Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Charles Schwab vs Revolut

Charles Schwab logo

Charles Schwab

Personal Finance

Investing made simple

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Revolut logo

Revolut

Personal Finance

Multi-currency financial app operating as a licensed bank in parts of the EU and as an e-money institution elsewhere

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Revolut 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; Revolut uK customer balances have historically been held under an e-money institution licence, meaning they are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme the way a traditional UK bank deposit is, even though Revolut was granted a restricted UK banking licence in 2024.
  • They diverge on capability: Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Revolut covers Multi-currency accounts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Charles Schwab and Revolut differ
AttributeCharles SchwabRevolut
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionFree standard tier; paid plans add higher limits, insurance and perks
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded1971Unknown

Identical on both: 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
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support

Only in Revolut

  • Multi-currency accounts
  • Revolut Bank EEA deposits
  • Stock, crypto and commodity trading
  • Budgeting and spending analytics
  • Virtual and disposable cards
  • Business accounts (Revolut Business)

What people use each for

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

Charles Schwab

  • Budget Managementnot Revolut
  • Expense Trackingnot Revolut
  • Investment Trackingnot Revolut

Revolut

  • Someone travelling or living across multiple currencies who wants low-cost exchange and spending in one accountnot Charles Schwab
  • A user in the EEA who wants their balance held with a licensed bank covered by a deposit guarantee schemenot Charles Schwab
  • A UK-based user who understands their balance sits under e-money safeguarding rather than FSCS bank protection, and is comfortable with thatnot Charles Schwab
  • An investor wanting stock or crypto trading integrated with everyday spending in a single appnot 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

Revolut

  • UK customer balances have historically been held under an e-money institution licence, meaning they are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme the way a traditional UK bank deposit is, even though Revolut was granted a restricted UK banking licence in 2024.
  • Regulatory status differs by country of use, EEA versus UK versus other markets, so the actual protection on a given balance depends on where the account is domiciled, not on the brand alone.
  • Customer service has been a recurring complaint, with account freezes for fraud checks sometimes leaving customers unable to access funds for extended periods with limited direct human contact.
  • The free tier caps fee-free currency exchange at a monthly allowance, after which a fair usage fee applies, so heavy multi-currency users may need a paid plan to avoid extra charges.
  • The breadth of features, banking, trading, crypto and business accounts, spans multiple regulatory regimes and legal entities, which makes the overall structure harder for a typical customer to fully understand than a single-licence traditional bank.

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

Revolut

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Free multi-currency spending up to a monthly exchange allowance
    • Basic budgeting tools
    • UK balances held under e-money safeguarding, not FSCS-protected as a standard bank deposit
  • Premium$7.99/month
    • Higher free exchange allowance
    • Travel insurance and card delivery perks
    • Priority customer support
  • Metal$14.99/month
    • Cashback on card spending
    • Higher limits across features
    • Metal card and additional insurance cover

Which should you pick?

Choose Charles Schwab if

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

Choose Revolut if

  • You need multi-currency accounts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want revolut bank eea deposits.
Revolut review

Questions people ask

Is Charles Schwab or Revolut better?
Neither clearly leads. Charles Schwab starts at On request and Revolut at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Charles Schwab or Revolut?
Revolut has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Charles Schwab and Free for Revolut.
Does Charles Schwab or Revolut run on more platforms?
Charles Schwab runs on Web, IOS, Android. Revolut runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Revolut for free?
Yes. Revolut 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 Revolut is typically brought in for.
What can Charles Schwab do that Revolut cannot?
Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Wealth management, Research tools. Revolut covers Multi-currency accounts, Revolut Bank EEA deposits, Stock, crypto and commodity trading, Budgeting and spending analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Revolut: Is my money safe with Revolut?

It depends on your country. EEA balances are held with a Lithuanian-licensed bank and generally covered by deposit guarantee up to 100,000 euro; UK balances have historically sat under e-money safeguarding rather than FSCS bank protection, though Revolut has been working toward full UK banking status since gaining a restricted licence in 2024.

Revolut: Is Revolut a bank?

In the EEA, yes, through Revolut Bank UAB, licensed in Lithuania. In the UK, it has historically operated as an e-money institution and was granted a restricted banking licence in 2024, with full UK banking status pending completion of a mobilisation period.

Revolut: Does Revolut charge for currency exchange?

Exchange is free up to a monthly allowance on the standard tier, after which a fair usage fee applies; paid plans raise or remove that allowance.

Share

Related pages

More on Charles Schwab

More on Revolut

Keep looking

Other head to heads