Best Online Brokers in Germany 2026
Trading accounts comparison
We analyzed several online brokers in Germany based on the parameters vital for expats in Germany. The table below compares different online brokers. You can easily check the vital parameters to find the trading account that fits your needs.
In our in-depth review, we found Finanzen.net Zero* trading account to be the best in Germany. You should consider opening at least two trading accounts with different brokers. The reason is that you should never keep all your assets with one broker.
NOTE: You should check the custodian bank behind the broker. The two brokers you pick must have different custodian banks.
| Parameters | FINANZEN.NET ZERO | SCALABLE CAPITAL | SMARTBROKER+ | TRADERSPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
|
| Account | Finanzen.net Zero Depot | Scalable Capital Free Broker | Smartbroker+ Depot | Traders Place Depot |
| Language | 🇩🇪 | 🇩🇪 🇺🇸 | 🇩🇪 | 🇩🇪 |
| To the provider | Go to provider* | Go to provider* | Go to provider* | Go to provider* |
| New customer bonus | 100 € (in shares) In the form of shares of the Xtrackers II EUR Overnight Rate Swap UCITS ETF (ISIN LU0290358497) that will be added directly into your portfolio. Check the website for specific instructions. |
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| RATINGS | ||||
| Finanztip (Higher the better) | 8 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Finanzfluss (Higher the better) | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| CUSTOMER REVIEW | ||||
| Google Play (Higher the better) | 4.4 (18,304 reviews) | 5 (31.6k reviews) | 3.9 (119 reviews) | 2.3 (523 reviews) |
| App Store (Higher the better) | 4.7 (20,252 reviews) | 4.6 (53,740 reviews) | 4.3 (1,396 reviews) | 2.8 (81 reviews) |
| Trustpilot (Higher the better) | 4.6 (9,677 reviews) | 3.6 (4,391 reviews) | 3.1 (2,161 reviews) | 3.4 (218 reviews) |
| Comments summary | ➕ User-friendly ➖ Customer service | ➕ User-friendly ➖ Authentication issues ➖ Laggy app Mixed reviews on customer service | ➕ User-friendly design & functions ➖ Customer service ➖ Lack of beginner support | Mixed reviews on customer service |
| ACCOUNT & BANKING | ||||
| Bank location | 🇩🇪 | 🇩🇪 | 🇩🇪 | 🇩🇪 |
| Custodian bank The bank that holds your investments and handles taxes. | Baader Bank | Scalable Bank | Baader Bank | Baader Bank |
| Identification procedure Video-Ident, Post-Ident, or E-Ident | 📹 📧 💻 | 📹 📧 💻 | 📹 📧 💻 | 📹 📧 💻 |
| Customer service Email, Chat, or Call | ✉️ 💬 | ✉️ 💬 📞 | ✉️ 💬 📞 | ✉️ 💬 📞 Telephone contact via callback service |
| Online banking | iOS ✅ Android ✅ Web ✅ | iOS ✅ Android ✅ Web ✅ | iOS ✅ Android ✅ Web ✅ | iOS ✅ Android ✅ Web ✅ |
| Interest on the clearing account | ❌ | 2% interest pa (variable) For balances up to 100,000€ in FREE | 1.75% interest pa (variable) For balances up to 1,000,000€ on your interest-bearing account | 1.75% interest pa (variable) For balances up to 1,000,000€ (minimum deposit of 5,000€) on your Baader Bank interest account |
| PRODUCTS & MARKETS | ||||
| Available securities You can invest in these financial products. | Shares ✅ ETFs/ETCs ✅ Funds ✅ derivatives ✅ Bonds ❌ Crypto ✅ Real CRYPTOS tradable, custody at Tangany | Shares ✅ ETFs/ETCs ✅ Funds ✅ derivatives ✅ Bonds ✅ Crypto ✅ Cannot trade real CRYPTOS, only ETPs ELTIFs ✅ | Shares ✅ ETFs/ETCs ✅ Funds ✅ derivatives ✅ Bonds ✅ Crypto ✅ Real CRYPTOS tradable, custody at Tangany | Shares ✅ ETFs/ETCs ✅ Funds ✅ derivatives ✅ Bonds ✅ Crypto ✅ Real CRYPTOS tradable, custody at Tangany |
| Trading venues for ETFs | 1 stock exchange | 3 stock exchanges | 12 exchanges + direct trading | 12 exchanges + direct trading |
| Trading Venues | DE ✅ Europe (ex-DE) ❌ USA ❌ Other ❌ OTC ✅ | DE ✅ Europe (ex-DE) ❌ USA ❌ Other ❌ OTC ❌ | DE ✅ Europe (ex-DE) ✅ USA ✅ Other ✅ OTC ✅ | DE ✅ Europe (ex-DE) ✅ USA ✅ Other ✅ OTC ✅ |
| Possible order types | Limit ✅ Trailing ✅ Stop✅ New issues ❌ | Limit ✅ Trailing ❌ Stop✅ New issues ❌ | Limit ✅ Trailing ❌ Stop✅ New issues ✅ | Limit ✅ Trailing ✅ Stop✅ New issues ❌ |
| COSTS | ||||
| Free account management | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Deposit fee (per month) | 0€ | 0€ | 0€ | 0€ |
| Trading costs (per order / ETF one-off buy) Additional standard spreads and fees are separate. | 1€ Free for orders above 500€; otherwise €1 | 0.99€ Free for orders above 250€ of PRIME ETFs (all ETFs from Amundi, iShares, Xtrackers) | 1€ Free for orders above 500€; otherwise €1 | 0.95€ Free for orders above 500€; otherwise 0.95€ |
| ETF savings plan fee This is how much you pay each time to automatically invest in an ETF. | 0€ | 0€ | 0€ | 0€ |
