Best Online Brokers in Europe in 2024 (compared)

Interactive Brokers leads the list as the best online broker in Europe.

Founded in 1978, Interactive Brokers is one of the largest international brokers listed on the NASDAQ exchange (Ticker: IBKR). It is regulated by many international top-tier regulators, including the FCA, with no minimum deposit requirement.

It caters to both beginners and professional investors looking for any type of financial products (bonds, ETFs, shares, you name it!), an easy-to-use platform, advanced technical and fundamental trading tools, and a great educational component.

Interactive Brokers supports various account base currencies, including GBP, USD, EUR, and other major currencies. However, funding these accounts is limited to bank transfers. They offer one of the tightest spreads in the market, ensuring favourable trading conditions, but their commission is tier-based, meaning it varies depending on your monthly trading volume.

For investors who prefer to trade on the go, Interactive Brokers offers the IBKR Mobile app providing convenience and advanced functionality.

IBKR GlobalTrader is another mobile trading app offered by Interactive Brokers that allows traders to engage in simple and worldwide trading. The app offers the flexibility to trade in fractions and invest with as little as $1, making trading accessible to traders of all levels. You can also open a simulated trading account to practice trading before opening a live account and gain access to $10,000 in simulated cash to trade in a simulated trading environment.

On the downside, you might be overwhelmed by the number of buttons and features available on each platform, especially if you are new to investing. However, Interactive Brokers offers a lot of educational materials and video tutorials to assist you in navigating and utilizing their platforms effectively. These resources can be beneficial regardless of the specific platform you are trading or using.

Want to know more? Check out our comprehensive Interactive Brokers review and visit IBKR’s website.

Another exceptional trading platform in Europe is eToro, an international online broker with over 30 million users who trade stocks, forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, CFDs, and ETFs. It is known for its social trading feature where you can 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 different 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 stock and ETF trading in Europe.

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. The only currency accepted (base currency) is the USD, which means that you’ll be charged currency conversion fees upon deposit and withdrawal if you deposit in another currency.

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

Founded in 2002, XTB is a major player in the brokerage industry with extensive worldwide experience, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – plus other relevant regulatory bodies – and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

The platform offers 0% commissions on stocks. However, its software is more oriented to CFDs and forex trading with competitive costs.

Founded in 2013, DEGIRO is a low-cost brokerage firm that has become very popular due to its low rates! With over 2.5 million users, the innovative platform has become widely known for its “do-it-yourself” philosophy in the sense that you have everything at your disposal to start investing on your own. It offers a wide range of financial assets to trade, including stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures contracts, warrants, investment funds, and some leveraged products (not quite the same as CFDs. More info here).

For instance, you can trade some ETFs for free (a €1.00 flat handling fee – external costs – still apply) with no minimum amount required. The web trading platform is basic, but it is efficient and straightforward to use. In a matter of minutes, you get used to it. The same applies to its mobile app. On the downside, there is an absence of significant fundamental research, a €1.00 commission for US stocks, a €2.50 connectivity fee applies, and pricing alerts are missing.

Launched in 1992, Saxo Bank is one of the most solid financial entities in the brokerage industry, with a proven track record of success. It lets you trade over 70,000 financial instruments through their trading platforms: SaxoTraderPRO (for PC) and SaxoTraderGO (on mobile).

The wide range of cash and margin trading products across global markets includes stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, cryptos, options, futures, CFDs, forex, and more! Saxo Bank presents its advanced research tools for “Buy and hold or trade on leverage”. 

The Saxo Bank account tiers are the following:

• Classic: A minimum $2,000 deposit is required (depending on the country of residency), giving you access to tight spreads and customer and technical support 24/5.
• Platinum: A minimum $200,000 deposit is required. In addition to Classic features, it also lowers trading prices by up to 30% and prioritizes local-language customer support.

VIP: A minimum $1,000,000 deposit is required. Here, you will find the best prices, access to trading experts, and exclusive event invitations.

The pricing structure will vary according to your account tier. For instance, a US stock order will be 0.08% of the trade value, with a minimum of $1 in Classic. However, within the VIP tier, the same trade would be 0.03% of the trade value with the same minimum of $1. Plus, for accounts with stocks, ETFs/ETCs, or bond positions, a custody fee of up to 0.15% p.a. will apply.

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

Founded in 2006, Trading 212 is a fintech based in London that aims to democratize the entire investment process through a simple mobile application. The company aims to do this by allowing anyone to invest in over 10,000 stocks and ETFs, Forex, commodities, CFDs, and cryptocurrencies. Over 15 million people have already downloaded the app.

In Trading 212, you will find commission-free stocks and ETFs trading, fractional shares, and even an automatic investment system (Robo-advisor). Opening an account is extremely quick and easy. On the downside, it shows limitations regarding available products, such as the lack of bonds and options. It charges a 0.15% currency conversion fee when buying assets in a currency different from your base account.

Within the app, you will notice two distinct sub-platforms: Trading 212 Invest, where you can trade a range of assets free of charge, and Trading 212 CFD, where you may trade leveraged financial products (CFDs).

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