Is thinkorswim better than TradingView for options?

For trading options inside a Schwab account, thinkorswim has more built in, including Option Hacker and Spread Hacker scans. TradingView has an options chain and strategy builder and works with several brokers.

The platform is free with a Schwab account. You pay trade costs, which Schwab lists as $0 for online US stock and ETF trades and $0.65 per options contract.

Can you use TradingView and thinkorswim together?

Yes. Many traders chart in one and trade in the other. Check your broker's list of TradingView integrations if you want to place orders from TradingView charts.

What is the best options trading platform on Reddit?

Reddit threads name thinkorswim, TradingView and others, and the answer depends on your broker and what data you want. If gamma exposure matters to you, compare which platforms show it by strike before choosing.

TradingView vs thinkorswim

TradingView is a charting platform you subscribe to, with a free Basic plan and paid plans from $12.95 a month billed yearly. thinkorswim is Charles Schwab's trading platform, free with a Schwab account, where you pay per trade instead. Pick TradingView for charts across many brokers, and thinkorswim for options trading inside one brokerage.

Free gamma exposure by strike

TradingView, thinkorswim and Obelion compared
Platform	Cost	Custom scripts	Practice trading	Options tools	Charts per layout
Obelion	Free plan, paid from $25 a month	OmegaScript, by invitation	Arena, replayed sessions	GEX by strike, chain, max pain	2 free, up to 6 on paid plans
TradingView	Free Basic, paid from $12.95 a month billed yearly	Pine Script	Paper Trading	Options chain, strategy builder	1 free, up to 16 on Ultimate
thinkorswim	Free with a Schwab account, $0.65 per options contract	thinkScript	paperMoney	Option Hacker, Spread Hacker	Charts grid and Flexible Grid

Read from each vendor's own site on November 10, 2026. Prices and plan limits change; check before you subscribe or open an account.

Cost

TradingView: Basic is free. Essential is $12.95 a month, Plus $29.95, Premium $59.95 and Ultimate $199.95, each billed yearly. Paid plans add charts per layout, indicators per chart and remove ads.

thinkorswim: the desktop, web and mobile versions are free with any Schwab account. Schwab lists $0 commission for online US stock and ETF trades and $0.65 per options contract. What you pay depends on how much you trade.

Charting and scripting

TradingView allows from 1 chart per layout on Basic up to 16 on Ultimate, and from 2 to 50 indicators per chart. Its scripting language, Pine Script, has a public library of more than 150,000 community scripts, about half of them open source.

thinkorswim has a charts grid and a Flexible Grid with resizable cells that can be saved and shared. Custom studies are written in thinkScript, which also drives scans, watchlist columns and alerts. A Chart Describer infobox summarises technical highlights for the chart you are on.

Trading and practice

TradingView is not a broker. You connect a supported broker and can then place and manage trades from the chart. Its Paper Trading feature uses virtual funds for practice.

thinkorswim is the broker's own platform. You can place orders by right clicking a price on the chart or from the Active Trader ladder, and color linking keeps a watchlist, chart and other panels on the same symbol. paperMoney is its simulated trading mode, and non-clients can try it with a 30 day guest pass.

Options tools

thinkorswim is built around options. Option Hacker scans single options by your criteria, and Spread Hacker scans multi-leg spreads such as verticals, butterflies and iron condors.

TradingView has an options chain with greeks and implied volatility, an options strategy builder and a strategy finder. Neither platform shows dealer gamma exposure by strike.

thinkorswim alternatives

If you want options positioning data next to your charts without changing brokers, Obelion adds gamma exposure by strike, options chains and max pain, free on its public pages, with paid plans from $25 a month. It is a charting and analysis platform, so you place trades with your broker. We make Obelion, so weigh our view accordingly.

Questions

Is thinkorswim better than TradingView for options?: For trading options inside a Schwab account, thinkorswim has more built in, including Option Hacker and Spread Hacker scans. TradingView has an options chain and strategy builder and works with several brokers.
Is thinkorswim free?: The platform is free with a Schwab account. You pay trade costs, which Schwab lists as $0 for online US stock and ETF trades and $0.65 per options contract.
Can you use TradingView and thinkorswim together?: Yes. Many traders chart in one and trade in the other. Check your broker's list of TradingView integrations if you want to place orders from TradingView charts.
What is the best options trading platform on Reddit?: Reddit threads name thinkorswim, TradingView and others, and the answer depends on your broker and what data you want. If gamma exposure matters to you, compare which platforms show it by strike before choosing.

For education only, not financial advice. See the disclaimer.