
To help you find the best online brokers for funds for Europeans, we went ahead and did the research for you. First, we looked at the 101 online brokers that we cover, then we checked and compared their fees, products, trading platforms, deposit and withdrawal conditions, and more.
Let's see the winners!
Our top 5 picks for the best online brokers for funds for Europeans in 2022:
- Interactive Brokers is the best broker for funds for Europeans in 2022. Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- Firstrade takes second place. Free stock, ETF, fund and options trading. Solid research tools. Quality educational tools.
- LYNX rounds out the top three. Wide range of markets and products. Low stock and ETF trading fees. Great research tool.
- Swissquote came in fourth. Access to many markets and products. No inactivity fee. Rock-solid background.
- DEGIRO just made it to the list at number five. One of the lowest fees on the market. Regulated by top-tier authorities. Easy-to-use web and mobile platform.
Broker | Description | Funds fee class | Number of available fund providers | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Interactive Brokers | International broker providing all asset classes | Average | 400 | Visit broker |
#2 | Firstrade | US discount broker | Low | 450 | Visit broker |
#3 | LYNX | Netherlands-based stockbroker | Low | 260 | Visit broker |
#4 | Swissquote | Swiss investment bank | Low | 340 | Visit broker |
#5 | DEGIRO | German-Dutch discount broker | Low | 64 | Visit broker |
What makes a good online broker for mutual fund investing?
- Fair fees for funds
- Wide selection of funds
- Safety
- Low or no inactivity fee
We test brokers based on close to 500 criteria with real accounts and real money. We speak from experience.
For a tailored recommendation, check out our broker finder tool. Want more details? Compare brokers with the help of this detailed comparison tool.
And now, let's see the best brokers for fund investors for Europeans one by one, starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.
Interactive Brokers, one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, was founded in 1977. The broker is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including top-tier ones like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Given that the broker has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, Interactive Brokers is considered safe. The fact that it has a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange all point to IB being a safe service provider.
Interactive Brokers recently launched a new app for global stock trading: read our review of IBKR GlobalTrader.
In addition, Interactive Brokers also has an app you can use for ESG investing: read our review of IMPACT by Interactive Brokers.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Low trading fees | • Complicated account opening process |
• Wide range of products | • Complex desktop trading platform |
• Many great research tools | • Understaffed customer service |
#1 Interactive Brokers
Fees
Interactive Brokers has average fees when it comes to buying and selling funds.
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund fee class | Average | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | $7.2 | $9.0 | $4.7 |
Inactivity fee | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Note: We excluded the following fees:
- Ongoing fees (expense ratio)
- Front-load and redemption fees
- Short-term redemption fees
- Performance fees
#1 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund providers (#) | 400 | 450 | 260 | 340 | 64 |
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Forex | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Futures | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CFDs | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
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 |
#2 Firstrade
Fees
Firstrade has low fees when it comes to buying and selling funds.
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund fee class | Average | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | $7.2 | $9.0 | $4.7 |
Inactivity fee | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Note: We excluded the following fees:
- Ongoing fees (expense ratio)
- Front-load and redemption fees
- Short-term redemption fees
- Performance fees
#2 Firstrade
Markets and products
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund providers (#) | 400 | 450 | 260 | 340 | 64 |
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Forex | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Futures | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CFDs | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
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LYNX is a Netherlands-based stockbroker founded in 2006.
LYNX is an introducing broker of Interactive Brokers (IB). In practice, this means that your deposited funds will be held by IB but fees are charged by LYNX. You can also use IB's trading platforms.
LYNX is considered safe because both LYNX and Interactive Brokers are regulated by top-tier financial authorities.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Wide range of markets and products | • Deposit and withdrawal options limited |
• Low stock and ETF trading fees | • €3,000 minimum deposit |
• Great research tool | • Complex desktop platform |
#3 LYNX
Fees
LYNX has low fees when it comes to buying and selling funds.
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund fee class | Average | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | $7.2 | $9.0 | $4.7 |
Inactivity fee | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Note: We excluded the following fees:
- Ongoing fees (expense ratio)
- Front-load and redemption fees
- Short-term redemption fees
- Performance fees
#3 LYNX
Markets and products
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund providers (#) | 400 | 450 | 260 | 340 | 64 |
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Forex | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Futures | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CFDs | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Swissquote is a Swiss investment bank established in 1996. It has three main trading entities:
- Swissquote Bank - it provides all asset classes, including stocks and ETFs. This entity is based in Switzerland and has multiple regulations, including the top-tier Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).
- Swissquote Bank Europe - it provides stocks, ETFs, funds, cryptos, forex, and CFD trading. This entity is based in Luxembourg and is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), Luxembourg's regulator.
- Swissquote LTD - it provides CFD and forex trading. The entity is based in the UK and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The fact that Swissquote Bank Ltd has a banking license, is listed on the Swiss stock exchange, discloses detailed financials regularly, and has a long track record are all great signs with respect to Swissquote's safety.
In this review, we focus mainly on the Swiss entity, sometimes referred to as "Swissquote Bank (CH)" and we will refer to the Luxembourg and UK-based entities as "Swissquote Europe (LUX)" and "Swissquote LTD (UK)", respectively.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Access to many markets and products | • High trading fees |
• No inactivity fee | • Confusing trading platform selection |
• Rock-solid background | • Some research tools are not free |
#4 Swissquote
Fees
Swissquote has low fees when it comes to buying and selling funds.
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund fee class | Average | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | $7.2 | $9.0 | $4.7 |
Inactivity fee | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Note: We excluded the following fees:
- Ongoing fees (expense ratio)
- Front-load and redemption fees
- Short-term redemption fees
- Performance fees
#4 Swissquote
Markets and products
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund providers (#) | 400 | 450 | 260 | 340 | 64 |
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Forex | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Futures | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CFDs | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
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 |
#5 DEGIRO
Fees
DEGIRO has low fees when it comes to buying and selling funds.
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund fee class | Average | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | $7.2 | $9.0 | $4.7 |
Inactivity fee | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Note: We excluded the following fees:
- Ongoing fees (expense ratio)
- Front-load and redemption fees
- Short-term redemption fees
- Performance fees
#5 DEGIRO
Markets and products
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund providers (#) | 400 | 450 | 260 | 340 | 64 |
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Forex | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Futures | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CFDs | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Best online brokers for funds for Europeans in 2022 - Fee comparison included
What makes a good broker for funds?
Now that we have seen the top 5 brokers for funds, you're probably curious how we put together this list. Let us walk you through the process.
How did BrokerChooser pick the best brokers for funds?
At BrokerChooser, we test online brokers along close to 500 criteria, using real accounts and real money. We don't want to overwhelm you, so we'll list just a few important criteria that we took into consideration to find the best brokers for funds:
- Trading fees charged for funds
- Non-trading fees such as inactivity fee
- Wide range of products, especially mutual funds
- Broker safety
Best online brokers for funds for Europeans in 2022 - Fee comparison included
Bottom line
You saw the details, now let's zoom out again. Here are the best online brokers for mutual funds for Europeans:
Interactive Brokers | Firstrade | LYNX | Swissquote | DEGIRO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund fee class | Average | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Fund providers (#) | 400 | 450 | 260 | 340 | 64 |
Inactivity fee | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Overall score | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.8 |
Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker |
Interactive Brokers is our winner, the best online broker for funds for Europeans. Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
Pick the winner or any runner-up, and take the next step in your investment journey. Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Still unsure? Use our broker finder tool to find the online broker most suitable for you.