TD Ameritrade is a US-based broker which targets both beginners and more professional investors. Its assets include stocks and ETF (with no commission), as well as more complex financial assets, such as options and futures.
Do you want to know if TD Ameritrade is available in France and the alternatives available? Keep on reading. We’ve got you covered!
Is TD Ameritrade available in France?
Unfortunately, TD Ameritrade is no longer available in France, like competitors Robinhood and Vanguard.
TD Ameritrade was acquired by Charles Schwab, and all accounts have been moved.
You can use Charles Schwab from France, however there are some pretty strict requirements to open an account from outside the USA.
Alternatives to TD Ameritrade in France
The following options are leading online brokers which operate in France, are regulated by top-tier authorities, and offer similar features to those provided by TD Ameritrade in the US – be it commission-free trading, a wide range of available assets, or an advanced trading platform for more active traders, such as Thinkorswim.
eToro
With over 30 million users, eToro is the leading social investing platform (copy and follow other traders/investors). It offers commission-free stock trading.
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
Targeting more experienced investors, Interactive Brokers offers a wide range of products from many exchanges worldwide. They also offer an advanced trading platform, IB Trader Workstation, a competitor to the Thinkorswim platform.
💡 Interactive Brokers also launched IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile trading app to trade Stocks, Options and ETFs, ideal for novice investors.
DEGIRO
One of the leading online brokers in Europe due to its low-cost structure. Offers commission-free ETF trading (external fees apply) and a wide product portfolio.
Disclaimer: Investing involves risk of loss.
BUX
A recent broker that offers commission-free stocks and ETFs trading in France. Very transparent and regulated by top-tier AFM. New users will receive one free share worth up to €200.
XTB
Global forex and CFDs broker and one of the leading brokers for derivatives trading. Furthermore, their proprietary trading platform – X Station 5 – is considered one of the best because of its advanced tools and user-friendly interface. Recently, they started offering commission-free real stock and ETFs trading in France.
Disclaimer: 76-83% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Other resources
Not sure yet which app to choose? Here are some resources to help you explore more alternatives:
- Check our Youtube channel! You will find step-by-step guides of how to invest in the S&P 500 on different apps, as well as other educational videos about investing and investment platforms.
- Explore our tools: Check our comparison tool, reviews, broker bonuses, broker interest rates, BrokerMatch, and others.
TD Ameritrade alternatives reviewed
eToro at a glance
51% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
eToro is the world’s leading social trading platform, with over 30 million clients in more than 140 countries. It allows retail account holders to mimic the trades and trading strategies of the most successful clients automatically and in real time.
Still, it does not only focus on social trading! It is also a multi-asset platform offering many different financial instruments to trade, such as CFDs, ETFs, stocks, commodities, Forex, and cryptocurrencies. eToro provides a 0% commission on stock trading. The spreads on CFDs may vary according to each financial product, so keep that in mind before placing an order.
The website and mobile app are nearly identical, attractively laid out, and incredibly simplified. The account opening process is pretty easy and fast. You only need a few minutes to sign up and follow the identification procedure. Moreover, if you are not yet comfortable with investing or its comprehensive dashboard, eToro provides you with a practice account.
eToro is considered safe since top-tier financial authorities regulate it, like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and it has shown resilience during the Covid-19 market turmoil.
On the downside, eToro charges a 5$ commission per withdrawal. Plus, cost-free trading only applies when you trade real stocks or ETFs. In other words, if you leverage your positions, you’re trading CFDs and not real stocks or ETFs, and so you will incur spreads and overnight fees.
If you are interested, please read our review of eToro.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 51% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
IB at a glance
If you’re looking for an online broker with a wide range of products from different markets, low costs, and a sophisticated trading platform, then Interactive Brokers might be a good alternative to the TD Ameritrade broker.
Founded in 1978 and publicly listed on Nasdaq since 2007, Interactive Brokers is a global online broker that offers access to dozens of markets worldwide, not only US-listed assets. Besides the low costs, this is one of their main differentiators.
They also offer an educational area with free resources for financial education.
Interactive Brokers also launched IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile trading app to trade Stocks, Options and ETFs, ideal for beginner investors. Some of the features of IBKR GlobalTrader include automatic currency conversions, fractional shares, demo account, and more.
Please read our Interactive Brokers Review for full insights!
DEGIRO at a glance
Investing involves risk of loss.
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 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 any significant fundamental research, a €2.50 connectivity fee applies, and pricing alerts are missing.
Regarding security, DEGIRO is the Dutch branch of flatexDEGIRO Bank AG (a German-regulated bank). In the unlikely event that the segregated assets cannot be returned to clients, DEGIRO falls under the German Investor Compensation Scheme, which compensates any losses from non-returned assets up to 90% (with a maximum of EUR 20,000), so do bear this in mind if you are planning to invest much larger volumes. Furthermore, any money deposited on a DEGIRO Cash Account with flatexDEGIRO Bank AG will be guaranteed up to EUR 100,000 under the German Deposit Guarantee Scheme.
Still any doubts? Go through our DEGIRO Review!
BUX at a glance
BUX is an online broker launched in 2019 that has positioned itself as an affordable way for Europeans to increase their savings. It brings a simple and elegant way to start investing.
It allows users to trade US and EU stocks (Dutch, German, Belgian, French, and Austrian) and 30+ ETFs, completely commission-free. New users will also benefit from one free share worth up to €200 (terms available on P.30 of the BUX Client Agreement). You also have access to fractional investing, making it easy to invest in companies with big share prices (Amazon, Tesla, Alphabet,…) starting for as little as €10.
Another great point for BUX is that it is very transparent: it has no hidden fees, and if you want to benefit from more premium services such as market or limit orders, it’ll cost you 1€ (all of that is available in the pricing page).
On the downside, the only place to trade is its mobile app (no desktop or web trading platform available), the products available are limited and it has no demo account.
BUX is regulated by the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiële Markten – AFM). If you want to learn more, check out our BUX Zero Review.
XTB at a glance
76-83% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Another world player in the online brokerage industry is XTB. It is regulated by top-tier regulators such as the UK’s FCA, is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and offers a professional trading platform – xStation 5.
Recently, it started offering 0% commission on stocks in France, alongside its currently available products like CFDs on several asset classes.
Its research and educational tools are also great when compared to competitors. Because it has multiple offices in Europe, XTB’s customer service is one of the best in the market if you are a European trader.
On the downside, the range of products offered is limited, as it is mainly focused on CFDs, Forex, and Crypto while providing access to real stocks and ETFs in some countries.
That’s XTB in a nutshell! If you want a more detailed review, read our XTB Review.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 76-83 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Bottom line: which broker should you go for?
There’s no such thing as “the best online broker”. Different providers offer different features which will fit your profile, preferences, and objectives differently.
For instance, do you want an easy-to-use platform for long-term buy-and-hold or a more complex platform for trading or options? Do you value research or is an execution-only broker sufficient? Which products and markets are you looking to trade?
Even though many traders are now looking at commission-free trading as the main factor for their choice, one must be aware that it generally comes at a cost. Where is the broker routing its orders? It might be compromising the quality of trade execution.
The best online broker in your specific case will depend on your profile, preference, and objectives. Explore the websites linked to above and decide for yourself!
Remember that this article should not be construed as investment advice but should be considered information only. Investors should do their own research and due diligence regarding the services and opportunities best suited for their risk, returns, and impact strategy.
Hope we helped, happy investing!