Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

thinkorswim vs Schwab Mobile

thinkorswim 4.7★ · Free to download 70
Winner Tie
Schwab Mobile 4.8★ · Free to download 65

For active traders seeking advanced features and charting, thinkorswim is the better choice, but Schwab Mobile is more suitable for general investing and ease of use, despite its own performance issues.

Full reviews: thinkorswim · Schwab Mobile

thinkorswim offers a powerful, full-featured trading platform, though it struggles with mandatory updates and performance issues on older devices. Schwab Mobile is praised for its ease of use and customer service, but users report significant issues with real-time data, stability, and limited trading features.

Head to head

Features & Functionality edge: thinkorswimR2R18R25R26
thinkorswim thinkorswim is lauded for being a full-featured trading platform, offering advanced charting, a wide array of indicators, and robust options trading capabilities, often compared favorably to desktop versions R2R26. However, some users find its interface confusing for beginners R25, and wish for more parity with desktop features like strategy drawing and custom script indicators R18.
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile is seen as good for general investing and beginners, with easy buying and selling . However, it lacks advanced trading features like extended hours trading , the ability to purchase CDs , and historical data for pre- and after-market trading . Some users also miss features like stock slices and a clear profit and loss display .
Ease of Use & Interface edge: Schwab MobileR9R18R25R29
thinkorswim thinkorswim is praised for being intuitive and user-friendly by many , especially for experienced traders R29. However, some find its interface confusing and not simple enough for casual users R25. There are also complaints about the app feeling dated compared to competitors like TradingView R9 and clunky for options trading R18.
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile is generally considered user-friendly and easy for beginners . However, recent updates have made the interface busy and less useful for some , and others find it not well laid out or too complicated . Issues with clickable links not being obvious are also noted .
Reliability & Performance tieR1R3R4R5
thinkorswim thinkorswim suffers from significant reliability issues, particularly forced mandatory updates that render older devices incompatible R1R5. Users also report frequent lagging R3R4, crashing , and glitches with lot trading methods and custom option orders .
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile also has notable reliability problems, with users frequently reporting issues with real-time quotes and data lagging or freezing R63R69. The app is described as unstable and prone to going down , and advanced charts are reported to be non-functional .
Customer Support & Value edge: Schwab MobileR7R16R50R67
thinkorswim While specific support interactions are not heavily detailed, some users express frustration with Schwab's handling of app issues, suggesting they should be able to afford fixes R7. There are also serious accusations of selling customer information R16 and high commissions R50.
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile users generally praise the helpfulness and professionalism of Schwab's people and customer service . However, some report issues with fund transfers being cancelled without explanation and an inability to deposit cash . There are also complaints about repetitive review pop-ups interrupting usage R67.
Pick thinkorswim if

You are an experienced or active trader who needs a full-featured platform with advanced charting and options trading capabilities, and you are willing to keep your device's operating system updated to meet app requirements R2R26.

Pick Schwab Mobile if

You are a general investor or beginner looking for an easy-to-use platform for basic buying and selling, and you value good customer service .

Evidence note: Recent reviews for thinkorswim are heavily skewed by mandatory iOS updates, making older devices incompatible. This significantly impacts its recent rating, though lifetime ratings remain high. Schwab Mobile's recent reviews also show a negative skew due to performance and data issues.

