TRADING PLATFORMS · GERMANY
Trading platforms in Germany: a provisional comparison
Ten cash-share and ETF brokers for German residents. Compare published fees alongside execution costs and research gaps.
Fees checked on each broker's price list on .
Provisional editorial comparison, not a total-cost ranking. These partial scores cover published fees and features. Spread, depth, slippage and effective execution costs have not been measured comparably and are not silently assumed to be zero. Read the execution review and unresolved research before choosing a broker.
Partial scores at a glance
| # | Broker | Partial score | Commissions (35%) | Currency exchange (15%) | ETF offer (25%) | Other advantages and costs (25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trading 212 Invest (Trading 212 EU GmbH) | 8.8 | 9.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| 2 | Interactive Brokers (IBKR Pro cash account) | 8.3 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7.5 |
| 3 | Scalable Capital FREE | 8.3 | 9 | 4 | 9.5 | 8.5 |
| 4 | Trade Republic | 8.1 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 8.5 |
| 5 | SMARTBROKER+ | 8.0 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 8 |
| 6 | finanzen.net ZERO | 7.9 | 9.5 | 4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| 7 | DEGIRO | 7.5 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6.5 |
| 8 | flatex | 6.7 | 6 | 3 | 8.5 | 8 |
| 9 | ING Direkt-Depot | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3 | 8.5 | 8 |
| 10 | Consorsbank | 6.3 | 4.5 | 3 | 9 | 8 |
Spreads and execution: the missing part of a fee table
The bid is what you can sell for; the ask is what you can buy for. Their difference is the quoted spread. It varies with the instrument, time, available quantity and market. A low commission does not establish a low total cost. No synchronized executable quotes or comparable fills were collected for these brokers: the table below is a documentary review, not a measured spread league table.
| Broker | Execution evidence and limits | Comparable realized spread |
|---|---|---|
| Trading 212 Invest (Trading 212 EU GmbH) | Invest: zero trading commission and 0.15% explicit FX do not mean zero bid/ask spread. Pre-trade costs are estimates; comparable fill prices, spread/depth and German-entity execution outcomes were not measured. | Not measured |
| Interactive Brokers (IBKR Pro cash account) | SmartRouting searches eligible venues and considers transaction costs. Routing capability is not proof of a better fill; published US/VWAP aggregate statistics are not a measured spread for this German EUR 1,000 ETF scenario. | Not measured |
| Scalable Capital FREE | FREE offers EIX and Xetra/gettex at different published fees. Route choice is useful but does not establish lower realized spread. EUR trading does not prove zero embedded currency cost. Crypto-ETP spread surcharges must not be applied to ordinary shares/ETFs. | Not measured |
| Trade Republic | Current German/Spanish support describes Best Price execution against Trade Republic using reference-exchange quotes, and Direct Price on a selected exchange for EUR 2 total. Best Price EUR 1 and free savings-plan execution do not eliminate spreads. Availability depends on account and instrument; no measured spread disadvantage or advantage is established. | Not measured |
| SMARTBROKER+ | Comparable executable quotes, market depth and realized fills were not collected. A broker-specific execution-policy audit for this account/product remains incomplete; headline commissions cannot establish execution quality. Consult the fee and account conditions below. | Not measured |
| finanzen.net ZERO | Comparable executable quotes, market depth and realized fills were not collected. A broker-specific execution-policy audit for this account/product remains incomplete; headline commissions cannot establish execution quality. Consult the fee and account conditions below. | Not measured |
| DEGIRO | Comparable executable quotes, market depth and realized fills were not collected. A broker-specific execution-policy audit for this account/product remains incomplete; headline commissions cannot establish execution quality. Consult the fee and account conditions below. | Not measured |
| flatex | Comparable executable quotes, market depth and realized fills were not collected. A broker-specific execution-policy audit for this account/product remains incomplete; headline commissions cannot establish execution quality. Consult the fee and account conditions below. | Not measured |
| ING Direkt-Depot | Comparable executable quotes, market depth and realized fills were not collected. A broker-specific execution-policy audit for this account/product remains incomplete; headline commissions cannot establish execution quality. Consult the fee and account conditions below. | Not measured |
| Consorsbank | Comparable executable quotes, market depth and realized fills were not collected. A broker-specific execution-policy audit for this account/product remains incomplete; headline commissions cannot establish execution quality. Consult the fee and account conditions below. | Not measured |
When a lower commission costs more
Illustration only, not observed broker prices: for a EUR 1,000 immediate market purchase, route A with a EUR 1 commission and a 0.60% full quoted spread costs approximately EUR 4.00 relative to the midpoint. Route B with a EUR 3 commission and a 0.04% spread costs EUR 3.20. This assumes execution at the ask, enough depth, no market movement, no price improvement, no FX and no other costs. A EUR 1 commission saving is cancelled by a EUR 1 worse same-side execution price on this order (0.10%).
