Intro and winners
Find below the strengths of the best brokers available in Germany, updated for 2025:
- Interactive Brokers is the best international online broker in Germany in 2025 - Extremely low fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- Saxo - Great trading platform. Outstanding research. Broad product portfolio. Interest paid on uninvested cash.
- eToro - Low stock and ETF fees. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
- XTB - Commission-free stocks and ETFs (for trades up to €100k per month). Free and fast deposit and withdrawal. Easy and fast account opening. Interest paid on cash.
- DEGIRO - One of the lowest fees on the market. Regulated by top-tier authorities. Easy-to-use web and mobile platform.
- Lightyear - Commission-free ETF and low commission on stock trades. High interest on uninvested cash. Quick account opening. Easy-to-use mobile trading platform.
- Oanda - Great trading platforms. Outstanding research tools. Fast and user-friendly account opening.
- Swissquote - Access to many markets and products. No inactivity fee. Rock-solid background.
- Trading 212 - Real stocks and ETFs are commission-free (other fees may apply). Quick and easy account opening. Great trading platforms. Pays interest on uninvested cash in an investment account.
- IG - First-class web trading platform. Superb educational tools. Great deposit and withdrawal options.
Comparison of best online brokers in Germany
While many international online trading brokers catering to German citizens offer an excellent service, the ones in our toplist go the extra mile. These international online trading platforms offer a broad range of markets and asset classes and are suitable for beginners and experienced traders alike.
| Broker | Overall score | Minimum deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | 4.9 /5 | $0 |
| Saxo | 4.8 /5 | $0 |
| eToro | 4.7 /5 | $100 |
| XTB | 4.7 /5 | $0 |
| DEGIRO | 4.6 /5 | $0 |
| Lightyear | 4.5 /5 | $0 |
| Oanda | 4.5 /5 | $0 |
| Swissquote | 4.5 /5 | $0 |
| Trading 212 | 4.5 /5 | $1 |
| IG | 4.5 /5 | $0 |
Popularity of the best online brokers in Germany
Interested in what others think? Here's how many people chose these brokers at BrokerChooser in the last 6 months.
Fee comparison at the best online brokers in Germany
In most cases the key broker selection criteria is how much you have to pay for a trade in spreads, commission and other trading costs, so we collected the most important fees for you in the table below.
| Broker | US stock | German stock |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | $1.0 | $3.2 |
| Saxo | $1.6 | $3.2 |
| eToro | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| XTB | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| DEGIRO | $2.1 | $5.1 |
| Lightyear | $1.0 | $1.1 |
| Oanda | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| Swissquote | $10.0 | $10.5 |
| Trading 212 | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| IG | $10.0 | $10.5 |
Other fees at the best online brokers in Germany
Other or non-trading fees are charges not directly related to a given trade and typically include account maintenance fees, deposit/withdrawal fees, and inactivity fees.
| Broker | Account fee | Inactivity fee |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | ||
| Saxo | ||
| eToro | ||
| XTB | ||
| DEGIRO | ||
| Lightyear | ||
| Oanda | ||
| Swissquote | ||
| Trading 212 | ||
| IG |
If you are unsure how brokerage fees are charged, check out our article on the various fees, charges and costs.
Financial market regulation in Germany
Financial markets and brokers operating in Germany are overseen by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), the country’s market regulator and one of the most respected such authorities worldwide. BaFin has put in place one of the strictest retail market regulations in the world.
The authority has repeatedly warned traders in Germany to pay close attention to the origin of the broker or trading platform they use. Even if a website is written in German and provides German telephone numbers for contacting the provider, this does not automatically mean that the company is based in Germany.
Some providers may give the impression of being a German company or a company based in Germany, when in fact they do not have permission to do business on the German market. Check out BrokerChooser's list of not recommended brokers, which details some of the brokerages that our experts found not to be good options, or use our Scam Broker Shield tool to check whether a broker is a scam or not.
Germany’s largest stock exchange is the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FWB), the 12th largest bourse in the world by market capitalization. The two most significant indices are the DAX and Euro Stoxx 50, which include the 30 largest German companies traded on the FWB.
Taxation of trading in Germany
Any profits made from trading financial assets such as stocks, bonds, currencies or CFDs are taxed in Germany. Interests, dividends, and realized capital gains are subject to a flat final withholding tax of 25%, plus a solidarity surcharge (5.5%) and church tax if applicable.
