Best online brokers in 2019

To find the best online broker in 2019, we went ahead and did the research for you. After testing, analyzing and comparing 20 brokers, five made it to the top. We highly recommend all five to you. And now, without further ado…

The top 5 picks for the best online brokers in 2019

1. Interactive Brokers is the best online broker in 2019. They are hard to beat having the most products at low fees.
2. Only one broker has better fees, Degiro, the best discount broker. It is the second overall.
3. Saxo Bank has the best trading platform, place three.
4. Swissquote is the best for funds. Pricier than the others, numero quatro.
5. XTB is the best CFD broker, and just made it to the best broker list with being number five.

All five brokers are considered safe. They are regulated by top-tier regulators from the UK, US, Switzerland or the Netherlands.

What makes a good online broker? They need to offer fair fees. It must also be easy to open an account and deposit. They should offer access to a lot of markets and need to have a great platform. Easy to list, but hard to figure it out. We are testing brokers along ~100 criteria with real accounts and real money. We know what's up.

Not sure which broker? For a tailored recommendation, check out the broker finder tool. You can enter your country and it will show only the relevant brokers. Want more details? Compare brokers with this detailed comparison table.

Boring, but important stuff: All five broker's portfolio contains CFD products. They are complex and very risky, thus not suitable for everyone. You can easily lose all of your invested money. If you don't have clue what a CFD is, start with these CFD trading tips. 

And now, let's see the best online brokers in 2019 one by one. Starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.

#1 Best online broker
Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers was founded in 1978 and it is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers. It is regulated by several regulators globally, including top-tier authorities like FCA and SEC. Interactive Brokers Group is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Interactive Brokers is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Recommended for advanced traders preferring low fees and can cope with a complicated trading platform.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Fees 4 stars

Interactive Brokers has low trading fees and high non-trading fees. The fees are transparent.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Account opening 3 stars

The account opening process is fully digital, but slow, and complicated.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Deposit and withdrawal 2 stars

Interactive Brokers offers a lot of base currencies and one withdrawal per month is free. On the flip side, only bank transfer is available.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products 5 stars

At Interactive Brokers you can reach the most markets and trade with all product types. IB has the widest offering.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Web trading platform 4 stars

Interactive Brokers' web platform is simple and easy to use. Even beginners can easily get around. On the flip side, it can't be well-customized.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Verdict

IB is one of the biggest discount US brokers regulated by top-tier regulators. If you like low-cost trading and easily navigate on a really complicated platform, Interactive Brokers is for you. We mainly recommend IB for traders.

It has low trading fees, a wide range of product portfolio, and diverse research tools. 

On the flip side, only bank transfer is available for deposit and withdrawal. The account opening and the desktop platform are not user-friendly and complicated.

Interactive Brokers is definitely recommended if you want low fees, a lot of products and you are experienced to cope with a complicated platform.

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#2 Best online broker
DEGIRO

DEGIRO is a trending Dutch online discount broker. It is privately owned and was established in 2013 by former employees of another brokerage company.

DEGIRO is considered safe as it is regulated by top-tier financial regulators, the Dutch AFM and DNB. It is registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Amsterdam under number 34342820.

Recommended for price-sensitive buy and hold investors and traders looking for cheap execution.

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#2 DEGIRO
Fees 5 stars

DEGIRO has low trading and non-trading fees. In most asset classes, it is the best in the market. There is one free ETF trading per a month, a great offer for buy and hold investors.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#2 DEGIRO
Account opening 5 stars

DEGIRO has an easy account opening process and there is no minimum deposit. But the account open takes more days.

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#2 DEGIRO
Deposit and withdrawal 3 stars

DEGIRO deposit and withdrawal are free of charge via bank transfer and SOFORT. On the other hand, you cannot deposit with credit or debit card.

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#2 DEGIRO
Markets and products 3 stars

At DEGIRO you can reach many markets and trade with a lot of different products except forex.

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#2 DEGIRO
Web trading platform 4 stars

DEGIRO’s web platform is simple and easy to use. Even beginners can easily get around and buy stocks. On the flip side, it can't be well-customized.

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#2 DEGIRO
Verdict

DEGIRO is a good choice if you want a simple platform and don’t want to spend a fortune on fees.

