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

Charles Schwab and SoFi 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 SoFi Invest (2026)
Feature Charles Schwab SoFi Invest
Website https://www.schwab.com/ https://www.sofi.com/invest/
Broker Type Full-service Discount (self-directed online brokerage + robo-advisor)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 online (listed stocks/ETFs) $0 commissions
Fractional Shares? Yes (most U.S.-listed stocks/ETFs, from $1) Yes ($5 min on select stocks/ETFs)
Percent Allocations? Yes (Personalized Portfolio Builder) No
Crypto Trading? Yes, via Schwab Crypto (BTC/ETH currently; not NY/LA/territories) Yes. SoFi Crypto offers 28 cryptocurrencies (as of May 2026); requires SoFi Checking & Savings.
Crypto Fees 0.75% of notional value (min $0.01) per buy/sell Tiered 1.90%/1.50%/1.25%/0.90% of trade value by monthly volume (<$1k/$1-5k/$5-10k/$10k+); possible ≤0.10% spread.
Options Trading? Yes Yes. Options trading available (long calls/puts, covered calls, cash-secured puts; 0DTE and IRAs).
Options Fee $0 online commission + $0.65 per contract $0 commissions and $0 contract fees. Regulatory fees apply (e.g., ORF $0.02, OCC $0.025 per contract).
Bond Trading Available? Yes No. Individual bonds not offered; exposure via bond ETFs and mutual funds only.
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes (receives PFOF rebates) Yes. Receives payment-for-order-flow revenue share via Apex Clearing.
Interface: Web trading? Yes Yes. Full trading on SoFi mobile app (iOS/Android) and sofi.com website.
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) 6,800+
NTF Mutual Funds 4,000+ (no-load via OneSource & others) 6,800
Non-NTF Fund Fee Up to $74.95/buy online ($0 sell); some $49.95; 8.5% cap, <$100 exempt 0.2% of purchase (max $20); 2% for interval/tender funds
Early Redemption Fee? No; $49.95 Schwab fee on NTF funds held ≤90 days (some exemptions) Yes (no SoFi short-term fee)
Redemption Hold (Days) 90 days (NTF/OneSource funds; some Schwab Funds exempt) Fund-specific (CDSC varies by fund); no SoFi-imposed hold.
Early Redemption Fee $49.95 online/automated phone; $49.95 + $25 broker-assisted Fund-specific CDSC (varies); SoFi charges none (purchase tx fee 0.2% max $20).
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes ($2,000 min. cash or marginable securities) Yes (Self-Directed; apply, $2,000 min).
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Rollover, Inherited, Custodial, SIMPLE) Yes: Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs.
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 (optional FDIC bank sweep via Apex).
CDs Offered? Yes (brokered CDs via Schwab CD OneSource) No
Robo-Advisor: Offered Yes Yes
Robo-Advisor Service Schwab Intelligent Portfolios® (Premium also offered) SoFi Automated Investing (Robo Investing)
Robo-Advisor Fees $0 advisory (standard); $300 one-time + $30/mo (Premium); ETF OERs 0.02–0.15%. Mins $5k/$25k. 0.25% annual wrap/advisory fee plus fund expenses; $50 min.
Basics: Headquarters Westlake, TX San Francisco, CA
Year Founded 1971 2011
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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