Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab

Interactive Brokers vs Charles Schwab Comparison Table 2025
Interactive Brokers	Charles Schwab
Review 4.3 Interactive Brokers is #1 in our CFD broker rankings.	Review 2.8 Charles Schwab is #122 in our broker rankings.
Traders from US accepted	Traders from US accepted
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a premier brokerage, providing access to 150 markets in 33 countries, along with a suite of comprehensive investment services. With over 40 years of experience, this Nasdaq-listed firm adheres to stringent regulations by the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, amongst others, and is one of the most trusted brokers for trading around the globe.	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.
Customer Reviews
4 Based on 2 Interactive Brokers customer reviews
Comment by Reviewer
"Interactive Brokers is one of the best brokers for advanced day traders, providing powerful charting platforms, real-time data, and customizable layouts, notably through the new IBKR Desktop application. Its superb pricing and advanced order options also make it highly attractive for day traders, while its diverse range of equities is still among the best in the industry."	"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
IBKR is one of the most respected and trusted brokerages and is regulated by top-tier authorities, so you can have confidence in the integrity and security of your trading account. The TWS platform has clearly been built for intermediate and advanced traders and comes with over 100 order types and a reliable real-time market data feed that rarely goes offline. Interactive Brokers has been named Best US Broker for 2025 by DayTrading.com, recognizing its long-standing commitment to US traders, ultra-low margin rates, and global market access at minimal cost. The new IBKR Desktop platform takes the best of TWS while adding bespoke tools like Option Lattice and Screeners with MultiSort to create a genuinely impressive trading experience for day traders at every level. There's a vast library of free or paid third-party research subscriptions catering to all types of traders, plus you can enjoy commission reimbursements from IBKR if you subscribe to Toggle AI. IBKR continues to deliver unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands of equities available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries, most recently the Saudi Stock Exchange. While primarily geared towards experienced traders, IBKR has made moves to broaden its appeal in recent years, reducing its minimum deposit from $10,000 to $0. With low commissions, tight spreads and a transparent fee structure, IBKR delivers a cost-effective environment for short-term traders.	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
TWS’s learning curve is steep, and beginners may find it challenging to navigate the platform and understand all the features. Plus500's web platform is much better suited to new traders. IBKR provides a wide range of research tools, but their distribution across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page lacks consistency, leading to a confusing user experience. Support can be slow and frustrating based on tests, so you might find it challenging to reach customer service representatives promptly or encounter delays in resolving issues. You can only have one active session per account, so you can’t have your desktop program and mobile app running simultaneously, making for a sometimes frustrating trading experience.	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 US Broker 2025 - DayTrading.com
Instruments
Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies	Stocks, ETFs, Cryptos, Futures, Options, Commodities, Bonds
Demo Account
Yes	Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0	$0
Trading Platforms
Trader Workstation (TWS) IBKR Desktop GlobalTrader Mobile Client Portal AlgoTrader OmniTrader TradingView eSignal TradingCentral ProRealTime Quantower	Own
Payment Methods
ACH Transfer Automated Customer Account Transfer Service Cheque Debit Card TransferWise Wire Transfer	ACH Transfer Automated Customer Account Transfer Service TransferWise Wire Transfer
Minimum Trade
$100	$1
Regulator
FCA, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CBI, CIRO, SFC, MAS, MNB, FINMA, AFM	SEC, FINRA, FCA1
Margin Trading
Yes	No
Margin Rate
1.55 - 2.59%
STP Account
Yes	No
ECN Account
No	No
DMA Account
Yes	No
MAM Account
Yes	No
PAMM Account
No	No
LAMM Account
No	No
Demat Account
No	No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes	Yes
Robo Advisor
Yes	Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes	No
Market Maker
No	No
P2P Trading
No	No
Spot Trading
Yes	No
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android	iOS & Android
App Review
The IBKR Mobile app, available on both iOS and Android devices, makes your phone a powerful gateway to your IBKR accounts, offering you the freedom to keep an eye on portfolios, initiate trades, and dive into real-time quotes and charts, all while managing your account activities on the fly. This app stands out for its intuitive design, making it especially welcoming for those just starting their trading journey, providing a smoother and more accessible experience than the more complex TWS platform.
Android App Rating
4.5
iOS App Rating
4.3
Auto Trading
Capitalise.ai & TWS API	Yes
Copy Trading
No	No
Social Trading
No	No
VPS Hosting
No	No
Tournaments
No	No
Demo Competitions
No	No
Ethical Investing
Yes	Yes
Custodial Account
No	Yes
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No	No
Inactivity Fee
$0
Islamic Account
No	No
Account Currencies
USD EUR GBP CAD AUD INR JPY SEK NOK DKK CHF AED HUF	USD
Stock Exchanges
Borsa Italiana CAC 40 Index France Chicago Mercantile Exchange Euronext IBEX 35 Japan Exchange Group Korean Stock Exchange London Metal Exchange London Stock Exchange Nasdaq Nasdaq Nordic & Baltics New York Stock Exchange Russell 2000 Shenzhen Stock Exchange Tadawul Toronto Stock Exchange	Dow Jones Nasdaq S&P 500 Toronto Stock Exchange
Commodities
Aluminium Gold Lead Lean Hogs Natural Gas Precious Metals Soybeans Zinc	Lean Hogs Soybeans
CFD Trading
Over 8,000 CFDs are offered on a vast array of instruments, encompassing stocks, indices, forex, and commodities. Moreover, the TWS platform lends itself to seasoned day traders, offering a comprehensive selection of over 100 order types and algorithms, alongside premium market data sourced from reputable sources such as Reuters and Dow Jones.	CFD trading not offered
Leverage
1:50
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Oil Spread
0.25-0.85
Stocks Spread
0.003
Forex Trading
IBKR presents an extensive range of over 100 major, minor, and exotic forex pairs, surpassing the offerings of nearly all leading alternatives, though not CMC Markets. Forex trading occurs over multiple platforms and boasts institutional-grade spreads starting from 0.1 pips and 20 complex order types, including brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders.	Forex trading not offered
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURGBP Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Assets
100+
Cryptocurrency
IBKR lets you purchase and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin at competitive commission rates and without needing a crypto wallet. Additionally, there is a range of other diverse assets to explore, such as crypto indices like the NYSE Bitcoin Index, as well as futures contracts like the BAKKT Bitcoin Futures.	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
0.12%-0.18%	Floating
Coins
BTC LTC ETH XRP	GBTC BITW
Crypto Lending
No	No
Crypto Mining
No	No
Crypto Staking
No	No
Auto Market Maker
No	No

Review	Review