Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs easyMarkets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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Charles Schwab and easyMarkets are well-known online brokers, both offering unique advantages to their clients. Founded in 1971, Charles Schwab is a publicly traded firm and also operates as a bank, providing diverse financial services. In contrast, easyMarkets, founded in 2001, is not publicly traded and does not hold banking status. When it comes to regulatory trust and safety, Charles Schwab stands out with a perfect Trust Score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, indicating a high level of trust. The firm boasts five Tier-1 licenses, further cementing its reputation for reliability.
easyMarkets, while newer than Charles Schwab, offers competitive services with its own set of credentials. It holds a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 84, placing it in the 'trusted' category. The firm maintains two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, showcasing a commitment to maintaining trusted regulatory standards. Both brokers cater to clients seeking secure platforms for trading, but with different structures and regulatory standings, they offer varied experiences to their users. Whether prioritizing a firm with banking capabilities or one with a strong online presence, investors can choose based on their personal needs and trust preferences.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When considering online brokers, Charles Schwab and easyMarkets present distinct differences in their commissions and fees structures. Charles Schwab caters to forex traders with no minimum deposit requirement for its brokerage accounts. Notably, traders can opt for the Schwab One account to access the thinkorswim platform and engage in forex trading, where trades are processed in U.S. dollars. Trading costs at Schwab comprise the bid/ask spread, with the average spread on the EUR/USD around 1.35 pips, which is on the higher side of the industry average. Schwab is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #23 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Alternatively, easyMarkets provides a straightforward spread structure for forex trading, with spreads fixed at 0.8 pips for EUR/USD on their platform and TradingView. However, spreads can be more costly using MT4, starting at 1.7 pips for the Standard account, though reduced to 0.7 pips for the VIP account. MT5 offers a variable spread beginning at 0.7 pips. easyMarkets scores 3.5 stars in commissions and fees and holds the #51 ranking among 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, indicating a higher cost relative to Schwab.
While Schwab offers more expansive services with unique accounts giving global market access, they may carry conversion fees up to 1% based on account balance size for the Schwab Global account. In contrast, easyMarkets provides a more predictable fee pattern through fixed spreads but might incur additional costs on certain platforms like MT4. These differences highlight Schwab's edge in cost-effectiveness, as reflected in its superior rating and ranking compared to easyMarkets.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.35 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.35 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to investment options, Charles Schwab stands out with an impressive array of choices. Offering access to 40,000 tradeable symbols, including 73 forex pairs, Schwab provides investors with diverse opportunities. Investors at Schwab can access both U.S. and international exchange-traded securities, allowing them to trade well-known stocks such as Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange. Additionally, Schwab supports forex trading and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, though it does not facilitate copy trading.
On the other hand, easyMarkets focuses on a simpler suite of investment options. With 230 tradeable symbols and 63 forex pairs, easyMarkets is rated lower than Schwab for its range of offerings. easyMarkets does not provide access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international markets, meaning clients are unable to purchase companies like Apple or Vodafone directly. However, easyMarkets does cater to those interested in forex trading and cryptocurrency derivatives, and it supports copy trading—a feature Schwab lacks. While easyMarkets has its strengths, it ranks lower overall in range of investments, holding a rating of 3.5 stars compared to Charles Schwab’s 5-star rating.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 230 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 63 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| 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.
When comparing the trading platforms of Charles Schwab and easyMarkets, both brokers offer a variety of features tailored to different types of traders. Charles Schwab provides a proprietary platform that is available for both Windows desktop download and web-based trading. Their platform boasts 24 drawing tools and allows traders to execute trades directly from stock charts. Additionally, Charles Schwab offers a free virtual demo account for simulated trading. Despite not supporting platforms like MetaTrader 4 or MT5, Schwab's robust feature set has earned it a ranking of #5 out of 62 brokers for trading platforms and tools by ForexBrokers.com, with a perfect 5-star rating.
easyMarkets, on the other hand, delivers a compelling platform experience with its proprietary software, available as a desktop download and web-based version. It excels with 30 drawing tools and the capability to trade directly from charts. Traders can also engage in copy trading and benefit from the popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms. Additionally, easyMarkets offers a free virtual demo account to practice trading. However, with only 8 columns available for watch lists compared to Schwab's 580, this may be limiting for some users. Rated at 4 stars and ranked #35 by ForexBrokers.com, easyMarkets stands as a solid choice particularly for those interested in copy trading and the MetaTrader suite.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 24 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 580 | 8 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Charles Schwab and easyMarkets provide intuitive mobile trading apps available on iPhone and Android, making it easy for traders to manage their portfolios on the go. Charles Schwab stands out with its comprehensive features, including stock and forex price alerts and seamless syncing of watchlists with online accounts. This compatibility ensures that any changes made on mobile are immediately reflected in the user's online account. While easyMarkets also offers watchlist syncing, it does not support price alerts, a feature some traders may find essential.
For users focused on charting capabilities, Charles Schwab offers a significant advantage with 374 technical studies compared to easyMarkets' 81. Both platforms allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on charts, but only Charles Schwab auto-saves chart drawings. In terms of rating, Charles Schwab earns a perfect 5-star score for its mobile trading apps and ranks 6th among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. While easyMarkets also provides strong mobile capabilities, its 4-star rating and 29th place ranking suggest it may lag slightly behind in delivering a top-tier mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 81 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both Charles Schwab and easyMarkets provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from renowned sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, easyMarkets goes a step further by offering additional tools such as Trading Central's Technical Analytics and a sentiment-based trading tool. These features allow easyMarkets users to visualize the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments, providing valuable insights into market sentiment. In contrast, Charles Schwab does not offer these specific tools, but they are praised for their economic calendar that highlights key global news events, similar to easyMarkets.
According to ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab holds a higher rating of 5 stars for research, significantly outperforming easyMarkets, which holds a 3.5-star rating. This recognition is reflected in their ranking, with Charles Schwab positioned 4th out of 62 brokers, while easyMarkets ranks 43rd. In summary, while easyMarkets offers unique trading analysis tools, Charles Schwab's superior research rating suggests a more comprehensive offering for those who prioritize in-depth market insights.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources offered to beginners by Charles Schwab and easyMarkets, both online brokers provide a comprehensive array of materials for forex and CFDs learning. Each platform boasts a collection of over ten educational pieces, including articles and videos on forex and CFDs, ensuring that newcomers have plenty of content to get started. In addition, both brokers host online webinars each month and provide access to a searchable archive of past webinars. Their offerings also include a suite of videos specifically designed for beginners, along with advanced content for more experienced traders.
One notable difference between the two brokers is the quality and ranking of their educational offerings, as assessed by ForexBrokers.com. Charles Schwab emerges with a higher satisfaction score, earning a 5-star rating and ranking sixth among 62 brokers for its educational services. In contrast, easyMarkets holds a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 39th. Both brokers also feature investor dictionaries with definitions of over 50 investing terms, supporting continuous learning and understanding. For those prioritizing a top-rated educational experience, Charles Schwab appears to be the more favorable choice based on these rankings.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than easyMarkets. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while easyMarkets finished with an overall rank of #42.
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
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 |
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Both Charles Schwab and easyMarkets do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they both provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both Charles Schwab and easyMarkets provide options for ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires for depositing and withdrawing account funds, but only easyMarkets offers additional payment methods such as Skrill and Visa or Mastercard, whereas neither broker supports PayPal transactions.
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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | easyMarkets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 230 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 63 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.35 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.35 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 580 | 8 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 24 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 81 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | easyMarkets Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | easyMarkets Review |
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