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Fidelity vs Charles Schwab : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Fidelity
Charles Schwab
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
STP broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1946
1971
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
51.4 million
No information
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
SEC, MSRB, FINRA
NFA, SFC, MAS, FCA, CFTC, CIRO
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Broker for Beginning Investors 2024, Rated #1 for Overall Broker 2024, Best Online Broker 2023
Best Online Broker 2024, Best customer Service
Security Measures
FDIC , SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes* Restriction for some clients
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
10000+ mutual funds including fixed income, CDs, Annuities, life insurance, long-term Care Planning, 529 Plans IRAs, Health Savings Account
Money market Funds, Index funds, Bonds and fixed products, Annuities, Bank and borrowing, International stocks, Margin loans, Insurance, Securities lending fully paid
Currency Pairs
No
Yes
Commodities
No
No
Indices
No
No
Cryptocurrencies
Yes
Yes
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
No
Yes
Bonds
Yes
No
Mutual Funds
Yes
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
Yes
Precious Metals
No
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
Yes
Yes
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Trading dashboard, Fidelity mobile, Active Trader Pro
Schwab.com Web Trading Platform, StreetSmart Edge (advanced platform), StreetSmart Central (for options traders), Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade, thinkorswim Trading Platforms
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Fidelity® Cash Management Account., The Fidelity Account, Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 529 College Savings Account., Fidelity HSA, Custodial Account (UGMA/UTMA)
Brokerage and Trading, Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Education and Custodial, Personal Choice Retirement, Small Business, Accounts by Financial Goal
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Leverage Available
No
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on assets class
Depends on order and trading session
Commission (per account type)
$0
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Beginners and experienced traders
Long term and active traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ATM/debit card, Deposits eligible for FDIC insurance, Cash Manager, Fidelity Mobile, Bill Pay, Check writing, Automatic investments, Automatic withdrawals, Direct deposit, Electronic funds transfer (EFT), e-wallets
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
Withdrawal Methods
Electronic funds transfer (EFT), Bank wire, Paper check, Paper bill varies by account types
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
Other E-Wallets Supported
Venmo or PayPal
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Research and Tools, Investment Education, Webinars and Online Courses, Market News and Insights, Retirement and Planning Tools
Insights and Education, Trading, Market Commentary, Planning and retirement, Media
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission for U.S stocks, ETFs, Options- $0, Mutual funds- $49.95, Crypto spread- 1.0 pip, Margin liquidation -$32.95 per liquidation, Stock certificate transfer and ship $10 Per Certificate
Commission -$0 online stock, ETF, and options trade, Commission is $75 - $50 fee + $25 assistance fees, broker-assisted trades- $25 service fee
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.65/ Contract fee
$0.65
Futures Contract Fees
NA
$2.25 per contract.
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
No
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
$0
Advisory Fees
NA
Schwab Wealth Advisory- Starts at 0.80%- 1.0%
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
Yes
Statement or Document Fee
NA
NA
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$50/ per trade
$0
Withdrawal Fee
Wire transfer-$3
$0
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
No
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Premarket session -7:00 a.m. to 9:28 a.m. ET.
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
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET , Monday- Friday
24/7
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: 800-343-0860, 800-835-5095, Live chat, Login for personalized help, FAQs
Phone: 800-435-4000, Chat, FAQs
Support Languages
2
2
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Boston, MA
Westlake, Texas
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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