For one side, the illustration uses commission + half the quoted spread × order value + additional slippage beyond that quote + FX + other transaction charges. An immediate round trip at unchanged quotes incurs approximately the full spread. If actual execution shortfall is measured against a reference midpoint, do not add the quoted spread again. A limit order controls the worst acceptable price but may not fill.
A rigorous comparison needs the same ISIN/share class, order size, currency, side, timestamp, market depth, route and order type, including active underlying-market hours. Compare actual fills, rejected or unfilled orders, conversion rates, exchange and settlement fees. Add holding-period custody/subscription fees, transfer/dividend charges and applicable taxes separately; ETF TER and tracking difference are product costs, not a broker's spread.
Sources: SEC Investor.gov: order execution and price improvement. Broker-specific execution sources appear with each broker below. These general principles do not imply identical regulations across countries.
The provisional ranking
Trading 212 Invest (Trading 212 EU GmbH)
8.8/10
Profile: Low-cost shares in multiple currencies
- Commissions
- 9.5
- Currency exchange
- 8
- ETF offer
- 8.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 8.5
Why it ranks here. Commission-free Invest trades and a disclosed 0.15% currency fee suit small international purchases; German tax automation adds convenience.
Watch out. Confirm EU GmbH in the contract. Some fee content was visible only in the primary site's indexed pricing text. ETF count, transfer restrictions and German-entity fractional rules need a final check. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Not verified for this entity and account; no fractional-investing advantage assumed.
- Minimum
- Account-opening minimum not verified; whole-share orders require sufficient cash.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- German tax residents under Trading 212 EU: automatic capital-gains withholding on covered Invest transactions since 5 January 2026; 2025 Vorabpauschale excluded.
- Protection
- EU GmbH: segregated shares held with IBKR/BNY Mellon. Eligible failure-to-safeguard claims: EdW 90%, capped EUR 20,000. Partner-bank failure: up to EUR 100,000 per depositor per bank, aggregated with other deposits.
- Stocks & ETFs
- Invest trading commission and custody fee: EUR 0; FX charged separately.
- Non-US shares
- Invest offers shares and ETFs in multiple currencies; do not confuse it with the separate CFD account.
- Currency exchange
- 0.15% when converting money or trading across currencies; a multi-currency account can avoid repeated conversions.
- ETF range
- ETFs offered in Invest; German-entity eligible ETF count and full UCITS list not verified.
- Account and transfer fees
- Bank transfers and withdrawals free; other funding methods acquire a 0.7% charge after the published cumulative threshold (shown as GBP 2,000); EUR threshold not verified.
Sources: trading212.com: invest · trading212.com: was ist die fx gebühr invest · trading212.com: imprint · bafin.de: institutdetails.do · trading212.com: trading 212 eu gmbh funds and asset pro… · trading212.com: how am i taxed · trading212.com: how can i see the cost of a trade befor…
Interactive Brokers (IBKR Pro cash account)
8.3/10
Profile: Broad foreign-exchange access with transparent FX
- Commissions
- 8
- Currency exchange
- 9
- ETF offer
- 9
- Other advantages and costs
- 7.5
Why it ranks here. A strong route to international exchanges and separately priced currency conversion, with a low but meaningful minimum on European orders.
Watch out. Small EUR 100 ETF purchases are materially affected by minimum commissions. German withholding and recurring-investment details remain unverified; manual FX minimum can exceed Trading 212's fee on USD 1,000. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- German stock schedule has fractional pricing; Fixed fractional minimum EUR 1.25. Product eligibility and recurring execution charge not fully checked.
- Minimum
- No account minimum/platform fee advertised for European stock pricing; product cash requirements still apply.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- IBIE: eligible Irish ICS claim 90% of loss, maximum EUR 20,000; segregated assets. Certain securities custodied at US affiliate; do not apply blanket SIPC to all IBIE assets.
