{"slug":"fidelity-vs-schwab","question":"Fidelity vs Charles Schwab","answer":"Fidelity offers more investment options (30,000+ mutual funds) and lower account minimums ($0), while Schwab excels in customer service ratings (4.8/5 vs 4.5/5) and has lower average expense ratios for ETFs (0.08% vs 0.12%). Both are industry leaders with $11+ trillion in assets under administration.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Choose Fidelity if you want maximum investment flexibility, lower trading costs (especially for options), and access to more proprietary research and retirement planning tools. Choose Schwab if you prioritize superior customer service, lower expense ratios on ETFs, and a streamlined, user-friendly platform designed for simplicity.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Mutual Fund Selection","winner":"a","entityAValue":"30,000+","entityBValue":"20,000+"},{"label":"Minimum Account Balance","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"$0","entityBValue":"$0"},{"label":"Average ETF Expense Ratio","winner":"b","entityAValue":"0.12%","entityBValue":"0.08%"},{"label":"Customer Service Rating (J.D. Power)","winner":"b","entityAValue":"4.5/5","entityBValue":"4.8/5"},{"label":"Stock Trading Commission","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"$0","entityBValue":"$0"}],"winner":{"slug":"charles-schwab","name":"Charles Schwab"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Fidelity Investments","slug":"fidelity-investments","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/fidelity-investments","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/fidelity-investments"},{"name":"Charles Schwab","slug":"charles-schwab","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/charles-schwab","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/charles-schwab"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Which broker is better for options trading?","answer":"Fidelity is significantly better for options traders because it offers commission-free options trading with no minimum balance requirement. Schwab charges $0.65 per contract, which adds up quickly for active traders. A trader executing 100 options contracts monthly pays $0 at Fidelity vs $65 at Schwab annually."},{"question":"Which has lower fees for long-term index investors?","answer":"Charles Schwab has a slight edge for passive investors due to lower average ETF expense ratios (0.08% vs 0.12%). On a $100,000 portfolio, this 0.04% difference equals $40 annually. However, both offer commission-free ETF trading, and Fidelity's larger fund selection may offer more competitive options."},{"question":"How do their customer service experiences compare?","answer":"Schwab ranks higher in J.D. Power customer satisfaction (4.8/5 vs 4.5/5) and offers more accessible customer support through multiple channels. Fidelity provides comparable support but has a more complex interface, which some users find harder to navigate without assistance."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/fidelity-vs-schwab","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/fidelity-vs-schwab), Fidelity offers more investment options (30,000+ mutual funds) and lower account minimums ($0), while Schwab excels in customer service ratings (4.8/5 vs 4.5/5) and has lower average expense ratios fo","dateModified":"2026-06-21T05:29:29.634Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/fidelity-vs-schwab","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/fidelity-vs-schwab","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/fidelity-vs-schwab","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/fidelity-vs-schwab#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/fidelity-vs-schwab","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"Fidelity vs Charles Schwab","reviewBody":"Fidelity offers more investment options (30,000+ mutual funds) and lower account minimums ($0), while Schwab excels in customer service ratings (4.8/5 vs 4.5/5) and has lower average expense ratios for ETFs (0.08% vs 0.12%). Both are industry leaders with $11+ trillion in assets under administration.","datePublished":"2026-05-22T15:34:19.272Z","dateModified":"2026-06-21T05:29:29.634Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/fidelity-vs-schwab","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/fidelity-vs-schwab","name":"Fidelity vs Charles Schwab","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}