Is DEGIRO available in Austria (Österreich)? Alternatives for 2026

In 2014, DEGIRO expanded its online trading platform across several European countries outside the Netherlands, its country of origin. Since then, it has been growing steadily, reaching over 3 million clients in 15 countries in Europe.

Want to know if DEGIRO is available in Austria, what its expansion plans are, and the alternatives available? We’ve got you covered.

Is DEGIRO available in Austria?

Unfortunately, DEGIRO is not available in Austria (a.k.a. Österreich) anymore.

Flatex acquired DEGIRO, and they now operate as flatexDEGIRO. While the broker is referred to as flatex in Austria, it retains the DEGIRO name in the rest of Europe.

Due to the merger between DEGIRO B.V. and flatexDEGIRO Bank SE, all Austrian brokerage services for new customers are provided under the flatex brand. DEGIRO is not accepting any new Austrian account openings.

What happened to Austrian DEGIRO users?

Austrian DEGIRO users’ accounts were closed. They had until the end of September 2021 to either close all positions or transfer them to another broker, otherwise the accounts would be closed. Users had the option to move their existing positions to flatex before the deadline.

There is a silver lining to the flatex route that is worth understanding before you look elsewhere: because flatex operates in Austria, it withholds Austrian capital gains tax automatically. Most international alternatives do not. We explain why that matters below.

While flatex is a reasonable DEGIRO alternative, it has drawbacks, including higher commissions on certain exchanges. Below, we cover other DEGIRO alternatives for Austrian users.

The question that matters most in Austria: steuereinfach or not

Before comparing fees, Austrian investors should understand a distinction that has a bigger practical impact than any commission.

Austria charges a flat 27.5% capital gains tax (Kapitalertragsteuer, or KESt) on realised gains, dividends and fund distributions. How that tax reaches the Finanzamt depends entirely on where your broker is based.

A steuereinfacher Broker has a seat or branch in Austria and is legally required to withhold the KESt and pay it over for you. It also offsets losses against gains automatically within the account. You do not need to declare those gains yourself. flatex, Austrian banks, and a small number of foreign brokers that have established Austrian branches fall into this group.

A non-steuereinfach broker does not withhold anything. Both eToro and Interactive Brokers are in this category. If you use one, you are responsible for downloading the annual tax report, calculating your gains and losses yourself, and declaring them each year through form E1kv in FinanzOnline. Depending on the size of the account, you may also owe quarterly prepayments.

There is a second trap specific to funds. ETFs registered as Meldefonds report their tax data to the Österreichische Kontrollbank, which allows the tax to be calculated correctly. A Nicht-Meldefonds is taxed punitively instead, at 27.5% on 90% of the annual increase in value, regardless of what you actually earned. Most major providers such as iShares, Vanguard, Xtrackers and Amundi register their funds as Meldefonds, but it is worth verifying before buying anything less mainstream.

None of this makes the brokers below unsuitable. They offer market access and pricing that Austrian providers often cannot match. But the saving has to be weighed against an annual administrative burden that many investors underestimate, and that sometimes means paying for a tax adviser. If you would rather not deal with any of it, a steuereinfacher Broker is usually the better answer even at a higher headline cost.

This is general information rather than tax advice. Confirm your position with a Steuerberater or with BMF.

DEGIRO Alternatives in Austria

Both alternatives are regulated by top-tier regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) and Cyprus’ Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). Neither is steuereinfach in Austria, so plan for the annual declaration described above.

Founded in 2007, eToro is a well-known worldwide fintech and the leader in social trading, letting you follow and copy other people’s trades. It has over 40 million registered users and has been listed on the Nasdaq since May 2025 under the ticker ETOR.

On costs, ETF trading is commission-free, which is the strongest part of the offer for a buy-and-hold 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. You can also invest in CFDs, commodities and forex through the platform, which is intuitive and simple to use, making it a good choice for beginners or anyone looking for a do-it-yourself platform.

Opening an account and depositing is easy, and you can try it out with a demo account using virtual money. On the downside, spreads can be high on some products. Currency conversion is the cost European investors most often underestimate: holding a EUR account and buying EUR-denominated assets avoids it, while converting to and from USD does not.

Note that eToro is not steuereinfach in Austria, so you will need to declare your gains yourself each year.

Founded in 1978 and publicly listed on the NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR), Interactive Brokers is a global online broker which surpassed major financial crises, showing resilience and a rigorous risk management process. As of June 2026 it held 5.19 million customer accounts with $930 billion in customer equity.

Interactive Brokers offers an advanced investment platform covering stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs, futures, bonds and currencies across more than 170 exchanges and market centres in 40 countries, solid trade execution (IB SmartRouting), and a set of technical and fundamental tools to help with your investment decisions. Since March 2026 it has also offered real crypto-assets to eligible EEA clients through Interactive Brokers Ireland.

Beginners and intermediate investors have educational tools to explore, but the learning curve is steep, which is why we mainly endorse it to more advanced traders. Customer service gives clear answers, so there is usually no need to go back and forth.

On the downside, the fee structure is complex, the registration process is lengthy though fully online, and the broker doesn’t offer commission-free trading. However, when considering FX fees, narrower spreads and the stock loan program, Interactive Brokers’ clients still get significant savings compared to most brokers. Its currency conversion cost of roughly 0.002% is the lowest of any broker on this page, which matters if you buy assets priced outside the euro.

As an Austrian resident you would be onboarded under Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, with investor compensation covering 90% of any shortfall up to €20,000. IBKR is not steuereinfach, so the annual declaration is yours to handle.

Interactive Brokers also offers IBKR GlobalTrader, a mobile trading app for stocks, ETFs and options, aimed at newer investors and redesigned in December 2025. Features include automatic currency conversions, fractional shares and a simulated account.

Want to know more about Interactive Brokers? Check our Interactive Brokers Review.

Other resources

If you’re still unsure which alternative to choose, feel free to explore our website, as well as our Youtube channel, where we dive into the best brokers in several regions and provide step-by-step guides on how to invest through some of these platforms.

If you’re still unsure, feel free to contact us or book a meeting with us.

Which platform should you choose?

Whether you decide to invest through eToro, Interactive Brokers, or any other trading platform, take the time to compare the platforms before deciding.

For Austrian investors specifically, the choice usually comes down to a trade-off. An international broker gives you wider market access and lower trading costs, but leaves the annual KESt declaration to you. A steuereinfacher Broker costs more per trade but removes that work entirely and offsets your losses against gains automatically. If you invest modest amounts a few times a year, the administrative saving often outweighs the fee difference. If you are running a larger or more active portfolio, the reverse can be true.

Beyond that, compare education resources, pricing and the products offered before opening an account. This helps ensure you do not need to maintain multiple accounts to access all the tools you need, and it is worth remembering that holding depots at several brokers prevents automatic loss offsetting across them.

The best online broker in your specific case will depend on your profile, preferences and objectives. Explore the websites above and decide for yourself.

A reminder that the above should not be construed as investment advice and should be considered information only. Investors should do their own research and due diligence about the services and opportunities best suited for their risk, returns, and impact strategy.