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Money Manager vs Charles Schwab

Money Manager logo

Money Manager

Software

Personal and household finance tracker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Charles Schwab logo

Charles Schwab

Software

Investing made simple

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Money Manager has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Money Manager databases created by version 1.4.x are not readable by current releases and produce the error MMEX database version 13 doesn't work with this MMEX version, requiring a manual conversion procedure; 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: Money Manager covers Expense tracking, Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Money Manager and Charles Schwab actually diverge.

Attributes where Money Manager and Charles Schwab differ
AttributeMoney ManagerCharles Schwab
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcetransaction
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, IOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20051971

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Money Manager

  • Expense tracking
  • Budget tracking
  • Reporting
  • Multi-currency support
  • Import/Export
  • CSV
  • Windows support
  • Mac support

Only in Charles Schwab

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Wealth management
  • Research tools
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Web support

Both cover

  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Money Manager

  • Free desktop personal finance tracking on Windows, macOS and Linuxnot Charles Schwab
  • Running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on Windowsnot Charles Schwab
  • Categorising spending and reporting on personal accounts without a subscriptionnot Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

  • Budget Managementnot Money Manager
  • Expense Trackingnot Money Manager
  • Investment Trackingnot Money Manager

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Money Manager

  • Databases created by version 1.4.x are not readable by current releases and produce the error MMEX database version 13 doesn't work with this MMEX version, requiring a manual conversion procedure
  • Linux is supported only through Flatpak builds for aarch64 and x86_64
  • The download page states no system requirements, deferring them to a separate compatibility page
  • There is no vendor support contract; the project is distributed as open source with no paid tier

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

Money Manager

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Expense tracking
    • Budget management
    • Reports

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 Money Manager if

  • You need expense tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget tracking.
Money Manager review

Choose Charles Schwab if

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

Questions people ask

Is Money Manager or Charles Schwab better?
Neither clearly leads. Money Manager 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, Money Manager or Charles Schwab?
Money Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Money Manager and On request for Charles Schwab.
Does Money Manager or Charles Schwab run on more platforms?
Money Manager runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android. Charles Schwab runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Money Manager for free?
Yes. Money Manager has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Charles Schwab starts at On request.
What is Money Manager best used for?
Money Manager is most often used for free desktop personal finance tracking on windows, macos and linux, running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on windows, categorising spending and reporting on personal accounts without a subscription. Of those, free desktop personal finance tracking on windows, macos and linux and running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on windows are not what Charles Schwab is typically brought in for.
What can Money Manager do that Charles Schwab cannot?
Money Manager covers Expense tracking, Budget tracking, Reporting, Multi-currency support. Charles Schwab covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Wealth management, Research tools. Both handle IOS support, Android support.
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