Intro
Summary
Trade Republic is a German broker and securities trading bank founded in 2015 and regulated by the Federal Bank of Germany and the country's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). The company is currently present in six European countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria.
We recommend Trade Republic for investors and traders looking for a simple, easy-to-use platform to trade stocks and ETFs or who want to start a savings plan. It is also a good option for beginners, although the lack of proper customer service is a big drawback.
Trade Republic offers commission-free investing in equities, ETFs, derivatives and cryptos as well as free ETF and fractional stock savings plans, not only on EU but also international markets (US, Asia) as well.
Trade Republic launched its dedicated web platform in September 2021. Previously, it only provided a mobile trading app.
Learn more on the broker's website
| Pros | Cons |
| • Banking license | • Flat external fee of €1, only first deposit is free |
| • Top-tier regulation | • Only email customer service |
| • No minimum deposit | • No demo account |
| 🗺️ Country of regulation | Germany |
| 🛍️ Products offered | Stocks, ETFs, Derivatives, Crypto (only in Germany) |
| 💰 Stock trading fees class | Low |
| 💰 Inactivity fee charged | No |
| 💰 Withdrawal fee charged | No |
| 💰 Minimum deposit | 0 |
| 💳 Depositing with bank card | Available |
| 👛 Depositing with electronic wallets | Available |
| 📱 Platforms provided | Web, mobile |
| 🎮 Demo account provided | No |
| 📞 Customer service channels |
Trade Republic review
Fees and costs
- Trade Republic offers commission-free trading.
- However, when placing an order, there is a €1 per order external fee to cover clearing and settlement.
- The first deposit is free for new customers.
- All subsequent deposits carry a 0.7% charge. You can make a deposit in your Trade Republic cash account through a SEPA transfer or by credit card and mobile wallet.
At Trade Republic, spreads are tied to the XETRA reference market, where applicable. This means that the orders of Trade Republic customers (within XETRA trading hours) are executed at spreads that are at least as good as if they were traded directly at XETRA. The trades themselves are executed via Lang & Schwarz Exchange, an electronic trading system operated at the Hamburg Stock Exchange.
Trade Republic review
Customer service
The customer service experience at Trade Republic is poor. The broker doesn’t offer phone support or live chat for its customers – you can reach them only through email.
Trade Republic review
Background and safety
Trade Republic has a banking license, and is regulated by the Federal Bank of Germany and the top-tier German regulator BaFin. The company was founded in 2015 – the longer the track record of a broker, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.
Its investors include various venture capital funds, such as Accel, Creandum, Founders Fund, Sequoia and Thrive Capital.
All deposits are protected up to €100,000 per investor. They are held in a trust collective account with Solarisbank AG in Berlin.
| Country of clients | Protection amount | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| EU | €100,000 | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) |
Trade Republic review
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