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Fidelity vs Charles Schwab

Fidelity is a comprehensive online broker with in-depth research. How does it compare to Charles Schwab? Read our comparison chart below.

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

While 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.

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

 

Fidelity

Charles Schwab

SPECIAL OFFER
Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades - Learn More

Read Fidelity Review

SPECIAL OFFER
$0 Commissions on Online Stock, ETF, and Options Trades - Learn More

Read Charles Schwab Review

 

Benefits and Features

Stock Trading
$0 per trade
$0 commission on U.S. stocks and ETFs
Options Trading$0 per online trade, plus $0.65 per contract
$0 + $0.65 per contract
Annual Fee
None
 
Cryptocurrency Trading
No
 
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Mutual Fund Trading
  • $0 transaction fee for Fidelity funds
  • $0 on purchase for NTF (no transaction fee) non-Fidelity funds. ($49.95 on redemption if held less than 60 days)
  • $49.95 on purchase for non-Fidelity funds; $0 on redemption. (Certain funds may have a $75 transaction fee).
$0 for no-transaction-fee funds $49.95 for all other funds
Commission Free ETFs357 including 28 Fidelity factor, sector, stock, and bond ETFs and 329 iShares® ETFs2,000+ across asset classes and fund companies, $0 commission through Schwab ETF OneSource™.
Phone Support
(800) 343-3548; available 24/7
 
Live Chat Support
No
 
Email Support
Yes
 
Human AdvisorsOptional coaching or investment management with human advisors (for added fees) 
Robo AdvisorOptional Fidelity Go robo-advisory service 
Assets Under Management
$4.9 Trillion
 
Tax Loss Harvesting
No
 
Goal Tracker
Yes
 
Automatic Deposits
Yes
 
Broker Assisted Trades$32.95 per trade for representative-assisted trades.
$25.00 service charge
Customer Service 
24/7
Good ForMore experienced DIY investors; Mutual fund investors 
Inactivity Fee
$0
None
Maintenance Fee
$0 account service fee
$0
Online PlatformYes (access to Active Trader Pro is available to those who trade 36 times or more in a rolling 12 month period) 
iPhone App
Yes (4.8 stars, 1.7m ratings)
 
Android App
Yes (4.5 stars, 97k ratings)
 
BankingFidelity Cash Management Account includes reimbursed ATM fees, no monthly fee, no minimum balance requirement, FDIC insurance, mobile check deposit, free billpay and free checkwriting.
Yes
Mobile App
Check
Yes
Desktop App 
Yes
Two-Factor Authentication
Yes
 
Futures Trading 
$2.25 per contract
Locations
More than 180
300 locations
Online Community
Yes, it has an investor forum
Yes
SeminarsYes, frequent webinars and courses for beginners
Yes
Virtual Trading
No
No
Fractional Shares
Yes
 
Taxable Accounts
Yes
 
401k Plans
Yes
 
IRA Accounts
Yes
 
Roth IRA Accounts
Yes
 
SEP IRA Accounts
Yes
 
Trust Accounts
Yes
 
529 Plans
Yes
 
 

CreditDonkey® Reviews

Stock TradingStarStarStarStarEmpty StarStarStarStarStarHalf Star
Options TradingStarStarStarStarEmpty StarStarStarStarHalf StarEmpty Star
Mutual Fund TradingStarStarStarStarHalf StarStarStarStarStarEmpty Star
BankingStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
Mobile AppStarStarStarStarEmpty StarStarStarStarHalf StarEmpty Star
Commissions and FeesStarStarStarStarEmpty StarStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
ResearchStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
Online PlatformStarStarStarStarStar
Ease of UseStarStarStarStarEmpty Star
Pros & ConsPros:
  • Research reports
  • Beginner-friendly tools
  • Mobile app
Cons:
  • Restricted platform
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 LineComprehensive online broker with in-depth research... Read full reviewGood choice for beginning and advanced investors looking to invest in ETFs and mutual funds or investors that require extensive research... Read full review

Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details.

Fidelity: Pricing information from published website as of 12/05/2020.

Charles Schwab: Pricing information from published websites as of 11/14/2021.

Which is Better: Fidelity or Charles Schwab?

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

In short: Fidelity's commissions and fees is notable.


Articles on Fidelity

Fidelity Investment Brokerage Review

Thinking of opening a brokerage account with Fidelity? There are many reasons to love Fidelity and a few reasons to think about going elsewhere.

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.

Which Do You Think is Best?





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Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

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