Best trading platforms in the Netherlands in 2026

Are you looking for the best trading platform in the Netherlands? Wondering which ones are safe and affordable? We’ve carefully analysed and compared the top options to help you find the right fit.

In this guide, we break down the strengths and weaknesses of the leading platforms based on our hands-on experience, considering key factors like fees, trading tools, market access, regulation, and educational resources.

Best trading platforms in the Netherlands

Can’t wait to start investing? Here are our bullet-point suggestions for the best online brokers in the Netherlands:

Founded in 1978 and publicly listed on NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR), Interactive Brokers is a global online broker that has weathered every major financial crisis since its founding – a track record reflecting its resilience and rigorous risk-management culture. We consider Interactive Brokers one of the best brokers in the Netherlands for both active day trading and long-term investing. Dutch investors are served by Interactive Brokers Ireland Ltd, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Interactive Brokers offers an advanced investment platform with a very wide product range (stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs, futures, bonds, and currencies) across 150+ markets in 30+ countries – including Euronext Amsterdam, major US exchanges, and most other major European and global markets from a single account. Trade execution is supported by IBKR’s Smart Routing technology, alongside a comprehensive set of technical and fundamental analysis tools.

Beginners and intermediate investors have a strong set of educational resources to explore, though the platform’s depth means there’s a real learning curve. Customer service is well-regarded, generally delivering clear, knowledgeable answers without back-and-forth.

On the downside, IBKR’s fee structure can feel complex, the registration process is lengthy (but fully online), and the broker doesn’t offer commission-free trading. However, when you account for FX conversion fees, narrower spreads, and the stock yield enhancement programme, IBKR clients often achieve significant savings compared with most other brokers – particularly relevant for Dutch investors trading US stocks, where FX costs can quietly eat into returns.

Interactive Brokers also offers IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile trading app for stocks, ETFs, and options – ideal for beginner investors. Key features include automatic currency conversion, fractional shares, and a demo account.

Want to know more? Check our Interactive Brokers review.

One of the best trading platforms in the Netherlands is eToro, an international online broker with over 38 million users who trade stocks, forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, CFDs, and ETFs. It is known for its social trading feature, which allows you to copy the trades of other experienced traders. There are thousands of verified traders on eToro, and you can pick the best trader based on past Return on Investment (ROI), risk profile, or other factors.

The eToro platform gives users access to over 3,000 financial instruments, including stocks and ETFs. Additionally, users can invest in ready-made investment portfolios (Smart Portfolios), a group of several assets or traders combined together based on a theme or strategy.

Plus, eToro offers commission-free ETF trading in the Netherlands (other fees apply). Besides, it charges only $1 per trade for US, EU and UK stocks. Other stocks have a $2 commission per trade.

Opening an account and depositing is easy, and you can even try it out with virtual money (a demo account). On the downside, spreads can be high for some products, and there is a withdrawal fee of $5.

eToro is fully regulated and supervised by top-tier regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia. The subsidiary in Europe (the one you open an account), formerly known as “eToro (Europe) Ltd,” is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities Exchange Commission (CySEC).

If you want to learn more, check out our eToro Review.

Founded in 2008 in Amsterdam, DEGIRO is a low-cost brokerage that has become hugely popular across Europe thanks to its competitive rates. With over 3 million users, the platform is widely known for its “do-it-yourself” philosophy – you have everything at your disposal to start investing on your own. As a Dutch broker (originally founded in Amsterdam), it’s a particularly natural choice for Dutch investors. It offers a wide range of financial assets including stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures, warrants, investment funds, and some leveraged products (not quite the same as CFDs – more info here), with access to 50+ exchanges across more than 30 countries, including Euronext Amsterdam.

You can trade ETFs from DEGIRO’s curated ETF Core Selection commission-free (a €1 handling fee still applies), with no minimum amount required. US stocks cost €1 commission plus a €1 handling fee (€2 total per trade). The web platform and mobile app are clean, intuitive, and easy to get used to within minutes – well suited to investors who want simplicity and low costs. On the downside, DEGIRO doesn’t offer in-depth fundamental research, a small annual exchange-connection fee (around €2.50 per non-domestic exchange) applies, the platform doesn’t have price alerts, and it doesn’t currently offer fractional shares.

On security, DEGIRO became part of flatexDEGIRO Bank AG (a German-regulated bank) in 2020, and is overseen jointly by Germany’s BaFin and the Dutch regulators (DNB and AFM). In the unlikely event that segregated assets cannot be returned to clients, DEGIRO falls under the German Investor Compensation Scheme, which covers up to 90% of any losses on non-returned assets (capped at €20,000) – worth bearing in mind for larger portfolios. Cash held in a DEGIRO Cash Account with flatexDEGIRO Bank AG is also protected under the German Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000.

Still have questions? Go through our DEGIRO review.

Freedom24, part of Freedom Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: FRHC), has emerged as a standout brokerage platform for retail investors by providing access to a diverse range of global financial products – including stocks, bonds, futures, options, and a strong focus on ETF investing.

With access to more than 3,600 ETFs, Freedom24 offers not only the most popular ETFs from global issuers like Vanguard, iShares, and Invesco, but also a broad range of investment strategies – including dividend-focused and short-term bond ETFs, plus niche and higher-yield options such as covered-call and swap-based ETFs. If a specific ETF isn’t listed, clients can request its addition directly (a level of flexibility rarely seen on European brokerage platforms).

Freedom24 also offers Bonds Showcase, allowing small investments from €/$1,000. It’s a curated list of high-rated bonds (B+ and above) designed to deliver predictable, stable returns – streamlining the process of finding and purchasing bonds for investors looking for reliable income or long-term growth.

The platform’s web and mobile interfaces are intuitive and straightforward, complemented by market analysis tools (“Investideas”) and educational resources (“Freedom Academy”). New clients can also receive a sign-up promotion of up to 20 gift stocks.

There’s no minimum deposit, and two pricing plans are available: “Prime in EUR”, which includes access to a personal account manager, and “Smart in EUR”, better suited to investors with lower trading volumes. On the downside, Freedom24 charges a €7 withdrawal fee and doesn’t offer cryptocurrencies.

Freedom Finance Europe Ltd is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). In the unlikely event that segregated client assets cannot be returned, Freedom24 falls under the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF), which covers losses from non-returned investments up to €20,000. The broker also fully complies with MiFID II and ESMA investor-protection standards.

Want to learn more? Check out our Freedom24 review or visit Freedom24 directly.

Founded in 2008, Plus500 is an online broker offering a wide range of financial products, including real shares and CFDs on forex, indices, shares, commodities, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. It’s available in over 50 countries and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker: PLUS) as a constituent of the FTSE 250.

There are two distinct account types:

• Plus500 CFD: focused exclusively on CFD products.
• Plus500 Invest: where you can trade real shares of companies (you own the underlying stock).

The main web platform is WebTrader, Plus500’s proprietary platform, offering a stable trading experience and reliable access from multiple devices, including a polished mobile app. You can start testing the features through a free demo account before committing real money.

Plus500’s customer support is helpful and readily available through a chat function that’s always visible on the trading platform. Spreads are competitive, and accounts can be opened in sixteen currencies including USD, EUR, and GBP. The broker charges a 0.70% currency conversion fee and a $10 monthly inactivity fee after three months of no trading activity. On Plus500 Invest, you’ll only pay a small commission per trade (for example, $0.006 per share on the US market).

Plus500 is regulated by multiple top-tier financial authorities including the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), ASIC (Australia), and MAS (Singapore), ensuring appropriate supervision and an investor protection scheme under the entity where you open your account. Dutch investors are typically served through Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC-regulated, Licence No. 250/14), with client funds protected up to €20,000 under the Cyprus Investor Compensation Fund.

Want to know more about Plus500? Check our Plus500 review.

Founded in 2002, XTB is a major player in the brokerage industry with extensive worldwide experience. It’s regulated by multiple top-tier authorities including the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), KNF (Poland), and DFSA (Dubai), and is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. XTB serves over 1.9 million clients globally.

You can invest through xStation 5 (web and desktop) and xStation Mobile across a wide range of products: stocks, ETFs, and CFDs on stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. For Dutch investors, XTB offers 0% commission on real stocks and ETFs up to €100,000 of monthly turnover (then a 0.2% commission, €10 minimum, applies above that threshold), with fractional shares available from €10 and an Investment Plan feature for recurring ETF investing.

