Charles Schwab vs Plus500 2025

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.

Regulation

Founded in 1971, Charles Schwab is a well-established online broker that is also a publicly traded bank. In terms of regulation, Charles Schwab holds an impressive number of Tier-1 licenses, totaling five. This high level of licensing contributes to its perfect Trust Score rating of 99, as determined by ForexBrokers.com. With a solid foundation in the financial industry, Charles Schwab stands out as a highly trusted choice for investors.

Plus500, established in 2008, is another prominent online broker that is publicly traded but not a bank. It surpasses Charles Schwab in its regulatory footprint by holding six Tier-1 licenses and an additional three Tier-2 licenses. Like Charles Schwab, Plus500 also achieves a top Trust Score rating of 99, making it equally dependable for those interested in online trading. Both brokers offer a blend of trust and regulatory compliance, though with slightly different aspects and histories.

Feature	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Year Founded info	1971	2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	Yes	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	5	6
Tier-2 Licenses info	0	3
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	2

Fees

Charles Schwab and Plus500 both make their money on forex primarily through the spread rather than an added trading commission. In our comparison data, Schwab’s average EUR/USD spread was 1.35 pips (October 2024), while Plus500 averaged 1.5 pips (April 2024)—both a bit above the industry average, with Schwab slightly tighter in this snapshot. For the Commissions and Fees category, Schwab is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars and ranks #23 of 63 brokers; Plus500 also earns 4.0 out of 5 stars and ranks #24 of 63 brokers.

Charles Schwab charges no separate commission for forex; costs come from the bid/ask spread on its currency pairs. There’s no minimum deposit for its primary brokerage accounts. Forex access runs through the thinkorswim platform via a Schwab One account, and all trades settle in U.S. dollars. The smallest trade size is 10,000 units, which implies about $500 in margin at 20:1 leverage. To place trades in a foreign market’s local currency with Schwab One, you must call in. Alternatively, the Schwab Global account lets you trade across 12 international markets in local currencies, with currency conversion fees ranging from 0.2% to 1% depending on your balance. Schwab also displays overnight financing (carry) charges inside thinkorswim so you can estimate holding costs.

Plus500’s pricing sits slightly above the industry average and doesn’t offer retail discounts, though Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates. The EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips in April 2024. Bottom line: both brokers are competitive for casual forex traders who value simplicity—Schwab edges Plus500 on the sample EUR/USD spread cited here, while Plus500’s structure may appeal to professionals who can access rebates. Always check real-time spreads and financing rates before you trade.

Feature	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Minimum Deposit info	$0	€50 info
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	1.27 info	1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	1.27 info	1.3 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

When it comes to range of investments, Charles Schwab offers a much larger menu than Plus500. Schwab lists about 40,000 tradeable symbols and 73 forex pairs, while Plus500 provides roughly 5,500 symbols and 65 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading (via CFDs or spot), let clients buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international markets (think Apple on Nasdaq or Vodafone in London), and offer crypto exposure through CFDs only—neither supports buying delivered cryptocurrency. Copy trading is not available at either broker.

Independent ratings mirror these differences: Schwab earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #17. If you want the widest selection of markets and symbols, Schwab has the edge. If you mainly trade popular CFDs and forex pairs, Plus500 still covers the essentials.

Feature	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	40000	5500 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info	73	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account.

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

Charles Schwab and Plus500 both provide free paper trading (demo accounts) and each offers a proprietary platform. Schwab adds a Windows desktop download option, while Plus500 does not; both deliver web-based trading. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5, and neither offers copy trading.

For charting, Schwab lets you place trades directly from the chart, whereas Plus500 does not. In independent reviews for Trading Platforms and Tools, Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #14. In short, choose Schwab if you want desktop software and chart-based order entry; pick Plus500 if a straightforward web platform and demo access meet your needs.

Feature	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	374	115
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	No

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Both Charles Schwab and Plus500 offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. On either app, you can set stock and forex price alerts and keep your watchlists synced with your online account. Each app supports drawing trendlines on charts; however, Charles Schwab automatically saves your chart drawings, while Plus500 does not.

For charting depth, Charles Schwab provides 374 technical studies compared with 115 on Plus500, which can matter if you rely on indicators. According to ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab’s mobile app earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #14. Both are solid mobile trading choices, with Schwab better suited to heavy chart analysis and Plus500 covering the essentials.

Feature	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	374	115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	Yes	No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Comparing market research at Charles Schwab vs Plus500: both brokers publish daily market commentary and include an economic calendar. Charles Schwab stands out for delivering forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, helping news-driven traders stay on top of market-moving headlines. Plus500 does not offer these premium news feeds, but it does include Trading Central tools and a sentiment gauge that shows the ratio of long and short positions—useful for spotting crowd bias. In independent testing, Schwab earned 5 stars for Research and ranked #5 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 earned 4.0 stars and ranked #17.

Neither broker provides Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. If your priority is high-quality news coverage and analysis, Charles Schwab is the stronger pick. If you prefer built-in trading signals and sentiment insights to guide entries and exits, Plus500 has an edge. The right choice depends on whether you value premium news flow or trader sentiment and signal-driven tools.

Feature	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	No	Yes
Client sentiment data info	No	Yes
TipRanks info	No	No
Acuity Trading info	No	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Charles Schwab vs Plus500 for beginner education: Both brokers host regular client webinars (at least monthly) and offer deep video catalogs with 10+ beginner lessons plus 10+ advanced videos to help you progress. Schwab holds a 5-star Education rating and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 earns 4.0 stars and ranks #26. That makes Schwab the stronger choice if you want a broader learning path and higher-quality lessons, while Plus500 still provides new traders with plenty of step-by-step videos and live sessions.

If you need forex and CFD-specific education, it isn’t confirmed here whether either broker offers 10 or more pieces focused mainly on these topics. Before choosing, check each site’s education hub to verify the depth of forex and CFD lessons. For most beginners, Schwab’s higher rating and ranking tip the scales, but Plus500 remains a practical option with regular webinars and a sizable video library.

Feature	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Webinars info	Yes	Yes info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than Plus500. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.

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	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	99
Range of Investments
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	99
Winner	check_circle
Review	Charles Schwab Review	Plus500 Review

Broker Screenshots	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Trust Score info	99	99
Year Founded info	1971	2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	Yes	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	No	Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info	5	6
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	Plus500
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	No	Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info		Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info	Yes	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info		Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	No	Yes info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info		Yes
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info		Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info		Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info		No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info

Investments	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	40000	5500 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info	73	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account.

Cost	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	1.27 info	1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	1.27 info	1.3 info
Inactivity Fee info	No	Yes
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	No
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Minimum Deposit info	$0	€50 info
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
cTrader info	No	No

Trading Tools	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	374	115
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	No
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	374	115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	Yes	No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	No	Yes
TipRanks info	No	No
Client sentiment data info	No	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Webinars info	Yes	Yes info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Charles Schwab	Plus500
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes info
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Charles Schwab Review	Plus500 Review

Overall	Charles Schwab	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	99
Winner	check_circle
Review	Charles Schwab Review	Plus500 Review