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Head to head
Charles Schwab or IG? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
The full-service US giant that also happens to own the best retail trading platform in the business.
The most complete leveraged-trading operation in Europe — and it prices like it knows that.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall Charles Schwab takes it, 4.6 against 4.5 out of 5. On commissions there is little between them — €0.00 against €0.00 for a reference EUR 5,000 order. IG scores 100 against 93 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. IG covers more ground with 13 of 14 asset classes against 9. We rate platform and app at 4.6 out of 5 for both. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
IGIGIGIGIGUp to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.6 — Better | 4.5 |
| Group index | 93 of 100 | 100 of 100 |
| Best for | US long-term investorsOptions and futures tradersRetirement accountsInvestors who want branchesOne-account consolidation | Experienced CFD and spread bet tradersMulti-asset traders who want one accountUK ISA and SIPP investorsDirect market access share tradingUS options and futures from Europe |
| Regulation | SECFINRAFDIC | FCABaFinFINMAASICMASJFSADFSA |
| Top-tier licences | 3 | 6 — Better |
| Investor protection | US$500,000 — Better | CHF 100,000 |
| Listed group | Yes | Yes |
| Banking licence | Yes | Yes |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | No | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | 1 | None |
| Founded | 1971 | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Westlake, US | London, GB |
| Fees | 4.6 — Better | 4.0 |
| Safety & regulation | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| Trading platform | 4.8 — Better | 4.7 |
| Product range | 4.2 | 4.9 — Better |
| Mobile app | 4.4 | 4.5 — Better |
| Research | 4.7 — Better | 4.6 |
| Customer support | 4.8 — Better | 4.3 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Account opening | 4.3 — Better | 4.2 |
| Education | 4.6 — Better | 4.5 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €0.00 | €0.00 |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | Free | Free |
| US stocks | Free | Free |
| ETFs | Free | Free |
| Options | US$0.65 — Better | US$1 |
| Futures | US$2.25 | US$1 — Better |
| Crypto | Not offered | n/a |
| Bonds (order) | US$1 | n/a |
| Funds (order) | US$49.95 | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | 0.9 pips |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | 1 points |
| FX conversion | 1 % | 0.8 % — Better |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | US$15 | free — Better |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 9 | 13 — Better |
| Exchanges | 12 | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | Yes |
| Spread betting | No | Yes |
| Social trading | No | No |
| Platforms | Schwab.com web platformthinkorswim Desktopthinkorswim WebSchwab Mobilethinkorswim MobileSchwab Trader API | IG web platformIG Trading appProRealTimeL2 DealerMetaTrader 4TradingViewIG REST & streaming API |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | No |
| Maximum leverage | 1:2 | 1:30 |
| Account opening | Under 10 minutes online for US residents; 1–2 weeks for a Schwab One International account | Fully online; typically same-day approval, 1–3 business days when manual document checks are triggered |
| Account types | Schwab One brokerageSchwab Global AccountTraditional / Roth / Rollover IRASchwab One International | CFD accountSpread betting accountShare dealing, ISA and SIPPUS Options & FuturesProfessional account |
| Payment methods | Bank transferCheque | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPal |
| Account currencies | USD | GBPEURUSDCHFAUDSGDJPY |
| Deposit time | Instant to 3 business days (ACH, wire, cheque) | Instant by card or PayPal; 1–3 business days by bank transfer |
| Withdrawal time | 1–3 business days by ACH; same day by wire | 1–5 business days depending on method and entity |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishSpanishChinese | EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishDutchSwedishPolishChineseJapanese+1 |
| Channels | PhoneEmailLive chatBranch | PhoneEmailLive chat |
| Availability | 24/7 | 24/5, with limited weekend cover for IG's weekend markets |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Charles Schwab
The full-service US giant that also happens to own the best retail trading platform in the business.
Pros
Cons
Best for
IG
The most complete leveraged-trading operation in Europe — and it prices like it knows that.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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