Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Swissquote, 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.
When comparing Charles Schwab and Swissquote, both established players in the online brokerage industry, their trustworthiness is notably high. Charles Schwab, founded in 1971, and Swissquote, founded in 1996, are both publicly traded and operate as banks. They each hold a perfect Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, placing them firmly in the "highly trusted" category. This reliability is underlined by their possession of five Tier-1 regulatory licenses, which are regarded as the highest standard of trust in the financial sector.
While both firms demonstrate substantial trustworthiness, a slight difference can be noted in their regulatory structures. Swissquote holds two additional Tier-2 licenses, indicators of a trusted status, which Charles Schwab does not possess. This distinction suggests a broader regulatory recognition for Swissquote, complementing its already solid standing. Overall, both Charles Schwab and Swissquote stand out as dependable choices for those seeking a secure and regulated online trading experience.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 1996 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 5 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
Charles Schwab charges no commission on forex trades; your cost is the spread. Its average EUR/USD spread was 1.35 pips in October 2024, which sits on the higher side of the industry. There’s no minimum deposit for its main brokerage accounts, and you can access forex through the Schwab One account on thinkorswim. Trades settle in U.S. dollars, the smallest trade size is 10,000 units (about $500 minimum margin at 20:1 leverage), and overnight carry charges are shown in-platform via a calculator. If you need to trade in local currencies, Schwab’s Global account supports 12 markets, with currency conversion fees that vary from 0.2% to 1% based on balance size.
Swissquote tends to cost more, reflecting its Swiss banking brand and multi-entity structure. Pricing varies by location and account: in the U.K., the commission-based Elite account (requires a $10,000 deposit) pairs a $5 round-turn commission with lower spreads, while the Standard account starts at 1.3 pips and the Prime account advertises minimum spreads from 0.6 pips (minimums aren’t averages). In Luxembourg, minimum spreads run roughly 0.8–1.5 pips across Standard ($1,000 minimum), Premium ($5,000), and Prime ($50,000). In Switzerland, forex clients see minimum EUR/USD spreads from 1.7 pips (Standard, $1,000 minimum) to 1.4 (Premium, $10,000) and 1.1 (Prime, $50,000), with custom pricing negotiable for high-volume traders.
Bottom line on costs: Schwab’s no-commission model with an above-average EUR/USD spread favors U.S.-dollar traders who value simplicity and no minimum deposit. Swissquote can be competitive for active traders who qualify for its Elite setup, but most accounts show higher minimum spreads or added commission. Ratings and rankings: Charles Schwab earns 4/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #26 of 63; Swissquote earns 3.5/5 stars and ranks #54 of 63.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 |
| 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 | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Charles Schwab offers far more overall choice, with about 40,000 tradeable symbols versus Swissquote’s 472. For forex, both support trading as CFDs or spot; Schwab lists 73 currency pairs while Swissquote lists 80. Each broker also lets you buy exchange‑traded securities on U.S. markets (like Apple) and on international exchanges (like Vodafone). Both support cryptocurrency CFDs.
Where they differ: Swissquote includes copy trading and lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, while Schwab does not. Despite these differences, both earned 5 stars for Range of Investments from ForexBrokers.com. In the rankings, Swissquote places #2 out of 63 brokers for this category, and Charles Schwab ranks #5.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 472 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 80 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| 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 Swissquote both check key boxes for traders: each offers paper trading with a free demo account, a proprietary (in-house) platform, a Windows desktop platform, a web-based platform, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The big differences show up in third-party and social trading options. Swissquote supports copy trading and gives you access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Charles Schwab does not offer copy trading, MT4, or MT5, focusing instead on its own platform ecosystem.
When it comes to accolades for trading platforms and tools, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Swissquote scores 4.5 stars and ranks #12. In short, Schwab suits traders who want a polished, in-house experience across web and Windows, whereas Swissquote appeals to those who prefer MT4/MT5 plus copy trading alongside its proprietary platform.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 86 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Charles Schwab and Swissquote offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each supports price alerts, trendline drawing on charts, and auto-saving of chart annotations. A key difference is watchlists: Schwab syncs watchlist symbols between the mobile app and your online account, while Swissquote does not, which can matter if you move between phone and desktop often.
For charting depth, Schwab provides 374 technical studies compared with Swissquote’s 30, giving active chart watchers far more indicators to work with. Independent ratings also tilt toward Schwab: it earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, while Swissquote scores 4.5 stars and ranks #12. If you want extensive chart tools and seamless watchlist syncing, the Charles Schwab mobile app stands out; if you need a capable app with solid alerts and drawing tools, Swissquote remains a strong choice.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing Charles Schwab and Swissquote for market research, both brokers deliver the essentials: daily market commentary, forex news from leading sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, and an economic calendar to track key events. These features make it easy to stay on top of market moves and plan trades around news that matters.
The main difference is tools: Swissquote includes Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas, while Schwab does not. Neither broker offers Trading Central tools, a sentiment gauge, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre. In overall quality, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while Swissquote scores 4 stars and ranks #16. Choose Schwab if you want higher-rated research breadth; pick Swissquote if you value having Autochartist built in.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| 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.
For beginners comparing education at Charles Schwab and Swissquote, both brokers check key boxes: each hosts client webinars at least monthly and offers at least 10 beginner videos plus at least 10 advanced videos that walk through trading topics in clear detail. The information provided does not confirm whether either broker meets the specific threshold of 10-plus lessons focused on forex or CFDs, so keep that in mind if currency or CFD trading is your priority.
In independent ratings, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Swissquote earns 4 stars and ranks #20. Bottom line: both are solid choices for learning, but Charles Schwab edges ahead for overall education quality and industry recognition.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Swissquote. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11.
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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Swissquote
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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In a head-to-head crypto comparison, Charles Schwab does not let clients buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but does offer cryptocurrency CFDs, while Swissquote supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and also offers cryptocurrency CFDs.
For depositing and withdrawing funds, Charles Schwab and Swissquote both support ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers, but only Swissquote offers PayPal and Skrill (not available at Charles Schwab), and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified by either broker.
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 | Swissquote | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Swissquote Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 1996 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | Yes | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 5 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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 | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 472 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 80 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 86 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Swissquote Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Swissquote | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Swissquote Review |
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