Charles Schwab vs Interactive Brokers 2025
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Interactive Brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Interactive Brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers both offer a wide range of investment options, but they cater to slightly different needs. Interactive Brokers edges ahead in terms of crypto trading, providing access to 11 different coins, a feature Charles Schwab currently lacks. However, both platforms excel equally in most other investment categories, each securing five-star ratings and high rankings for their range of investments. Schwab stands out if you're seeking comprehensive financial advisor services, a feature Interactive Brokers does not offer. Ultimately, choosing between the two depends on your specific investment priorities, particularly in areas such as cryptocurrency and personalized guidance.
For those interested in diverse investment opportunities, Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers are both excellent choices. They each support stock trading, margin trading, fractional shares, OTC stocks, mutual funds, options trading, forex trading, and futures trading. Investors looking for traditional or Roth IRA accounts will find both brokers accommodating their needs. Schwab's offering of advisor services might appeal more to investors who value personalized financial advice to help guide their investment strategies.
While both brokers offer strong investment platforms, Interactive Brokers takes the first spot in StockBrokers.com's ranking for the range of investments, with Schwab close behind at second place. This ranking reflects their comprehensive investment options, barring online crypto trading for Charles Schwab. The decision ultimately boils down to specific requirements, such as the need for crypto trading or advisor services, making each broker suited to different investor profiles. Whether you prioritize access to cryptocurrencies or personalized support, both brokers deliver exceptional services, making them top choices in the market.
Feature |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | Yes | Yes |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 11 |
Range of Investments |
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Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
When comparing the trading platforms and tools offered by Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers, both excel with top ratings, achieving 5 stars each. Charles Schwab is ranked as the number one broker by StockBrokers.com, closely followed by Interactive Brokers at number two. This indicates that while both platforms are leaders in the industry, Charles Schwab slightly edges out in overall user satisfaction, providing a bit more comprehensive trading experience.
Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers both cater to a broad audience by offering downloadable trading platforms for Windows and Mac, alongside accessible browser-based platforms. These features ensure compatibility with a wide range of devices. Both platforms support essential trading features such as paper trading to practice strategies and a trading journal to track and analyze trades. In terms of watch lists, Charles Schwab offers over 580 columns for personalization, while Interactive Brokers provides 659, allowing traders to customize their views extensively.
The charting capabilities of these platforms show marked differences. Charles Schwab boasts an impressive 374 technical indicators and 24 drawing tools, while Interactive Brokers offers 155 indicators but excels with 85 drawing tools. Both platforms allow users to add notes, show historical trades, display corporate events, and set custom date ranges for charts. However, Charles Schwab provides a more in-depth customization experience when editing an SMA study with 35 fields compared to Interactive Brokers' 6. Additionally, Schwab offers the ability to create custom studies, a feature found lacking in Interactive Brokers. This level of detail and customization may appeal to traders seeking a nuanced trading environment.
Feature |
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Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes |
Paper Trading | Yes | Yes |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 659 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 155 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 85 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
When it comes to providing educational resources for beginner investors, both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers stand out, offering a variety of tools and content to help users understand the stock market. Both platforms provide educational material on stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, making them strong choices for new and evolving investors. Additionally, they equip users with the opportunity to practice through paper trading, access to instructional videos, engaging webinars, and interactive quizzes. Both brokers also offer features to track your learning progress, enhancing the overall educational experience.
Despite these similarities, Charles Schwab edges ahead in terms of recognition for its educational offerings. It is rated five stars for investor education and ranks number one out of 14 competing brokers according to StockBrokers.com. Interactive Brokers, while also earning a five-star rating for its educational features, holds the third position in the same ranking. This subtle distinction highlights Charles Schwab's commitment to accessible financial learning, potentially making it the preferred choice for those prioritizing educational support.
Feature |
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
Paper Trading | Yes | Yes |
Videos | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers both deliver top-tier stock trading apps, each earning 5 stars, but Schwab takes the #1 spot in StockBrokers.com’s rankings (Interactive Brokers is #2). For most investors, the headline difference is charting depth: Schwab packs in far more built-in technical studies (373 vs 97 for Interactive Brokers). If you want the widest selection of indicators right on your phone, Schwab has the edge; otherwise, both are excellent choices for everyday trading and monitoring.
Both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps along with Apple Watch support. You can trade options on mobile, view streaming quotes, watch live TV, and browse videos on demand. Essential tools are covered on both sides: stock alerts, custom watchlists, and the ability to tailor watchlist columns to what matters most to you.
Charting on mobile is solid with either provider, including landscape mode, multiple time frames, after-hours charting, and the ability to compare stocks on the same chart. The key split is the number of technical studies available—Schwab’s 373 versus Interactive Brokers’ 97—which can sway traders who lean heavily on indicators.
Feature |
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iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 97 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers generally has lower ongoing costs than Charles Schwab, thanks mainly to its cheaper margin rates and a $0 fee for full ACAT transfers. Both brokers are tied on the basics—no minimum deposit, $0 stock trades, $0.65 per options contract, and $0 IRA fees—so your choice may come down to how often you use margin or plan to transfer an account.
