Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When comparing Charles Schwab and eToro, Charles Schwab clearly stands out with its comprehensive range of investment options, boasting a 5-star rating for investment versatility compared to eToro's 2.5 stars. Schwab's extensive offerings have earned it the #2 position in investment options among 18 brokers rated by StockBrokers.com, while eToro lags behind at #16. Although both platforms enable stock and options trading, Schwab's broader spectrum of investment vehicles makes it the preferable choice for investors seeking diverse and robust trading opportunities.
Charles Schwab offers a wide repertoire of investment options, including stock and margin trading, fractional shares, OTC stocks, mutual funds, and futures. Notably, Schwab also provides forex trading and traditional IRA accounts, making it a one-stop platform for various investor needs. Additionally, Schwab extends advisor services, underscoring its commitment to supporting clients with personalized investment guidance. With these resources, Schwab caters well to both beginner and experienced investors looking to build well-rounded portfolios.
In contrast, eToro, while offering stock and fractional shares trading, falls short in several key areas. It does not support margin trading, OTC stocks, mutual funds, or futures. Although eToro excels in cryptocurrency trading with 26 coins available, it lacks essential investment options like forex trading and IRA accounts. Furthermore, the absence of advisor services may be a limitation for investors seeking professional insights. Overall, eToro is better suited for users focused on crypto trading, whereas Schwab provides a more comprehensive suite of investment options that appeal to a wider array of investor preferences.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Margin Trading | Yes | No |
| Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 26 |
| Investment Options |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 7 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 46 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 48 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2025
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When it comes to equipping beginners with essential investment knowledge, Charles Schwab stands out as a premier choice, offering a comprehensive suite of educational resources. Ranked #1 by StockBrokers.com out of 18 brokers, Schwab excels with five-star education ratings. Schwab provides extensive learning materials for stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, alongside practical tools like paper trading. Furthermore, its commitment to investor education is demonstrated through webinars, videos, and interactive quizzes, enabling users to track their learning progress efficiently.
In contrast, eToro offers a more limited educational offering, with a 2.5-star rating and a #15 ranking by StockBrokers.com. While it does provide stock education and paper trading, eToro lacks resources for ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds education. While both brokers offer educational videos, eToro does not provide webinars, quizzes, or options for tracking learning progress. This makes eToro a less comprehensive choice for beginners seeking a robust educational platform to support their investment journey.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | No |
| Education (Options) | Yes | No |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Bonds) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When comparing the stock trading app capabilities of Charles Schwab and eToro, Charles Schwab emerges as the more robust option, securing the top spot among 18 brokers with a perfect 5-star rating from StockBrokers.com. In contrast, eToro, although reputable with a 4.5-star rating, ranks 11th. Schwab’s comprehensive offerings, including an Apple Watch app, mobile after-hours and options trading, streaming live TV, and advanced chart customization, coupled with 373 technical studies, highlight its superior functionality over eToro.
Charles Schwab and eToro both cater to iPhone and Android users, providing mobile options trading and the ability to create custom watch lists. However, Schwab extends its reach with an Apple Watch app and features like mobile after-hours trading and streaming live TV, which eToro does not offer. While both platforms allow the creation of custom watch lists, Schwab’s ability to customize watch list columns and provide streaming quotes enhances the user experience.
In terms of charting capabilities, Charles Schwab’s app supports landscape mode, multiple time frames, and stock comparisons on charts, with an impressive 373 technical studies to support diverse trading strategies. Although eToro offers after-hours charting and stock comparison features, it falls short with only 103 technical studies and lacks landscape mode viewing. These differences in technical functionalities underscore Schwab's position as a leader in mobile trading apps.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 103 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
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|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When evaluating online brokers for account fees and charges, Charles Schwab and eToro present distinct offerings. Charles Schwab stands out with no minimum deposit requirement compared to eToro's $50, making it more accessible for new investors. While both brokers provide commission-free trading for regular stocks, differences arise in options trading: Charles Schwab charges a $0.65 fee per options contract, whereas eToro offers this service at no cost. Furthermore, Charles Schwab provides margin balances with varying interest rates, while eToro does not offer margin accounts. For those prioritizing fee-free IRA management, Charles Schwab takes precedence with no IRA annual or closure fees, unlike eToro, which doesn't specify these charges. However, eToro charges $75 for both partial and full Account Transfers (ACAT), whereas Charles Schwab charges $0 for partial transfers and $50 for full transfers.
