Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Exness, 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, founded in 1971, stands as a highly trusted and established financial entity in the online brokerage world. It is publicly traded on a stock exchange and operates as a bank, offering a sense of security and stability. Rated with a perfect Trust Score of 99 by ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab holds an impressive five Tier-1 licenses, showcasing its significant regulatory oversight and commitment to trustworthy client dealings.
In comparison, Exness, which entered the market in 2008, is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank. It holds a Trust Score of 81, categorizing it as trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. Exness has secured two Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, reflecting its commitment to adhering to regulatory standards though it remains less established than Charles Schwab. Ultimately, both entities offer trusted services, yet Charles Schwab's longer history and stronger regulatory foundation may appeal to those prioritizing these factors.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
Charles Schwab and Exness both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Schwab places #23 out of 63 brokers, while Exness ranks #31. Schwab uses a spread-only model for forex with no commission, which is simpler but can mean higher trading costs on major pairs; Exness lets you choose between commission-free accounts with wider spreads or commission-based accounts with tighter spreads, which can be cheaper for active traders.
Schwab has no minimum deposit for its main brokerage accounts and gives forex access through the Schwab One account on thinkorswim. All trades settle in U.S. dollars, the smallest trade size is 10,000 units, and at 20:1 leverage that implies about $500 in margin. Schwab doesn’t charge a forex commission; your cost is the bid-ask spread, with the EUR/USD averaging 1.35 pips in October 2024 (on the higher side industrywide). For international stocks in local currencies, the Schwab Global account supports 12 markets, with currency conversion fees of roughly 0.2%–1% depending on balance size. Overnight financing costs are viewable in thinkorswim’s built-in calculator.
Exness offers five main account types. Standard Cent and Standard are commission-free with wider spreads. Pro tightens spreads and allows both instant and market execution. The Zero Spread account uses market execution and charges a $0.05 per-trade commission, while the Raw account targets lower spreads with a commission up to $7 per round turn lot ($3.5 per side); both set margin calls at 30%. In short, Exness can be priced very competitively if you pick a commission-based account, whereas Schwab’s spread-only pricing is straightforward but may cost more on major pairs.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| 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 | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Charles Schwab vs Exness for range of investments: Schwab offers about 40,000 tradeable symbols and lets you buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges—so you can own shares like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Vodafone (London). Exness lists about 209 symbols and does not offer direct share dealing; its lineup centers on CFDs and forex. Both brokers support forex trading either as a CFD (contract for difference) or in spot form, but Schwab’s menu covers far more categories overall.
On currencies, Exness provides 96 tradeable forex pairs compared with Schwab’s 73. Exness also supports copy trading, while Schwab does not. For crypto, neither broker sells actual coins, though both offer cryptocurrency CFDs. In independent rankings by ForexBrokers.com for Range of Investments, Schwab earned 5 stars and placed #5 out of 63 brokers, while Exness received 3.5 stars and ranked #34.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 209 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 96 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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 Exness both give traders a free paper trading demo, in-house platforms, downloadable Windows desktop software, and browser-based platforms. Each one also lets you place orders straight from a chart. The biggest differences show up in third-party and social features: Exness supports copy trading and offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Charles Schwab does not include copy trading or MetaTrader.
Looking at platform quality, ForexBrokers.com rates Charles Schwab at 5 stars (ranked #7 of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools) and Exness at 4 stars (ranked #15 of 63). If you want MT4/MT5 access or copy trading, Exness fits the bill. If you’d rather stick with a highly rated, broker-built platform across web and Windows with paper trading and chart trading, Charles Schwab is a strong pick.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 107 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Charles Schwab and Exness offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and both support price alerts to help you track market moves. A key difference is watchlists: Schwab syncs symbols between its app and your online account, while Exness does not. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, Schwab’s mobile apps earned 5 stars and ranked #6 out of 63 brokers, whereas Exness earned 4 stars and ranked #18.
For charting, Schwab provides 374 technical studies compared to 35 with Exness. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only Schwab auto-saves your drawings for future sessions. If you want deeper chart tools and seamless watchlist syncing across devices, Schwab has the edge. If you need essential features on the go, Exness covers the basics.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
For market research, both Charles Schwab and Exness deliver daily commentary, timely forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and an economic calendar covering global events. Where they diverge is in overall depth and recognition: Charles Schwab earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Exness holds a 3.5-star Research rating and ranks #31. If you want broad market coverage, frequent updates, and highly rated research quality, Schwab stands out.
Tool-wise, neither broker offers Autochartist, nor do they integrate TipRanks or Acuity Trading. Exness, however, adds Trading Central and a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions across currency pairs—features Charles Schwab does not provide. Choose Schwab if you prioritize premium news and a top research score; pick Exness if Trading Central insights and trader sentiment are key to your workflow.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Charles Schwab vs Exness for beginner trading education: both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-focused videos and run monthly online webinars. Each also offers 10+ advanced videos, so you can keep learning as you gain experience. New traders get a helpful mix of on-demand videos and live sessions to build confidence step by step.
The big difference is overall quality and depth as rated by ForexBrokers.com: Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 for Education, while Exness earns 3.5 stars and ranks #21. If you want the strongest, more comprehensive learning path, Schwab has the edge. If you’re mainly after accessible starter content with regular webinars, Exness can work, but it trails Schwab in the ratings.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Exness. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.
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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Exness
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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Comparing online brokers Charles Schwab vs Exness: neither offers buying actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
When comparing online brokers Charles Schwab vs Exness for deposit and withdrawal methods, Schwab supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers but not Skrill or PayPal, whereas Exness supports Skrill and bank wire transfers but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal.
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 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 209 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 96 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 107 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Exness Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Exness Review |
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