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

Schwab Mobile vs thinkorswim

Schwab Mobile 4.8★ · Free to download 75
Winner Schwab Mobile
thinkorswim 4.7★ · Free to download 60

For most users, Schwab Mobile is the better choice due to its ease of use and general reliability, while thinkorswim is better suited for advanced traders who can overlook its technical issues and steep learning curve.

Full reviews: Schwab Mobile · thinkorswim

Schwab Mobile is generally praised for its user-friendliness and essential trading features, though some users report issues with real-time data and advanced functionalities. thinkorswim, while powerful for advanced trading, is plagued by mandatory updates that render it incompatible with older devices and frequent performance glitches.

Head to head

Features and Functionality tieR2R5R6R8
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile offers easy directive trading and tracking, with users appreciating its no-commission structure and basic investment capabilities R2R8. However, some users desire more advanced features like after-hours trading, real-time data, better research tools, and the ability to purchase CDs directly in the app R6R9R5. There are also requests for improved stock watcher pages and better profit and loss displays .
thinkorswim thinkorswim is lauded as a full-featured and powerful trading platform, especially for options trading, with excellent charting and news features . However, users note that the mobile app lacks parity with the desktop version in terms of trading button functions and the ability to trade while looking at charts . Some users also find the interface dated compared to competitors and wish for more custom indicators and volume profiles .
Ease of Use and Interface edge: Schwab MobileR2R28R30R32
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile is generally considered user-friendly and easy for beginners, with a simple and fast interface for transactions R2R32R41. However, recent updates have made the portfolio page busy and less useful for some, and others find the interface not well laid out or difficult to navigate due to unclear clickable links R30. Some users also find it complicated .
thinkorswim thinkorswim is praised for being intuitive and user-friendly by some, especially for beginners . However, many users find it cumbersome for simple trades and confusing unless they are sophisticated, full-time users R28. There are complaints about the options UI being bad and the app being clunky .
Reliability and Performance tieR3R9R10R13
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile faces significant criticism for its reliability, with frequent reports of the app going down, being unstable, and having horrible refresh rates for stock prices R10R13R16R22. Users often experience lagging quotes, frozen numbers, and issues with streaming data, leading to missed trades R3R9R22. Advanced charts are also reported as not working .
thinkorswim thinkorswim users report frequent issues with lagging performance, re-establishing connections, and charts loading slowly, which can lead to financial losses . The app is also prone to crashing, especially when navigating news . Many users highlight glitches, such as incorrect share lot sales and broken cost basis displays .
Updates and Compatibility edge: Schwab MobileR7R19R21R25
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile users express frustration with constant, repetitive requests to rate the app, which interrupt their usage R7R19R25. Some recent updates have also removed features like 'stock slices' and 'total gain/loss percentage display,' which users miss R21.
thinkorswim thinkorswim has severe compatibility issues due to mandatory updates that require newer iOS versions, rendering the app unusable on older iPhones and iPads R61R65R77. Many users are locked out and forced to buy new devices or switch brokers, expressing strong dissatisfaction with this policy .
Customer Service and Support edge: Schwab MobileR20R24R32R42
Schwab Mobile Schwab Mobile users generally report positive experiences with Schwab's customer service, noting that people at Schwab outlets are helpful and the customer service line provides access to actual humans R20R32. However, some users have experienced issues with money transfers and cancelled wires without explanation R24R42.
thinkorswim thinkorswim users acknowledge that the people working for Schwab are great and helpful . However, one user claims that customer attention worsened after the change to Charles Schwab . There's also a serious accusation of the broker selling customer information .
Pick Schwab Mobile if

You are a casual investor or beginner looking for a generally easy-to-use platform for basic trading and tracking, and you value good customer service R2R32R41. You are willing to overlook occasional lags in real-time data and some missing advanced features R3R9R16.

Pick thinkorswim if

You are an experienced or active trader who needs a powerful, full-featured platform for complex strategies, especially options trading, and you are comfortable with a steeper learning curve . You also have a newer mobile device that can handle the latest iOS requirements .

Evidence note: Both apps are free to download, so there is no free-vs-paid asymmetry. Recent reviews for both apps show a negative skew, particularly for thinkorswim due to its compatibility issues. Schwab Mobile's negative reviews often focus on performance and missing features, while thinkorswim's are dominated by forced updates and device incompatibility.

