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Personal Finance · head to head

Banktivity vs Charles Schwab

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Personal Finance

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Charles Schwab logo

Charles Schwab

Personal Finance

Investing made simple

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; Charles Schwab broker-assisted trades cost $25 and automated phone trades cost $5 in addition to the standard $0 online commission, per the App Store listing for Schwab Mobile
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and Charles Schwab actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and Charles Schwab differ
AttributeBanktivityCharles Schwab
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction
PlatformsMac, IOSWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20071971

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Banktivity

  • Account tracking
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Budget forecasting
  • Mac support

Only in Charles Schwab

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Wealth management
  • Research tools
  • Web support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Banktivity

  • Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Charles Schwab
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot Charles Schwab
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot Charles Schwab
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

  • Budget Managementnot Banktivity
  • Expense Trackingnot Banktivity
  • Investment Trackingnot Banktivity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Banktivity

  • Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
  • Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page

Charles Schwab

  • Broker-assisted trades cost $25 and automated phone trades cost $5 in addition to the standard $0 online commission, per the App Store listing for Schwab Mobile
  • Options trades carry a $0.65 per-contract fee on top of the $0 online commission, per the App Store listing for Schwab Mobile

Pricing, plan by plan

Banktivity

On request
  • Monthly$4.99/month
    • Full feature access
    • Cloud sync
  • Annual$39.99/month
    • All monthly features
    • Discounted rate

Charles Schwab

On request
  • Individual BrokerageFree
    • Commission-free trading
    • Research tools
  • Schwab Advisor Services$undefined/month
    • All Brokerage features
    • Wealth management
    • Personal advisors

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

  • You need account tracking.
  • You work on Mac, IOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Banktivity review

Choose Charles Schwab if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Charles Schwab review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or Charles Schwab better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and Charles Schwab at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or Charles Schwab?
Banktivity starts at On request and Charles Schwab at On request.
Does Banktivity or Charles Schwab run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. Charles Schwab runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is Banktivity best used for?
Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what Charles Schwab is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that Charles Schwab cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Wealth management, Research tools. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, IOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Banktivity: Does Banktivity offer a free trial?

Yes. Banktivity offers a 30-day free trial at any subscription level with no credit card required. This allows you to test the platform before committing.

Source
Banktivity: What devices does Banktivity support?

Banktivity is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad with cross-device sync. Data is encrypted end-to-end across all devices.

Source
Banktivity: How many banks does Banktivity connect to?

Banktivity connects to 14,000+ banks, allowing direct connections to most major financial institutions.

Source
Banktivity: What financial planning tools does Banktivity include?

Banktivity includes budgeting, financial reporting, investment portfolio tracking, retirement planning tools, and net worth tracking across all your accounts.

Source
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