It is far cheaper than its big European competitors and only Interactive Brokers can compete with DEGIRO fees. DEGIRO also has great access to international markets and trading products. And it is als one of the best trading platforms for Europeans.

However, cheapness comes with some shortfalls. Education and research tools are missing or basic, there is no forex trading and limited deposit and withdrawal options.

All in all, it is a great online broker. As there is no minimum deposit and no inactivity fee, feel free to try it out.

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#3 Best online broker
Saxo Bank

Saxo Bank is a Danish investment bank providing online trading and investments. It is a leading European retail brokerage innovator. Saxo is privately owned, established in 1992, and headquartered in Copenhagen.

Saxo is considered safe as it is regulated worldwide by more than 10 financial regulators, including top-tier regulators, like the UK FCA.

Recommended for investors aiming for a great trading platform and research.

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#3 Saxo Bank
Fees 2 stars

Saxo Bank has high trading fees and average non-trading fees. There is a $100 inactivity fee if you don't trade for 6 months.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#3 Saxo Bank
Account opening 3 stars

Account opening is available for almost all residents and is fully digital. However, a $2,000 minimum funding is required.

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#3 Saxo Bank
Deposit and withdrawal 5 stars

Saxo provides multiple deposit and withdraw options free of charge on a user-friendly interface.

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#3 Saxo Bank
Markets and products 4 stars

At Saxo Bank you can reach many markets and trade with a lot of different products except for funds.

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#3 Saxo Bank
Web trading platform 5 stars

Saxo Bank's web trading platform is easy-to-use and well-designed. However, it doesn't provide a two-step login and the customizability is limited.

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#3 Saxo Bank
Verdict

Saxo Bank is a great broker, providing a complex and good service.

It has one of the best trading platforms backed by a great research and customer service. The product portfolio is covering all important international markets and asset classes.

It has some drawbacks though. It hardly supports investors and traders with a smaller wallet to invest: the Saxo Bank $2,000 minimum deposit is a bit high. Fees are high and live chat is missing.

In general, Saxo Bank is one of the best online brokerage companies a European customer can choose. By opening an account, you end up with a broad, well-developed service.

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#4 Best online broker
Swissquote

Swissquote is a Swiss investment bank, established in 1996. It has two main arms: 

The Swiss arm for stocks, funds, options, and futures

The UK arm for CFDs, and FX

Formally, Swissquote Bank Ltd is based in Switzerland and regulated by FINMA, the Swiss financial regulator. This one offers stocks, funds, bonds, futures and options. The other, Swissquote Ltd is UK based, regulated by the FCA, the UK financial regulator, and offers CFDs and FX.

Swissquote is considered safe because Swissquote Bank Ltd has a banking license, it is listed on the Swiss stock exchange, and discloses detailed financials regularly.  

For clarity, we will call the Switzerland Swissquote for stocks "Swissquote (CH)", and the UK Swissquote for CFDs and FX "SwissquoteForex (UK)".

Recommended for affluent investors valuing safety and being ok with higher fees.

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#4 Swissquote
Fees 2 stars

Swissquote has high trading fees and average non-trading fees. As a plus, there is no inactivity fee.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#4 Swissquote
Account opening 5 stars

Swissquote offers a fast, easy, and fully digital account opening. Also, there is no minimum account balance requirement.

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#4 Swissquote
Deposit and withdrawal 4 stars

The depsoit is fast and user-friendly. On the flip side, you can only withdraw by bank transfer.

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#4 Swissquote
Markets and products 4 stars

At Swissquote(CH) you can reach many markets and trade with a lot of different product types. At SwissquoteForex (UK) you can trade only Forex and some CFDs.

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#4 Swissquote
Web trading platform 3 stars

The Swissquote (CH) platform has a lot of functions, even too many. It can get complicated. SwissquoteForex (UK)' MetaTrader 4 is a well thought out platform.

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#4 Swissquote
Verdict

Swissquote has a rock solid background. It is Swiss, it is listed, it is a bank. It has two entities, one in the UK and one in Switzerland. If you open an account at the London-based entity, you can trade with forex and CFDs, while the Swiss entity gives you access to a wide range of asset classes from stocks to options.

Swissquote has an easy and fast account opening. We really liked its market and product coverage. There are lot of stocks, mutual funds, and a lot of different type of products from bonds to cryptos.