- Stocks & ETFs
- Germany Fixed SmartRouting: 0.05%, EUR 3 whole-share minimum; Tiered: 0.05%, EUR 1.25 minimum plus third-party fees.
- Non-US shares
- US and European exchange schedules available; Germany residents appear on the account-country list. IBKR Lite's US-resident offer is not used.
- Currency exchange
- Manual spot conversion: 0.20 basis point (0.002%), USD 2 minimum at first tier. Automatic-conversion route and its applicability not verified.
- ETF range
- European ETF trading supported; eligible ETF count not verified and no assumption that US-listed ETFs are buyable by EU retail clients.
- Account and transfer fees
- No added platform fee under advertised European stock pricing; optional data and ancillary fees not exhaustively audited.
Sources: interactivebrokers.ie: commissions stocks · interactivebrokers.ie: commissions spot currencies · interactivebrokers.ie: security investor protection · interactivebrokers.ie: open account country list · centralbank.ie: firmdatapage.aspx · interactivebrokers.ie: lower commissions europe · interactivebrokers.ie: smart routing
Scalable Capital FREE
8.3/10
Profile: Free ETF savings plans and low-cost Xetra access
- Commissions
- 9
- Currency exchange
- 4
- ETF offer
- 9.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 8.5
Why it ranks here. Free savings plans and EUR 1.99 Xetra orders provide a strong mix for German ETF investors without a paid subscription.
Watch out. Current online tariffs replace older EUR 3.99 plus exchange-fee descriptions. EUR 0 PRIME purchases require EIX and EUR 250; sales are not covered by that buy waiver. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Savings plans from EUR 1; fraction transfer and standalone fraction trading not verified.
- Minimum
- Savings plans from EUR 1; no minimum order volume stated in broker FAQ.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- Scalable Capital Bank plus partner-bank cash may have EUR 100,000 statutory protection per depositor per bank. FREE can also use qualifying money-market funds: UCITS safeguards instead of deposit insurance.
- Stocks & ETFs
- FREE: EIX EUR 0.99 per trade; PRIME ETF purchases from EUR 250 on EIX EUR 0; Xetra/gettex EUR 1.99.
- Non-US shares
- European Investor Exchange, gettex and Xetra; foreign-company shares on these venues are not equivalent to direct foreign-exchange access.
- Currency exchange
- Standalone securities FX/conversion markup not verified; EUR venue pricing is not proof of zero underlying conversion cost.
- ETF range
- Free ETF savings plans; PRIME buy partners Amundi, iShares, Vanguard and Xtrackers. Current exact ETF count not verified.
- Account and transfer fees
- FREE EUR 0/month and custody EUR 0; PRIME+ optional EUR 4.99/month. Instant deposits 0.99% under FREE, with amount above EUR 5,000 free.
Sources: scalable.capital: trading gebuehren · scalable.capital: sicherheit · scalable.capital: ist scalable jetzt eine bank 4153c413 · europa.eu: ssm.listofsupervisedentities202512.en.p… · scalable.capital: gibt es ein mindestordervolumen 828fc0e6
Trade Republic
8.1/10
Profile: Simple low-cost savings plans and EUR orders
- Commissions
- 9
- Currency exchange
- 4
- ETF offer
- 9
- Other advantages and costs
- 8.5
Why it ranks here. Low one-off charges and savings-plan investing are attractive for ordinary small portfolios.
Watch out. The 2026 direct-price order costs EUR 2. Foreign dividend conversion uses a margin table, so card 'no additional FX fee' wording must not be applied to securities. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Savings/fractional functionality mentioned on official support; precise German current eligibility not fully verified.
- Minimum
- Savings plans from EUR 1 advertised on official site; account minimum not separately verified.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- Trade Republic Bank GmbH, German bank. Exact present German-account cash allocation and compensation terms must be checked; no blanket EUR 100,000 protection asserted for all cash or ETFs.
- Stocks & ETFs
- Best-price one-off order: EUR 1 settlement charge; selecting a direct venue costs EUR 2 (EUR 1 settlement plus EUR 1 venue).
- Non-US shares
- Direct-price support now describes choosing an exchange; do not reuse the historic single-venue-only claim. Full current eligible foreign-venue list not verified.
- Currency exchange
- Foreign-currency distributions/corporate actions converted using buy/sell rates with published margins; USD table margin 0.0014 is a rate adjustment, not 0.14%. New foreign-share order conversion conditions not fully verified.
