Investing comparison
Charles Schwab vs Vanguard
Updated
Data as of
Charles Schwab checked Vanguard checked
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Charles Schwab
Investing app
Visit site for Charles Schwab (opens in a new tab)
Vanguard
Investing app
Visit site for Vanguard (opens in a new tab)
Before you compare: This compares features and fees from each company's own pages. It isn't investment advice, and investing involves risk, including loss of money.
Short answer
- Pick Charles Schwab if you want the higher App Store rating (4.8, compared with 4.6).
- Pick Vanguard if you want a lower minimum for its managed portfolio ($100, compared with $5,000).
- The biggest difference is the managed portfolio minimum: Vanguard lists $100, and Charles Schwab lists $5,000.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Charles Schwab vs Vanguard at a glance
- Charles Schwab
- Rating
- 4.8 of 5App Store, 1,211,167 ratings
- Platforms
- 2iOS, Android
- Vanguard
- Rating
- 4.6 of 5App Store, 177,567 ratings
- Platforms
- 2iOS, Android
What it costs
- Charles Schwab
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Schwab's robo-advisor, lists no advisory fee and no commissions. You still pay the operating expenses of the ETFs in the portfolio.
Source
schwab.com/pricing, checked . - Vanguard
Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. That fee is reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard keeps from the investments in your account.
Source
investor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, checked .
Bars show only when every app here lists a yearly price, so these prices sit side by side without them. Prices are list prices from each app's own page, before tax and any offer. Investing fees appear as each company states them. A yearly advisory fee is a percent of your balance, not a monthly price, so it never gets a bar or a price tag.
Charles Schwab and Vanguard, side by side
| Detail | Charles Schwab | Vanguard |
|---|---|---|
| Account minimumDiffers | Charles SchwabSchwab lists a $0 account minimum and $0 opening and maintenance fees for brokerage accounts and IRAs. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios has a $5,000 minimum. Sourceschwab.com/pricing, checked . | VanguardVanguard says there's no fee or minimum investment amount to open an account. Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, checked . |
| Stock and ETF commissionsDiffers | Charles SchwabSchwab lists a $0 online commission for listed stocks and ETFs. Options are $0 plus $0.65 per contract. Sourceschwab.com/pricing, checked . | VanguardVanguard lists $0 for online ETF and stock trades, and a $25 broker-assisted commission per trade placed with a representative. Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com/client-benefits/investment-fees, checked . |
| Account typesDiffers | Charles SchwabCharles Schwab lists these account types: Brokerage (Individual and Joint), IRA (Traditional, Roth, or Rollover), Schwab One Custodial (UGMA/UTMA), 529 College Savings, Education Savings, Inherited IRA/Inherited 401(k), SEP-IRA, SIMPLE-IRA, Individual 401(k) Plan and Schwab One Trust. Sourceschwab.com/pricing, checked . | VanguardVanguard lists these account types: Brokerage accounts, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, Spousal IRAs, Custodial IRAs, UGMA/UTMA, 529 accounts, Trust accounts, Organization accounts, 403(b) services and Cash Plus Account. Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans, checked . |
| Fractional sharesDiffers | Charles SchwabSchwab says you can own fractional shares of most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs for as little as $1. Sourceschwab.com/fractional-shares-stock-slices, checked . | VanguardVanguard says dollar-based trading lets you buy a Vanguard ETF for as little as $1, regardless of the ETF's share price. |
| Automatic investingDiffers | Charles SchwabSchwab says its robo-advisor builds, monitors and automatically rebalances a diversified portfolio. Sourceschwab.com/intelligent-portfolios, checked . | VanguardVanguard says its robo-advisor uses an algorithm to automatically build and rebalance a portfolio. Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, checked . |
| Managed portfolios (robo)Differs | Charles SchwabSchwab Intelligent Portfolios is Schwab's robo-advisor. You can open an account with a minimum of $5,000. Sourceschwab.com/intelligent-portfolios, checked . | VanguardVanguard Digital Advisor is Vanguard's all-digital robo-advisor. Enrolling requires at least $100 in each Vanguard Brokerage Account. Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, checked . |
| ProtectionDiffers | Charles SchwabCharles Schwab & Co., Inc. is a member of SIPC. Schwab says its clients also get excess SIPC coverage for securities and cash, with a $600 million aggregate limit for the excess portion. Sourceschwab.com/legal/account-protection, checked . | VanguardVanguard says its accounts are protected by SIPC, which covers up to $500,000 in securities and up to $250,000 in cash if the firm fails. Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, checked . |
| Platforms | Charles SchwabCharles Schwab lists iOS and Android. Sourceschwab.com/mobile, checked . | VanguardVanguard lists iOS and Android. Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com/client-benefits/mobile-apps, checked . |
| App store ratingDiffers | Charles SchwabCharles Schwab has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 1,211,167 ratings. SourceApp Store listing, checked . | VanguardVanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,567 ratings. SourceApp Store listing, checked . |
Store ratings are a dated snapshot from each listing, not our score. A row shows only when both apps have a current official source for it. How we source and date this data. Spotted a change? Tell us if something changed.
Weighing a third option? Add up to two more apps and compare up to four side by side.
Screen by screen
Pick a task to see what each app shows for it. App Store and Google Play images are the apps' own marketing, so they can show sample data and staged layouts. Help center images come from the app's support articles. See every app's screens.
Home
Charles Schwab
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Manage your financial life in one app" showing a Summary screen with a $460,847.83 total value.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageThe Summary tab: Total Value $460,847.83 with a 1Y change of +$101,123.75 (28.11%), a line chart, Transfer, Deposit, Orders and Insights buttons, and an Investment list of brokerage and retirement accounts.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageTotal Value $460,847.83, 1Y Change +$101,123.75 (28.11%) and a rising line chart from Aug '25 to Jun.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Access your investments seamlessly all in one place" showing a real-time quote card and a watchlist card.App Store listing, as of
Accounts
Charles Schwab
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Track your portfolio" showing a brokerage account's positions.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA Brokerage account on Positions: Account Value $10,206.20, day change -$26.07 (-0.25%), unrealized gain $5,000.13, and a table of six holdings with quantity, price and price change.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageAn Investment list with value and day change: Brokerage Account $45,921.11, Retirement Account $48,481.40 and another Brokerage Account $1,062.45.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageApp Store image showing the Portfolio tab with a total balance, a chart and an Accounts list, next to a Portfolio watch card.App Store listing, as of
Goals
Charles Schwab
No official screen found yet
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageThe Explore tab on Browse: Browse by goal with Retirement and Short-term savings cards, and Browse by product type with ETFs and Mutual funds.App Store listing, as of
Reports and insights
Charles Schwab
App Store marketing imageInsights and Education with New To Investing, Retirement, Taxes and Trading filters and The latest commentary: a Schwab Market Update story titled "Stocks Up Ahead of Nvidia" and more articles.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard
No official screen found yet
Investments
Charles Schwab
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Trade intuitively" showing a stock and ETF trade ticket.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Stay on top of the market" showing a Markets screen with an indices chart.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageThe Trade ticket on Stock/ETF for a brokerage account: a ZQVX quote with bid and ask, Action, Shares or Dollars, Quantity, a Limit order type, Price and a Review Order button.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageThe Markets tab: an Indices line chart with 1 Day, 5 Day, 1 Month and 1 Year tabs and four indexes with values and gains, plus View More Indices.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA dark Watchlist with Basic, Custom and Heatmap views listing nine stocks with prices and daily changes in green and red.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageA Real-time quote card for BLV, Vanguard Long Term Bond Index ETF, at $69.225 with last trade details and a Buy button.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageYour watchlists with Watchlist, Compare funds and Learn chips: Vanguard Total Market ETFs listing BND, BNDX and VTI with prices and daily changes.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imagePortfolio watch comparing your portfolio, 75% and 25%, with a target portfolio of 65%, 25% and 10%, a table of stocks, bonds, short-term and other, and Transaction history and Open orders links.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageBuy and sell with three round buttons: ETFs and stocks, Buy mutual funds and Sell mutual funds.App Store listing, as of
Transfer and send
Charles Schwab
App Store marketing imageFour round buttons: Transfer, Deposit, Orders and Insights.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageThe Transact tab: S&P 500, DJIA and NASDAQ moves, Personal investor and Employer plan tabs, a Get quote search, Buy and sell buttons and Transfer money buttons for Deposit, Withdraw, Contribute and Roll over.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageTransfer money with four round buttons: Deposit, Withdraw, Contribute and Roll over.App Store listing, as of
Settings and security
Charles Schwab
App Store marketing imageA Good Morning login screen with a Login ID field, a Remember Login ID toggle and a Continue button, with Fingerprint, Face ID and Passcode labels placed over it.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Tools to maximize your account security" showing a Security profile screen.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageThe Security profile: a green gauge reading Security score Excellent and a Completed list with security questions, security codes, MFA frequency, email address, trusted contact, account alerts and biometrics.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA green half-circle gauge with the label Security score Excellent.App Store listing, as of
Other screens
Charles Schwab
No official screen found yet
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Resources to help make your goals a reality" showing the Explore tab on Learn.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageThe Explore tab on Learn: a Vanguard's philosophy carousel with a Start with your goals card, Just added articles such as IRA withdrawal rules and Investing basics.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imagePlanning & advice with Naomi Davis CFP, Senior Financial Advisor, and buttons for Financial goals, Advice summary, Contact & appointments and Investor profile.App Store listing, as of
Who it's for
Pick the tab that sounds like you. Every answer comes from the app's own pages, and its source opens from the Source link.
Just me
Budgeting on your own? These are the basics people ask about first.
Is there support from the app's makers if I need help?
Charles Schwab: Yes. Phone, chat and branches.
Source
In their words: “Reach out to Charles Schwab customer service by phone, chat, or visit your local branch.” schwab.com/contact-us, checked .Vanguard: Yes. Phone.
Source
In their words: “Our Client Services team is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time” corporate.vanguard.com/content/corporatesite/us/en/corp/contact-us.html, checked .
Family
Bringing in more of the household? Here's what each app says about families and kids. See apps with custodial accounts for kids.
Does it have accounts or features for kids or teens?
Charles Schwab: Yes. It has accounts or features for kids or teens.
Source
In their words: “A Schwab One Custodial Account lets you invest in your child's future while teaching them how to build it.” schwab.com/custodial-account, checked .Vanguard: Yes. It has accounts or features for kids or teens.
Source
In their words: “Any adult resident of the U.S. can open or contribute to an UGMA or UTMA.” investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/ugma-utma, checked .
Freelancer
Paid on an uneven schedule or running a side hustle? Here's what each app offers. See apps with a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k).
Can I mix business and personal expenses in this app?
Charles Schwab: Yes. You can track business spending next to personal spending.
Source
In their words: “Organization Account for your business and enjoy low trade commissions, $0 monthly service fees, and quick access to your funds.” schwab.com/small-business-solutions, checked .Vanguard: Yes. You can track business spending next to personal spending.
Source
In their words: “Looking to set up an investment account for a business? This type of account offers trading and investment features that can help your business work toward its financial goals.” investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/organization-accounts, checked .Can I export my transactions for tax prep?
Charles Schwab: Yes. You can export your transactions for tax prep.
Source
In their words: “On this page you can direct Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and its affiliates ("Schwab", "we" or "us") to allow third-party tax preparation software providers” schwab.com/legal/taxprep-third-party-terms, checked .Vanguard: Yes. You can export your transactions for tax prep.
Source
In their words: “Yes, you'll be able to import Forms 1099-B, 1099-DIV, and 1099-R directly into your returns.” investor.vanguard.com/investor-resources-education/taxes/tax-questions, checked .
Business
Running a small business? Here's what each app says about business money.
Can I mix business and personal expenses in this app?
Charles Schwab: Yes. You can track business spending next to personal spending.
Source
In their words: “Organization Account for your business and enjoy low trade commissions, $0 monthly service fees, and quick access to your funds.” schwab.com/small-business-solutions, checked .Vanguard: Yes. You can track business spending next to personal spending.
Source
In their words: “Looking to set up an investment account for a business? This type of account offers trading and investment features that can help your business work toward its financial goals.” investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/organization-accounts, checked .Can I export my transactions for tax prep?
Charles Schwab: Yes. You can export your transactions for tax prep.
Source
In their words: “On this page you can direct Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and its affiliates ("Schwab", "we" or "us") to allow third-party tax preparation software providers” schwab.com/legal/taxprep-third-party-terms, checked .Vanguard: Yes. You can export your transactions for tax prep.
Source
In their words: “Yes, you'll be able to import Forms 1099-B, 1099-DIV, and 1099-R directly into your returns.” investor.vanguard.com/investor-resources-education/taxes/tax-questions, checked .
A question shows only when every app here has a current official source that answers it. We only say no when the app's own page does.
Which fits your Money Type?
There are four Money Types: Strategist, Spender, Saver and Scrambler. Each card matches one type to what the sources say about these two apps.
StrategistNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Save the Raise.
SpenderNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Sleep on It.
SaverNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Put It to Work.
ScramblerNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Bills First.
Not sure which one you are? Take the free Money Types quiz. It takes about two minutes.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Another option: Fifecta
If neither Charles Schwab nor Vanguard feels right, here is one more option to look at. Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, and it starts from your Money Type, so the plan matches how you already handle money.
FAQ
How much does Charles Schwab charge?
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Schwab's robo-advisor, lists no advisory fee and no commissions. You still pay the operating expenses of the ETFs in the portfolio. We checked this on Nov 3, 2026.
How much does Vanguard charge?
Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. That fee is reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard keeps from the investments in your account. We checked this on Nov 3, 2026.
What is Charles Schwab's app store rating?
Charles Schwab has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 1,211,167 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Nov 3, 2026, not our score.
What is Vanguard's app store rating?
Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,567 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Nov 3, 2026, not our score.
More comparisons
Similar comparisons
Keep comparing
- See Charles Schwab alternatives, closest category first.
- See Vanguard alternatives, closest category first.
- Browse our guide to the low-cost brokerage accounts.
- Want the bigger picture? Compare more money apps.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Want a plan built on your Money Type?
Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, so you know where each dollar goes.
Sources and confidence
- Last checked
- Sourced facts
- 20 facts, each linked and dated
Charles Schwab10 sourced facts, last checked Nov 3, 2026
- Management or subscription feeschwab.com/pricing, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Account minimumschwab.com/pricing, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionsschwab.com/pricing, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Account typesschwab.com/pricing, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Fractional sharesschwab.com/fractional-shares-stock-slices, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Automatic investingschwab.com/intelligent-portfolios, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)schwab.com/intelligent-portfolios, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Protectionschwab.com/legal/account-protection, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Platformsschwab.com/mobile, as of Nov 3, 2026
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Nov 3, 2026
Vanguard10 sourced facts, last checked Nov 3, 2026
- Management or subscription feeinvestor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Account minimuminvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionsinvestor.vanguard.com/client-benefits/investment-fees, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Account typesinvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Fractional sharesinvestor.vanguard.com/investor-resources-education/article/what-is-dollar-based-investing, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Automatic investinginvestor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)investor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Protectioninvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Platformsinvestor.vanguard.com/client-benefits/mobile-apps, as of Nov 3, 2026
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Nov 3, 2026
- Reference: sipc.org/for-investors/what-sipc-protects, checked Oct 24, 2026.
Each fact links to the official page it came from, with the date we checked it. Once a fact is older than 30 days, it comes off the page until we check it again. How we source, date and index this data.
This is education, not financial advice.
