CapTrader Review 2025

Is CapTrader regulated?

CapTrader serves as an introducing broker to IBIE, the Irish entity of Interactive Brokers. This means that your cash and assets are held with IB, while IBIE specifically is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Is CapTrader safe?

To be certain that a brokerage is safe, we highly advise that you check two facts:

• how you are protected if something goes wrong
• the background of the broker.

How you are protected

Interactive Brokers is the contracting partner that processes and transacts orders via the trading platform. This means the investor protection amount and the regulating authority are related to IBIE, the Ireland-based entity.

CapTrader provides negative balance protection for forex spot and CFD trading, but only for retail clients from the European Union. Professional and non-EU clients are not covered by any negative balance protection.

Our brokerage experts put together a comprehensive guide on the safety profile of CapTrader.

Background

CapTrader was established in 1997. The longer track record a broker has, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.
While Interactive Brokers is listed on the NASDAQ, CapTrader itself is not listed, meaning that it is not required to publish financial information.

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Account base currencies

At CapTrader, you can choose from the following 9 base currencies:

You can save on currency conversion fees by converting your funds using CapTrader's currency conversion feature, called FXCONV:

• What happens normally if you want to buy a stock that is in USD and your base currency is EUR? In a margin account, you can do this without conversion; as soon as you buy the stock, you'll have a negative account balance in USD, and your EUR will serve as collateral. However, this means that as long as you have this negative cash balance, you'll have to pay interest on it. If you want to avoid this, you can convert your money at any time using the FXCONV function.
• In this example, in the desktop TWS platform, you'd type in EUR.USD, select IDEALPRO (for a cash transaction), then go to 'Advanced' and select FXCONV as a destination, and you'd sell the amount you need.
• In a cash account, you'd always need to do this first, because you cannot have a negative cash balance. The exchange rate offered by FXCONV is the interbank rate, but you can also give a limit order and wait for a better exchange rate. CapTrader charges a commission of 0.3 basis points of the trade value, subject to a minimum charge of $3.75. This is higher than what Interactive Brokers itself charges (0.2 basis points and a minimum of $2 per trade).

This selection falls behind competing brokers. Both Saxo and Swissquote offer more base currencies.

Why does this matter? For two reasons. If you fund your trading account in the same currency as your bank account or you trade assets in the same currency as your trading account base currency, you won't have to pay a conversion fee.

A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank. These usually offer bank accounts in several currencies with great currency exchange rates, as well as free or cheap international bank transfers. Opening an account only takes a few minutes on your phone.

Deposit fees and options

CapTrader charges no deposit fees.

However, deposit options are limited, as neither credit/debit cards nor electronic wallets can be used. This is a disadvantage compared with competitors that do allow credit/debit card deposits.

Here's all you need to know about minimum deposit requirements and depositing money at CapTrader.

A bank transfer can take several business days. You can only deposit money from accounts that are in your name.

If you reside in the US you have multiple extra options, such as:

• ACH (Automated Clearing House)
• Check
• Online bill payment
• Direct Rollover (IRA accounts only)
• Trustee-to-Trustee (IRA accounts only)

CapTrader withdrawal fees and options

The first withdrawal each month is free of charge, while subsequent withdrawals incur a fee.
Similar to deposits, you can only use bank transfer for outgoing transfers. US residents can also withdraw via ACH or check.

Read our guide containing all key info on available withdrawal methods and related fees at CapTrader.

You can only withdraw money to accounts in your name.

After your first free withdrawal each month, every additional bank withdrawal is charged as follows: €1 for SEPA withdrawals and €8 for non-SEPA withdrawals.

How long does it take to withdraw money from CapTrader? We tested it and it took 2 business days. While you wait, a feature lets you track your withdrawal in real time on the Client Portal.

How do you withdraw money from CapTrader?

