Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs IUX, 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, established in 1971, is a veteran in the financial industry and holds a Trust Score of 99, making it highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. Being publicly traded and operating as a bank, Charles Schwab offers a strong regulatory presence with five Tier-1 licenses. These licenses reflect the firm's commitment to high standards of trust and reliability in the online brokerage landscape. In contrast, IUX, which started in 2016, operates without the backing of a public listing or banking status. Holding one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, IUX is considered an average risk player by ForexBrokers.com, with a Trust Score of 78.
Both Charles Schwab and IUX provide online brokerage services, but they differ significantly in terms of regulatory credentials and trustworthiness. Charles Schwab's extensive experience and multiple high-level licenses position it as a more reliable choice for investors seeking stability and security. Meanwhile, IUX's limited regulatory coverage suggests its suitability for those who are more comfortable with moderate risk. Overall, these factors outline the key differences that potential clients might consider when choosing between the two brokers.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars, but Charles Schwab ranks higher (#26 of 63) than IUX (#49 of 63). Schwab charges no commission on forex; your cost is the bid/ask spread, which averaged about 1.35 pips on EUR/USD in October 2024. IUX’s pricing can be cheaper on spreads depending on the account: Pro averages around 0.7 pips, Standard about 0.9 pips, and the Raw account can be near 0.6 pips after adding the commission’s pip equivalent.
Charles Schwab has no minimum deposit for its primary brokerage accounts and gives forex access through the Schwab One account on thinkorswim. All trades settle in U.S. dollars, and the smallest trade size is 10,000 units (about $500 minimum margin at 20:1 leverage). For international stocks in local currencies, the Schwab Global account supports 12 markets with currency conversion fees that vary from 0.2% to 1% by balance size. Schwab also provides an in-platform calculator to see overnight carry charges.
IUX ties its commissions and fees to account type. Standard and Standard+ accounts require just $10 to start; Standard+ may include deposit bonuses but typically shows wider spreads, while Standard keeps spreads lower without promotions. Active traders can choose Pro (spread-only, lower than Standard) or Raw ($500 minimum for each; Raw adds a $6 commission per 100,000 units). Bottom line: Schwab offers $0 commissions with wider spreads and a higher minimum trade size, while IUX often delivers tighter spreads—especially on Pro or Raw—at the cost of either a commission or a higher minimum deposit.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | 0.86 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | 0.6 |
| 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.
If you want the widest possible choice of markets, Charles Schwab outpaces IUX. Schwab earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IUX holds 3.5 stars and ranks #61. That edge shows up in the catalog: Schwab offers roughly 40,000 tradeable symbols versus 152 at IUX, and 73 forex pairs compared with IUX’s 34.
Both brokers support forex trading (CFD or spot) and let you trade crypto via CFDs; neither offers copy trading or the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency. A key difference is share dealing: Schwab lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. markets (such as Apple) and on international exchanges (such as Vodafone). IUX does not provide access to U.S.-listed shares but does offer exchange-traded securities on international exchanges.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 152 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 34 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Comparing Charles Schwab and IUX on trading platforms and tools: both brokers offer free paper (simulated) trading, their own in-house platforms, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Each lets you place trades directly from charts, and neither supports copy trading. For third‑party software, neither broker offers MetaTrader 4, while IUX adds MetaTrader 5 and Charles Schwab does not. Details on the number of built-in technical indicators and watch list columns were not provided.
On performance and recognition, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. IUX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #60 of 63. In short, Schwab stands out for its overall platform experience, while IUX may appeal if you want access to MT5 alongside a proprietary and web/desktop setup.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| 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 IUX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. That said, Charles Schwab leads in overall quality: it earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while IUX holds 3.5 stars and ranks #61. If you care about app ratings and third‑party rankings, Schwab has the edge.
Feature-wise, the differences are clear. Charles Schwab supports price alerts and watchlist syncing with your online account; IUX does not offer either. For charting, Schwab packs 374 technical studies compared with IUX’s 106. You can draw trendlines on Schwab’s charts, while IUX lacks this tool. Both apps auto-save chart drawings. In short, if you want price alerts, synced watchlists, and deeper charting on mobile, Charles Schwab is the stronger pick; if you just need a basic iPhone and Android app with autosave drawings, IUX can still get the job done.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 106 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
For market research, Charles Schwab has a clear edge over IUX. Schwab provides daily market commentary and offers forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while IUX does not. Both brokers include an economic calendar for upcoming events. Neither firm integrates tools from Autochartist or Trading Central, offers a sentiment gauge, or provides research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading.
These differences show up in independent scores: Charles Schwab earns 5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks 5th out of 63 brokers, whereas IUX earns 3 out of 5 stars and ranks 60th. Choose Schwab if you want frequent commentary and premium news alongside an event calendar; consider IUX if a basic calendar is enough and you don’t need added news feeds or third-party research tools.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Charles Schwab stands out for beginner-friendly education. It hosts ongoing client webinars (at least one per month) and offers 10+ beginner trading videos to help newcomers build core skills. IUX also provides 10+ beginner videos, but it does not run monthly educational webinars. Based on the details provided, it’s not confirmed whether either broker supplies a dedicated library of 10 or more forex or CFD-focused lessons.
For more advanced learning, Charles Schwab delivers 10+ advanced trading videos, while IUX does not. That difference shows up in independent ratings: Schwab earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas IUX holds 3 stars and ranks #60. In short, Schwab is the stronger pick if you want a deeper learning path and live sessions; IUX can help with basics but offers less for ongoing or advanced education.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 IUX. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while IUX finished with an overall rank of #55.
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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IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 78 |
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Charles Schwab vs. IUX: neither broker offers access to actual (delivered) cryptocurrency purchases, but both provide the ability to trade cryptocurrency CFDs instead.
Charles Schwab vs IUX: Schwab supports ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wires but not PayPal or Skrill, while IUX supports Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; card funding via Visa/Mastercard 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 | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | IUX Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 152 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 34 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | 0.86 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | 0.6 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 106 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IUX Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | IUX Review |
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