Robinhood vs Charles Schwab Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)
Robinhood and Charles Schwab 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.
| Feature | Robinhood | Charles Schwab |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://robinhood.com/ | https://www.schwab.com/ |
| Broker Type | Online discount brokerage (mobile app, web, Legend) | Full-service |
| Trading: Stock & ETF? | Yes | Yes |
| ETF & Stock commission | $0 commissions (SEC/FINRA sell fees may apply) | $0 online (listed stocks/ETFs) |
| Fractional Shares? | Yes ($1 min; most NMS stocks/ETFs) | Yes (most U.S.-listed stocks/ETFs, from $1) |
| Percent Allocations? | No | Yes (Personalized Portfolio Builder) |
| Crypto Trading? | Yes (US-wide via Robinhood Crypto, LLC; all states, DC, PR, USVI) | Yes, via Schwab Crypto (BTC/ETH currently; not NY/LA/territories) |
| Crypto Fees | MM routing: $0 commissions (RH rebate in spread); exchange routing: 0.00-0.95% volume-tiered maker/taker; transfers $0 + network fees | 0.75% of notional value (min $0.01) per buy/sell |
| Options Trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Options Fee | $0 commissions for stock/ETF options; $0.35 Gold/$0.50 non-Gold per index contract plus regulatory/exchange fees | $0 online commission + $0.65 per contract |
| Bond Trading Available? | No (individual bonds/fixed-income not supported; bond ETFs/CEFs available) | Yes |
| Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? | Yes (receives PFOF/rebates from market makers for equities, options, and crypto) | Yes (receives PFOF rebates) |
| Interface: Web trading? | Yes (web including Legend browser platform; iOS/Android mobile apps) | Yes |
| Desktop trading? | No; Robinhood Legend is a free browser-based (web) platform, not downloadable. | Yes, thinkorswim desktop (Windows/Mac; free for brokerage clients) |
| API Trading? | Yes for crypto (official US Crypto Trading API); no official stocks/equities trading API. | Yes, Trader API (Individual) for self-directed retail accounts (orders, data; via developer.schwab.com) |
| Mutual Funds: Offered? | No | Yes |
| Total Mutual Funds | 0 | ~14,500 from 600+ families (incl. 4,000+ NTF) |
| NTF Mutual Funds | 0 | 4,000+ (no-load via OneSource & others) |
| Non-NTF Fund Fee | N/A | Up to $74.95/buy online ($0 sell); some $49.95; 8.5% cap, <$100 exempt |
| Early Redemption Fee? | N/A | No; $49.95 Schwab fee on NTF funds held ≤90 days (some exemptions) |
| Redemption Hold (Days) | N/A | 90 days (NTF/OneSource funds; some Schwab Funds exempt) |
| Early Redemption Fee | N/A | $49.95 online/automated phone; $49.95 + $25 broker-assisted |
| Accounts: Margin Accounts? | Yes | Yes ($2,000 min. cash or marginable securities) |
| IRAs Offered? | Yes (Traditional and Roth; no SEP) | Yes (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Rollover, Inherited, Custodial, SIMPLE) |
| HSAs Offered? | No | Yes (HSBA via participating HSA providers; no standalone Schwab HSA) |
| Money Market Sweep? | Yes | Yes (Cash Features Program: Bank Sweep or Schwab One Interest) |
| CDs Offered? | No | Yes (brokered CDs via Schwab CD OneSource) |
| Robo-Advisor: Offered | Yes (Robinhood Strategies hybrid managed portfolios) | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor Service | Robinhood Strategies | Schwab Intelligent Portfolios® (Premium also offered) |
| Robo-Advisor Fees | 0.25% AUM/yr; Gold ($5/mo): 0% over $100k ($250/yr cap). $50 min. ETF expenses extra. | $0 advisory (standard); $300 one-time + $30/mo (Premium); ETF OERs 0.02–0.15%. Mins $5k/$25k. |
| Basics: Headquarters | Menlo Park, CA | Westlake, TX |
| Year Founded | 2013 | 1971 |
| Clearing Firm | Robinhood Securities, LLC | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (self-clearing) |
| Local Branches? | No | Yes, more than 420 branches in 48 U.S. states |
| New Account Minimum | $0 | $0 |
Once you’ve chosen a broker, find high-performing, investable model portfolios at RecipeInvesting.com
Picked a Broker? Now Build Your Perfect Portfolio
Find high-performing, investable model portfolios (Tactical, Strategic, and Managed) at RecipeInvesting.com.
Compare Robinhood to All Brokers
- Compare Robinhood to Ally Invest
- Compare Robinhood to Alpaca
- Compare Robinhood to Axos Invest
- Compare Robinhood to Charles Schwab
- Compare Robinhood to E*Trade
- Compare Robinhood to Fidelity
- Compare Robinhood to Firstrade
- Compare Robinhood to Interactive Brokers
- Compare Robinhood to M1 Finance
- Compare Robinhood to Merrill Edge
- Compare Robinhood to Public.com
- Compare Robinhood to SoFi Invest
- Compare Robinhood to SogoTrade
- Compare Robinhood to Stash
- Compare Robinhood to Tastytrade
- Compare Robinhood to Tradestation
- Compare Robinhood to Tradier
- Compare Robinhood to Vanguard
- Compare Robinhood to WeBull
- Compare Robinhood to ZacksTrade