Loading …
Head to head
Freedom24 or Charles Schwab? 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.
Institutional-shaped market access — 15 exchanges, US options, 145,000 bonds — sold at per-share pricing under a Cypriot licence.
The full-service US giant that also owns thinkorswim, a professional-grade trading platform.
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 3.9 out of 5. Charles Schwab is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €0.00 there against €3.00. Charles Schwab scores 93 against 57 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Charles Schwab covers more ground with 9 of 14 asset classes against 5. On platform and app Charles Schwab is ahead, 4.6 against 3.9 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
Freedom24Freedom24Freedom24Freedom24Freedom24Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.9 | 4.6 — Better |
| Group index | 57 of 100 | 93 of 100 |
| Best for | US options tradersIndividual bond investorsMulti-market stock pickersBuy-and-hold portfoliosCash-interest seekers | US long-term investorsOptions and futures tradersRetirement accountsInvestors who want branchesOne-account consolidation |
| Regulation | CySEC | SECFINRAFDIC |
| Top-tier licences | 0 | 3 — Better |
| Investor protection | €20,000 | US$500,000 — Better |
| Listed group | Yes | Yes |
| Banking licence | No | Yes |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | No |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | 1 | 1 |
| Founded | 2013 | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Limassol, CY | Westlake, US |
| Fees | 4.2 | 4.6 — Better |
| Safety & regulation | 3.6 | 4.9 — Better |
| Trading platform | 3.9 | 4.8 — Better |
| Product range | 4.5 — Better | 4.2 |
| Mobile app | 3.9 | 4.4 — Better |
| Research | 3.8 | 4.7 — Better |
| Customer support | 3.8 | 4.8 — Better |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 3.2 | 4.2 — Better |
| Account opening | 4.4 — Better | 4.3 |
| Education | 3.2 | 4.6 — Better |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €3.00 | €0.00 — Better |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | €2 + €0.02/share | Free |
| US stocks | US$2 + US$0.02/share | Free |
| ETFs | €2 + €0.02/share | Free |
| Options | US$0.65 | US$0.65 |
| Futures | €1.50 — Better | US$2.25 |
| Crypto | Not offered | Not offered |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | US$1 |
| Funds (order) | n/a | US$49.95 |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | n/a |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | 0 % — Better | 1 % |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | €7 — Better | US$15 |
| Deposit fee | Bank and SEPA transfers in are free. The fee schedule additionally carries a separate line, 'Payment processing fee for the incoming transfers', whose rate is set per payment route, jurisdiction and currency on the platform — so card deposits are not guaranteed to be free. | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 5 | 9 — Better |
| Exchanges | 15 — Better | 12 |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | No |
| Crypto | No | No |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Commodities | No | Yes |
| Indices | No | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | No |
| Platforms | Freedom24 web terminal (Tradernet)Freedom24 desktop (Windows / macOS)Freedom24 mobile app (iOS / Android / Huawei) | Schwab.com web platformthinkorswim Desktopthinkorswim WebSchwab Mobilethinkorswim MobileSchwab Trader API |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | No | Yes |
| Maximum leverage | Freedom24 lends against portfolio collateral rather than offering CFD leverage. | 1:2 |
| Account opening | Under 15 minutes online; verification usually completes the same day | Under 10 minutes online for US residents; 1–2 weeks for a Schwab One International account |
| Account types | SmartAll-Inclusive | Schwab One brokerageSchwab Global AccountTraditional / Roth / Rollover IRASchwab One International |
| Payment methods | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardCrypto | Bank transferCheque |
| Account currencies | EURUSD | USD |
| Deposit time | Instant by card; 1-3 business days by SEPA or bank transfer | Instant to 3 business days (ACH, wire, cheque) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days by bank transfer | 1–3 business days by ACH; same day by wire |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishGermanFrenchSpanishItalianDutchPolishGreekCzechRomanian+5 | EnglishSpanishChinese |
| Channels | PhoneEmailLive chat | PhoneEmailLive chatBranch |
| Availability | Monday to Friday, 09:00-21:00 CET | 24/7 |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Freedom24
Institutional-shaped market access — 15 exchanges, US options, 145,000 bonds — sold at per-share pricing under a Cypriot licence.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Charles Schwab
The full-service US giant that also owns thinkorswim, a professional-grade trading platform.
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.
Alternatives people weigh up alongside these two.
