TD Ameritrade was a US broker offering commission-free stocks and ETFs alongside options and futures, best known for its thinkorswim platform. Charles Schwab bought it and retired the brand, so the question today is which broker a French investor should use instead.
Below we cover what happened to TD Ameritrade, whether you can use Charles Schwab from France, and the alternatives available to French residents, checked in September 2026.
Is TD Ameritrade available in France?
No. TD Ameritrade no longer exists, in France or anywhere else. Charles Schwab completed the acquisition in October 2020 and finished migrating client accounts to Schwab in 2024, retiring the brand entirely. The thinkorswim platform survived and is now Schwab’s.
It was not available to French residents before that either, like Robinhood and Vanguard.
Charles Schwab does accept some international clients, but the requirements to open an account from outside the US are strict, and for most French investors a European broker is simpler and cheaper.
Alternatives to TD Ameritrade in France
These are leading online brokers operating in France, regulated by top-tier authorities, offering what TD Ameritrade offered in the US: commission-free trading, a wide range of assets, or an advanced platform for active traders.
eToro
A multi-asset platform with social trading, letting you copy other investors automatically. Commission-free real stocks and ETFs, plus CFDs and crypto. Listed on Nasdaq since May 2025.
Disclaimer: eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Interactive Brokers
The closest equivalent to TD Ameritrade for experienced investors: access to 160+ markets, low commissions, and Trader Workstation, the platform that competes with thinkorswim.
💡 Its simpler mobile app, IBKR GlobalTrader, suits beginners who want stocks and ETFs without the complexity.
DEGIRO
One of the cheapest brokers in Europe, with a broad product range including stocks, ETFs, bonds, options and futures. Its Core Selection ETFs carry no commission, though a handling fee applies.
Disclaimer: investing involves risk of loss.
Trade Republic
A German neobroker available in France, with commission-free savings plans (a €1 external fee per order), interest on uninvested cash at the ECB deposit rate, and a full banking licence supervised by BaFin.
BUX
A mobile-first broker offering commission-free stocks and ETFs, owned by ABN AMRO since 2023 and regulated by the Dutch AFM. Simple, though the product range is narrow and fees have risen.
XTB
Commission-free real stocks and ETFs up to a monthly turnover limit, alongside CFDs on forex, indices and commodities, through its xStation 5 platform.
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. A high percentage of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
One thing these brokers can’t give you: a PEA
Worth knowing before you choose. None of the brokers above offers a PEA (Plan d’Épargne en Actions) or an assurance-vie contract, the two wrappers that give French residents a real tax advantage.
A PEA exempts gains from income tax after five years, leaving only social contributions of 17.2%, against the 30% flat tax (prélèvement forfaitaire unique) that applies in an ordinary securities account (compte-titres ordinaire). For a French investor buying European shares and ETFs for the long term, that difference usually outweighs any commission saving.
The practical approach for many French investors is to use both: a PEA at a French bank or broker for European holdings, and an international broker like those above for US shares, options or markets a PEA cannot reach.
Other resources
Not sure which to choose? These may help:
- Our YouTube channel: step-by-step guides on investing in the S&P 500 through different apps, plus educational videos on platforms.
- Our tools: the comparison tool, reviews, broker bonuses, broker interest rates and BrokerMatch.
TD Ameritrade alternatives reviewed
eToro at a glance
52% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
eToro is the largest social trading platform, with more than 40 million registered users across over 100 countries, listed on Nasdaq (ticker: ETOR) since May 2025. It lets you copy the trades of other investors automatically, through CopyTrader.
It is also a multi-asset platform: real stocks and ETFs commission-free, plus crypto and CFDs on several asset classes. Spreads on CFDs vary by product, so check before placing an order.
The website and app are nearly identical and simple to use, account opening takes minutes, and there is a free demo account if you want to practise first. eToro is regulated by top-tier authorities including the FCA and CySEC.
On the downside, commission-free applies only to real stocks and ETFs: leveraged positions are CFDs, with spreads and overnight fees. There is also a currency conversion fee when you deposit in euros, since accounts are held in US dollars, and an inactivity fee after a year without logging in.
For more, read our eToro review.
