Recommended brokers

Do you want to start investing but you don’t have a brokerage account yet? We evaluated different online brokers to help you make a decision.

We have selected the following 10 companies based on:

  • What markets they serve: we’ve included European and US-based firms, so that you have options to choose from depending on where you live.
  • Minimum required deposit: the amount varies depending on whether you are a resident or non-resident of the country where the firm is located.
  • Trading fees: we evaluated the fees charged to trade some of the most well-known ETFs; however, each firm charges a variety of fees for a variety of reasons, so we advise you to read the details on their websites.
  • Pros & Cons: we present you comments about the more important pros and cons we found during our evaluation.

Choose region:

Charles Schwab is a multinational financial services company that offers banking, commercial banking, an electronic trading platform, and wealth management services.

  • Location

    Westlake, Texas

  • Minimum Deposit

    US Residents: $0.00

    Non-US Residents: $25,000.00

  • Trading Fees

    $0.00

    (Applies to all)
    More information here

  • Website

    schwab.com

Pros

  • Free stock and ETF trading
  • Helpful research provided
  • Good customer service

Cons

  • High fees on some mutual funds
  • Education platform not structured well
  • Low rate for default cash sweep

Merrill Edge is a stockbroker within Bank of America offering stocks, ETFs, options and bonds.

Pros

  • Low trading fees
  • Easy to open a new account
  • Strong parent company

Cons

  • Limited to US clients
  • No demo account
  • No futures, options, or cryptocurrency trading

Interactive Brokers is a multinational brokerage firm that primarily serves investors who are more experienced with trading.

Pros

  • Wide range of offerings
  • Low trading fees
  • Good research tools

Cons

  • Complex desktop trading platform
  • Not as easy of a process to open an account
  • Small or inactive accounts can generate fees

DEGIRO is a privately owned Dutch online discount broker, recommended for price-sensitive buy-and-hold investors.

  • Location

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • Minimum Deposit

    €0.00

  • Trading Fees

    €0.00

    (€3.50 fee applied to some ETFs)
    More information here

  • Website

    degiro.es

Pros

  • Low fees and no minimum
  • Easy-to-use platform
  • Regulated by top-tier authorities

Cons

  • Limited research
  • No Forex available
  • No credit/debit deposit

eToro is a social trading brokerage company that focuses on financial and copy trading services.

Pros

  • Website and mobile app are easy to navigate
  • Easy to open an account
  • Social trading experience

Cons

  • Operates mostly with Contract for Differences (CFDs), not real ETF and stocks
  • Non trading fees are high
  • Wide spreads for trading cryptocurrency
  • Expensive exchange fees if you don't deposit in dollars

Revolut is a fintech startup out of London, England that offers commission-free stock trading.

Pros

  • Good platform for beginners
  • Easy and quick process to open an account
  • Great mobile trading platform

Cons

  • Basic research and lack of educational tools
  • Limited product portfolio
  • Customer service could be improved

Lynx is a Netherlands-based stockbroker that offers a large product and market range.

Pros

  • Wide range of products
  • Low trading fees for stock and ETF
  • Easy-to-use mobile platform

Cons

  • Need €3,000 for minimum deposit
  • Desktop platform is complex
  • Limited educational materials

Saxo Bank is a Danish investment bank specializing in online trading and investment.

Pros

  • Wide range of product offerings
  • Great user interface
  • Protection for client accounts

Cons

  • High minimum deposit
  • Customer service could be improved
  • Does not accept U.S. clients

Self Bank is a brokerage firm under Singular Bank and is focused on retail banking and online brokerage.

Pros

  • No account minimum
  • Tight market spreads for Forex trading
  • No maintenance or cancellation costs

Cons

  • No high leverage under the regulator's requirements
  • Support is only provided in Spanish
  • Charges a withdrawal fee from all account types

Renta 4 Banco is a bank specializing in online brokerage and securities trading services located in Madrid.

  • Location

    Madrid, Spain

  • Minimum Deposit

    €0.00

  • Trading Fees

    €4.00

    (For National ETFs up to €6,000)
    More information here

  • Website

    r4.com

Pros

  • Deposit guarantee
  • Numerous tools accessible in the platform
  • Investment specialist by your side

Cons

  • Website can be tedious or difficult to use
  • Does not offer SEPA instant transfer
  • Limited product offering

Disclaimer: while we did our best to assess a number of European and American brokerage firms and to narrow it down to the 10 brokers presented on this list, we encourage you to do your own research before deciding where to open an investment account. The fact that we present these companies here should not be construed as our endorsement or guarantee of their quality and safety. We do not receive any compensation, in any form, from these companies, or any other, for the purposes of doing this assessment.

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