Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Exness, 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 Exness are online brokers with different histories and structures. Charles Schwab was founded in 1971, is publicly traded, and is also a bank. Exness launched in 2008, is not publicly traded, and is not a bank.
Regulation and trust differ as well. Charles Schwab holds five Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses, while Exness holds two Tier-1 and three Tier-2 licenses. ForexBrokers.com assigns Schwab a Trust Score of 99 (highly trusted: 90–99) and Exness a Trust Score of 80 (trusted: 80–89). Scores of 70–79 are average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
For commissions and fees, Charles Schwab and Exness take different approaches. Schwab earns a 4-star rating and ranks #23 out of 36 brokers for this category. It does not charge commissions on forex trades, so the main cost is the spread. That said, Schwab’s average EUR/USD spread was 1.35 pips in October 2024, which is on the higher side compared with many rivals. Schwab also has no minimum deposit on its main accounts, and traders using Schwab Global should expect currency conversion fees of about 0.2% to 1%, depending on account size.
Exness also receives a 4-star rating, but it ranks lower at #31 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Its pricing depends on the account type. Standard accounts are commission-free but usually have wider spreads, while the Pro account offers lower spreads. Exness’ Zero Spread account charges a small commission of $0.05 per trade, and the Raw account charges up to $7 per round turn lot, or $3.50 per side. For traders who want more control over spread and commission costs, Exness gives more account choices, but the best fit depends on how and how often you trade.
In short, both brokers are rated the same overall for commissions and fees, but Schwab is ranked higher. Schwab is simpler, with no forex commissions and spreads built into the trade price, while Exness offers more pricing styles, including commission-based accounts with tighter spreads.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Charles Schwab offers a much wider range of investments than Exness. Schwab provides access to about 40,000 tradeable symbols, including 73 forex pairs, plus exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international markets. That means investors can buy real shares such as Apple on NASDAQ or Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange, along with forex, while also having access to cryptocurrency CFDs. Exness also offers forex and crypto CFDs, but its menu is far smaller, with 239 tradeable symbols and 78 forex pairs, and it does not offer exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges.
For range of investments, Charles Schwab is the clear leader. It earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers in this category, while Exness is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #34 out of 36. Neither broker offers copy trading or the ability to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency. If you want access to a broader mix of stocks, international shares, forex, and crypto CFDs, Schwab is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 239 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 78 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 Exness both give traders a choice of paper trading, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform, so each broker covers the main ways people like to trade and test strategies. Both also let users trade directly from charts, but neither offers copy trading. For charting and watch lists, the available details were not provided here, so the clearest differences come down to platform support and ratings.
The biggest split is that Exness supports both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while Charles Schwab does not offer either one. Even so, Charles Schwab earns a higher score for Trading Platforms and Tools, with 5 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com rank of #7 out of 36 brokers, compared with Exness at 4 out of 5 stars and #15. In simple terms, Schwab may appeal more to traders who want a top-rated in-house platform experience, while Exness may be a better fit for those who want access to MT4 and MT5.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Charles Schwab and Exness both make it easy to trade from a phone, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. For everyday mobile use, both apps cover the basics well and let users keep tabs on markets while away from a desktop.
Where Charles Schwab pulls ahead is in charting and overall app quality. Its mobile app offers 374 technical studies, auto-saves chart drawings, and earns a 5-star rating for Mobile Trading Apps, ranking #6 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Exness also performs well, but it offers 100 technical studies, does not auto-save drawings, and is rated 4 stars, ranking #18 out of 36. For traders who care most about mobile charting tools and a smoother app experience, Schwab has the edge.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Charles Schwab and Exness both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus an economic calendar with global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist, sentiment-based trading tools, TipRanks research, or Acuity Trading tools, but Exness does stand out by offering Trading Central research, while Charles Schwab does not.
Overall, Charles Schwab comes out ahead for research quality, with a 5-star rating and a #5 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. Exness is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #31 out of 36, which suggests it offers solid basics, but Charles Schwab provides the stronger market research experience.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Charles Schwab and Exness both give beginners a wide range of learning tools, including forex or CFDs education, monthly educational webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced trading videos. That means new traders can find lessons on the basics as well as more detailed topics at either broker. For someone just starting out, both platforms offer plenty of ways to learn before placing trades.
Even so, Charles Schwab comes out ahead in overall education quality. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Exness gets 3.5 stars and ranks #21. In simple terms, both brokers support beginners well, but Charles Schwab appears to offer the stronger learning experience overall.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 Exness. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.
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
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Exness
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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Comparing online brokers Charles Schwab vs Exness: neither offers buying actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
When comparing online brokers Charles Schwab vs Exness for deposit and withdrawal methods, Schwab supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers but not Skrill or PayPal, whereas Exness supports Skrill and bank wire transfers but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal.
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 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2008 | |
| 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 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 239 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 78 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | Exness Review |
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