Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs XTB, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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When comparing online brokers, Charles Schwab and XTB both stand as reputable choices, albeit with unique regulatory profiles. Charles Schwab, established in 1971, is a well-known name in financial circles and operates as a bank. It boasts a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, categorizing it as highly trusted. The company is publicly traded and holds an impressive five Tier-1 licenses, which reflects a high level of regulatory trust.
In contrast, XTB was founded in 2002 and also enjoys a strong reputation with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 96. While it isn't a bank, XTB is publicly traded and manages a commendable regulatory standing with two Tier-1 and two Tier-2 licenses. These numbers suggest that both brokers are reliable, but Charles Schwab edges ahead slightly in terms of regulatory trust and history in the financial market.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2002 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
XTB edges out Charles Schwab on commissions and fees, earning 4.5/5 stars and a #12 of 63 ranking from ForexBrokers.com, versus Schwab’s 4/5 stars and #26 of 63. XTB’s Standard account is spread-only with an average EUR/USD spread of about 1.0 pip (Q4 2023), while Schwab charges no forex commissions but posted a wider 1.35-pip average on EUR/USD in October 2024, which is on the higher side of the industry average.
Charles Schwab has no minimum deposit and lets you trade forex through the Schwab One account on thinkorswim. All trades settle in U.S. dollars, and the smallest trade size is 10,000 units (about $500 margin at 20:1 leverage). Costs come from the spread, and overnight financing is easy to estimate with an in-platform calculator. If you use the Schwab Global account to trade in local currencies, currency conversion fees typically range from 0.2% to 1% depending on your balance.
XTB’s headline costs are clear on the Standard account: spread-only pricing and a 250 base-currency minimum deposit ($/€/£250). The commission-based Professional account is being phased out and is generally limited to elective professional clients in the EU/UK. Active traders can cut costs further through XTB’s Lower Spread Group, which rebates 5%–30% of the spread once you trade 20 to 1,000 lots per month. In short, XTB is usually cheaper for typical retail volumes, while Schwab offers no-commission forex with broader account flexibility but generally wider spreads.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | 1.00 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | 1.00 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| 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 a wider range of investments, with around 40,000 tradeable symbols compared to XTB’s 7,184. Both brokers let you trade forex (CFD or spot), and the currency pair counts are close: Schwab lists 73 forex pairs, while XTB lists 71. For traditional investing, both provide access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. markets (think Apple shares) as well as international exchanges (like Vodafone in London).
Neither broker supports copy trading or buying actual, delivered cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for price speculation without owning coins. For Range of Investments, both earn 5 stars; however, in the ForexBrokers.com rankings, Charles Schwab is placed #5 out of 63 brokers, while XTB sits at #15, highlighting Schwab’s edge in overall breadth.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 7184 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 71 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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). | 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 XTB for trading platforms and tools: both brokers offer free paper trading (demo accounts), their own in-house platforms, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based platform. Each lets you place trades directly from charts. Neither supports copy trading, and neither offers MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5. The exact number of built-in technical indicators and watchlist columns isn’t specified for either broker.
In expert testing by ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while XTB scores 4.5 stars and ranks #9. If top-tier ratings matter most, Schwab has the edge; if you want an easy path to chart-based trading with a proprietary platform, XTB is also a strong choice.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Charles Schwab and XTB both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts, lets you draw trendlines on charts, and automatically saves your chart drawings. Schwab stands out for power users with 374 technical studies in its mobile charting versus XTB’s 39. Another key difference is watchlist symbol syncing: Schwab syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while XTB does not.
As for quality scores, ForexBrokers.com rates Schwab’s mobile trading app 5 stars and ranks it #6 out of 63 brokers. XTB earns 4.5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63. If you want deeper charting tools and watchlist syncing across devices, Schwab may fit better; if you’re fine with fewer indicators and no sync, XTB’s app still delivers strong, user-friendly trading on the go.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 39 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Charles Schwab and XTB both deliver strong research essentials: daily market commentary, premium forex news from top-tier sources (such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), and a helpful economic calendar. Neither platform integrates Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. According to ForexBrokers.com, both earn 5 stars for Research, with Schwab ranked #5 out of 63 brokers and XTB ranked #7.
The main difference is sentiment data. XTB offers a sentiment-based trading tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions, while Charles Schwab does not. If sentiment insights matter to your strategy, XTB has an edge; if not, both brokers cover the core research needs with daily insights and high-quality news.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 XTB are both strong picks for beginners who want to learn trading. Each hosts at least one client webinar per month and offers 10+ beginner videos, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to take the next step. Both earn a 5-star Education rating, though Schwab holds a higher placement in ForexBrokers.com’s Education rankings (#6 out of 63) compared with XTB (#11).
If you’re specifically seeking forex or CFD lessons, the information provided here does not confirm whether either broker has 10+ pieces focused on those topics. Check each broker’s education library to verify coverage. For general trading education, beginners at both firms can expect regular webinars and a sizable catalog of videos to build skills over time.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 XTB. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while XTB finished with an overall rank of #7.
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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XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
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In a Charles Schwab vs XTB cryptocurrency comparison, neither broker offers the ability to buy actual delivered crypto, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs for price exposure without owning the underlying asset.
Charles Schwab vs XTB: Schwab supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires but not PayPal or Skrill, while XTB lacks ACH/SEPA yet offers PayPal and Skrill along with bank wires; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for 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 | XTB | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | XTB Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2002 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 7184 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). | 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | 1.00 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.32 | 1.00 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 39 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 39 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | XTB | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | XTB Review |
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