Charles Schwab vs Fidelity

Charles Schwab is a good choice for beginning and advanced investors looking to invest in ETFs and mutual funds or investors that require extensive research. How does it compare to Fidelity? Read our comparison chart below.

Charles Schwab offers stock and ETF trades at $0 commission and options trading at $0 commission + $0.65 per contract. There is no minimum deposit, no maintenance fee, and no inactivity fee.

While Fidelity offers stock trades at $0 per trade and more than 180 branch locations. There is no minimum deposit.

Compare Charles Schwab with Fidelity, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings and reviews.

	Charles Schwab	Fidelity
	SPECIAL OFFER Schwab Starter Kit - $50 Bonus - Learn More Read Charles Schwab Review	SPECIAL OFFER Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades - Learn More Read Fidelity Review
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	$0 commission on U.S. stocks and ETFs	$0
Options Trading	$0 + $0.65 per contract	$0.65 per contract
Annual Fee	None	None
Cryptocurrency Trading	No	$0
Minimum Deposit	$0	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	$0 for funds from Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource and up to $74.95 per purchase for all other funds	Yes
Commission Free ETFs	2,000+ across asset classes and fund companies, $0 commission through Schwab ETF OneSource™.
Broker Assisted Trades	$25.00 service charge
Inactivity Fee	None	$0
Maintenance Fee	$0	$0
Banking	Yes	No
Mobile App	Yes	Yes
Desktop App	Yes
Futures Trading	$2.25 per contract
Customer Service	24/7
Locations	300 locations
Online Community	Yes
Seminars	Yes
Trading Platform	Desktop, Web Trading, Mobile Apps	Desktop, Web Trading, Mobile Apps
Virtual Trading	Yes (thinkorswim platforms)
Fractional Shares		Yes
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Fund Trading
Online Platform
Banking
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Research
Pros & Cons	Pros: Vast selection of commission-free ETFs and mutual funds 2 platforms (one for beginners and one for advanced traders) 24/7 customer service including online chat Cons: Commission costs on mutual funds outside of the commission-free funds Robo-advisor option requires a minimum investment of $5,000
Bottom Line	Good choice for beginning and advanced investors looking to invest in ETFs and mutual funds or investors that require extensive research... Read full review	Read full review
	Schwab Starter Kit - $50 Bonus $0 Commissions on Online Stock, ETF, and Options Trades 500 Commission-Free Online and Options Trades	Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades Cash Management Account
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. Charles Schwab: Pricing information from published websites as of 04/20/2026. Fidelity: Pricing information from published website as of 07/05/2024.

Which is Better: Charles Schwab or Fidelity?

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Charles Schwab or Robinhood.

Articles on Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab is one of the oldest names in the world of investing. With low fees, no account minimums, and robust research tools, it's a good brokerage for all levels of investors.