• First, log in to the Client Portal, then click 'Transfer & Pay' and 'Transfer funds'.
• Select the account you want to use for the transaction.
• At the top of the page, click the 'Withdraw Funds' tab.
• Select the currency of your withdrawal, then the withdrawal method.
• Fill in the required information.
• Submit your withdrawal request.
• You can see the status of your request in 'View Transaction History'.

Can you open an account?

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CapTrader is present on every continent, so you can most likely open an account. There are some notable exceptions, however, such as the US, where you cannot open an account. Countries with highly unstable political or economic backgrounds, such as North Korea, are also excluded.

Read our separate article on how to get your account started with CapTrader.

What is the minimum deposit at CapTrader?

The required CapTrader minimum deposit is $2,000.

In other base currencies, the minimum deposit is an equivalent amount.

Account types

CapTrader offers many account types, which differ in ownership and the range of services provided.
CapTrader account types fall into two big groups based on account ownership:

• accounts for individual traders and investors
• accounts for institutions

As an individual trader or investor, you can choose from many account types. A few of these, like the IRA account, are available only for US clients.

After you have selected the ownership of your account, you can choose between a cash or a margin account. The latter means your buying power can be increased through a margin loan facility.

How to open your account

The account opening process is fully digital but overly complicated. Following your online registration, account verification takes around 10 business days, which is considerably slower than the usual account verification time for most brokers.
First, you have to go through a 4-step registration process, which takes roughly an hour. We experienced a few bugs and errors throughout the process, such as disappearing information and various error messages. It was a complicated process, with often confusing and unclear messages.
During the account opening process, you have to provide some personal information and there are also questions about your trading experience.
At the end, you have to verify your identity and residency by uploading the required documents:

• Verification of identity: proof of address and an ID card or passport copy
• Verification of residency: a telephone bill (not mobile), bank statement or utility bill (electricity, gas, etc.) from the past 6 months, or a credit card statement from the past 6 weeks

This is a standard process, which in financial lingo is called aKYC (know-your-customer) process. These steps are required to make sure you are truly identifiable.
1. Introduction:

• General requirement for opening an account

2. Personal information:

• General information
• Personal details of 1st account holder
• User access for 1st account holder
• Professional details of 1st account holder
• Source of wealth of 1st account holder
• Security questions for 1st account holder

3. Financial information

• W-8 form
• Regulatory information
• Financial situation
• Investment objective
• Trading experience
• Information pursuant to German securities trading act
• Information on money laundering
• Authentication

4. Base agreement

• Basic agreement
• Disclosure of inducements
• Cancellation policy
• Basic agreements, powers, and further explanations
• Complete account opening
• Upload

By completing and signing the above, customers give their explicit consent and power of attorney to CapTrader to open a securities account with IB for and in the name of the customers at their expense and risk, so that CapTrader, as the customer’s representative, can sign the necessary agreements between IB and the customer on behalf of the customer.

CapTrader uses IBKR Mobile, Interactive Brokers's mobile trading platform. It is available for both iOS and Android. In this review, we tested it on iOS.

The mobile trading platform is available in several languages.

Look and feel

The mobile trading app is handier than the web platform. Still, its overall look and user-friendliness fall short of some competitors' mobile platforms.

Login and security

CapTrader provides a safer, two-step login for its mobile platform.

You can log in using biometric authentication, which is a convenient feature.

Search functions

The search functions are OK.

Search works just like on the web trading platform. You can access the search button easily from any menu.
After you have selected the product you are interested in, you will be greeted by an information and trading window, which shows:

• asset market information
• an interactive chart with technical indicators
• related news
• some fundamental data
• summary of the latest analyst report
• and the 'Buy' and 'Sell' buttons that take you to the order panel

Placing orders

CapTrader provides many order types on the mobile trading platform.

There are also order time limits you can use:

• Day
• Good till Canceled
• Outside Regular Trader Hours

Alerts and notifications

You can set alerts and notifications on the CapTrader mobile platform.

Special feature - Chatbot

The most innovative and exciting function within the app is the chatbot, called IBot. You can use the chatbot to execute or close an order, or to get basic info quickly.

