CMC Markets vs Charles Schwab

CMC Markets vs Charles Schwab Comparison Table 2023
CMC Markets Review 2023 Charles Schwab Review 2023
4.7
2.8

Charles Schwab is #36 in our broker rankings.

United States Flag Traders from US not accepted
United States Flag Traders from US accepted

CMC Markets is a trustworthy brand authorized by tier-one regulators including the FCA and ASIC. Advanced trading tools, excellent market research and low fees help the broker stand out from rivals. The no minimum deposit, free demo account and social trading service have also made CMC Markets popular with aspiring traders.

Charles Schwab is a large US investment broker offering a massive range of stocks, ETFs and equity derivatives in a variety of savings and investment accounts. The trustworthy brand has been offering financial services for 45+ years with over 35 million brokerage accounts and $870+ billion in assets under management. Charles Schwab is also regulated by top-tier watchdogs including the SEC and FCA.

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Comment by Reviewer
"CMC Markets is a great option for active traders with thousands of instruments, spreads from 0.0 pips and an award-winning trading platform." "Charles Schwab will serve long-term investors looking for managed accounts, financial advice and self-directed trading opportunities. Fees are competitive, with zero-commission stock and ETF trading and no account minimums for individual brokerage accounts."
Pros
  • Easy to use proprietary platform with intuitive features including a pattern recognition scanner and 40+ indicators and drawing tools
  • Transparent pricing model with lower spreads than alternatives and no deposit or withdrawal fees
  • Comprehensive suite of market research tools and analyst insights to help make informed trading decisions
  • CMC Alpha loyalty scheme with great perks for high-volume traders including premium support and 5% to 28.6% discounts on spreads
  • A hugely respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange with 300,000+ clients
  • Responsive and knowledgeable support team available 24/5 to help new traders get started quickly
  • Strong investment offerings covering stocks, mutual funds, options, bonds and cryptocurrency
  • Powerful trading software with real-time quotes, fundamental research and investment screeners
  • Responsive customer support team available 24/7 via live chat or telephone
  • Competitive trading fees with no commissions on stocks and ETFs
  • Fractional shares on the S&P 500 with a $5 minimum investment
  • Thematic investing categories and ESG compliant portfolios
  • Strong regulatory oversight from the US SEC and UK FCA
  • No account minimums for individual brokerage accounts
  • High-quality educational resources for new investors
Cons
  • A $10 monthly inactivity fee that kicks in after 12 months of no activity
  • Spread betting is only available in the UK
  • US clients are not accepted
  • Only US markets available (except 12 foreign markets on the Global Account)
  • High minimum investment of $5000 to use robo-advisors
  • Limited funding methods with no e-wallets
  • No email support
Awards
  • Best Trading App 2023 - DayTrading.com
  • No.1 Platform Technology 2022
  • No.1 New Tool 2022
  • No.1 Most Currency Pairs 2022
  • Best Trade Execution 2021
  • Best Forex Broker For Beginners 2021
  • Most Transparent Forex Broker Europe 2020
  • Best Trading Platform 2020
  • Best Trading App 2019
  • Best Customer Service 2018
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting Stocks, Futures, Options, Crypto, ETFs
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $1
Trading Platforms
  • MT4
  • Own
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $1
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO SEC, FINRA, FCA1
Margin Trading
Yes No
Margin Rate
1%
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No Yes
Robo Advisor
No Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes No
Market Maker
Yes No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No No
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Yes
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
Yes No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
Yes No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
No Yes
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes No
Inactivity Fee
$10
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • SEK
  • PLN
  • USD
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
CMC Markets offers leveraged CFDs on an extensive list of 12,000+ instruments with transparent pricing, powerful trading software and ultra-fast execution speeds. Out-of-hours trading on CFD indices is also available, plus 24/5 award-winning customer support. CFD trading not offered
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1 pt
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
Oil Spread
3.5
Stocks Spread
0.02
Forex Trading
CMC Markets offers a superb list of 330+ forex pairs with tight spreads and ultra-fast executions. The selection of currencies is significantly wider than rivals. Forex trading not offered
Forex App

CMC Markets deliver an award-winning app, compatible with most major mobile and tablet operating systems. Trade more than 9300 assets via the app on their Next Generation platform. Includes advanced charting with 12 chart types and 40 technical indicators.

GBPUSD Spread
0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.7
EURGBP Spread
1.1
Assets
330+
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Cryptocurrency
CMC Markets offers trading on popular digital tokens and crypto indices for broader exposure to the market. There is minimal slippage and an excellent 99.9% fill rate. Charles Schwab supports indirect crypto trading through digital coin trusts and crypto-related stocks. You can get exposure to popular digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ripple and Ethereum.
Spread
from 1.3 Floating
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • EOS
  • TRON
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • XLM
  • GBTC
  • BITW
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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