To help you find the best ETF brokers in 2022, we went ahead and did the research for you. We selected 101 quality brokers that offer ETFs and scrutinized their trading fees and ETF product selection. And now, without further ado...
Our top 3 picks for the best ETF brokers in 2022:
- DEGIRO is the winner.
- Interactive Brokers came second.
- TradeStation Global rounds out the top three.
| Broker | Info | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | DEGIRO | German-Dutch discount broker | 4.8 | Visit broker |
| #2 | Interactive Brokers | International broker providing all asset classes | 4.9 | Visit broker |
| #3 | TradeStation Global | UK-based global stockbroker | 4.6 | Visit broker |
What makes a good ETF broker? In addition to offering a wide range of ETFs and acess to many stock exchanges, it needs to have fair fees. It's especially important that its commissions, inactivity fees and withdrawal fees are low or close to zero. Finally, it weighs heavily in the scoring if the overall profile of the broker - including its trading platforms, safety and account opening process - is solid.
These key factors are easy to list, but hard to figure out. We test brokers along nearly 500 criteria, using real accounts and real money, which allows us to speak from experience.
Not sure which broker to choose? For a tailored recommendation, check out our broker finder tool. If you enter the name of your country and your preferences, it will display the best relevant matches. Want more details? Compare brokers with the help of our in-depth comparison table.
And now, let's see the best brokers for ETFs one by one, starting with the winner, DEGIRO.
#1 Best brokers for ETFs
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.
#1 DEGIRO
ETF trading fees
DEGIRO ETF trading fees are low.
It is not so easy to compare trading fees for ETF trading. So how did we do it at BrokerChooser? Instead of compiling long fee tables, we compared brokers by calculating all the fees of a typical trade. A typical trade means that you buy ETF shares for $2,000, hold them for a week and then sell them.
Here is the verdict:
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US ETF | $0.6 | $1.0 | $1.5 |
| UK ETF | $3.2 | $4.2 | $2.4 |
Non-trading fees
DEGIRO has low non-trading fees.
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Feel free to read more about brokerage fees if you want to expand your knowledge.
#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 | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 83 | 78 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | Yes |
#2 Best brokers for ETFs
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.
#2 Interactive Brokers
ETF trading fees
Interactive Brokers ETF trading fees are low.
It is not so easy to compare trading fees for ETF trading. So how did we do it at BrokerChooser? Instead of compiling long fee tables, we compared brokers by calculating all the fees of a typical trade. A typical trade means that you buy ETF shares for $2,000, hold them for a week and then sell them.
Here is the verdict:
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US ETF | $0.6 | $1.0 | $1.5 |
| UK ETF | $3.2 | $4.2 | $2.4 |
Non-trading fees
Interactive Brokers has low non-trading fees.
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Feel free to read more about brokerage fees if you want to expand your knowledge.
#2 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products
At Interactive Brokers, you have access to an extremely wide range of markets and all product types are available.
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 83 | 78 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | Yes |
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#3 Best brokers for ETFs
TradeStation Global
TradeStation Global is a brand of TradeStation International Ltd, which is based in the UK and is regulated by the top-tier Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
TradeStation Global is a combined product offered by Interactive Brokers (IB) and TradeStation for clients outside the EU/EEA. Here are its most important elements:
- The account opening, deposit/withdrawal options, and available products are the same as at Interactive Brokers.
- You can use both Interactive Brokers's and TradeStation's own desktop platform.
- TradeStation Global charges its own fees, and offers its own customer support and educational tools.
Both Interactive Brokers and TradeStation are reputable brokers, regulated by top-tier financial authorities. While Interactive Brokers is listed on the NASDAQ, TradeStation itself is not: only TradeStation's parent company Monex is listed, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
#3 TradeStation Global
ETF trading fees
TradeStation Global ETF trading fees are low.
It is not so easy to compare trading fees for ETF trading. So how did we do it at BrokerChooser? Instead of compiling long fee tables, we compared brokers by calculating all the fees of a typical trade. A typical trade means that you buy ETF shares for $2,000, hold them for a week and then sell them.
Here is the verdict:
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US ETF | $0.6 | $1.0 | $1.5 |
| UK ETF | $3.2 | $4.2 | $2.4 |
Non-trading fees
TradeStation Global has low non-trading fees.
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Feel free to read more about brokerage fees if you want to expand your knowledge.
#3 TradeStation Global
Markets and products
With TradeStation Global, you can access the same range of product types and exchanges as at Interactive Brokers. This selection is one of the widest among online brokers.
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 31 | 83 | 78 |
| ETFs (#) | 5,400 | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | No | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes | Yes |
Best ETF brokers in 2022
Bottom line
We've shown you the details, now let's zoom out. Here are the best ETF brokers in 2022:
| DEGIRO | Interactive Brokers | TradeStation Global | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| Fees score | 4.6 stars | 4.5 stars | 3.9 stars |
| Stock and ETF fee scores | 4.8 stars | 4.8 stars | 4.7 stars |
| Available ETFs | 5,400 | 13,000 | 13,000 |
DEGIRO is our winner, the best ETF broker 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 of these brokers a great choice. 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 you, or learn more about investing your money.