The chatbot understands basic commands, such as “apple price” or “buy 1 apple share”. On top of this, you can also search for company fundamentals, like dividend yields or P/E ratios. Some other functions, such as displaying a chart, are also available via the chatbot.

Our analysts personally tested CapTrader's mobile trading platform; read the CapTrader mobile app review for a detailed verdict on its performance and features.

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CapTrader's desktop platform, Trader Workstation (TWS), is so advanced that even a separate review would not be able to cover all of its features. Nevertheless, we'll try to provide you with acomprehensive summary of TWS.
In the desktop trading platform, you have literally every feature you could desire. Whether you were dreaming of replicating your favorite ETF or trading with chatbots – at CapTrader, you can do both.

The desktop trading platform is available in many languages.

Look and feel

In many respects, this is by far the most complex platform that we at BrokerChooser have ever reviewed. This platform is ideal for you if you consider yourself a professional user. If you are a beginner or someone who's into long-term investments, though, you may have difficulty navigating all of TWS's features.
Despite its complexity, the platform is highly customizable; for example, you can set up your own templates and create your own watchlists. You can fix the tables with the lock in the top right corner of the screen. If you want to move the tables, you should click the lock again.

Login and security

CapTrader provides a two-step login.

Search functions

The search functions are good.

However, we did find it a bit unstructured, and it is quite difficult to filter out the product you are looking for.
In this example, we searched for RWE stock, a German energy utility. However, when we typed in "rwe," all the structured and derivative products were listed among the results as well, which made it harder to find the actual stock.
Using the chatbot can be a great substitute solution. When you search for RWE directly through this feature, it will direct you to the stock listed on the main stock exchange.

Placing orders

CapTrader provides a wide range of order types on the desktop trading platform.

CapTrader provides Smart Routing, a great feature that automatically detects the best possible route (i.e. exchange) for your trades. Among other brokers, TD Ameritrade also has a similar service.

Also, CapTrader provides a lot of order time limits.

Alerts and notifications

You can set alerts and notifications on the desktop trading platform.

Alerts can be set in the 'Configuration' panel. You can select email, SMS or mobile pop-up notifications.
You can also set additional alerts, for example for price changes, daily profits or losses, executed trades, etc.

Portfolio and fee reports

CapTrader has clear fee reports.

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CapTrader has a great selection of products, including an exceptional range of ETFs and bonds. It also offers a couple of more exotic assets, like warrants and structured products. It only lags behind its competitors in terms of its FX pair and CFD selections.
CapTrader provides access to roughly 150 exchanges worldwide, including with its alternative services, such as Interactive Advisors. This is an asset management service that is a mix of robo-advisory and social trading.

CapTrader's product selection is great compared to its closest competitors. Both Saxo and Swissquote offer fewer stock markets to trade on.

Stocks and ETFs

CapTrader lets you access more stock markets than its competitors. This includes major stock markets such as the NASDAQ, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE), as well as minor ones such as the Warsaw Stock Exchange or Mexican markets. In addition to regular stocks, penny stocks are also available.
Besides stocks, you can also trade more than 13,000 ETFs at CapTrader. This is considered an extensive selection compared with competitors.

CapTrader also has a feature whereby you can buy and sell fractional shares of stock, which allows traders to invest only small amounts and still have a diversified portfolio. This is also useful if you want to keep things simple, as you can choose to invest a specific amount (for example a round number like $100) and the system will buy the exact fraction of shares needed to fill this purchase order, without you having to calculate this by hand.

Forex

CapTrader provides a vast selection of more than 100 currency pairs.

This selection is average compared to competing brokers.

Funds

Through CapTrader, you have access to more than 250 fund providers, including big names like BlackRock or Vanguard. This selection far exceeds that of most competitors.

This selection is great compared to competing brokers. Both Saxo and Swissquote offer fewer fund providers to choose from.