Frequently asked

Which app is better for beginners?
Schwab Mobile is generally considered better for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and ease of use for basic trading and tracking R2R32R41.
Does thinkorswim work on older devices?
No, thinkorswim's recent mandatory updates often require newer iOS versions, rendering the app incompatible and unusable on many older iPhones and iPads R61R65R77R101.
Do either of these apps have real-time data issues?
Yes, both apps have users reporting issues with real-time data; Schwab Mobile users frequently mention lagging quotes and frozen numbers, while thinkorswim users report slow-loading charts and re-establishing connections R3R9R16R22.
Can I trade after hours with these apps?
Schwab Mobile users have specifically requested the addition of after-hours trading, indicating it is currently limited or unavailable R6R18. thinkorswim users have requested price change updates during extended and night market times R100.

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] Schwab Mobile 5/5 · US Schwab Mobile Works!: Easy directive trading and tracking.
  2. [R5] Schwab Mobile 4/5 · US Research: Not enough access.
  3. [R6] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US After Hours Trading: Enjoying Schwab but we need to add extra hours onto our trading day Other platforms are doing it on popular stocks and etf’s. Schwab users should have access to that so not to be left behind
  4. [R8] Schwab Mobile 5/5 · US Great platform for investing: The best of the best, no commission and available for Chinese people, go Schwab!
  5. [R28] Schwab Mobile 2/5 · US So disappointed in Think or Swim: Continues to be a cumbersome when trying to do the simplest of trades.
  6. [R30] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US Rethink user interface: Not well laid out interface. Usability is ok at best. Need to rethink presentation to customer - also tying to add a nickname to submit review - way to cumbersome
  7. [R32] Schwab Mobile 5/5 · US Easy: Easy platform, trader friendly for beginners. Customer service line was an actual human and not a recorded line.
  8. [R3] 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
  9. [R9] 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.
  10. [R10] Schwab Mobile 1/5 · US Worst Trading App: This app continually goes down. Never had issues with TD Ameritrade, but since Schwab bought them, this app has been nothing but issues.
  11. [R13] Schwab Mobile 1/5 · US Very unstable: app is very unstable
  12. [R7] 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
  13. [R19] Schwab Mobile 1/5 · US Mr: Stop asking me to give you a rating
  14. [R21] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US Stock slices removed: Please add back stock slices. Having to manually put in 15 orders is not easier than what stock slices provided.
  15. [R25] Schwab Mobile 1/5 · US Repetitive review: I’m giving you a one star because you’ve asked me 10 times to rate the app in the last 10 days.
  16. [R20] Schwab Mobile 5/5 · US Excellence on platform: People at Schwab outlets are very helpful
  17. [R24] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US Individually targeted: I’ve tried to transfer money from bank to bank and there have been times that I’ve been in severe need and Charles Schwab insured that I would not find success. I was in California needing a hotel they would not accept a transfer within the same business day. I was unable to get a hotel a hotel I had to sleep in my car as a result. They’re friendly and professional, but if y
  18. [R42] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US Wires: I’ve tried to wire funds to family members and half have been cancelled with no explanation, no alert.
  19. [R41] Schwab Mobile 5/5 · US Ease of use: Three thumbs up!
  20. [R61] 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
  21. [R65] 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.
  22. [R77] 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.
  23. [R101] thinkorswim 1/5 · US App is no longer working: It really sucks that this app is no longer supported on older versions of iOS, and that means that if you want to continue using the app, you have to go out and buy newer versions of iPads and iPhones. If you are still able to use the app today, be prepared as your time is coming when your device is no longer supported. As a financial services company, Schwab should not b
  24. [R16] Schwab Mobile 1/5 · US App Refresh Rate: Recently, the app refresh rate is horrible when it comes to keeping up with stock prices. Stocks often lag to update while monitoring them in my Watch List. This happens at home in good WiFi. The app layout is great and user ability is very simple and friendly.
  25. [R22] Schwab Mobile 1/5 · US Missing trading: The app looks great on the suffice. However, streaming data is never available. I missed many tradings and some bad trading in this app. I can’t believe Charles Schwab can’t make a good app. When it was with AmeriTrade I had no issue, always live data.
  26. [R18] Schwab Mobile 3/5 · US better options: not very user friendly. No trading until 7am (other platforms allow much earlier). hard to get in and out of positions quickly.
  27. [R100] thinkorswim 4/5 · US need to improve: there is an important function need to be added： when in extended and night market time，the price change rate should also been updated and shown. It is very important！ Thanks

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