Charles Schwab vs eToro for market research, both provide daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and an economic calendar for global events. Neither platform includes tools from Autochartist or Acuity Trading.
Key differences: eToro adds Trading Central analytics, a sentiment tool that displays long/short positioning, and TipRanks stock research. Schwab does not offer these extras, yet it earns a higher Research score—5 stars and #5 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com—while eToro holds 4.5 stars and ranks #13. If you want added trading signals and crowd sentiment, eToro stands out; if you prefer a higher-rated research setup overall, Schwab leads.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
If you’re new to trading, both Charles Schwab and eToro offer strong educational resources to help you get started. Each hosts online client webinars at least once a month and provides 10 or more beginner-friendly videos that explain core trading topics in plain language. As you advance, both brokers also supply 10+ videos aimed at experienced traders. Note: the information provided here does not confirm whether either broker offers a dedicated library of at least 10 materials focused specifically on forex or CFD education.
On quality scores, Charles Schwab earns a 5-star Education rating, while eToro comes in at 4.5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s Education rankings out of 63 brokers, eToro places higher at #3, with Charles Schwab at #6. In short, Schwab edges ahead on the star rating, but eToro ranks higher in the category overall. Either way, beginners can count on frequent webinars and a deep library of videos from both brokers.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| 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 eToro. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while eToro finished with an overall rank of #9.
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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eToro
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
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In the Charles Schwab vs eToro comparison, online broker Charles Schwab does not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but does offer cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas eToro lets you buy real (delivered) crypto and also trade crypto CFDs.
Among online brokers, Charles Schwab and eToro both support ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, but only eToro offers PayPal and Skrill, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either platform.
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 | eToro | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 7441 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50-$10,000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | eToro Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | eToro Review |
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