Opening an account and transferring funds is quick and hassle-free. For beginners, XTB offers a free demo account where you can practise as if with real money, alongside a strong library of educational tools. Intermediate and advanced investors will find plenty of technical and fundamental analysis tools to help inform their decisions.

On the downside, XTB charges an inactivity fee of €10/month after 12 months of no trading, if you also haven’t deposited in the previous 90 days. Spreads on crypto CFDs are on the higher side, while forex spreads are competitive. As with all CFDs, these are leveraged, higher-risk instruments and a majority of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs.

Want to know more about XTB? Check our XTB review.

Founded in 1992, Saxo is one of the most established names in the brokerage industry, with a strong track record. It lets you trade more than 71,000 financial instruments through its unified SaxoTrader platform (available on web, mobile, and a downloadable professional client), alongside the simpler SaxoInvestor app for beginners. In 2025, Saxo was majority-acquired by the Swiss private bank J. Safra Sarasin, reinforcing its long-term stability.

The wide range of cash and margin trading products spans global markets and includes stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, options, futures, CFDs, forex, and more – well-suited to both “buy and hold” investors and active traders using leverage.

Saxo’s account tiers are:

• Classic: no minimum deposit required (the minimum was removed in 2024). You get access to tight spreads and 24/5 customer and technical support.
• Platinum: a minimum €200,000 portfolio is required. In addition to Classic features, it lowers trading costs by up to 30% and offers prioritised local-language customer support.
• VIP: a minimum €1,000,000 portfolio is required. You get the best pricing, access to trading experts, and exclusive event invitations.

Pricing varies by account tier. For example, a US stock trade costs around 0.08% of the trade value with a $1 minimum on the Classic tier, while the same trade on the VIP tier can cost around 0.03% with the same $1 minimum. Accounts holding stocks, ETFs/ETCs, or bond positions are also subject to a custody fee of up to 0.15% per year (this fee is waived for clients holding only cash, derivatives, or trading certain segments).

The figures above are approximate and can differ depending on your country of residence. For precise current pricing, refer to the trade tickets within the platform.

Saxo Bank A/S is a fully licensed European bank under the supervision of the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet). As a Danish-regulated bank, Saxo participates in the Danish Guarantee Fund, which protects client cash deposits up to €100,000 and financial securities (stocks, ETFs, etc.) up to €20,000 per client.

Want to know more about Saxo? Check our Saxo review.

Founded in 2004, Trading 212 is a fintech group headquartered in London that aims to democratise the investment process through a simple, modern mobile app. The platform gives anyone access to over 13,000 stocks and ETFs, as well as forex, commodities, CFDs, and cryptocurrencies, and now serves more than 5 million clients managing over €30 billion in assets.

With Trading 212 you get commission-free stocks and ETFs, fractional shares from €1, and an automatic investment system via Pies & AutoInvest. The platform also pays one of the highest interest rates on uninvested cash in the market (currently around 3.85% AER on GBP, 2.0% on EUR, varying with central bank rates), and through its newer 212 Crypto service (launched in March 2026 under MiCA in select European markets), clients can also buy and sell real cryptocurrencies. Opening an account is quick and easy. On the downside, the product range still has some gaps – notably no bonds, options, or futures – and the broker charges a 0.15% FX fee when buying assets in a currency different from your base account.

Within the app, you’ll find distinct sub-platforms: Trading 212 Invest, where you trade real stocks and ETFs commission-free, and Trading 212 CFD, where you can trade leveraged CFDs. The currency conversion fee (FX fee) is higher on the CFD account (0.50%) than on the Invest account (0.15%).

The minimum deposit and withdrawal amounts are both €/£1 (the exact threshold can depend on the client’s country of residence). There are no fees on bank transfer deposits (cards and Google/Apple Pay are also supported, though these may carry a small fee above Trading 212’s free monthly deposit threshold). Withdrawals are free regardless of the method used.

As part of a current promotion, Trading 212 also offers a free fractional share worth up to €100 when you sign up and deposit just €10.

On safety, the Trading 212 group is regulated across multiple jurisdictions by the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), BaFin (Germany), and ASIC (Australia), with client assets held in segregated accounts. Client cash is protected up to £85,000 (UK, FSCS) or €20,000 (EU, ICF), depending on the regulated entity.

