Personal Finance · head to head
Charles Schwab vs Personal Capital
The short version
- Only Personal Capital has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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; Personal Capital wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
- They diverge on capability: Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Personal Capital covers Investment tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Charles Schwab and Personal Capital actually diverge.
| Attribute | Charles Schwab | Personal Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | transaction | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 1971 | 2010 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), 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 Charles Schwab
- Commission-free trading
- Retirement planning
- Wealth management
- Research tools
Only in Personal Capital
- Investment tracking
- Retirement calculator
- Fee analyzer
- Net worth tracking
- Real estate
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Charles Schwab
- Budget Managementnot Personal Capital
- Expense Trackingnot Personal Capital
- Investment Trackingnot Personal Capital
Personal Capital
- Tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboardnot Charles Schwab
- Managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investorsnot Charles Schwab
- Retirement planning projections across linked accountsnot Charles Schwab
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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 $0 online commission, per the App Store listing for Schwab Mobile
Personal Capital
- Wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
- The annual advisory fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management on a tiered structure rather than a flat subscription
- Assets are custodied at Pershing Advisor Solutions rather than by the provider itself
Pricing, plan by plan
Charles Schwab
On request- Individual BrokerageFree
- Commission-free trading
- Research tools
- Schwab Advisor Services$undefined/month
- All Brokerage features
- Wealth management
- Personal advisors
Personal Capital
Free- FreeFree
- Account tracking
- Net worth monitoring
- Investment analysis
- Premium$undefined/month
- Financial advisor access
- Personalized advice
Which should you pick?
Choose Charles Schwab if
- You need commission-free trading.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want retirement planning.
Choose Personal Capital if
- You need investment tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want retirement calculator.
Questions people ask
- Is Charles Schwab or Personal Capital better?
- Neither clearly leads. Charles Schwab starts at On request and Personal Capital at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Charles Schwab or Personal Capital?
- Personal Capital has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Charles Schwab and Free for Personal Capital.
- Does Charles Schwab or Personal Capital run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Personal Capital for free?
- Yes. Personal Capital has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Charles Schwab starts at On request.
- What is Charles Schwab best used for?
- Charles Schwab is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Personal Capital is typically brought in for.
- What can Charles Schwab do that Personal Capital cannot?
- Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Wealth management, Research tools. Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, Web support, IOS support.