Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Markets.com, 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, established in 1971, stands out as a highly trusted online broker with a remarkable ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99. As a publicly traded financial institution, Charles Schwab holds five Tier-1 licenses, a testament to its status as a reliable bank and brokerage firm. This firm has set a high standard in the online trading industry, emphasizing transparency and trust. In contrast, Markets.com, founded in 1999, operates as a private entity and does not function as a bank. While it holds three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, which indicates a strong trust level, its ForexBrokers.com Trust Score is slightly lower at 93.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Charles Schwab scores higher than Markets.com for commissions and fees. Schwab is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #26 out of 63 brokers for this category, while Markets.com is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #51 out of 63. That means, based on this metric, Schwab generally offers more competitive or clearer pricing.
Schwab charges no commissions for forex; your trading costs come from the bid-ask spread. Its average EUR/USD spread in October 2024 was 1.35 pips, which is on the higher end of the industry average. There’s no minimum deposit for its main accounts, and you can access the thinkorswim platform via the Schwab One account. All trades settle in U.S. dollars, and the smallest trade size is 10,000 units (about $500 minimum margin at 20:1 leverage). If you need local-currency trading in 12 international markets, the Schwab Global account supports it with currency conversion fees ranging from 0.2% to 1% based on your balance; Schwab also provides an overnight financing (carry) calculator inside thinkorswim.
Markets.com does not provide average spread data, so an apples-to-apples cost comparison is difficult. Given its 3.5/5 star rating and #51/63 rank for commissions and fees, it trails Schwab on this measure. If transparent average spreads and built-in tools to estimate overnight costs matter to you, Schwab may be easier to evaluate; with Markets.com, you’ll want to confirm current spreads and any applicable fees directly before trading.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Charles Schwab offers far more markets than Markets.com. Schwab lists 40,000 tradeable symbols and 73 forex pairs, and lets you buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges (think Apple or Vodafone). Markets.com offers 2,179 symbols and 57 forex pairs and does not provide direct access to U.S. or international exchange-traded stocks. Both brokers support forex trading via CFDs or spot, and both offer cryptocurrency trading through CFDs (neither lets you buy actual crypto).
Feature-wise, Markets.com includes copy trading, while Schwab does not. For overall range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates Schwab at 5 stars and ranks it #5 out of 63 brokers, whereas Markets.com earns 4 stars and ranks #30. Choose Schwab if you want the widest selection of markets; consider Markets.com if copy trading is a priority.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 2179 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 57 |
| 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.
Comparing Charles Schwab vs Markets.com for trading platforms and tools: both online brokers provide free paper trading, proprietary platforms, and access via web and Windows desktop. Key differences stand out. Charles Schwab lets you place trades directly from charts, while Markets.com does not. Markets.com supports copy trading and offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), features that Charles Schwab does not provide.
According to ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while Markets.com scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #27. Choose Schwab if you want top-rated platform quality with chart-based order entry; pick Markets.com if copy trading and the MT4/MT5 ecosystem are priorities—both give you a free demo and convenient web and desktop access.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 89 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Charles Schwab and Markets.com offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, synced watchlists across mobile and web, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. One notable difference is chart annotations: Schwab’s app auto-saves your drawings, while Markets.com does not.
For charting tools, Charles Schwab stands out with 374 built-in technical studies in its mobile app. Markets.com’s own app does not include built-in studies; traders can instead use the MT4 app to access standard indicators. Based on user experience and features, Schwab earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, while Markets.com scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #34. If you value deep mobile charting and saved annotations, Schwab is the stronger pick; if you’re fine using MT4 for indicators, Markets.com can still fit the bill.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Charles Schwab and Markets.com both cover the market research basics well. Each provides daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and a clear economic calendar. Neither broker includes research tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
The main difference is sentiment data: Markets.com offers a tool that shows the long/short ratio across instruments, while Schwab does not. Even so, Schwab earns the higher research marks overall, with a 5-star rating and a #5 ranking out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with Markets.com’s 4-star rating and #17 ranking. Choose Markets.com if you want built-in sentiment insights, or pick Schwab if you prioritize a higher-rated research experience.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| 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 and Markets.com both cater well to beginners with ongoing education. Each broker runs client webinars at least once a month and offers a sizable library of videos, including at least 10 beginner-focused lessons and at least 10 advanced videos for growing skills over time. Based on the information provided, it’s not specified whether either broker delivers a dedicated set of 10 or more forex/CFD-specific lessons.
For overall quality, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers with ForexBrokers.com, while Markets.com earns 4 stars and ranks #34. In plain terms, beginners seeking a higher-caliber learning experience with stronger overall ratings may lean toward Charles Schwab, while Markets.com still offers a helpful mix of webinars and videos for getting started.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Markets.com. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Markets.com finished with an overall rank of #23.
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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Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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Comparing online brokers Charles Schwab and Markets.com: neither offers the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal options, Charles Schwab supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers but not PayPal or Skrill, whereas Markets.com does not support ACH/SEPA and its availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified here.
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 | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 2179 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 57 | |
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 89 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review |
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