Charles Schwab vs Vanguard

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 Vanguard? 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 Vanguard offers $0 commission on stock and ETF online trades, $0 commission on Vanguard mutual funds, and no minimum deposit.

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

	Charles Schwab	Vanguard
	SPECIAL OFFER $0 Commissions on Online Stock, ETF, and Options Trades - Learn More Read Charles Schwab Review	Norton Internet Security 60-day free subscription - Learn More Read Vanguard Review
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	$0 commission on U.S. stocks and ETFs	$0
Options Trading	$0 + $0.65 per contract	$0 + $1-per-contract fee. Discounts available if you have more than $1 million assets invested in Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds
Minimum Deposit	$0	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	$0 for no-transaction-fee funds $49.95 for all other funds	$0 for Vanguard mutual funds
Commission Free ETFs	2,000+ across asset classes and fund companies, $0 commission through Schwab ETF OneSource™.	Around 1,800 ETFs from about 100 other companies
Broker Assisted Trades	$25.00 service charge	$25.00
Inactivity Fee	None	$0
Maintenance Fee	$0	$20/year. Waived if account owner signs up for e-delivery service OR have at least $10,000 in Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds
Banking	Yes	No
Mobile App	Yes	Yes
Desktop App	Yes	Yes
Forex Trading		Yes
Futures Trading	$2.25 per contract	No
Customer Service	24/7	Monday-Friday 8am -10pm ET
Locations	300 locations	No
Online Community	Yes	No
Seminars	Yes	Yes
Virtual Trading	Yes (thinkorswim platforms)	No
	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	Pros: Large selection of mutual funds and commission-free ETFs Broker assistance is available at no additional cost Easy to use Cons: Commission structure penalizes frequent traders Customer service wait times Commission costs on non-Vanguard investment options
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	Good choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments... Read full review
	$0 Commissions on Online Stock, ETF, and Options Trades 500 Commission-Free Online and Options Trades Schwab Starter Kit - $101 Bonus
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 04/09/2024. Vanguard: Pricing information from published websites as of 10/17/2023.

Which is Better: Charles Schwab or Vanguard?

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.

In short: Charles Schwab's stock trading and research are notable. In particular, the research is excellent. Vanguard's mutual fund trading, commissions and fees, and ease of use are worth mentioning. In particular, the mutual fund trading and ease of use are impressive.

Articles on Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab Review

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.

Charles Schwab vs Robinhood

Articles on Vanguard

Vanguard

Vanguard Brokerage may be a full-service broker, but typically long-term investors preferring ETFs and mutual funds see the greatest return on their investment with them.