// side-by-side

thinkorswim (Schwab) vs Unusual Whales

A side-by-side look at published plans and listed features, checked 2026-10-16.

Field	thinkorswim (Schwab)	Unusual Whales
Starting price	Free	Free · paid from $50/mo · $504/yr
Plans (monthly · yearly)	thinkorswim platform Free 30-day Guest Pass for people without a Schwab account.	Free Free Retail Basic $50/mo · $504/yr ($42/mo billed annually) Retail Pro $75/mo · $756/yr ($63/mo billed annually) Retail Max $120/mo · $1,224/yr ($102/mo billed annually) API plans and the Whale Bundle (dashboard + API) are sold separately and not shown. All sales final; plan swaps possible within 7 days.
Free tier
Free trial	Not listed	Not listed
Platforms	Not listed in our data	Not listed in our data
Real-time data	Not stated on vendor page	Yes on paid plans; free plan is delayed
Key features	Stock Hacker scanner (fundamental, technical and option-related criteria, custom attributes) Pre-defined and custom screeners, watchlists thinkScript custom studies and condition wizard 400+ technical studies paperMoney simulated trading Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux), web and mobile	Real-time options flow feed with unusual-activity indicators Dark pool data, GEX heatmap and Greeks dashboards Stock and options screener; custom alerts (25 on Basic, unlimited on Pro/Max) Congressional (politician) trade data Web, mobile app and Discord community
Last checked	2026-10-16	2026-10-17
Source	https://www.schwab.com/trading/thinkorswim	https://unusualwhales.com/pricing
Links	Visit site (opens in new tab)	Visit site (opens in new tab)

≈ = calculated by us, not published by the vendor. Prices in USD before tax. How we read prices →