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Capital.com vs Charles Schwab for US stocks
Charles Schwab gives you the actual share; Capital.com gives leveraged exposure to the price without ownership. That is not a preference — it is a different product, with different tax, dividend and risk treatment.
Pick Capital.com if small starting balances. Pick Charles Schwab if US residents.
Low entry barrier and a wide share-CFD list; the trade-off is that everything is a derivative, so there is no dividend ownership or voting right — only cash adjustments.
Visit Capital.comA full-service US brokerage; thinkorswim gives it a genuinely strong active-trading platform.
Visit Charles SchwabSide by side
| Capital.com | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | A CFD on the price | The share |
| US stock access | 3,000+ share CFDs across US and global exchanges | Full US listed market |
| Minimum deposit | $20 | None |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Published pricing | Share CFD costs are built into the spread with no separate commission on the standard offering; overnight fees apply to held positions. | $0 online commission on US listed stocks and ETFs. |
| Platforms | Capital.com web, Capital.com mobile, MetaTrader 4, TradingView | Schwab.com, thinkorswim desktop, thinkorswim mobile |
| Extended hours | Extended-hours pricing on selected US shares | Pre-market and after-hours sessions supported |
| Regulation | FCA 793714, CySEC 319/17, ASIC 513393, FSA SD019 | SEC SIPC member |
| Founded | 2016 | 1971 |
Where each one wins
Capital.com
- Small starting balances
- Fractional-size share CFD positions
- Traders who want one account for stocks, indices and FX
- CFDs are leveraged and you do not own the underlying share
- Not available to US residents
Charles Schwab
- US residents
- Long-term investors who want research and banking in one place
- Options traders via thinkorswim
- International account availability is limited and varies by country
Frequently asked questions
Capital.com or Charles Schwab — which is better for US stocks?
Charles Schwab gives you the actual share; Capital.com gives leveraged exposure to the price without ownership. That is not a preference — it is a different product, with different tax, dividend and risk treatment. Capital.com: small starting balances. Charles Schwab: US residents.
Which is cheaper?
Capital.com: Share CFD costs are built into the spread with no separate commission on the standard offering; overnight fees apply to held positions. Charles Schwab: $0 online commission on US listed stocks and ETFs. Both figures are restated from each broker's own pricing page; for small non-USD accounts, currency conversion usually costs more than commission does.
Which is better regulated?
Capital.com is authorised by FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSA; Charles Schwab by SEC. What matters is which entity holds your account, since that determines your compensation scheme and leverage limits.
Reviewed August 2026. Figures restated from each broker's published pages.