Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Admirals, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Founded in 1971, Charles Schwab is a well-established online brokerage that is publicly traded and also operates as a bank. It holds five Tier-1 licenses, which ForexBrokers.com considers highly trusted, contributing to its impeccable Trust Score of 99 out of 99. This perfect score positions Charles Schwab as one of the most trusted brokers in the financial market, ensuring clients a secure trading environment.
Admirals, founded in 2001, is another reputable online broker with impressive credentials. Although not publicly traded and not operating as a bank, Admirals maintains a strong presence in the industry with four Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, deemed highly trusted and trusted, respectively. Admirals boasts a Trust Score of 93, reflecting its reliable market position and commitment to client safety.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | |
| Bank | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Charles Schwab presents a user-friendly entry into forex trading with no minimum deposit requirement for its primary brokerage accounts, Schwab One and Schwab Global. Notably, Schwab does not charge commissions for forex trading; instead, trading costs are determined by the bid/ask spread across available currency pairs. For instance, the average spread on the EUR/USD was observed at 1.35 pips in October 2024, which is relatively high industry-wide. Traders at Schwab also have the benefit of calculating overnight carry charges through the thinkorswim platform. Charles Schwab earns a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, holding the #24 spot among 63 brokers in this category.
Admirals offers competitive pricing with its Trade and Zero account types, featuring typical spreads of 0.8 pips. This attractive pricing structure provides competitive trading costs for traders. Admirals achieves a higher rating of 4.5 stars for commissions and fees, ranking at #17 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
In summary, while both Charles Schwab and Admirals provide solid options for forex traders, Admirals edges out slightly in terms of lower trading costs and a better rating. Schwab offers a straightforward path for U.S. dollar-settled international trading but comes with a somewhat higher cost on spreads. Admirals, with its slightly lower spread, may attract more cost-conscious traders.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.35 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.35 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments available at Charles Schwab versus Admirals, both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. Charles Schwab offers an impressive array of 40,000 tradeable symbols, including 73 forex pairs, while Admirals provides access to 8,702 tradeable symbols with 82 forex pairs. Both platforms allow clients to purchase exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, enabling investors to buy well-known stocks like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Vodafone (VOD-GB: London Stock Exchange). However, when it comes to the social aspect of investing, Admirals offers copy trading options, unlike Charles Schwab.
In the cryptocurrency arena, neither Charles Schwab nor Admirals provide the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, but both facilitate investing through cryptocurrency derivatives. It's worth noting that while Charles Schwab holds a higher range of investments rating at 5 stars, Admirals is right behind with a commendable 4.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab is ranked #5 out of 63 brokers in the Range of Investments category, whereas Admirals is positioned at #19. This information suggests that while both brokers have diverse offerings, Charles Schwab holds a slight edge in terms of the breadth of available investment options.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | ||
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
Charles Schwab and Admirals offer traders a rich array of platforms and tools tailored to both beginners and seasoned traders. Both brokers provide simulated trading accounts, allowing users to practice their strategies without financial risk. When it comes to proprietary platforms, both companies have developed their own solutions, accessible via desktop download and web browsers. However, Admirals stands out with additional support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, offering users the flexibility to choose these well-known platforms for trading.
In terms of advanced features, Charles Schwab showcases 24 drawing tools for charting, while Admirals surpasses with 106 drawing tools, offering traders more options for analysis. Trading directly from stock charts is a shared feature, but Charles Schwab leads with the ability to customize watch lists extensively, providing 580 columns compared to Admirals' 7. Although Charles Schwab earns a rating of 5 stars against Admirals' 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, Admirals offers copy trading, enhancing its appeal for those interested in following the strategies of successful traders. According to ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab holds a higher rank at #5, compared to Admirals at #19, indicating a generally favorable perception within the industry.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | |
| DupliTrade | ||
| ZuluTrade | ||
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 24 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 580 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Charles Schwab and Admirals offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android, allowing you to trade effortlessly on the go. When it comes to features, both apps provide stock or forex price alerts and offer the ability to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on their charts. However, a clear distinction lies in their charting capabilities. Charles Schwab provides a more comprehensive set of 374 technical studies for chart analysis, while Admirals offers just 30. Both brokers offer real-time quotes for watchlists, but only Charles Schwab syncs these watchlists with your online account for seamless updates across platforms.
For user satisfaction, Charles Schwab's mobile trading app earns an impressive 5-star rating, edging out Admirals, which sits at 4 stars. Rankings from ForexBrokers.com place Charles Schwab at 6th out of 63 brokers for their mobile trading apps, indicating strong performance and user approval. Admirals follows at 23rd, showcasing that while it offers solid features, it has room for improvement compared to its competitors. Overall, whether you prioritize advanced charting or consistent cross-device functionality, both platforms present robust options tailored to trading needs.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research offerings, Charles Schwab and Admirals both provide daily commentary and forex news from reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed with reliable information. Admirals stands out by incorporating advanced tools like Trading Central's technical analytics, sentiment-based trading tools, and market insights from TipRanks. Moreover, Admirals supports investors with resources from Acuity Trading's Signal Centre. Meanwhile, Charles Schwab does not offer these specific tools, yet maintains a robust research platform independently.
Both brokers equip traders with economic calendars to track global financial events. For research quality, Charles Schwab earns a top rating of five stars, while Admirals follows closely with four stars. In a review of 63 online brokers by ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab ranks impressively at fourth place for research, significantly surpassing Admirals, which holds the fifteenth spot. This distinction highlights Schwab's strength in providing superior market research resources.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | ||
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners seeking educational resources in the online brokerage space, both Charles Schwab and Admirals offer comprehensive options tailored to various learning needs. Whether you're interested in forex or CFDs, both brokers excel with a wealth of educational materials, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. Each offers a consistent schedule of online webinars, ensuring continuous learning opportunities. Their searchable archives make catch-up learning or topic-specific exploration accessible and straightforward. Additionally, when it comes to video content dedicated specifically to beginner traders or more advanced topics, both brokers provide extensive libraries that cover the entire learning spectrum.
Charles Schwab stands out with a higher rating for education, boasting 5 stars compared to Admirals' 4 stars, primarily because of its superior ranking among 63 brokers. Positioned 6th by ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab demonstrates a slightly stronger commitment to educating its clients than Admirals, which ranks 12th. Both brokers offer investor dictionaries featuring over 50 investing terms, actively supporting users to build a strong foundation in trading language. In summary, while both Charles Schwab and Admirals are excellent choices for educational resources, Charles Schwab receives marginally higher accolades, offering a slightly more refined educational experience.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | 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 Admirals. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
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
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
When comparing Charles Schwab to Admirals, it is important to note that both brokerages offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives rather than actual cryptocurrencies, with neither platform providing options for acquiring delivered cryptocurrency.
When comparing online brokers Charles Schwab and Admirals for account fund management, both offer ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires as options for deposits and withdrawals, yet only Admirals provides additional flexibility with PayPal, Skrill, and Visa or Mastercard payments, which are not supported by Charles Schwab.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Admirals Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | ||
| Bank | Yes | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | |||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | |||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | |||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | |||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | |||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | ||
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | |||
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.35 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.35 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | ||
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | ||
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | ||
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | ||
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | ||
| cTrader | |||
| DupliTrade | |||
| ZuluTrade |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 580 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 24 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | ||
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | |||
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | ||
| TipRanks | Yes | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | ||
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Admirals Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Admirals Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill