Best Swissquote Alternatives in 2026

Having been around since 1978 and publicly listed on the NASDAQ, Interactive Brokers’ major advantage is its reputation and financial strength. As of June 2026 it held 5.19 million customer accounts and $930 billion in customer equity.

Other significant advantages of using Interactive Brokers are its wide product selection across more than 170 exchanges and market centres in 40 countries, solid trade execution through IB SmartRouting, and support for multiple account currencies with over 100 currency pairs available for exchange. Since March 2026 it has also offered real crypto-assets to eligible EEA clients.

Some downsides:

• The complex fee structure;
• A lengthier than average registration and deposit process;
• No commission-free trading outside the US.

On fees, there are two plans: Tiered, where costs depend on trading volume, and Fixed. Rates also vary by market. You can see the full schedule here.

Where IBKR is hardest to beat is currency conversion, at roughly 0.002% with a $2 minimum. If you regularly buy assets priced outside your account currency, that alone can outweigh a competitor’s zero commission.

The IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app is a common entry point for newer investors, offering stocks, ETFs and options in a simpler format, with automatic currency conversion and fractional shares. It was redesigned in December 2025.

Trader Workstation (TWS) is the desktop application, offering both basic and advanced features, though the learning curve is steep. Client Portal is the web-based option, sitting between TWS and GlobalTrader in both simplicity and capability.

Founded in 2004, Trading 212 claims the title of the first commission-free broker in both the UK and Europe. It passed 4.5 million clients and €30 billion in client assets during 2025, and has continued growing since. It acquired BaFin-licensed FXFlat Bank in 2024 and received FCA authorisation to offer SIPPs in February 2026.

It offers three distinct account types: Trading 212 Invest for commission-free stock and ETF trading, Trading 212 CFD for leveraged products, and Trading 212 Crypto.

The Invest account has gained popularity with beginner investors for good reasons:

• The minimum deposit is just €/£1 (€/£10 for bank transfers);
• Commission-free stock and ETF trading, with fractional shares;
• The platform is very simple to use, for both account opening and trading.

The account opening and funding process is among the simplest on the market, and trading is intuitive on both mobile and web.

Commission-free trading has to be funded somehow, and part of the answer is a share lending programme. Check the current terms and whether participation is optional in your account before signing up, as this has changed over time.

Other fees to know about:

• 0.7% for deposit methods other than bank transfer, free up to the first €2,000;
• Currency conversion of 0.15% on Invest accounts, 0.50% on CFD accounts;
• Overnight fees on CFDs.

The 0.15% conversion fee is worth highlighting: it is a third of what most competitors here charge, and for anyone buying US-listed assets regularly it usually matters more than the commission.

If you are considering joining, you can claim a free share when you sign up via this link. After verifying your identity and funding the account, use promo code “IITW” to claim one free share worth up to €100.

In short, Trading 212 is a good choice for beginners wanting a simple, effective and cheap way to buy stocks and ETFs. For more, see our detailed Trading 212 review.

Established in 2007, regulated by top-tier authorities and with over 40 million registered users, eToro is a well-known broker. It has been listed on the Nasdaq since May 2025 under the ticker ETOR.

The platform is best known for its social trading feature, CopyTrader, which lets you follow and copy other investors’ trades and portfolios. There is also a wide selection of markets and products for investing on your own, including stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies and CFDs on stocks, ETFs, commodities, currencies, indices and cryptocurrencies.

Another distinctive feature is Smart Portfolios, an automated investing tool. Most are created and managed by the eToro Investment Team, with some managed by partners.

The platform is intuitive and suits beginners, with a demo account for practising using virtual funds. Account opening and funding are quick.

On costs, the picture changed recently and is worth understanding clearly:

• ETFs are commission-free, which is the strongest part of the offer for a long-term investor;
• Real stock trades carry a flat commission of $1 or $2, depending on your country and the exchange, charged when you open and again when you close. It is $0 for UK and Irish clients;
• Currency conversion applies when depositing or trading outside your account currency, and is the cost European investors most often underestimate;
• A fixed withdrawal fee of $5, with a $30 minimum withdrawal;
• 1% on buying and selling cryptocurrencies;
• No inactivity fee, removed in May 2026.

Overall, eToro suits beginners wanting a simple way to start investing through a well-known broker with a broad product range, and anyone specifically interested in copy trading. For more, see our detailed eToro review.

Founded in 1992, Saxo is one of the longest-established global brokers, known for a wide product range of over 70,000 instruments, broad exchange access, and support for many base currencies.

Ownership changed recently. In March 2026 the Swiss private banking group J. Safra Sarasin completed its acquisition of a majority stake, with Daniel Belfer becoming CEO and founder Kim Fournais moving to Chairman. In July 2026 the group agreed to acquire Fournais’s remaining holding, subject to regulatory approval.

Saxo has always aimed at more sophisticated investors, offering advanced tools including TradingView integration. Its two proprietary platforms are SaxoInvestor, for those wanting a simpler interface, and SaxoTrader, available on web, desktop and mobile for active users.

Minimum deposits vary considerably by country of residence, and in some markets are among the highest in the industry, so check the figure that applies to you before applying. Saxo is also unavailable in some large markets outside Europe, including the US.

Three account tiers are available: Classic, Platinum ($200,000 minimum) and VIP ($1,000,000 minimum), each with its own pricing. US stock commissions run from 0.03% at the top tier up to 0.08% at Classic, with a $1 minimum.

The fee structure is complex, and there are additional charges to be aware of:

• Custody fees, which have been removed across core European markets but still apply in some jurisdictions;
• Currency conversion at 0.25%.

In short, Saxo is tailored to more experienced investors through its advanced tools, higher than average fees and denser interface. Those same qualities make it a poor fit for beginners.

Founded in 2008, Plus500 is best known for commission-free trading across a wide choice of CFDs in its Plus500 CFD account. It also offers low-fee real share trading through Plus500 Invest.

The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and available in over 50 countries, with 16 base currencies including USD, EUR and GBP.

The web platform, WebTrader, offers an intuitive interface accessible across devices including a mobile app, with a demo account for testing features using virtual funds.

Plus500 CFD costs come mainly from bid/ask spreads, which vary widely by product. On Plus500 Invest, each trade carries a fee depending on the exchange, as low as $0.006 per share for US stocks but considerably higher for EU stocks, where the minimum runs between €2 and €6 per trade.

There is also a currency conversion fee of up to 0.70% and a $10 monthly inactivity fee after three months without logging in to the CFD account.

Find more detail on Plus500 CFD fees here and Plus500 Invest fees here. For more on Plus500 generally, see our detailed Plus500 review.

IG is a well-established broker offering wide choice and competitive costs, primarily in CFDs and forex. The IG Group was established in 1974, is a constituent of the FTSE 250, and covers a very large number of markets.

The platform is available internationally with some exceptions, and offers six base currencies: USD, GBP, AUD, EUR, SGD and HKD. UK residents and those in its territories can also open a share dealing account giving access to real shares, ETFs and automated ETF portfolios through IG Smart Portfolio. More information here.

Most traders come to IG for its CFD and forex capabilities.

Platform features include:

• Extensive educational materials;
• 24-hour support;
• Weekend and extended hours trading;
• Fast execution;
• Access to MetaTrader 4;
• Advanced tools including a customisable screener and tailored news.

IG offers commission-free trading on most CFDs but adds its own spread on top of the market spread. The exception is share CFDs, offered at the real market price without added spread but with a commission on opening and closing.

Other fees include:

• FX conversion of 0.5%;
• Overnight fees, depending on the product;
• An inactivity fee after a period without activity;
• A custody fee on the UK share dealing account for accounts placing fewer than three trades per quarter.

You can review the full schedule at this link, as the specific amounts vary by region and account type.

In short, IG offers CFD and forex trading in a user-friendly interface with competitive costs, suited to both beginner and advanced traders thanks to its mix of educational material and advanced tools.