Frequently asked

Does thinkorswim support older devices?
No, recent mandatory updates for thinkorswim have made the app incompatible with older iPhone and iPad models, requiring users to update their iOS to version 18 or newer, which often necessitates buying new hardware R1R5R17R20.
Do either of these apps provide real-time stock data?
thinkorswim generally provides real-time data, but users have reported lagging and re-establishing connections, especially in the options trading portion R3R4. Schwab Mobile users frequently complain about stock prices lagging, freezing, and not updating in real-time, causing missed trading opportunities R63R69.
Are there any fees for using these apps?
Both thinkorswim and Schwab Mobile are free to download, and Schwab Mobile is praised for offering commission-free trading R68. However, thinkorswim users have complained about high commissions for trading R50.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] thinkorswim 5/5 · US Unbelievable.: A full-featured trading platform on my iPhone. Holy cow. Really: what more needs to be said?
  2. [R18] thinkorswim 3/5 · US Better than others but frustrating details: Still impossible to trade while looking at chart or even P/L. Still super Clunky for options. Still no parity with desktop on trading button functions. Alarm sounds not customizable. Alarms do not sound on time. Placing exit orders should be integrated with the chart.
  3. [R25] thinkorswim 1/5 · US Not everybody likes thicker swim: Briefly: the interface for thinker swim is confusing unless you’re a broker or a very sophisticated full-time user of thinkorswim and all of its multiple options. If you want simple, this is not it. I’d like to talk to those that seem to love it. I would like to know what I’m missing.
  4. [R26] thinkorswim 5/5 · US Use it all day for years: I have used this all day long for years to track the market, monitor portfolio positions, and make trade adjustments. I can not run the desktop app most of the time (when working or away from home). When needed or available I use the desktop for analyze tab, setting alerts with studies (wish they would add MA trendline crossover alert creation to the app), or when I can
  5. [R9] thinkorswim 3/5 · US Outdated: Think swim platform is becoming dated in comparison to the likes of Trading View for example. I use both platforms and in terms of clarity of indicators on screen and availability. Trading View is hands down the winner. Thinkswwim though has the edge with free indicators on display. But to me the look and feel is now dated
  6. [R29] thinkorswim 5/5 · US Best platform: Using since 07
  7. [R1] thinkorswim 1/5 · US Forced mandatory updates: Think or swim have a bad habit of forced mandatory updates that will make your older iPhone and iPad not compatible. They should have an option where you can update to the latest compatible version instead of not being compatible at all and now you have to buy new devices. Or maybe that’s the point maybe they have some type of agreement with Apple I’m not sure but it’s no
  8. [R3] thinkorswim 3/5 · US Lagging: Recent update has made the app very slow. This is at least in the options trading portion of the app. I get the re-establishing connection quite often than before. I don’t have this issue in the desktop app or on my android device.
  9. [R4] thinkorswim 1/5 · US Absurdly Slow: You will literally lose money as you wait for charts and other views to load.
  10. [R5] thinkorswim 5/5 · US Can’t use app anymore😤: My phone is not compatible for the latest iOS update and now I cannot use the app. This is not OK! Do something.
  11. [R7] thinkorswim 2/5 · US Cost basis of lots is broken: Not wasting my time with a drawn out review. Please fix the app. Schwab can afford it, just get it done.
  12. [R16] thinkorswim 1/5 · US Sale the information: They sell customer information to market makers and exploit the situation to destroy portfolios for their own personal gain, the worst broker.
  13. [R50] thinkorswim 4/5 · US Attention: The app is very good but if you do traiding is the worst because the commission is to high, and the change to Charles the client attention got worse and when the volatility is very high some time freeze and leave out of market
  14. [R67] Schwab Mobile 1/5 · US Do not popup this randomly: Stop blocking me from acceessing my account by oopoing this review popup severalntimes and unexoectedly
  15. [R17] thinkorswim 5/5 · US Version 226.1 requires iOS 18…why?: I use this app daily on a dedicated older iPad, which cannot run iOS 18. The backend now requires 226.1, which I cannot install. Thus I can no longer login with the previous version 225.1 anymore. Please reconsider the iOS 18 requirement on new versions. Thanks.
  16. [R20] thinkorswim 5/5 · US Today my 2017 iPad ca’t get in.: 2017 iPad Pro cannot get in. Seems you’ve changed the way we can login to think or swim. Any i Pad below iOS 18 cannot get in to software. Workaround : Spacedesk (PC / driver + Spacedesk app IOS iPad) + iTunes (PC needs drivers on PC )+ USB A to lightning cable - connects my PC Win 11 to my iPad: this lets me run an extended window / trading screen - from PC Think
  17. [R63] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US Lag: Quotes are not timely, leading to inaccurate quotes. I've already written a review, but it keeps popping up repeatedly. · translated
  18. [R69] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US Wish it was real time: Wish the app could give you real time numbers. It seems to freeze on the numbers when it opens and doesn’t update.
  19. [R68] Schwab Mobile 5/5 · US Great platform for investing: The best of the best, no commission and available for Chinese people, go Schwab!

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store