Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Charles Schwab vs Starling Bank

Charles Schwab logo

Charles Schwab

Personal Finance

Investing made simple

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Starling Bank logo

Starling Bank

Personal Finance

UK-licensed digital bank with FSCS-protected deposits, built and majority-owned without a US parent

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Starling Bank 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; Starling Bank as a UK-only bank, customers wanting broad multi-currency holding, international transfers or in-app investing will need a separate product, since Starling's feature set stays deliberately focused on core banking.
  • They diverge on capability: Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Charles Schwab and Starling Bank actually diverge.

Attributes where Charles Schwab and Starling Bank differ
AttributeCharles SchwabStarling Bank
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionFree personal current account; business accounts have free and paid tiers
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 Starling Bank

  • FSCS-protected deposits
  • Business banking suite
  • Fee-free foreign card spending
  • Savings Spaces
  • Joint accounts
  • Starling mortgages

What people use each for

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

Charles Schwab

  • Budget Managementnot Starling Bank
  • Expense Trackingnot Starling Bank
  • Investment Trackingnot Starling Bank

Starling Bank

  • A UK resident wanting a free, fully licensed current account with FSCS deposit protectionnot Charles Schwab
  • A sole trader or small business wanting a business account with built-in invoicing rather than a separate accounting subscriptionnot Charles Schwab
  • A frequent traveller wanting fee-free card spending abroad on a UK-regulated accountnot Charles Schwab
  • A saver wanting goal-based Spaces sub-accounts without opening a separate savings productnot 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

Starling Bank

  • As a UK-only bank, customers wanting broad multi-currency holding, international transfers or in-app investing will need a separate product, since Starling's feature set stays deliberately focused on core banking.
  • Business account paid tiers add a monthly fee for features that some competitors bundle for free, so cost comparison against other business banking options should account for the tier actually needed, not the free entry point.
  • Like other app-first banks, Starling has very limited physical presence, which is a real limitation for customers needing to deposit cash or prefer in-person service.
  • Mortgage lending is limited to buy-to-let through a subsidiary rather than a full residential mortgage range, so it is not a one-stop option for a typical homebuyer.
  • Interest rates on savings Spaces and any lending products are set individually and can change, so the specific rate should be checked at the time of opening rather than assumed from marketing.

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

Starling Bank

Free
  • Personal current accountFree
    • Free current account with FSCS-protected deposits
    • Fee-free foreign currency card spending
    • No monthly account fee
  • Business Toolkit$7/month
    • Integrated invoicing and expense categorisation
    • Multiple sub-accounts (Spaces) for tax and VAT setting-aside
    • Accounting software integrations

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 Starling Bank if

  • You need fscs-protected deposits.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want business banking suite.
Starling Bank review

Questions people ask

Is Charles Schwab or Starling Bank better?
Neither clearly leads. Charles Schwab starts at On request and Starling Bank at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Charles Schwab or Starling Bank?
Starling Bank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Charles Schwab and Free for Starling Bank.
Does Charles Schwab or Starling Bank run on more platforms?
Charles Schwab runs on Web, IOS, Android. Starling Bank runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Starling Bank for free?
Yes. Starling Bank 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 Starling Bank is typically brought in for.
What can Charles Schwab do that Starling Bank cannot?
Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Wealth management, Research tools. Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits, Business banking suite, Fee-free foreign card spending, Savings Spaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Starling Bank: Is Starling Bank a real bank?

Yes, Starling Bank Limited holds a full UK banking licence and is regulated by the FCA and PRA, the same framework as traditional UK banks.

Starling Bank: Are deposits protected if Starling fails?

Eligible deposits are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to 85,000 pounds per eligible person, the same statutory protection as other UK banks.

Starling Bank: Is Starling good for a small business?

It has a well regarded business banking product with integrated invoicing and accounting software links, commonly used by UK sole traders and small companies.

Share

Related pages

More on Charles Schwab

More on Starling Bank

Keep looking

Other head to heads