Charles Schwab vs Ally Invest Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)

Charles Schwab and Ally Invest are two leading discount brokerages offering commission-free stock and ETF trading. Use this head-to-head comparison table to evaluate fees, features, trading tools, and account options to help you decide which broker is right for you in 2026.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Charles Schwab vs Ally Invest (2026)
Feature Charles Schwab Ally Invest
Website https://www.schwab.com/ https://www.ally.com/invest/
Broker Type Full-service Discount (online self-directed brokerage)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 online (listed stocks/ETFs) $0 eligible US stocks/ETFs ($2+); $4.95 + $0.01/share if <$2
Fractional Shares? Yes (most U.S.-listed stocks/ETFs, from $1) No
Percent Allocations? Yes (Personalized Portfolio Builder) No
Crypto Trading? Yes, via Schwab Crypto (BTC/ETH currently; not NY/LA/territories) No
Crypto Fees 0.75% of notional value (min $0.01) per buy/sell N/A
Options Trading? Yes Yes
Options Fee $0 online commission + $0.65 per contract $0 commission + $0.50 per contract
Bond Trading Available? Yes Yes
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes (receives PFOF rebates) Yes
Interface: Web trading? Yes Yes
Desktop trading? Yes, thinkorswim desktop (Windows/Mac; free for brokerage clients) No
API Trading? Yes, Trader API (Individual) for self-directed retail accounts (orders, data; via developer.schwab.com) No
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes Yes
Total Mutual Funds ~14,500 from 600+ families (incl. 4,000+ NTF) Thousands (500+ fund families)
NTF Mutual Funds 4,000+ (no-load via OneSource & others) Over 5,400
Non-NTF Fund Fee Up to $74.95/buy online ($0 sell); some $49.95; 8.5% cap, <$100 exempt $0 (no-load); fund loads otherwise
Early Redemption Fee? No; $49.95 Schwab fee on NTF funds held ≤90 days (some exemptions) Yes (no Ally fee)
Redemption Hold (Days) 90 days (NTF/OneSource funds; some Schwab Funds exempt) Varies by fund (prospectus); no Ally broker hold period listed
Early Redemption Fee $49.95 online/automated phone; $49.95 + $25 broker-assisted Fund-specific (often 0–2%); Ally $0 for no-load sales
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes ($2,000 min. cash or marginable securities) Yes ($2,000 minimum equity required)
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Rollover, Inherited, Custodial, SIMPLE) Yes (Traditional/Roth/Rollover at Invest; SEP at Ally Bank)
HSAs Offered? Yes (HSBA via participating HSA providers; no standalone Schwab HSA) No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (Cash Features Program: Bank Sweep or Schwab One Interest) Yes (Apex FDIC bank sweep; 0% interest)
CDs Offered? Yes (brokered CDs via Schwab CD OneSource) Yes (brokered CDs; $24.95 per transaction)
Robo-Advisor: Offered Yes Yes
Robo-Advisor Service Schwab Intelligent Portfolios® (Premium also offered) Robo Portfolios
Robo-Advisor Fees $0 advisory (standard); $300 one-time + $30/mo (Premium); ETF OERs 0.02–0.15%. Mins $5k/$25k. 0% cash-enhanced (30% cash buffer) or 0.30% market-focused; ETF expenses extra
Basics: Headquarters Westlake, TX Charlotte, NC
Year Founded 1971 2017
Clearing Firm Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (self-clearing) Apex Clearing Corporation
Local Branches? Yes, more than 420 branches in 48 U.S. states No
New Account Minimum $0 $0

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