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Intro and winners
To help you find the best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans in 2022, we went ahead and did the research for you. We selected 102 quality online brokers and checked their stock trading and non-trading fees, the markets they provide access to, their product selection and much much more. We dug deep, so you won't have to. Let's see the winners!
Our top 5 picks for best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans in 2022:
- DEGIRO is the winner. One of the lowest fees on the market. Regulated by top-tier authorities. Easy-to-use web and mobile platform.
- tastyworks came in second. Low trading fees. Great educational materials. Good research tools.
- Trading 212 rounds out the top three. Real stocks and ETFs are commission-free. Quick and easy account opening. Great trading platforms.
- Firstrade is numero quattro. Free stock, ETF, fund and options trading. Solid research tools. Quality educational tools.
- eToro just made it to the list in 5th place. Free stock and ETF trading. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
| Name | Company info | Trading platform score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | DEGIRO | German-Dutch discount broker | 4.4 stars | Visit broker |
| #2 | tastyworks | US options and stockbroker | 3.9 stars | Visit broker |
| #3 | Trading 212 | Global CFD broker, but real stocks/ETFs are also available | 4.8 stars |
Visit broker
68% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
| #4 | Firstrade | US discount broker | 3.9 stars | Visit broker |
| #5 | eToro | Global social trading broker | 4.6 stars |
Visit broker
Your capital is at risk |
In 2022, a multitude of brokers offer free stock trading, so investors have to look beyond the price of a trade to get a fuller picture. Here are the key factors worth checking out:
- Hidden fees
- Non-trading fees
- Trading platforms
- Available markets and order types
- Safety
And now, let's see the best brokers for free stock trading in 2022 one by one, starting with the winner, DEGIRO.
#1 Best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans
DEGIRO
DEGIRO is a German-Dutch online discount broker. It was established in 2008 by former employees of another brokerage company in the Netherlands. DEGIRO merged with flatexDEGIRO Bank AG in early 2021, creating the biggest online execution-only broker in Europe with its own banking license.
Check out our DEGIRO review tailored to the needs of beginner investors and traders.
DEGIRO is regulated by top-tier financial authorities such as the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, or BaFin) in Germany.
Disclaimer: Investing involves risk of loss.
Disclaimer for UK clients: Deemed authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The nature and extent of consumer protections may differ from those applicable to firms based in the UK. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the FCA's website.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • One of the lowest fees on the market | • Forex not available |
| • Regulated by top-tier authorities | • Limited research tools |
| • Easy-to-use web and mobile platform | • No credit/debit card deposit |
#1 DEGIRO
Safety
DEGIRO is a licensed investment firm regulated by top-tier financial authorities, and now comes with a newly secured banking background.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Banking background | None |
| • Top-tier financial regulator |
#1 DEGIRO
DEGIRO trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.0 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.5 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | - | No |
#1 DEGIRO
Deposit and withdrawal
DEGIRO deposits and withdrawals are free of charge via bank transfer. A big drawback though is that you can't deposit funds using a credit or debit card.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free withdrawal | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • No deposit fee | |
| • Several account base currencies |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5 |
#1 DEGIRO
Markets and products
At DEGIRO, you can access many markets and trade a lot of different products. CFDs and forex are not available, though.
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 2,200 | 1,800 | 2,300 | 145 |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
#2 Best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans
tastyworks
tastyworks is a young, up-and-coming US broker focusing on options trading. It is regulated by the top-tier Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for Australian clients.
The people behind tastyworks are the same experts who built the thinkorswim trading platform, now operated by TD Ameritrade. tastyworks is privately owned; it was established in 2017 and is headquartered in Chicago.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Limited product selection |
| • Great educational materials | • Few deposit and withdrawal options |
| • Good research tools | • No demo account |
#2 tastyworks
Safety
tastyworks is overseen by top-tier US regulators, giving you strong investor protection, but is not backed by any bank.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | • Does not hold a banking license |
| • High level of investor protection | • Not listed on stock exchange |
| • Financial information is publicly available |
#2 tastyworks
tastyworks trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 3.4 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.2 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | 3.9 stars | Yes |
#2 tastyworks
Deposit and withdrawal
tastyworks's deposit and withdrawal functions are easy to use and there's no deposit fee, but you can use only bank transfer, and withdrawals can be expensive especially for non-US clients.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • User-friendly | • High fee for wire withdrawals |
| • Free ACH withdrawals in the US |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5 |
#2 tastyworks
Markets and products
At tastyworks, you can trade US stocks, ETFs, options and some futures. Other popular asset classes like mutual funds or bonds are missing, as are international assets.
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 2,200 | 1,800 | 2,300 | 145 |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
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#3 Best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans
Trading 212
Trading 212 is onboarding clients without a waiting list from the EEA region only. Customers from other eligible countries can join Trading 212's waiting list, but it may take a while until onboarding restrictions are lifted and the waiting list is scrapped.
Trading 212 is a global CFD broker, but clients can also trade stocks and ETFs free of charge. The company was founded in 2004 and is now headquartered in London. Trading 212 is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cypriot Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and the Bulgarian Financial Supervision Commission (FSC).
Check out our Trading 212 review tailored to the needs of beginner investors and traders.
Trading 212 is considered safe as it is regulated by the top-tier FCA.
