Personal Finance · head to head
Mint vs Charles Schwab
The short version
- Only Mint has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Mint service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere; 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: Mint covers Expense tracking, Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mint and Charles Schwab actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mint | Charles Schwab |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | free | transaction |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2006 | 1971 |
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 Mint
- Expense tracking
- Budgets
- Bill tracking
- Credit score monitoring
- Financial insights
- Bank connections
- Bank-level encryption
- Verisign secured
Only in Charles Schwab
- Commission-free trading
- Retirement planning
- Wealth management
- Research tools
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- IOS support
Both cover
- Web support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mint
- Legacy free budget tracking for users with supported bank connectionsnot Charles Schwab
- Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab
- Budget Managementnot Mint
- Expense Trackingnot Mint
- Investment Trackingnot Mint
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Mint
- Service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere
- Bank connections supported for only 17,000 financial institutions; many regional or international banks not supported
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 $0 online commission, per the App Store listing for Schwab Mobile
Pricing, plan by plan
Mint
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.
Charles Schwab
On request- Individual BrokerageFree
- Commission-free trading
- Research tools
- Schwab Advisor Services$undefined/month
- All Brokerage features
- Wealth management
- Personal advisors
Which should you pick?
Choose Mint if
- You need expense tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want budgets.
Choose Charles Schwab if
- You need commission-free trading.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want retirement planning.
Questions people ask
- Is Mint or Charles Schwab better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and Charles Schwab at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mint or Charles Schwab?
- Mint has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mint and On request for Charles Schwab.
- Does Mint or Charles Schwab run on more platforms?
- Mint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Charles Schwab runs on Web, IOS, Android.
- Can I use Mint for free?
- Yes. Mint has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Charles Schwab starts at On request.
- What is Mint best used for?
- Mint is most often used for legacy free budget tracking for users with supported bank connections, users transitioning to credit karma for continued money management features. Of those, legacy free budget tracking for users with supported bank connections and users transitioning to credit karma for continued money management features are not what Charles Schwab is typically brought in for.
- What can Mint do that Charles Schwab cannot?
- Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring. Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Wealth management, Research tools. Both handle Web support, Android support.