The swing trader's toolbox, free with a $0 stock trade and a $0.65 options toll.
Charles Schwab scores 83 out of 100 across five pillars, 20 points each.
Charles Schwab trading platform breakdown: fees, thinkorswim, mobile app, and an 83/100 Alpha Score. See which Schwab platform fits your trading style.
Read the full Charles Schwab teardownCharles Schwab scores 83, and thinkorswim is most of the reason. US stock and ETF trades are $0, and the platform gives you pro-grade charting, scans, streaming news and an Active Trader ladder with desktop hotkeys at no extra cost. Swing traders on r/thinkorswim call it the best platform they have used, and users report fast fills with price improvement. Execution Quality, Cost Transparency and Community Verdict lead at 17 each. Price-to-Value and Usability trail at 16, because options cost $0.65 a contract and thinkorswim takes real time to learn.
Stock trades are $0, but options cost $0.65 per contract, which adds up fast for active options traders. thinkorswim takes real time to learn, and scalpers report its hotkeys are basic next to dedicated day-trading platforms. Practice in paperMoney before you trade live.
Hover, tap, or focus a card to see who we'd point at this tool — and who should walk away.
The traders who get the most out of Charles Schwab.
Where Charles Schwab is the wrong spend.
A real complaint from the trading forums, and what this tool actually does about it.
“What are your thoughts on the platform as a day trading option? I'm fine with the preset share size in the active trader window.”
Source: r/thinkorswim
The honest answer from that thread: thinkorswim is a charting and swing-trading powerhouse that can day trade, with an Active Trader ladder and desktop hotkeys, but scalpers call the hotkeys basic and some move fast intraday work to dedicated platforms. If you hold for days, it is hard to beat for the price. If you scalp the open, test the ladder in paperMoney first.
Sentiment pulled from three independent sources, kept separate so you can weigh each one yourself.
r/thinkorswimReddit“Coming from Fidelity, ToS has amazing features. Fidelity's trading platform gets blown out of the water by ToS.”Read the original on Reddit →
r/thinkorswimReddit“Hard to argue with that. ToS just feels built for serious swing trading.”Read the original on Reddit →
r/thinkorswimReddit“TOS on an iPad Pro is insane! I can literally figure out and execute a trade in a few seconds. Options pricing might be cheaper elsewhere but I’ve received price improvements multiple times and actually been able to get filled on some of my ridiculous limit orders!”Read the original on Reddit →
r/thinkorswimReddit“TOS for charting in my opinion is fantastic. Is the data the best? nah, are the fills the absolute best? nah. But are they good enough? Absofrigginlutely.”Read the original on Reddit →
Every quote is real and traceable. How we source them →
$0 online commission
US-listed stocks and ETFs traded online.
$0 + $0.65 / contract
Online trades. Broker-assisted trades add $25 and automated phone trades $5.
Free
Desktop, web and mobile platforms, with paperMoney practice trading on real market data.
Included
Generative AI summaries of your portfolio and related market news on the Account Summary page.
Prices change. Check the vendor’s page before you buy.
One email a week. What we tested, what scored, and what we'd skip. Written for traders, not for clicks.
Charles Schwab scores 83, and thinkorswim is most of the reason.