- ETF range
- ETF savings plans supported; current eligible ETF count and direct-venue universe not verified.
- Account and transfer fees
- No custody charge advertised; EUR 1/2 one-off trading charges plus spreads/product or third-party costs.
Sources: traderepublic.com: is there commission for order execution · traderepublic.com: f9deb b864 4587 b428 7facfc55296c · traderepublic.com: wie funktioniert die devisenkonvertieru… · traderepublic.com: de de · europa.eu: ssm.listofsupervisedentities202512.en.p… · traderepublic.com · traderepublic.com: dc64 59cb 4521 a424 1ee812f264a4 · traderepublic.com: auf welchem handelsplatz werden meine o…
SMARTBROKER+
8.0/10
Profile: Free qualifying gettex trades with broad venue choice
- Commissions
- 9
- Currency exchange
- 4
- ETF offer
- 9
- Other advantages and costs
- 8
Why it ranks here. Qualifying EUR 500+ gettex orders and ETF savings plans are free, while direct foreign venues remain available at additional charges.
Watch out. Foreign-market fees and currency markup can dominate a small order. July 2026 PDF and HTML disagree on certain non-US foreign venue minima; affected routes require confirmation. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Not verified for this entity and account; no fractional-investing advantage assumed.
- Minimum
- EUR 500 is the free-gettex threshold, not an account minimum. Savings-plan minimum not verified.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- Smartbroker AG front end; custody/account provider Baader Bank AG. Cash scheme and securities compensation require separate contract-level check; not all holdings are bank deposits.
- Stocks & ETFs
- gettex: EUR 0 from EUR 500, EUR 1 below. Xetra: EUR 4 + 0.01% venue fee, minimum EUR 1.50. Tradegate/L&S Exchange/Baader Trading: EUR 4.
- Non-US shares
- Nasdaq/NYSE shown: EUR 4 + 0.02%, minimum USD 8 venue fee, plus possible taxes/SEC charge.
- Currency exchange
- International trades carry a currency markup; precise currency-specific markup not verified. Currency accounts have no account-maintenance fee.
- ETF range
- ETF savings-plan execution EUR 0; ETFs available on domestic and foreign venues. Exact count not verified.
- Account and transfer fees
- Custody and account maintenance including currency accounts EUR 0.
Sources: smartbrokerplus.de: konditionen · smartbrokerplus.de: 07 plv 4f42b95ac5.pdf · smartbrokerplus.de: impressum · europa.eu: ssm.listofsupervisedentities202512.en.p…
finanzen.net ZERO
7.9/10
Profile: Free gettex purchases of EUR 500 or more
- Commissions
- 9.5
- Currency exchange
- 4
- ETF offer
- 8.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 7.5
Why it ranks here. Zero commission at the illustration size, free savings plans and a substantial ETF shelf fit straightforward local investing.
Watch out. gettex is the stated share/ETF venue. Older text on the same homepage has smaller instrument counts; use the current product panel and do not treat market spreads as zero. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Fractional dealing advertised; standalone fraction fees/eligible instruments not fully verified.
- Minimum
- Savings plans from EUR 1; no minimum one-off order value (small-order surcharge applies).
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- finanzen.net zero GmbH is tied intermediary under DonauCapital Wertpapier GmbH (imprint register 80165132); Baader account/custody relationship in price schedule. Do not conflate intermediary EdW cover with bank deposit insurance.
- Stocks & ETFs
- EUR 0 from EUR 500 order value; EUR 1 small-order surcharge below EUR 500. Spreads extra.
- Non-US shares
- 8,500+ shares from 52 countries advertised, traded via gettex; this is not direct trading on 52 countries' exchanges.
- Currency exchange
- Underlying foreign-share quotation/conversion economics not quantified; no independently verified zero-FX claim.
- ETF range
- Over 2,000 ETFs advertised; stock/ETF savings plans without execution charge or small-order surcharge.
- Account and transfer fees
- Custody and standard order third-party flat charges EUR 0 as advertised, subject to small-order/fraction exceptions.
Sources: finanzen.net: zero · finanzen.net: preis leistungsverzeichnis wertpapiere.… · finanzen.net: impressum · europa.eu: ssm.listofsupervisedentities202512.en.p…
DEGIRO
7.5/10
Profile: International markets without a monthly subscription
- Commissions
- 8
- Currency exchange
- 7
- ETF offer
- 8
- Other advantages and costs
- 6.5
Why it ranks here. Direct international markets and a clear 0.25% FX charge offer an alternative to local-only execution.