| Execution Costs (ETF Savings Plans) For fee-free ETFs, product costs, spreads, inducements, and crypto fees may apply. | 0€ 1,712 free ETF savings plans | 0€ 2,882 free ETF savings plans | 0€ 1,671 free ETF savings plans | 0€ 1,532 free ETF savings plans |
| Execution Costs (Stock Savings Plans) | 0€ 8,009 free stock savings plans | 0€ 3,065 free stock savings plans | 0€ 2,475 free stock savings plans | 0€ 1,214 free stock savings plans |
| SAVINGS PLANS & AUTOMATED INVESTING | ||||
| Savings rate Savings rate for ETF savings plans. | 1€ to unlimited | 1€ to 5,000€ | 1€ to 5,000€ | 1€ to 5,000€ |
| Execution intervals (of ETF savings plans) | Biweekly ✅ Weekly ✅ Monthly ✅ Quarterly ✅ Semi-annually ✅ Annually ✅ | Monthly ✅ Bimonthly ✅ Quarterly ✅ Semi-annually ✅ Annually ✅ | Monthly ✅ Bimonthly ✅ Quarterly ✅ Semi-annually ✅ Annually ❌ | Biweekly ✅ Monthly ✅ Bimonthly ❌ Quarterly ✅ Semi-annually ✅ Annually ✅ |
| Automatic reinvestment Distributed money is reinvested. | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Direct debit from third-party accounts | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ Up to 5,000€ |
| TAXES & LEGAL | ||||
| Capital gains tax deduction In Germany, profits from investments are taxed. Most providers handle the taxation for you. Otherwise, you must pay your taxes yourself. | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Help with withholding tax Foreign profits (like dividends) may be taxed at the source. Brokers often help reduce or refund this tax. | USA ✅ Other countries ❌ | USA ✅ Other countries ❌ | USA ✅ Other countries ❌ | USA ✅ Other countries ❌ |
| Online exemption order Online setup to avoid withholding tax. | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Statutory deposit insurance Money in your clearing account is protected by law up to 100,000€. | ✅ | ✅ There is no deposit protection for assets that Scalable Capital invests in | ✅ | ✅ |
How safe is a securities account (trading account)?
To understand how safe your securities and money are with your online broker, you must first learn how the broker stores them.
When you open an account with an online broker, you get access to two accounts.
- Trading Account: A trading account (Depot in German) is where your broker stores your securities, such as stocks, ETFs, or bonds.
- Clearing Account: A clearing account (Verrechnungskonto in German) is where your broker stores your fiat currency (Euros, Dollars, etc.). When you buy a share, the broker takes the money from your clearing account. Similarly, when you sell a share, the broker transfers the money to your clearing account.
Now let’s see how the broker and the law ensure your assets are secure.
How safe are your securities?
Many brokers only provide the online platform and don’t have a banking license. Therefore, they work with a bank.
The bank holds your securities and money. It is independent of the broker. This bank is referred to as the custodian bank.
NOTE: Your securities are your property. The custodian bank only holds your securities on your behalf.
Three scenarios could play out.
- Your broker goes bankrupt. Your securities are safe with the custodian bank. Your securities don’t become part of the broker’s insolvency assets. You can claim your securities and transfer them to another broker.
- Your custodian bank goes bankrupt. Your securities don’t become part of the bank’s insolvency assets. You can claim your securities and transfer them to another broker.
- Your broker or custodian bank is unable to return your securities. You can claim up to 20,000€ and a maximum of 90% of your assets’ value.
How safe is your money?
The broker or the custodian bank stores your fiat currency/cash separately in a clearing account. Like a normal bank account, the balance in the clearing account is subject to statutory deposit protection.
If your custodian bank has a German banking license, money up to €100,000 per customer is protected. For a joint clearing account, e.g., between spouses, €200,000 is protected.
If your custodian bank is in another EU country or the UK, the statutory deposit protection amount may differ.
NOTE: A statutory deposit protection is as good as the country’s financial health. In a severe financial crisis, a country with weak finances might not be able to pay you.
Thus, ensure that your custodian bank is in financially strong countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, etc.
Should you keep all your assets with one broker?
You should never keep all your assets with one broker. You should split among at least two brokers.
You should note the custodian bank of the broker. The two brokers you pick must have different custodian banks.
This way, if one of your brokers or custodian banks goes bankrupt, you won’t lose all your assets.