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% 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.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Real stocks and ETFs are commission-free | • Limited product portfolio |
| • Quick and easy account opening | • High forex fees |
| • Great trading platforms | • USD unavailable as account currency |
#3 Trading 212
Safety
Trading 212 is regulated by the top-tier FCA and provides negative balance protection. However, it is not listed on any stock exchange and doesn't have a banking background.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Negative balance protection | • Does not hold a banking license |
| • Regulated by the FCA | • Not listed on stock exchange |
| • Financial information is not publicly available |
#3 Trading 212
Trading 212 trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.4 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.9 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | - | No |
#3 Trading 212
Deposit and withdrawal
Trading 212 offers many free deposit and withdrawal options. On the downside, there are only a few account base currencies available in each country, and you can't choose USD.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card available | • USD unavailable as base currency |
| • Free withdrawal | • Few base currencies in each country |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5 |
#3 Trading 212
Markets and products
Trading 212 focuses on CFDs (forex, stock, index, etc.) and real stocks/ETFs. As a result, popular asset classes like bonds, mutual funds, options or futures are missing.
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 2,200 | 1,800 | 2,300 | 145 |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
#4 Best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans
Firstrade
Firstrade is a US discount stockbroker regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The company was founded in 1985 under the name First Flushing Securities.
Firstrade is considered safe because it has a long track record and is overseen by top-tier regulators.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock, ETF, fund and options trading | • No credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfer |
| • Solid research tools | • You can trade only on US markets |
| • Quality educational tools | • No live chat or 24/7 availability |
#4 Firstrade
Safety
Firstrade is regulated by top-tier financial authorities, such as the SEC and FINRA. Clients enjoy a high investor protection amount of $500,000, which includes $250,000 for cash. On the other hand, negative balance protection is not provided.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | • No negative balance protection |
| • High level of investor protection | • Does not hold a banking license |
| • Not listed on stock exchange |
#4 Firstrade
Firstrade trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.3 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 3.8 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | - | No |
#4 Firstrade
Deposit and withdrawal
We liked Firstrade's user-friendly deposit and withdrawal process. There is no deposit fee and transferring money is easy. At the same time, there is still room for improvement: you can use only bank transfers and a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • User-friendly | • Only one account base currency |
| • High outgoing wire transfer fee |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5 |
#4 Firstrade
Markets and products
Firstrade offers a good variety of asset classes, from stocks to options. However, the products cover only the US market and you cannot trade futures or forex.
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 2,200 | 1,800 | 2,300 | 145 |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
#5 Best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans
eToro
eToro is a well-known Israeli fintech company and a social trading broker, established in 2007.
Check out our eToro review tailored to the needs of beginner investors and traders.
eToro serves UK clients through a unit regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Australians through an Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)-regulated entity. All other customers are served by a Cypriot unit that is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
eToro is not listed on any stock exchange, does not disclose its annual report on its website and does not have a bank parent.
Being regulated by the top-tier FCA and ASIC is a good sign for eToro's safety.
HEADS UP: Minimum deposit based on residency and account activation – Be sure to check the minimum deposit that is required to activate your account. After uploading your documents, a deposit is also needed in order to make trades. The amount of the deposit required is based on your residency, and ranges from $10 to $10,000. More details are available in the review’s Account opening section.
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 78% 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.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock and ETF trading | • High non-trading fees |
| • Seamless account opening | • Only one account base currency |
| • Social trading | • Customer support should be improved |
#5 eToro
Safety
eToro is regulated by top-tier financial authorities like the FCA, and ASIC as well as CySEC. However, it is not listed on any stock exchange and does not have a bank parent.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | • Does not hold a banking license |
| • Negative balance protection | • Not listed on stock exchange |
| • Financial information is publicly available |
#5 eToro
eToro trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.4 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.7 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | - | No |
#5 eToro
Deposit and withdrawal
Depositing money is easy, with a lot of available options, although there is a $5 withdrawal fee. As only USD accounts are available, you may pay a high conversion fee if you deposit or withdraw in another currency, like EUR or GBP.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card available | • Only one account base currency |
| • User-friendly | • $5 withdrawal fee |
| • Conversion fee for non-USD deposits |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5 |
#5 eToro
Markets and products
At eToro, you can trade CFDs and forex, as well as real stocks, ETFs and many cryptos. Innovative services like social trading and Smart Portfolios are also available.
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 2,200 | 1,800 | 2,300 | 145 |
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans in 2022
Bottom line
Now that you have seen the details, let's zoom out. Here are the best brokers for free stock trading for Europeans in 2022:
| DEGIRO | tastyworks | Trading 212 | Firstrade | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.4 stars | 3.9 stars | 4.8 stars | 3.9 stars | 4.6 stars |
| Deposit and withdrawal score | 3.0 stars | 1.9 stars | 4.3 stars | 2.0 stars | 3.9 stars |
| Markets and products score | 3.6 stars | 3.1 stars | 4.1 stars | 2.5 stars | 4.3 stars |
DEGIRO is our winner, the best broker for free stock trading for Europeans in 2022. One of the lowest fees on the market. Regulated by top-tier authorities. Easy-to-use web and mobile platform.
We consider all these stockbrokers a great choice. Feel free to pick the winner or any runner-up and take the next step in your investment journey. Let us know what you think in the comments section.
Still unsure which broker to choose? Use our broker finder tool to find the best broker for your needs or learn more about investing your money.