Interactive Brokers at a glance
If you want a wide product range, low costs and a serious platform, Interactive Brokers is the closest thing to what TD Ameritrade offered.
Founded in 1978, listed on Nasdaq since 2007 and part of the S&P 500 since 2025, it gives access to 160+ markets worldwide rather than just US assets. French clients are onboarded to Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Its Trader Workstation is the direct competitor to thinkorswim, with advanced order types, charting and options tools. For anyone who used thinkorswim at TD Ameritrade, this is the natural landing place.
IBKR also offers IBKR GlobalTrader, a simpler mobile app with fractional shares, automatic currency conversion and a demo account, suited to beginners.
Read our Interactive Brokers review for the full picture.
DEGIRO at a glance
Investing involves risk of loss.
Founded in 2013, DEGIRO became popular on price. It offers stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures, warrants, funds and leveraged products (which are not the same as CFDs, as we explain in our guide to CFDs and leveraged products).
ETFs in its Core Selection carry no commission, though a €1 handling fee applies per order, with no minimum investment. The web platform is basic but efficient, and the app works the same way. On the downside, there is little fundamental research, a €2.50 annual connectivity fee applies per exchange, and price alerts are missing.
On safety, DEGIRO is part of flatexDEGIRO Bank AG, a German-regulated bank supervised by BaFin, with Dutch oversight from the AFM and DNB. If segregated assets cannot be returned, the German investor compensation scheme covers 90% of the loss up to €20,000. Cash held in a DEGIRO cash account is covered up to €100,000 by the German deposit guarantee scheme.
Still unsure? Read our DEGIRO review.
Trade Republic at a glance
Founded in Berlin in 2015, Trade Republic is one of Europe’s largest neobrokers, with more than 10 million clients across 18 countries, including France, and over €150 billion in customer assets. It holds a full banking licence supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank.
Its appeal is simplicity and price: stocks, ETFs, bonds and savings plans with no commission beyond a €1 external fee per order, free ETF savings plans, and interest on uninvested cash in line with the ECB deposit rate, currently 2.50%, paid monthly.
Cash is held at partner banks and covered by the German deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per bank. Securities are held in segregated accounts at Clearstream.
The trade-offs: the app is mobile-only, there is no demo account, and the research tools are minimal compared with Interactive Brokers.
BUX at a glance
BUX launched in 2019 as a low-cost way for Europeans to start investing, and was acquired by ABN AMRO in 2023, which put it inside one of the Netherlands’ largest banking groups. It now has more than 700,000 users.
You can trade US and European stocks (Dutch, German, Belgian, French and Austrian) and a selection of ETFs commission-free, with fractional investing from about €10, which makes expensive shares like Amazon or Alphabet accessible.
On the downside, it is mobile-only with no desktop platform, the product range is limited, there is no demo account, and fees have crept up recently, including monthly charges on some plans. Cash is held at ABN AMRO Clearing Bank and covered up to €100,000 under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme.
To learn more, read our BUX review.
XTB at a glance
69-80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, regulated by several top-tier authorities and built around its own platform, xStation 5. MetaTrader is no longer offered.
In France it offers 0% commission on real stocks and ETFs up to a monthly turnover limit, with 0.2% above it, alongside CFDs on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. A 0.5% currency conversion fee applies when you buy assets in another currency.
Its research and education are strong, and with offices across Europe its customer service is among the better ones for European clients.
On the downside, the offering is centred on CFDs and forex, and an inactivity fee applies after a year without trading.
For a detailed look, read our XTB review.
Which broker should you choose?
There is no single best broker: it depends on what you invest in and how often.
- Coming from thinkorswim: Interactive Brokers, for Trader Workstation, options and global market access.
- Buying and holding ETFs: Trade Republic or DEGIRO, for free or near-free savings plans and low costs.
- Starting out: BUX or eToro, for the simplest apps and fractional shares.
- Investing mainly in European shares for the long term: open a PEA at a French provider first, then use one of these for everything a PEA cannot hold.
One caution on commission-free trading: free execution is rarely free in reality. Check where the broker routes orders, what the currency conversion costs and whether there is an inactivity fee, since those often exceed the commission you saved.
This article is information, not investment advice. Do your own research on which service fits your situation, risk tolerance and goals.
