Schwab vs E*TRADE options fees (2026)
Both charge $0.65 per contract for stock/ETF options. Both charge $0.00 for exercise/assignment. At the smallest balance tier each lists, Schwab charges 12.075% ($100-$24,999.99) and E*TRADE charges 12.7% (<$10,000).
| Charles Schwab | E*TRADE | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-contract commission | $0.65 Source: www.schwab.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 | $0.65 Source: us.etrade.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 |
| Exercise / assignment fee | $0.00 Source: www.schwab.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 | $0.00 Source: us.etrade.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 |
| Index option fees | $0.65/contract + exchange proprietary index fee passed through as Industry Fee (amount not stated by Schwab) Source: www.schwab.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 | SPX $0.54, NDX $0.66, VIX $0.30, RUT $0.17 Source: us.etrade.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 |
| Margin rates | $100-$24,999.99: 12.075% $25,000-$49,999.99: 11.575% $50,000-$99,999.99: 10.625% $100,000-$249,999.99: 10.575% $250,000-$499,999.99: 10.325% Source: www.schwab.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 | <$10,000: 12.7% $10,000-$24,999: 12.45% $25,000-$49,999: 12.2% $50,000-$99,999: 11.7% $100,000-$249,999: 11.2% $250,000-$499,999: 10.7% Source: us.etrade.com, retrieved 2026-10-25 |
Per-contract figures exclude regulatory pass-through fees. Estimate your yearly cost with the calculator. See full pages for Schwab and E*TRADE.