Core fees are nearly identical. Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers both require $0 to open an account and charge $0 for regular stock trades. Options pricing is also a match at $0.65 per contract, with $0 for options exercise and assignment at either broker. IRA annual fees and IRA closure fees are $0 at both. For account transfers, partial ACATs are free at both firms, but full ACATs cost $50 at Charles Schwab and $0 at Interactive Brokers.
Margin rates are where the difference stands out. For balances under $25,000, Charles Schwab is 12.58% versus Interactive Brokers at 6.83%. From $25,000 to $49,999, Schwab is 12.08% while Interactive Brokers stays at 6.83%. Between $50,000 and $99,999, Schwab is 11.13% compared with Interactive Brokers at 6.83%. If you plan to use margin, Interactive Brokers is the cheaper pick across these tiers.
Feature |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to day trading capabilities, both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers provide a comprehensive array of tools and features suited for traders. Both platforms offer streaming time and sales for stocks, allowing traders to keep tabs on market movements in real-time. Each broker also provides streaming live TV, direct market routing, and ladder trading, enhancing their offerings for active trading scenarios. Additionally, both services support trading hotkeys for fast trade execution, offer access to level 2 quotes for a granular view of market depth, and enable backtesting of both basic and advanced trading strategies.
However, there are some differences to consider when choosing between these two brokers. For example, while Interactive Brokers offers order liquidity rebates for those who provide liquidity to the market, Charles Schwab does not. Moreover, each platform offers a short locator tool, allowing traders to view current real-time availability of shares for shorting by security. These subtle nuances may influence day traders when deciding which platform best suits their needs for effective market engagement.
Feature |
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Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
Streaming TV | Yes | Yes |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | Yes |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2025 for Beginners and Active Traders
Both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers deliver top-tier market research. Each earns a 5-star rating, but StockBrokers.com ranks Schwab #1 out of 14 brokers and Interactive Brokers #4. Choose Schwab if you want the platform most widely recognized for overall research quality; pick Interactive Brokers if you value a larger library of downloadable third-party reports while keeping similar research tools.
Coverage and tools largely match. Both brokers provide research on stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, and Pink Sheets/OTCBB. They also include screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds to help find trade ideas. You can view portfolio allocation by asset class, explore ESG research, and see stock insights informed by social media sentiment.
The main differences show up in PDFs. For stocks, Schwab offers 7 downloadable reports, while Interactive Brokers provides 17. Both provide ETF PDFs; only Interactive Brokers adds downloadable reports for mutual funds, which Schwab does not. If you want the highest-ranked, all-in-one research experience, Schwab has the edge; if you want more third-party PDFs across equities and funds, Interactive Brokers stands out.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Research |
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When comparing the banking features of Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab clearly comes out ahead with a wide range of options for individuals looking to manage their finances. Charles Schwab provides a full suite of banking services, including checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, credit cards, and mortgage loans, making it an excellent choice for anyone needing comprehensive banking capabilities alongside their brokerage services. Additionally, both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers offer certificates of deposit (CDs). However, Interactive Brokers falls short on banking options as it does not have checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, credit cards, or mortgage loans. Those seeking a broker with integrated banking services may find Charles Schwab's offerings more suitable for their financial needs.
Feature |
|
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---|---|---|
Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
Savings Accounts | Yes | No |
Debit Cards | Yes | No |
Credit Cards | Yes | No |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
Brokerage CDs | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than Interactive Brokers. Charles Schwab finished with an overall score of 99.2%, while Interactive Brokers finished with a score of 96.9%.
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.
Charles Schwab does not offer crypto trading, while Interactive Brokers provides access to trading with 11 different cryptocurrencies.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Both Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers provide options for traditional and Roth IRA accounts without any annual fees or closure charges, offering affordable and flexible retirement savings solutions for investors.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Research |
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Customer Service |
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Education |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Charles Schwab Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $6.95 | $0.01 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | $14.95 | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | $2.25 | $0.85 | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | Varies |
Margin Rates | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.58% | 6.83% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.08% | 6.83% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.13% | 6.83% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.08% | 6.83% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 10.83% | 6.83% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | Varies | 6.83% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | Varies | 6.83% |
Account Fees | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 6 | |
Futures Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Forex Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 11 | |
Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 12 | 36 |
Order Types | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OCO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OTO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
Beginners | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | Yes | Yes | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | Yes | Yes | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | Yes |
Stock Trading Apps | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
Stock App Features | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | Yes | Yes | |
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 | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 97 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | thinkorswim | Trader Workstation (TWS) | |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Journal | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 659 |
Stock Chart Features | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 155 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 85 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 35 | 6 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
Day Trading | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
Streaming TV | Yes | Yes | |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes | |
Ladder Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Hot Keys | Yes | Yes | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | Yes | |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | No | Yes |
Research Overview | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
Stock Research | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 7 | 17 | |
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 | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Fund Research | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
Banking | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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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 | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | No | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
Overall | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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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 | Interactive Brokers Review |