If you want to learn more, check our Trading 212 review.

Lightyear is a European investment app founded in 2021 in Tallinn, Estonia, by former Wise employees. It operates via Lightyear Europe AS, authorised and regulated by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA) (licence number 4.1-1/31), with client assets covered up to €20,000 under the Estonian Investor Protection Scheme.

There are no execution fees for trading ETFs on Lightyear. For stocks, commissions are capped at €/$/£1 per order, with a flat 0.35% currency conversion fee (which can be reduced via Lightyear’s multi-currency account in EUR, GBP, and USD). Lightyear also offers one of the highest interest rates on uninvested cash via money market funds: EUR ~1.91%, GBP ~3.77%, USD ~3.66% (as of May 2026, rates vary with central bank rates). Cryptocurrencies are available at a flat 0.45% per trade.

The platform is well-suited to beginners and intermediate investors who want to invest safely in fractional shares. With an easy-to-use app and more than 5,000 stocks available from US, UK, European (including Euronext Amsterdam), and Asian markets, Lightyear is a strong way to gain exposure to global equity markets.

Lightyear also offers a free share worth up to €100 with our promo code.

There are some limitations to Lightyear: the product range is narrower than at larger brokers (no options, commodities, futures, or forex), and there’s no demo account for practice trading.

Want to know more about Lightyear? Check our Lightyear review.

Are these platforms authorised by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM)?

Every single broker in our article is registered with the AFM, the Dutch authority responsible for supervising the operation of the financial markets, but only DEGIRO is directly supervised by AFM. Why is that?

The answer is due to “EU-passporting”: Once a brokerage firm is authorised in one EU Member State, it can accept clients across the entire European Economic Area (EEA) without needing separate authorisations from each country.

For example, eToro is supervised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) with the legal name “eToro (Europe) Limited”. If you go to this AFM page and search for “eToro”, this is what you get:

So, eToro is regulated in Cyprus, but “only” registered in the Netherlands. This does not affect the investor compensation scheme. The same could be applied to the other brokers on this list, except DEGIRO, as mentioned above.

How to buy stocks in the Netherlands (Step-by-step)

Buying stocks in the Netherlands involves several steps. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Educate Yourself: Before investing, educate yourself about the stock market, various investment options, and understand your risk tolerance.
2. Create a Financial Plan: Develop a financial plan that includes your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. This will help guide your investment decisions.
3. Choose a Broker: Select a reputable stock brokerage platform. Popular options in the Netherlands include DEGIRO, eToro, and Interactive Brokers. Consider factors such as fees, user interface, and available features.
4. Open a Brokerage Account: Once you’ve chosen a broker, you’ll need to open an account. This typically involves providing personal information, proof of identity, and linking a bank account.
5. Deposit Funds: Fund your brokerage account with the amount you’re comfortable investing. Most brokers allow bank transfers for this purpose.
6. Research Stocks: Conduct thorough research on the stocks you’re interested in. Consider the company’s financial health, performance, and future prospects.
7. Place an Order: Once you’ve decided on the stocks to buy, log in to your brokerage account and place an order. You can choose between market orders (buy at the current market price) or limit orders (set a specific price).
8. Review and Confirm: Before confirming your order, review the details to ensure accuracy. Confirm the transaction.
9. Monitor Your Investments: Keep an eye on your investments regularly. Monitor market trends, company news, and any developments that might affect your stocks.
10. Consider a Diverse Portfolio: To manage risk, consider diversifying your portfolio by investing in different sectors and types of assets.
11. Stay Informed: Stay informed about market trends, economic developments, and any changes in your chosen stocks. Continuous learning is key to successful investing.

Remember, investing in stocks always carries risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. It’s advisable to consult with a financial advisor if you’re uncertain about your investment decisions.

Bottom line

As we finish exploring the best brokers in the Netherlands, it’s clear that you have diverse options. Whether you prefer eToro’s social trading, Interactive Brokers’ advanced tools, or DEGIRO’s low fees, there is something for everyone.

Remember, the right choice depends on what you need and like. Take a close look at each option, think about what matters most to you, and get ready for a successful investment journey in the Netherlands. Good luck with your investments!

Other FAQs about brokers in the Netherlands