Personal Finance · head to head
Charles Schwab vs Splitwise
The short version
- Only Splitwise 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; Splitwise the free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
- They diverge on capability: Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Splitwise covers Bill splitting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Charles Schwab and Splitwise actually diverge.
| Attribute | Charles Schwab | Splitwise |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | transaction | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 1971 | 2011 |
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
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
Only in Splitwise
- Bill splitting
- Expense tracking
- Group management
- Settlement tracking
- Venmo
- PayPal
Both cover
- 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 Splitwise
- Expense Trackingnot Splitwise
- Investment Trackingnot Splitwise
Splitwise
- Splitting shared household bills between flatmatesnot Charles Schwab
- Tracking who owes what on a group tripnot Charles Schwab
- Settling up across currencies on the Pro plannot Charles Schwab
- Recording IOUs between friends over timenot 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 $0 online commission, per the App Store listing for Schwab Mobile
Splitwise
- The free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
- Transaction import works in the United States only
- Currency conversion, receipt scanning, charts and expense search are all Pro features
- The Pro price is not shown on the product page
Pricing, plan by plan
Charles Schwab
On request- Individual BrokerageFree
- Commission-free trading
- Research tools
- Schwab Advisor Services$undefined/month
- All Brokerage features
- Wealth management
- Personal advisors
Splitwise
Free- FreeFree
- Bill splitting
- Group tracking
- Mobile app
- Splitwise Pro$4.99/month
- Receipt scanning
- Advanced analytics
- No ads
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 Splitwise if
- You need bill splitting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want expense tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Charles Schwab or Splitwise better?
- Neither clearly leads. Charles Schwab starts at On request and Splitwise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Charles Schwab or Splitwise?
- Splitwise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Charles Schwab and Free for Splitwise.
- Does Charles Schwab or Splitwise run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Splitwise for free?
- Yes. Splitwise 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 Splitwise is typically brought in for.
- What can Charles Schwab do that Splitwise cannot?
- Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Wealth management, Research tools. Splitwise covers Bill splitting, Expense tracking, Group management, Settlement tracking. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.