Watch out. Core ETFs still incur EUR 1 handling, connectivity can add costs, and current German tax workflow was not verified. Old per-position outgoing transfer fee claims conflict with current free-transfer schedule. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Not verified for this entity and account; no fractional-investing advantage assumed.
- Minimum
- Account minimum not verified. Savings-plan and fractional support not confirmed; no free automated plan assumed.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- flatexDEGIRO Bank SE Dutch Branch: separate investment SPV; eligible unrecoverable investment claims 90%, cap EUR 20,000. Bank cash EUR 100,000 per depositor per bank, aggregated across deposits.
- Stocks & ETFs
- Xetra shares EUR 3.90 + EUR 1 handling. ETFs: Core Selection (Tradegate) EUR 0 + EUR 1 handling; other ETF venues EUR 2 + EUR 1.
- Non-US shares
- Nasdaq/NYSE share commission EUR 1 + EUR 1 handling; other exchanges have different tariffs.
- Currency exchange
- Auto FX 0.25%; manual currency conversion EUR 10 + 0.25%.
- ETF range
- Core Selection is defined by Tradegate listing in January 2026 schedule; other ETFs on other venues incur standard charge. Eligible total not verified.
- Account and transfer fees
- Connectivity: 0.25% of account value, max EUR 2.50 yearly per exchange; exceptions include Xetra, Frankfurt, Eurex and Core Selection. Transfers in/out listed free in current schedule.
Sources: degiro.de: preisverzeichnis.pdf · degiro.de: preise · degiro.de: wer ist die flatexdegiro bank se · degiro.de: wenn degiro etwas passiert sind meine a… · dnb.nl: registerdetailpagina
flatex
6.7/10
Profile: Free ETF savings plans with traditional venue choice
- Commissions
- 6
- Currency exchange
- 3
- ETF offer
- 8.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 8
Why it ranks here. Free ETF savings plans and a bank-based platform suit investors who also want conventional market access.
Watch out. A EUR 5.90 headline order can become EUR 7.90 on venues with the EUR 2 external-cost flat fee. FX and other foreign costs require confirmation. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Not verified for this entity and account; no fractional-investing advantage assumed.
- Minimum
- Savings-plan minimum and account-opening minimum not verified.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- flatexDEGIRO Bank SE, Germany; EdB affiliation in official bank imprint. Exact instrument exceptions and investor-compensation scope not fully checked.
- Stocks & ETFs
- Standard stock order EUR 5.90; non-premium ETF one-off from EUR 5.90; selected venue third-party flat charge EUR 2 adds to applicable order.
- Non-US shares
- Germany, US/Canada and other foreign stock categories shown at EUR 5.90 base; foreign third-party costs can differ.
- Currency exchange
- Currency-specific FX markup not verified; EUR 5.90 base is not an all-in foreign trade cost.
- ETF range
- All available ETF/fund savings plans EUR 0 execution; premium one-off offers from EUR 0 have separate conditions not verified.
- Account and transfer fees
- Account/custody EUR 0; external fees may apply. No promotional new-customer free trades used in score.
Sources: flatex.de: preise · flatex.de: impressum · degiro.de: wer ist die flatexdegiro bank se · europa.eu: ssm.listofsupervisedentities202512.en.p… · flatexdegiro.com: default.aspx
ING Direkt-Depot
6.5/10
Profile: Banking integration and free ETF savings plans
- Commissions
- 5.5
- Currency exchange
- 3
- ETF offer
- 8.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 8
Why it ranks here. Free custody and EUR 1 ETF plans fit long-term investors already using a full-service bank.
Watch out. Standard one-off commission is substantially above neobrokers. Young account and temporary promotional discounts are not the ordinary-adult baseline. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Savings plans from EUR 1; standalone fractional dealing/transfer eligibility not verified.
- Minimum
- Savings plans from EUR 1; account-opening minimum not verified.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- ING-DiBa AG, Germany; bank identity and ECB supervision list checked. Current account-specific deposit/compensation document not fully audited.
- Stocks & ETFs
- Standard order EUR 4.90 + 0.25%, max EUR 69.90, plus venue charge. Direct dealing venue EUR 0; Xetra EUR 2.90.
