Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade™
Get ready to trade brilliantly.
Schwab Trading—At a Glance
We've combined the strengths of Schwab and Ameritrade to deliver a world-class trading experience. Schwab traders get award-winning trading platforms, tailored education, and specialized support—all backed by one of the industry's most trusted brands. Trade brilliantly with a supercharged experience built for traders.
Ranked #1 Overall Broker by StockBrokers.com 2026.
Schwab offers additional platforms to invest and trade online.
Looking for other ways to trade and invest online at Schwab? In addition to thinkorswim, check out Schwab.com and the Schwab Mobile app.1 You can also compare all our platforms to see which one is right for you.
Go from "how?" to "know-how" with expansive trading education.
Crafted specifically for traders, our expanding education library offers more curated content based on a variety of interests and skill levels. All to help you get the info you want, just how you want it.
You can also use insights from Schwab and independent providers to research investment opportunities, analyze performance or pricing data, and make informed trading decisions.
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Explore Schwab's trading products.
Trading products for any strategy.
competitive margin
Additional regulatory and exchange fees may apply. Schwab also offers competitive margin rates.
Schwab Crypto is coming soon.
Get ready to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum at a price among the lowest in the industry—the fee is just 0.75% of your trade value and zero spread. The all-new Schwab Crypto™ account is coming, offered by Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB.
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Ranked #1 Overall Broker by StockBrokers.com4
"For most investors, the search for a brokerage firm ends at Charles Schwab. It sets the industry standard. The market typically forces a choice between a simplified mobile experience and a professional-grade trading workstation, but Schwab delivers both."
- Jessica Inskip, Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com
Have questions? Let's talk.
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Now you have even more ways to trade around the clock.
Trade on your terms with 24/5 access to over 1,100 of the most popular stocks and ETFs—now including the entire S&P 500, NASDAQ 100, and more—in addition to a wide variety of futures markets already available.
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Schwab Trading: Frequently Asked Questions.
Yes. Charles Schwab is the #1 Overall Online Broker for 2026 per StockBrokers.com, with #1 rankings in Mobile Trading Apps, Customer Service, and Tools & Education. For active traders specifically, Schwab combines the thinkorswim platform suite (desktop, web, mobile—all free with any Schwab account) with $0 stock/ETF commissions, $0.65 per options contract, 24/5 trading (24 hours a day, 5 days a week) on 1,100+ tickers, and dedicated Trade Desk specialists at 800-435-9050.
Schwab and Fidelity are full-service online brokers for active trading. Both offer $0 stock and ETF commissions, $0.65 per options contract, free desktop trading platforms (thinkorswim and Active Trader Pro respectively), and paper trading. Schwab also offers 24/5 trading across 1,100+ tickers (Fidelity does not offer this), the unified thinkorswim platform suite that covers desktop, web, and mobile with feature parity, and the StockBokers.com 2026 #1 Overall ranking.
Yes. All Schwab trading platforms—thinkorswim desktop, thinkorswim web, thinkorswim mobile, Schwab.com, and the Schwab Mobile app—are free with any Schwab account. Standard pricing applies to trades placed through any platform: $0 stock and ETF commissions, $0.65 per options contract, $2.25 per futures contract.
thinkorswim stands out for its powerful charting tools, advanced technical analysis, and high level of customization, making it a top choice for active and experienced traders. It also offers robust support for options, futures, and forex trading, along with features like paper trading and in-depth analytics. Schwab ranked #1 for Advanced Trading by StockBrokers.com, therefore, thinkorswim could be preferred by those who want a more comprehensive, professional-grade trading platform.
Schwab.com and Schwab Mobile are designed for beginners: simplified interface, educational content in context, and 24/7 customer support. Schwab was ranked #1 for Ease of Use and #1 Customer Service by StockBrokers.com.
You can open an account online through Charles Schwab by completing an application, providing personal and financial details, and funding the account. Once approved, you can enable platforms like thinkorswim and start trading. The process is typically straightforward and can be completed in just a few minutes.
Schwab offers 24/5 trading for many stocks and ETFs through thinkorswim, along with standard pre-market and after-hours sessions.
Yes, Schwab provides access to futures and forex trading through its thinkorswim platform, though you must apply and be approved for these products. Futures markets are available nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week, across a range of asset classes.
Schwab offers 24/7 customer support via phone and chat, including access to trading specialists outside regular market hours. This means you can get help with trades, platform questions, or strategy at any time.
Schwab Trading Powered by AmeritradeTM is the name of our trading offer. We combined the strengths of Ameritrade and Schwab to create a world-class trading experience—one that gives traders more.
You get more powerful trading platforms, including the thinkorswim® platform suite. More tailored education with an expanding library of resources. More specialized support from a Trade Desk team of trained, passionate traders. All wrapped into one supercharged trading experience, all now available at Schwab.
Schwab Trading Powered by AmeritradeTM is only available to Schwab clients. If you don't have an account with us, you can open an account now. Once you have an account, you can access the trading platforms, education, and support in several ways.
Platforms
To access thinkorswim® desktop, you can install the software directly onto your computer. For thinkorswim mobile, you can download the thinkorswim mobile trading app here. And for thinkorswim web, visit trade.thinkorswim.com.
Education
To view our expanding library of educational resources, you can visit our Insights and Education hub or take advantage of the in-platform resources on thinkorswim.
Support
For platform help, strategy, support, and more, clients can contact our Trade Desk team at 800-435-9050—or even through our in-platform chat on thinkorswim.
Keep in mind: You can also always log in to Schwab.com for more information on all of the above.
The features of Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade™ are available for most Schwab self-directed brokerage accounts. Accounts not eligible include managed and specialty accounts such as DAFgiving360™, Pledged Asset Line®, etc.
No. While thinkorswim® offers a full suite of powerful trading platforms (desktop, web, and mobile), Schwab clients can also use Schwab.com and the Schwab Mobile app to trade. You can use all of our platforms—or pick and choose—it's entirely up to you. For example, if you want to use the charting tools on thinkorswim but trade on Schwab.com, you can. The choice is yours.
No. Schwab clients get access to the thinkorswim® platform suite for no charge. However, when it comes to trades placed through each platform, Schwab's standard pricing applies.
The cutting-edge thinkorswim® trading platforms available at Schwab are packed with tools designed to help traders study, strategize, and strike with speed and precision; including robust charting, screening, and analysis tools, multiple screeners, plus trade and risk management tools. There's even a paper trading tool to test and refine trading strategies without risking any money. thinkorswim platforms also feature built-in education and professional insights, plus integrated access to Schwab's team of trading specialists.
No, you do not need prior experience to open a trading account at Schwab. If you're just getting started with trading, Schwab can help grow your knowledge and skills with a wide array of live and on-demand education designed for traders at all levels. And you can always talk to one of our trading specialists, they're available 24/7.