ForexBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money

Charles Schwab vs HFM 2024

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

August 05, 2024

Is Charles Schwab better than HFM? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 62 of the best forex brokers, Charles Schwab is considered Highly Trusted, with an overall Trust Score of 99 out of 99. HotForex is considered Trusted, with an overall Trust Score of 86 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.

Select Brokers

×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxActivTrades
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxACY Securities
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAdmirals
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlpari
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxATFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAvaTrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAxi
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBDSwiss
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBlackBull Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCity Index
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCMC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDooPrime
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeasyMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxEightcap
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxExness
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFinecoBank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFOREX.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxForex4you
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFP Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXCM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXGT.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXOpen
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXPrimus
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFxPro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxGBE brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHFM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIFC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxiFOREX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIG
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIronFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLegacyFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLibertex (Forex Club)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMoneta Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMultiBank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOANDA
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOcta
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPepperstone
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPlus500
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxQuestrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRoboForex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSaxo
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSpreadex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSwissquote
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxtastyfx
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTeleTrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxThinkMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTickmill
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTMGM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTopFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrade Nation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrade360
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrading 212
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVantage
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVT Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXM Group
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXTB
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXtrade

Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Charles Schwab HFM
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Offering of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platform & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 86
Winner check_circle
Review Charles Schwab Review HFM Review
Broker Screenshots Charles Schwab HFM
Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) info
Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) info
Research Gallery (click to expand) info
Education Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation Charles Schwab HFM
Trust Score info 99 86
Year Founded info 1971 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info Yes No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info No Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 5 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 0 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 2
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Charles Schwab HFM
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info No No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info No No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info No Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Charles Schwab HFM
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info No Yes
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info No Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No No
Investments Charles Schwab HFM
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 40000 500
Forex Pairs (Total) info 73 102
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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 HFM
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.35 info 1.2 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.35 info 0.7 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info No No
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes No
Execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Charles Schwab HFM
Minimum Deposit info $0 $0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
Trading Platforms Charles Schwab HFM
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Charles Schwab HFM
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 580 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 374 15
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 24 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Charles Schwab HFM
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 374 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Charles Schwab HFM
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central (Recognia) info No No
TipRanks info No No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info No Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Charles Schwab HFM
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Charles Schwab HFM
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review Charles Schwab Review HFM Review
Overall Charles Schwab HFM
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Offering of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platform & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 86
Winner check_circle
Review Charles Schwab Review HFM Review
arrow_upward

Charles Schwab vs HFM Comparison

We’ve made it easy to compare the best forex brokers, side-by-side. Our editorial team has collected thousands of data points, written hundreds of thousands of words of research, and tested over 60 brokers to help you find the best forex brokers in the industry. Our research is unbiased and independent; learn more about how we test. That same research and data powers our broker comparisons. Let's compare Charles Schwab vs HFM.

Can I trust Charles Schwab?

Charles Schwab is publicly-traded, does operate a bank, and is authorised by five Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and zero Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). Schwab is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), Securities Futures Commission (SFC), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Can I trust HFM?

HotForex is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. HotForex is authorised by two Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), Three tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). HotForex is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulator: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.

Is Charles Schwab good?

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.

Is HFM good?

Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.

What is the minimum deposit requirement for opening an account with Charles Schwab?

To open a trading account with Charles Schwab, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $0.

What is the minimum deposit requirement for opening an account with HFM?

HFM requires a minimum deposit of $0 before you can open an account and start trading.

What funding options does each broker offer?

It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. Charles Schwab offers Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas HFM provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw). Neither have PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw).

Does Charles Schwab or HFM offer lower pricing?

Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that Charles Schwab offers better pricing overall for traders.

Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.

Is Charles Schwab or HFM safer for forex and CFDs trading?

At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 110 international regulatory agencies and sort them by tiers (Tier-1, Tier-2, Tier-3, Tier-4, and Tier-5) to help you choose well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that Charles Schwab holds 5 global Tier-1 licenses, while HFM holds 2. HFM holds 3 global Tier-2 licenses, while Charles Schwab holds 0.

After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that Charles Schwab (99) earned a higher Trust Score than HFM (86).

Which trading platform is better: Charles Schwab or HFM?

To compare the trading platforms of both Charles Schwab and HFM, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, Charles Schwab offers a better experience. With research, Charles Schwab offers superior market research. Finally, we found Charles Schwab to provide better mobile trading apps.

Here’s what trading platforms are available at Charles Schwab:

  • Proprietary Platform - Yes
  • Web Platform - Yes
  • cTrader - No
  • DupliTrade - No
  • MT4 - No
  • MT5 - No
  • ZuluTrade - No
  • TradingView - No

Here’s what trading platforms are available at HFM:

  • Proprietary Platform - Yes
  • Web Platform - Yes
  • cTrader - No
  • DupliTrade - No
  • MT4 - Yes
  • MT5 - Yes
  • ZuluTrade - No
  • TradingView - No

What about MetaTrader? How about copy trading?

The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. HFM offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Charles Schwab does not. Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. While HFM offers copy trading, Charles Schwab does not.

What can I trade with each broker?

HFM provides traders 102 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to Charles Schwab's 73 available pairs. If you are interested in trading a full range of securities, Charles Schwab offers traders access to 40000 tradeable symbols, while HFM offers access to 500 tradeable symbols; so Charles Schwab offers 39500 more tradeable symbols than HFM.

We found in our testing that Charles Schwab offers a more diverse selection of investment options than HFM, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) and Cryptocurrency (Derivative). Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical) and Spread Betting.

Overall winner: Charles Schwab

travel_explore See the best forex brokers in your country.

Use our international search tool to find a broker that accepts clients from your country.

Popular Forex Reviews

Popular Forex Guides

Popular Forex Education

More Forex Guides

Popular Forex Broker Reviews


announcementPlease 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.


close