- Non-US shares
- US/Canada venue fee EUR 14.90 in addition to standard commission.
- Currency exchange
- Securities FX markup not verified; foreign venue fee excludes currency economics.
- ETF range
- ETF savings-plan purchases EUR 0 execution; normal stated 1.75% is absorbed by partners/bank. ETF one-off promotions not scored.
- Account and transfer fees
- Custody, account and security transfers free according to standard conditions.
Sources: ing.de: konditionen · ing.de: direkt depot · ing.de: impressum · europa.eu: ssm.listofsupervisedentities202512.en.p…
Consorsbank
6.3/10
Profile: Large free ETF savings-plan catalogue at a bank
- Commissions
- 4.5
- Currency exchange
- 3
- ETF offer
- 9
- Other advantages and costs
- 8
Why it ranks here. A large free ETF savings-plan range and conventional bank service support long-term investing.
Watch out. Current free ETF plans supersede old 1.5% descriptions; standard one-off orders remain expensive. Exact account, foreign-market and protection details are open gaps. Spread and execution comparison remains unmeasured; the partial score is not a total-cost result.
All fees and features
- Options
- Not assessed: exchange-traded options are outside this cash stock/ETF comparison; warrants are not treated as options.
- Fractional shares
- Savings-plan purchase mechanism available; standalone fractional trading not verified.
- Minimum
- ETF savings plans from EUR 10; account minimum not verified.
- Tax-advantaged accounts
- Ordinary taxable cash account assessed; pension-product eligibility not assessed.
- Protection
- Consorsbank is BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland. Parent French bank appears in ECB list. French deposit guarantee and securities compensation details not fully audited.
- Stocks & ETFs
- Standard Silver order: EUR 4.95 + 0.25%, minimum EUR 9.95, maximum EUR 69, plus venue/external fees.
- Non-US shares
- Foreign-market charges and exact US route not verified during this check; do not assume domestic tariff is all-in.
- Currency exchange
- Currency-specific markup not verified.
- ETF range
- Over 2,000 ETF savings plans advertised, all currently without execution fee because partners absorb it; provider can change the offer.
- Account and transfer fees
- Ordinary custody/account cost not verified in extracted current tariff; do not assume zero.
Sources: consorsbank.de: preise zinsen wertpapiere · consorsbank.de: etf sparplan · consorsbank.de: impressum · europa.eu: ssm.listofsupervisedentities202512.en.p…
Also considered
- comdirect standard Depot: eligible German retail alternative, excluded editorially for high ordinary order minimum and 1.5% standard savings-plan charge; ETF Specials waive selected fees but are conditional. Standard EUR 1,000 non-special ETF: EUR 9.90 commission plus venue cost (e.g. EUR 2.50 on listed electronic exchanges). EUR 100 non-special plan EUR 1.50. Provisional scores 4/3/8/8 = 5.85 raw (5.9 rounded), below Consorsbank. Promotions and the distinct Pure Depot were not scored.
- DKB Broker: eligible German retail alternative, excluded for EUR 10 standard orders to EUR 5,000 and EUR 1.50 savings-plan executions; EUR 2.50 Xetra/floor venue surcharge versus free Tradegate/gettex/Quotrix routing. Girokonto required first; its fee waiver not audited. Provisional scores 4/3/8/7.5 = 5.725 raw (5.7 rounded). Do not apply expired 2024-25 savings-plan promotions.
What remains unverified
- EXECUTION: no synchronized executable bid/ask quotes with depth, matched fills or effective FX benchmarks were collected. Variable spreads, price impact and slippage are not zero and are not included in the four-criterion numeric score. The order can change with the investor profile and execution conditions.
- Research snapshot: 17 October 2026; live pages are not an archived legal tariff and may change.
- Regulatory audit incomplete: CBI IBIE register verified; DNB current flatexDEGIRO result read in primary search; ECB snapshot is November 2025 and some names are stale. Trading 212 BaFin detail opened but extracted identity/permissions not resolved. Independent current BaFin entries for Smartbroker, Baader and DonauCapital remain unverified.
- German retail product availability is established by German official product pages; citizenship, US-person exclusions, nonresident taxation and individual onboarding acceptance were not exhaustively checked.
- FX scores 3-4 are conservative editorial provisional scores for insufficiently quantified FX; EUR domestic-venue trading must never be represented as zero underlying FX cost. IBKR manual FX can cost more on USD 1,000 than 0.15% conversion despite its lower percentage rate.
