TradingCritique

Select Your Brokers to Compare

Charles Schwab vs ATFX : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

VS
ATFX

ATFX

Icon

Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

STP broker

ECN

Years of Existence / Established Year

1971

2017

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

254,000 +


Icon

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

NFA, SFC, MAS, FCA, CFTC, CIRO

FCA FSCA ASIC SCA , FSC, FSA CySEC FSC Seychelles FSA SFC

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Online Broker 2024, Best customer Service

Best Global Forex Broker 2024 Best Global Forex Chairman 2024 Best Forex MT4 Broker - Asia 2024 in Global Brand Magazin Awards 2024 Most trusted forex broker in Asia 2023 in FAME awards

Security Measures

SIPC

ATFX Client funds insurance up to USD1,000,000,

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

No

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

No

Yes (Not for professional clients)


Icon

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

Money market Funds, Index funds, Bonds and fixed products, Annuities, Bank and borrowing, International stocks, Margin loans, Insurance, Securities lending fully paid

300+ instruments 15+ US, European & Asian stock indices, shares

Currency Pairs

Yes

Yes

Commodities

No

Yes

Indices

No

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

Yes

CFDs

No

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

Yes

Yes

Futures

Yes

Yes

Bonds

No

No

Mutual Funds

Yes

No

Fractional Shares

Yes

Yes (only in ETFs)

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Yes

No

Precious Metals

Yes

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

No

Equities

Yes

No


Icon

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

Yes

MT5

No

Yes

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

Yes

Copy Trading

No

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Schwab.com Web Trading Platform, StreetSmart Edge (advanced platform), StreetSmart Central (for options traders), Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade, thinkorswim Trading Platforms

ATFX Mobile Trading App

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


Icon

Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

Brokerage and Trading, Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Education and Custodial, Personal Choice Retirement, Small Business, Accounts by Financial Goal

Micro, Classic, Premium, Raw

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

No

Minimum Deposit

$0

$100

Leverage Available

No

1:400

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on order and trading session

30 lots maximum trade

Commission (per account type)

$0

Raw- 7 USD per lot

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Long term and active traders

Beginners & experienced


Icon

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit

Bank transfers Credit card Debit card E-Wallets

Withdrawal Methods

ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit

Bank transfers Credit card Debit card E-Wallets

Other E-Wallets Supported

No

Neteller Skrill Perfect money


Icon

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Insights and Education, Trading, Market Commentary, Planning and retirement, Media

Tools MT4 & MT5 ATFX Copytrade Trading Central Autochartist ATFX Support & Resistance Indicator MT4 Indicators Position size calculators


Icon

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Commission -$0 online stock, ETF, and options trade, Commission is $75 - $50 fee + $25 assistance fees, broker-assisted trades- $25 service fee

Spread- starts from 0.0 to 2.8 pips

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Variable

Per Lot Fees

NA

NA

Options Contract Fees

$0.65

NA

Futures Contract Fees

$2.25 per contract.

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

No

1:400


Icon

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

$0

$0

Advisory Fees

Schwab Wealth Advisory- Starts at 0.80%- 1.0%

$0

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

NA

Statement or Document Fee

NA

NA

Account Opening Fee

$0

$0

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

$0

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

$0

0

Withdrawal Fee

$0

5 Euro/USD charged for withdrawals below 100 EUR/USD


Icon

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Yes


Icon

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Regular Trading Session: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), Pre-Market Session: between 8:05 AM ET, After-Hours Session: 7:00 AM to 9:25 AM ET

24x5 forex trading hours Sydney - 10pm to 7am summer session. 11pm to 8am winter session. Tokyo - 11pm to 8am summer session. 12pm to 9am winter session. London - 7am to 4pm summer session. 8am to 5pm winter session. New York - 12pm to 9pm summer session. 1am to 10pm winter session.


Icon

Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

24/7

24x5

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: 800-435-4000, Chat, FAQs

E mail: mailto:[email protected] Line:Taiwan 00801127901 Thailand 1800012752

Support Languages

2

10+


Icon

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Westlake, Texas

1st Floor, 32 Cornhill, London EC3V 3SG, United Kingdom

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

No

No


At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.
Both Charles Schwab and ATFX offer affordable fee structures, but Charles Schwab generally edges out with no inactivity fees and lower commissions on standard trades, whereas ATFX shines with bundled research and platform access.
Account approval at Charles Schwab is usually completed within hours, often with automated ID checks. ATFX might take longer due to manual reviews, but provides in-depth onboarding support along the way.
Charles Schwab provides a modern trading experience with its proprietary platform, ideal for technical traders. ATFX, on the other hand, offers more research tools and is better suited for data-driven investors.
For market veterans, Charles Schwab brings the tools they need. New investors might find ATFX more approachable and cost-effective.