Charles Schwab offers investors the advantage of no minimum deposit requirements, differentiating itself from eToro's $50 threshold. Both platforms allow commission-free stock trading, yet Charles Schwab's options contracts incur a $0.65 charge; in contrast, eToro provides this service at no additional cost. Charles Schwab also offers a tiered structure for margin balances, with rates decreasing as the balance increases, a service eToro does not provide. Its competitive edge is further evident with its zero fees on IRA accounts and no-fee options for both exercise and assignment transactions.
In contrast, eToro's pricing structure includes a $50 minimum deposit and imposes a $75 fee for both partial and full account transfers. While it does not offer margin accounts, its advantage lies in fee-free options trading. However, potential eToro investors should be mindful of these inherent costs and the lack of detailed information regarding IRA fees. Ultimately, the decision between Charles Schwab and eToro depends on individual investment needs, whether prioritizing low entry barriers and comprehensive fee-free services or a simplified, costless trading of options without margin account capabilities.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | |
| Commissions & Fees | N/A | N/A |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When comparing the day trading capabilities of Charles Schwab and eToro, it's clear that Charles Schwab offers a more comprehensive suite of tools tailored for active traders. Both platforms provide streaming time and sales for stocks, yet Charles Schwab takes it a step further with additional features such as streaming live TV and direct market routing, which are absent in eToro. Moreover, Charles Schwab supports ladder trading and the use of keyboard trading hotkeys, enhancing the speed and efficiency needed for day trading operations. In contrast, eToro does not cater to these advanced trading functionalities.
For traders requiring in-depth market analysis, Charles Schwab delivers with offerings such as level 2 quotes, as well as both basic and advanced strategy backtesting capabilities. Meanwhile, these analytical tools are not available on eToro. Additionally, traders looking to short stocks can benefit from Charles Schwab's short locator tool, a feature that eToro lacks. Although neither platform currently offers order liquidity rebates, the breadth of features provided by Charles Schwab positions it as a robust choice for serious day traders compared to eToro.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
| Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research |
|
|
When comparing the banking capabilities of Charles Schwab and eToro, Charles Schwab clearly stands out as the more comprehensive option. Charles Schwab offers a wide array of banking services, including checking and savings accounts, which eToro does not. Additionally, Charles Schwab provides its customers with access to debit and credit cards, as well as mortgage loans, giving it a further edge over eToro, which lacks these services. For those interested in secure savings options, Charles Schwab also offers Certificates of Deposit (CDs), a feature that eToro does not provide. Overall, Charles Schwab's robust banking solutions make it a more versatile choice compared to eToro's limited offerings in this area.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
| Savings Accounts | Yes | No |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Bank Accounts for Trading Stocks for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 18 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than eToro. Charles Schwab finished with an overall score of 99.2%, while eToro finished with a score of 66.1%.
With the addition of TD Ameritrade's thinkorswim platforms and the enhancement of several features, Schwab is now a vigorous competitor with thought-provoking research and commentary and a client experience to fit any preference.
When comparing online brokers, eToro stands out for offering crypto trading with access to 26 different coins, whereas Charles Schwab does not provide any cryptocurrency trading options.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Charles Schwab provides both traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, whereas eToro does not offer IRA accounts at all.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
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| Review | Charles Schwab Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
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| Trading Fees | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $6.95 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $2.25 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | $0 |
| Margin Rates | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.575% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.075% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12.125% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.075% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 11.825% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | Varies | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | Varies | Not offered |
| Account Fees | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | ||
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Margin Trading | Yes | No | |
| Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 0 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 26 | |
| Mutual Funds (No Load) | 15163 | 0 | |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 18145 | 0 | |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes | No | |
| Bonds (Corporate) | Yes | No | |
| Bonds (Municipal) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 12 | 0 |
| Order Types | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | No | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | No | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | No |
| Stock App Charting | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 103 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | thinkorswim | N/A | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 7 |
| Stock Chart Features | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 46 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 48 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 35 | 5 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
| Day Trading | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hotkeys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 7 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | Yes |
| ETF Research | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Strategy Overview | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains - Streaming | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains - Total Columns | 31 | 0 | |
| Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 4 | |
| Option Chains - Quick Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No | |
| Option Probability Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Option Probability Analysis Adv | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Greeks | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Adv Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Rolling | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Grouping | Yes | No |
| Banking | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes | No | |
| Checking Accounts | Yes | No | |
| Savings Accounts | Yes | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| Customer Service | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | No | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | No |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall |
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| Commissions & Fees | N/A | N/A | |
| Investment Options |
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| Mobile Trading Apps |
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| Research |
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| Education |
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| Ease Of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | eToro Review |
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