However, nothing comes for free. The trading fees are relatively high. 

All in all, Swissquote is a great provider. As there is no minimum deposit requirements and no inactivity fee, feel free to try it out.

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#5 Best online broker
XTB

XTB is primarily a forex and CFD broker and in some countries, you can also trade with real stocks. XTB is a global broker, it has more than ten offices worldwide. In Europe, it serves clients by a UK or a Polish entity. We tested the UK entity, but will provide info on all entities.

XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. A listed company is more transparent. It discloses its financials regularly. XTB is authorized and regulated by different regulators, including top-tier regulator, the FCA.

XTB is considered safe because it is listed on a stock exchange, discloses its financials, and is regulated by a top-tier regulator.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. In the UK, 79%, while in the rest of Europe 82% 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.

Recommended for forex and CFD traders looking for quick deposit and withdrawal, and advanced research tools.

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#5 XTB
Fees 4 stars

XTB has average trading fees and low non-trading fees.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#5 XTB
Account opening 5 stars

XTB account opening is hassle-free and straightforward. Your account is ready for trading on the same day. However, the sales team is very pushy.

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#5 XTB
Deposit and withdrawal 5 stars

XTB's deposit and withdrawal are cost-friendly, fast, and can be done in several forms. Fees for electronic wallet deposits are quite high.

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#5 XTB
Markets and products 2 stars

UK, Hungarians and non-Europeans can trade only with CFDs and forex. All other Europeans can also trade with real shares and ETFs.

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#5 XTB
Web trading platform 4 stars

XTB's xStation 5 platform is user-friendly, can be customized, and a have good search function. On the flip side, we missed the two-step login, the leverage setting option, and the more sophisticated order types.

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#5 XTB
Verdict

XTB is a good broker. It is regulated by more than 10 authorities globally, including the top-tier FCA and it is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. 

On the plus side, deposit and withdrawal are fast. We liked the seamless and hassle-free account opening. The research tools are easy-to-use.

XTB has some drawbacks though. Its product range is mainly limited to FX and CFDs, but there are real stocks too in some countries. When opening the account the sales team can be pushy. We also missed the 24/7 customer support.

We recommend XTB for clients preferring forex and CFD trading and aim for a fast account opening, cheap money withdrawal, and great research tools. Feel free to test it even via the demo account.

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Best online brokers
What makes a good online broker

Now you know the top five. You are probably curious about how we came up with this list. Let's go through a few points quickly. What is an online broker? Why do we think these brokers are safe? What are the most important factors when selecting the best online brokers?

What is an online broker?

Thirty years ago if you wanted to buy a stock, you had to pick up the phone and call your broker, who executed the transaction in return for a commission. Brokers were like in the Wolf of Wall Street movie. They were checking the stocks' prices while holding a telephone and shouting. Everything changed after the internet appeared. Nowadays if you want to buy Apple shares, you open online an account, deposit money, and make the order through the brokers' online platform. These brokers are the online brokers. Online brokers help you buying and selling securities, like stocks. After making your order, the online broker executes it immediately. Everything is online.

Are these brokers safe?

Yes, they are considered safe. You can be sure none of them is a scam. They are regulated by top-tier regulators. Some of them are also listed on an exchange, and some have a banking background.

However, also brokerage companies can go down. Remember Lehman Brothers? In these cases, it is important to know what happens with your securities and cash. These are usually held in segregated accounts, so even in case of a broker bankruptcy, you are safe.

If everything goes very bad and for example, the broker steals your assets, then you have a last resort, the compensation fund of the country where the broker is regulated. 

How did Brokerchooser pick the best online brokers?

At Brokerchooser we test online brokers along ~100 criteria, with a real account and real money. Not to overwhelm you we list the five most important criteria.

The 5 most important criteria for online brokers are:

Best online brokers
Bottom line

You saw the details, now let's zoom out. Here are the best online brokers in 2019:

Interactive Brokers is our winner, the best online broker in 2019. Next is Degiro, the best discount broker. Saxo Bank is placed number three, it has the best trading platform. Swissquote is best for funds and XTB is the best CFD broker.

All are considered safe, and 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 comment section.

Still unsure? Use the broker finder and find the best broker for you or learn more about investing your money.