Schwab Crypto vs E*Trade Crypto: Fees, Coins & Transfers

E*Trade charges less per trade: a 0.50% commission against Schwab Crypto’s 0.75%. ETrade also offers one more coin today (solana). But Schwab Crypto already lets enabled accounts send and receive bitcoin and ether, while ETrade still lists crypto transfers as “coming soon.” The two also hold your crypto very differently: Schwab through its own bank, E*Trade through a separate account at a company called zerohash.

Here’s a side-by-side from each firm’s own pages as of October 22, 2026.

Schwab Crypto vs E*Trade crypto at a glance

Fees: E*Trade is cheaper per trade

ETrade’s crypto FAQ: “A commission fee of 0.50% (50 basis points) will be charged on the notional trade value. There is no additional spread fee and no markup.” It adds that the “commission fee is charged by zerohash, of which ETRADE receives a portion.”

Schwab’s pricing guide sets the Schwab Crypto fee at “75 bps, subject to a $0.01 minimum fee per transaction,” and Schwab says it “does not add a markup to crypto quotes or trades.”

Both charge again when you sell, so a round trip costs about 1.5% at Schwab and about 1% at E*Trade. Neither firm charges a fee to hold an account. See our Schwab Crypto fee guide for how Schwab applies its fee to dollar and coin orders.

Coins: E*Trade has solana today

• E*Trade: “Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.”
• Schwab Crypto: bitcoin and ether. On August 27, 2026, Schwab announced solana, avalanche, and chainlink for “the coming months.” As of October 22, 2026, its FAQ still lists only bitcoin and ether.

Transfers: Schwab is ahead

This is the biggest practical difference if you ever want to move coins.

• Schwab Crypto: “Once you have enrolled in crypto transfers, you can receive and send supported cryptocurrencies.” The feature is rolling out in phases, and Schwab emails you when your account is enabled. It covers BTC on the Bitcoin network and ETH on the Ethereum network, with withdrawals capped at $5,000 per transfer and 3 per day. See how to transfer bitcoin into Schwab Crypto and how to withdraw crypto from Schwab.
• E*Trade: its crypto page lists “Coming soon: Transfer supported crypto into your linked zerohash crypto account.” Morgan Stanley’s July 16, 2026, announcement said “transfer functionality is expected to launch later this year.”

Until E*Trade’s transfers launch, crypto bought there has to be sold to leave.

Who holds your crypto

The two firms are built differently, and it’s worth understanding before you choose.

Schwab Crypto is an account at Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB, a Schwab bank. Schwab says the bank custodies your crypto “in collaboration with a regulated third-party firm, Paxos Trust Company LLC, that provides sub-custody services,” mostly in cold storage. Schwab’s Security Guarantee covers losses from unauthorized activity in Schwab Crypto accounts.

E*Trade crypto is an account at Zero Hash LLC (zerohash). E*Trade’s disclosures say Morgan Stanley “does not transact in or custody digital assets” and that “all digital asset transactions and custody occur between you and Zero Hash LLC (‘zerohash’) … through a separate, non-brokerage account in your name at zerohash and outside of Morgan Stanley.”

At both, the crypto itself is not FDIC-insured or SIPC-protected.

Accounts, ordering, and platforms

• Linked account: Schwab Crypto links to an individual or joint Schwab brokerage account, and you can open several crypto accounts, each linked to a different brokerage account. ETrade requires an individual ETrade brokerage account, and “each individual is limited to a single crypto account.”
• Funding: at Schwab you move cash from the linked brokerage account into the crypto account. At E*Trade the two accounts “share buying power,” and funds “automatically sweep in and out of the linked brokerage account.”
• Orders: Schwab offers market, limit, stop, and stop limit orders everywhere, with trailing and advanced orders on thinkorswim. E*Trade offers market and limit orders, good for the day or until a date up to 60 days out.
• Order size: Schwab $1 to $2 million. E*Trade $10 to $500,000.
• Platforms: Schwab.com, Schwab Mobile, and thinkorswim. ETrade web and app, with Power ETrade “coming soon.”

Where each is available

Schwab Crypto is available “in all U.S. states except for New York and Louisiana” and not in U.S. territories. ETrade’s FAQ says “any US-based client or prospective client” can open a crypto account, and its disclosures note that Zero Hash LLC is “licensed to engage in Virtual Currency Business Activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services.” If you live in New York or Louisiana, read Schwab Crypto in New York and Louisiana and confirm ETrade’s eligibility before you apply.

Tax forms

ETrade says “a 1099-DA will be furnished by zerohash and made available in the Tax Center on ETRADE.” Schwab says you’ll receive a tax form for your Schwab Crypto account “only if you have at least one cryptocurrency sale in a given tax year.” For how crypto sales are taxed, talk to a tax professional.

Which should you choose?

• Lowest trading fee, or you want solana now: E*Trade.
• You want to move coins to your own wallet, or bring coins in: Schwab Crypto, once transfers are enabled on your account.
• You trade with stop orders or on thinkorswim: Schwab Crypto.
• You already have your investments at one firm: keeping crypto next to them is simpler, and both firms show crypto alongside your other holdings.

Fees, coins, and transfer features at both firms are changing quickly. Check each firm’s crypto page before you open an account.

Related Schwab Crypto guides

• Schwab Crypto vs Coinbase
• Schwab Crypto vs a bitcoin ETF
• What coins can you buy on Schwab Crypto?
• Is Schwab Crypto safe?