Charles Schwab vs Betterment

Charles Schwab is a good choice for beginning and advanced investors looking to invest in ETFs and mutual funds or investors that require extensive research. How does it compare to Betterment? Read our comparison chart below.

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.

While Betterment offers automatic investing starting at $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000. There is no fee to open an account and no minimum deposit required. All balances get automatic rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, and access to financial experts.

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

	Charles Schwab	Betterment
	SPECIAL OFFER $0 Commissions on Online Stock, ETF, and Options Trades - Learn More Read Charles Schwab Review	SPECIAL OFFER Compare Pricing - Learn More Read Betterment Review
	Benefits and Features
Savings		Betterment Cash Reserve - Earn 4.00% APY**
Stock Trading	$0 commission on U.S. stocks and ETFs
Options Trading	$0 + $0.65 per contract
Annual Fee	None	Digital: 0.25% annual fee for accounts with $20,000 or more or with monthly recurring deposits of $250 or more, $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000 Premium: 0.65% for accounts $100,000 or more
Cryptocurrency Trading	No
Minimum Deposit	$0	$0
Checking		No-Fee Checking
Mutual Fund Trading	$0 for funds from Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource and up to $74.95 per purchase for all other funds
Commission Free ETFs	2,000+ across asset classes and fund companies, $0 commission through Schwab ETF OneSource™.
Phone Support		Yes
Live Chat Support		No
Email Support		Yes
Human Advisors		Yes ($100k minimum)
Robo Advisor		Yes
Assets Under Management		$50+ Billion
Minimum Investment		$0
Tax Loss Harvesting		Yes
Goal Tracker		Yes
Automatic Deposits		Yes
Broker Assisted Trades	$25.00 service charge
Inactivity Fee	None
Maintenance Fee	$0
Online Platform		Yes
iPhone App		Yes
Android App		Yes
Banking	Yes	Offers checking account with a free debit card, and a high-yield cash account
Mobile App	Yes	iOS & Android
Desktop App	Yes
Futures Trading	$2.25 per contract
Customer Service	24/7
Locations	300 locations
Online Community	Yes
Seminars	Yes
Trading Platform	Desktop, Web Trading, Mobile Apps
Virtual Trading	Yes (thinkorswim platforms)
Single Stock Diversification		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		No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Fund Trading
Online Platform
Banking
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Research
Annual Fee
Minimum Deposit
Human Advisors
Customer Service
Pros & Cons	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	Pros: No minimum investment Customized portfolios Automatically invest extra funds Cons: Limited investment options High fees for large investors
Bottom Line	Good choice for beginning and advanced investors looking to invest in ETFs and mutual funds or investors that require extensive research... Read full review	Great robo-advisor for beginners with low fees, good tools, and tax strategies... Read full review
	$0 Commissions on Online Stock, ETF, and Options Trades 500 Commission-Free Online and Options Trades Schwab's Referral Offer - Up to $1,000 Bonus	Compare Pricing Betterment Cash Reserve - Earn 4.00% APY** Invest with Automated Portfolios
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. Charles Schwab: Pricing information from published websites as of 05/21/2025. Betterment: Pricing information from published website as of 01/12/2025

Which is Better: Charles Schwab or Betterment?

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

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.