Vanguard vs Charles Schwab Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)
Vanguard 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 | Vanguard | Charles Schwab |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://investor.vanguard.com/ | https://www.schwab.com/ |
| Broker Type | Full-Service | Full-service |
| Trading: Stock & ETF? | Yes | Yes |
| ETF & Stock commission | $0 online | $0 online (listed stocks/ETFs) |
| Fractional Shares? | Yes; eligible Vanguard ETFs/dollar-based trading | Yes (most U.S.-listed stocks/ETFs, from $1) |
| Percent Allocations? | Yes; Vanguard Digital Advisor/asset-allocation tools | Yes (Personalized Portfolio Builder) |
| Crypto Trading? | No | Yes, via Schwab Crypto (BTC/ETH currently; not NY/LA/territories) |
| Crypto Fees | Not applicable | 0.75% of notional value (min $0.01) per buy/sell |
| Options Trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Options Fee | $1/contract | $0 online commission + $0.65 per contract |
| Bond Trading Available? | Yes; Treasuries, bonds, and CDs | Yes |
| Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? | No | Yes (receives PFOF rebates) |
| Interface: Web trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop trading? | No | Yes, thinkorswim desktop (Windows/Mac; free for brokerage clients) |
| API Trading? | No | Yes, Trader API (Individual) for self-directed retail accounts (orders, data; via developer.schwab.com) |
| Mutual Funds: Offered? | Yes | Yes |
| Total Mutual Funds | Over 3,000 | ~14,500 from 600+ families (incl. 4,000+ NTF) |
| NTF Mutual Funds | Over 1,800 | 4,000+ (no-load via OneSource & others) |
| Non-NTF Fund Fee | $20 online for transaction-fee funds; $0 for NTF funds | Up to $74.95/buy online ($0 sell); some $49.95; 8.5% cap, <$100 exempt |
| Early Redemption Fee? | No | No; $49.95 Schwab fee on NTF funds held ≤90 days (some exemptions) |
| Redemption Hold (Days) | 60 days | 90 days (NTF/OneSource funds; some Schwab Funds exempt) |
| Early Redemption Fee | $50 | $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, Roth, SEP, Rollover, and Custodial | 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; settlement-fund/cash-deposit sweep | Yes (Cash Features Program: Bank Sweep or Schwab One Interest) |
| CDs Offered? | Yes | Yes (brokered CDs via Schwab CD OneSource) |
| Robo-Advisor: Offered | Yes | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor Service | Vanguard Digital Advisor | Schwab Intelligent Portfolios® (Premium also offered) |
| Robo-Advisor Fees | 0.20% all-index; 0.25% active/index mix | $0 advisory (standard); $300 one-time + $30/mo (Premium); ETF OERs 0.02–0.15%. Mins $5k/$25k. |
| Basics: Headquarters | Valley Forge, PA | Westlake, TX |
| Year Founded | 1975 | 1971 |
| Clearing Firm | Vanguard Brokerage Services | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (self-clearing) |
| Local Branches? | No; phone/online service | Yes, more than 420 branches in 48 U.S. states |
| New Account Minimum | $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 Vanguard to All Brokers
- Compare Vanguard to Ally Invest
- Compare Vanguard to Alpaca
- Compare Vanguard to Axos Invest
- Compare Vanguard to Charles Schwab
- Compare Vanguard to E*Trade
- Compare Vanguard to Fidelity
- Compare Vanguard to Firstrade
- Compare Vanguard to Interactive Brokers
- Compare Vanguard to M1 Finance
- Compare Vanguard to Merrill Edge
- Compare Vanguard to Public.com
- Compare Vanguard to Robinhood
- Compare Vanguard to SoFi Invest
- Compare Vanguard to SogoTrade
- Compare Vanguard to Stash
- Compare Vanguard to Tastytrade
- Compare Vanguard to Tradestation
- Compare Vanguard to Tradier
- Compare Vanguard to WeBull
- Compare Vanguard to ZacksTrade