Bonds

CapTrader grants you access to a massive number of bonds. Out of all government and corporate bonds available at CapTrader, 1.4 million are so-called municipal bonds: these are fixed income investments issued by local US governments, cities, states or counties, but they are tradable only by US residents. The table below does not include municipal bonds in the overall number of bonds.

This selection is average compared to competing brokers.

Options

As with other product types, CapTrader offers an extremely wide range of options markets. You can access the biggest ones, like the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) or the CME Group, as well as smaller markets, such as the Korea Stock Exchange (KSE) or the Mexican Derivatives Exchange (MEXDER).

This selection is great compared to competing brokers. Both Saxo and Swissquote offer fewer option markets to trade on.

Futures

CapTrader offers an extensive selection of futures products and markets. There were 32 markets available at the time of writing, which is more than what most competitors provide. Similarly to options, you will find both major and minor markets.

This selection is great compared to competing brokers. Both Saxo and Swissquote offer fewer futures markets to trade on.

CFDs

Compared to other products and competitors, CapTrader offers an average range of CFDs, mainly stock and stock index CFDs.

Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% 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.

Cryptos

At CapTrader, you can trade Bitcoin and Ethereum ETNs and Bitcoin Futures:

• Bitcoin and Ethereum ETNs are traded on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and the US OTC (Pink) markets
• Bitcoin Index is available on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and on the CME Group and Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE)
• Bitcoin futures are available on the CME Group and Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE)

If you want to know more about crypto investing, we recommend our crypto article.
The crypto selection of CapTrader is similar to that of its competitors.

Interest on uninvested cash

At the time of our review, CapTrader provided the following interest rates on uninvested cash:

• 3.1% for USD
• 3.2% for GBP
• 1.7% for EUR

However, CapTrader only pays interest above a certain cash amount. The minimum amount you need to have in your account to receive any interest is $10,000 (or the equivalent amount in another currency). 

If the Net Asset Value (NAV) of your account is $100,000 or more (or the equivalent amount in another currency), you will receive credit interest at the full interest rate 

If your (NAV) is below $100,000 (or equivalent), you will receive interest at rates proportional to the size of the account. For example, an account with a NAV of $50,000 earns credit interest at a rate equal to one-half the rate paid to accounts with a NAV of $100,000 or more.

CapTrader pays interest on 23 different currencies. 

See full current details on CapTrader's interest page. 

Asset management service

CapTrader has its own asset management service, which allows you to copy professional portfolio managers, letting you automatically make trades as professionals do.
You can choose from many portfolio managers to find the one that fits you best, with real-time information on portfolio performance available.
The minimum investment depends on the portfolio you want to invest in: the lowest investment amount starts at $10,000.

We recommend CapTrader for investors and traders looking for low fees and sophisticated trading platforms.

Below you can find links to all aspects of CapTrader in this comprehensive collection.

Lower fees, lower costs?

We detailed this in our CapTrader fees article.

What about the minimum deposit?

Our ultimate guide to the CapTrader minimum deposit is updated regularly.

How to start your CapTrader account?

Look no further than our evaluation of the CapTrader account opening.

How's their trading app?

Here's our expert view after checking the CapTrader trading app.

Is the quality of customer service satisfactory?

All you need to know about the CapTrader customer service.

Legit or scam?

Is CapTrader legit features all the key aspects you need to look at to see if a broker is safe and legit.

Free or premium? Or both?

A glance at actual costs and whether CapTrader is really free.

Is this broker good for beginners?

We checked it in Is CapTrader good for beginners.

Should you buy your silver bullets on CapTrader?

Research for silver bugs in the Silver buy on CapTrader guide

I want to trade options, are they available at CapTrader?

We explored the topic in Can you trade options on CapTrader?

What is the minimum account balance at CapTrader?

Check out the current account balance requirements at CapTrader in our What is the minimum account balance at CapTrader article.

Looking for commission and fees data for CapTrader?

We collected them in CapTrader commission and fees.

How do you withdraw money from CapTrader?

We tested it and collected the options and costs in How to withdraw money on CapTrader.