- PRIIPs/KID restrictions: do not assume US-listed ETF purchase availability from US stock access. Eligible UCITS/KID instrument universe not exhaustively checked; no points awarded for hypothetical US ETF access.
- Trade Republic: current German cash allocation/coverage, full direct-venue list, foreign-share order FX and precise fractional rules. Dividend USD 0.0014 margin is in exchange-rate units, not a percentage. No old single-L&S-only or blanket no-FX claim.
- Trading 212: exact German-entity fractional/recurring rules, ETF count, transfer restrictions, EUR funding threshold. Primary terms search returned prices but direct page extraction omitted the fee table; check the current rendered pricing and contract before opening an account.
- Scalable: current ETF count, standalone fractional transfer rules, explicit FX conversion economics. Money-market funds are outside deposit insurance.
- SMARTBROKER+: currency markup, tax workflow, fractions/minimum plan, bank-cash/compensation terms. July 2026 PDF and HTML disagree on certain non-US foreign minima; use no numeric claims for those routes.
- finanzen.net ZERO: standalone fractional fee, exact onboarding restrictions and bank-cash coverage; official homepage contains inconsistent old/new instrument counts. BaFin intermediary record independently unconfirmed.
- IBKR: exact Germany account entity assignment, automatic-FX route, recurring-investment commission, US cash-order fee example, German withholding/tax reporting.
- DEGIRO: savings plans/fractional support and current German withholding/reporting; no no-fee automated plan asserted. Cash deposit limits aggregate with flatex cash at the same legal bank.
- flatex: currency markup, external US fees, savings minimum and detailed security/custody exceptions.
- ING: securities currency markup, account-specific guarantee documents and eligible ETF universe.
- Consorsbank: ordinary custody/account charge, domestic venue surcharge, foreign-share/FX schedule and French guarantee details. Standard Silver commission confirmed; not a verified all-in cost.
- Options intentionally not assessed for every broker. Warrants/certificates are not exchange-traded options. Cash interest and promotional rewards excluded from every score.
Is my money protected?
Asset segregation, investor compensation and bank deposit protection are different. Coverage depends on the contracting entity, custody arrangement and failure scenario. See each broker's conditions; none covers market losses. Several current registry and cash-allocation checks remain unresolved below.
How we score
The partial editorial score uses four criteria: commissions 35%, currency exchange 15%, etf offer 25%, other advantages and costs 25%. It is a weighted judgment about published fees, features and account conditions, not a measurement of total realized cost. Execution is reviewed separately and remains unmeasured; no missing spread is entered as zero and no execution advantage is awarded without comparable evidence. Cash interest and temporary promotions are excluded.
Provisional editorial comparison for ordinary adult German-resident retail investors buying real cash shares and eligible ETFs; no CFDs, margin or professional status. Editorial 0-10 scores weighted commissions 35%, FX 15%, ETF offer 25%, other advantages and costs 25%; total rounded to one decimal, ranked by unrounded weighted total. The four scores are reasoned editorial judgments, not an objective external tariff rubric. Unknown core fees are 'Not verified', never zero, and cause conservative/provisional scores. FX scores consider disclosed conversion terms and access; EUR venue trading is not evidence of zero implicit conversion/spread. Cash interest, sign-up rewards and temporary promotions are excluded. Compare EUR 1,000 local ETF one-off, EUR 100 monthly ETF instruction, and USD 1,000 foreign shares (10 hypothetical shares at USD 100) only when the route is verified. FX amounts are USD equivalents without assuming EUR/USD; spreads, taxes, product TER and unquantified third-party costs are separate. EU retail US-listed ETF access is not assumed. Read broker notes and unverified items before use. Execution audit: the four-criterion score does not include a measured spread or slippage sample. Execution policies are reviewed separately; the order is not evidence of lowest total realized cost. Published monetary markups are reported where known, not invented for missing fields.
Fee claims link to broker price lists, schedules or help pages checked on 17 October 2026. Missing or incomplete items remain visible. Scores are editorial judgments, not factual measurements; differences of a few tenths should not imply a precise or universal preference. No affiliate links: Plain Economy earns nothing from any broker on this page, and no broker has seen or paid for it.
Other countries
Trading platforms in Singapore: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in Japan: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in the United States: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in Spain: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in the UK: a provisional comparison