Financial institutions in Germany, including German brokers, will withhold the tax and pay it directly to the tax office. Investors using foreign brokers must report and pay the taxes themselves to the responsible tax office.
And now, let's see the top international online brokers for 2025 for residents in Germany one by one, starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.
Recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment
| Interactive Brokers snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Interactive Brokers services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for investors and traders looking for a great trading platform and solid research
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62% of retail CFD accounts lose money
| Saxo snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Average |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Saxo services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for traders interested in social trading (i.e. copying other investors’ trades) and stock trading with low fees
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eToro securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities Inc, member of FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk.
| eToro snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $100 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, eToro Money, Neteller, Skrill, Trustly, iDEAL, Przelewy 24, RapidTransfer, Klarna, Giropay |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, eToro Money, Neteller, Skrill, Trustly, iDEAL, Przelewy 24, RapidTransfer, Klarna, Giropay |
| Withdrawal fee | $5 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | Yes |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of eToro services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for forex and CFD traders looking for low fees and great deposit/withdrawal service
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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money
| XTB snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, Paysafe, Skrill, ecommpay, PayU, PayPal |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | Yes |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of XTB services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for traders and investors looking for execution only
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Investing involves risks
| DEGIRO snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of DEGIRO services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for investors and beginners looking for high interest rates on cash, a simple but great mobile platform, and low fees
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Capital at risk
| Lightyear snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, iDeal |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Lightyear services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for forex traders who value a user-friendly platform and great research tools
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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money
| Oanda snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Inactivity fee | Yes |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Oanda services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for affluent investors who value safety and are OK with higher fees
| Swissquote snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | High |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $10 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Swissquote services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for equity investors looking for easy-to-use trading platforms
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When investing, your capital is at risk
| Trading 212 snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $1 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, OnlineBankingPL, Giropay, Carte Bleue, Blik, Direct eBanking, Apple / Google Pay, PayPal, iDEAL |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, OnlineBankingPL, Giropay, Carte Bleue, Blik, Direct eBanking, Apple / Google Pay, PayPal, iDEAL |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Trading 212 services, check out our review for 2025 |
Recommended for traders of any experience level looking for an easy-to-use trading platform
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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money
| IG snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, PayPal |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of IG services, check out our review for 2025 |
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How did we select the best international online brokers in Germany in 2025?
We checked whether the broker is regulated by a trusted regulator
Compared fees (including spreads, withdrawal fee, commission)
We checked and compared every aspect of their services
Opened an account and tested the platform (charting, features, usability) with real money
Save hours of research!
Our expert team has done all the work for you, and reviewed brokers based on BrokerChooser's unique methodology.
FAQ
What is the minimum deposit needed to start trading in Germany?
At most of the brokers there is no set minimum deposit for trading stocks, bonds, forex or CFD in Germany, but pro traders recommend starting with at least $100.
How do you know if a broker is a scam?
The most important step when checking whether a broker is scamming you is to look up where the broker is regulated. National regulators such as the FCA in the UK, the SEC and FINRA in the US, BaFin in German are widely considered as strict and top-notch regulators and brokers working under their supervision are typically trusted service providers.
Do your due diligence by reading reviews about the specific broker and see if you are entitled to investor protection in your country in case your broker goes bankrupt. Investor protection does not apply to instances where people are scammed by their broker.
Which are the best online brokers in Germany?
The top online brokers in Germany in 2025 are:
- Interactive Brokers - Extremely low fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- Saxo - Great trading platform. Outstanding research. Broad product portfolio. Interest paid on uninvested cash.
- eToro - Low stock and ETF fees. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
- XTB - Commission-free stocks and ETFs (for trades up to €100k per month). Free and fast deposit and withdrawal. Easy and fast account opening. Interest paid on cash.
- DEGIRO - One of the lowest fees on the market. Regulated by top-tier authorities. Easy-to-use web and mobile platform.
- Lightyear - Commission-free ETF and low commission on stock trades. High interest on uninvested cash. Quick account opening. Easy-to-use mobile trading platform.
- Oanda - Great trading platforms. Outstanding research tools. Fast and user-friendly account opening.
- Swissquote - Access to many markets and products. No inactivity fee. Rock-solid background.
- Trading 212 - Real stocks and ETFs are commission-free (other fees may apply). Quick and easy account opening. Great trading platforms. Pays interest on uninvested cash in an investment account.
- IG - First-class web trading platform. Superb educational tools. Great deposit and withdrawal options.
Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.
