Is CapTrader free?

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Is CapTrader free as of September 2024?

CapTrader does charge a commission for real stock trading on US markets, so in this sense it is not a free-to-trade broker. However, it might still be a reasonable choice for some of you, as there are many other aspects other than commissions that are important when you choose a broker. If you wish to stick with CapTrader though, then you will find the fees they charge below. Alternatively, you could check our article detailing the best zero commission brokers and how their apps scored in our test.

We should note that the payment-for-order-flow model, which is used by some zero-commission brokers to generate income (rather than relying on commissions), could potentially create a conflict of interest between you and your broker. This could result in trade execution (like routing your orders to specific market makers) that might be unfavorable for you under certain market conditions, especially when using market orders (as opposed to limit orders, which seem to be less affected).

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Confused about fees? Use this tool to see what the commission fee of a specific stock trade would be at CapTrader. To check and compare fees at other brokers, go to our main Fee calculator page.

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CapTrader

3.9/5

Minimum deposit

$2,000

Stock fee

Low

FX fee

High

Inactivity fee

yes

Account opening

>3 days

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Overview of CapTrader fees and charges

When it comes to brokerage fees, CapTrader is a mixed bag. To see how they may affect you, first you need to figure out your approach to trading - i.e. whether you are more of a buy-and-hold investor or if you want to trade frequently; or what type of assets and in what volumes you'll want to trade. Alternatively, use our questionnaire to help you tell whether CapTrader fees are beneficial for you. Continue reading about CapTrader fees and charges to see if this is the right broker for you, or if a similar broker like Saxo or Swissquote might suit you better.

Here's a high-level overview of CapTrader's fees

CapTrader Fees snapshot
Assets	Fee level	Fee terms
US stock fee	Low	$0.01 per share; min. $2, max. 1% of trade value
EURUSD fee	Average	Trade value less than $1 billion: 0.3 bps * trade value; min. $3.75
US mutual fund fees	Average	$14.95 per transaction or 3% of trade value, whichever is lower
Inactivity fee	Low	If your portfolio is below $1,000 and no trades have been carried out during the month, then a monthly fee of $1 applies

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CapTrader fees explained

Online brokerages in general charge much lower brokerage fees than traditional brokerages do - this is largely because online brokerages' businesses can be much better scaled: from a purely technical standpoint, it doesn't make that much of a difference for them if they have 100 or 5,000 clients.

This is not to say, however, that they don't charge any fees at all. They make money by charging you various rates for various actions or events. Usually you need to keep an eye on the following three types of fees:

Trading fees - these are brokerage fees that you pay when you actually carry out a trade, like buying an Apple share or an ETF. What you pay is either a commission, a spread or a financing rate. Some brokers apply all of these.

A commission is either fixed or based on the traded volume.
A spread is the difference between the buy price and the sell price.
A financing rate or overnight rate is charged when you hold your leveraged positions for more than one day.

Non-trading fees. These are usually related to some operations you carry out in your account, such as depositing money, withdrawing money, or not trading for an extended period.

We compare CapTrader fees with its closest competitors, Saxo and Swissquote.

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CapTrader trading fees

CapTrader's trading fees are mixed, which means that some asset classes come with high trading fees - be sure to check these carefully.

Let's break down trading fees according to the different asset classes available at CapTrader.

Trading fees

CapTrader's trading fees are average.

Stock fees and ETF fees

CapTrader has low stock trading fees.

Stock fees of a $2,000 trade
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
US stock Estimated commission of a $2,000 trade, assuming a $50 stock price	$2.0 $0.01 per share; min. $2, max. 1% of trade value	$1.6 0.08% of trade value with $1 minimum, but using VIP pricing the commission can be as low as 0.03% of trade value with $1 minimum	$20.0 Volume-tiered commission ranging between $9 and $190
UK stock fee Estimated commission of a $2,000 trade, assuming a $50 stock price	$10.0 £8 + 0.05% of trade value for trade value more than £50,000; fixed £8 for trade value less than £50,000	$3.8 0.08% of trade value with £3 min., but using VIP pricing the commission can be as low as 0.03% of trade value with £3 min.	$31.3 Tiered commission depending on the trade value, min £25, max £190
German stock Estimated commission of a $2,000 trade	$4.3 0.1% of trade value with €4 min and €99 max	$3.2 0.08% of trade value with €3 min., but using VIP pricing the commission can be as low as 0.03% of trade value with €3 min.	$27.0 Tiered commission depending on the trade value, min €25, max €190

Data updated on September 23, 2024

Forex fees

CapTrader's forex fees are high.

Forex fees of a $20,000 30:1 position (open, 1-week-hold and close)
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
EURUSD benchmark fee Includes all fees (spread, commission, financing rate) of a $20,000 30:1 position open, 1-week-hold, and close	$16.8	$10.9	$25.6
EURGBP benchmark fee Includes all fees (spread, commission, financing rate) of a $20,000 30:1 position open, 1-week-hold, and close	$16.8	$10.5	$26.3

Data updated on September 23, 2024

Fund fees

CapTrader fund fees are average.

Fees of a $2,000 fund purchase
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
Mutual fund Estimated commission of a $2,000 US domiciled fund trade	$15.0 $14.95 per transaction or 3% of trade value, whichever is lower	$0.0 Mutual funds are available only in certain countries. The broker doesn't charge any fee for mutual fund trading.	$9.0 $9 per trade from Prime Partners (BlackRock, Fidelity, HSBC, etc.) and $0 per trade for funds under Swissquote's custody
EU mutual fund Subscription fee of a $2,000 face value European stock fund	-	- Not available	$9.0 $9 per trade

Data updated on September 23, 2024

Bond fees

CapTrader has low bond fees.

Fees of a $10,000 bond trade
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
US Treasury bond Estimated commission of a $10,000 US treasury bond trade	$5.0 For the first $1,000,000 face value: 0.002% of trade value with $5 min. Free with IBKR Lite that is available for US and Indian clients.	$21.6 0.2% of trade value with €20 min, but with VIP pricing it can be as low as 0.05% of trade value and min €20	$75.0 0.3% of trade value with $75 min
EU/UK government bond Estimated commission of a $10k EU or UK government bond trade	$10.0 Below €50,000 face value: 0.1% of trade value with €2 min	$21.6 0.2% of trade value with €20 min, but with VIP pricing it can be as low as 0.05% of trade value and min €20	$54.0 0.3% of trade value with €50 min

Data updated on September 23, 2024

Options fees

CapTrader's options fees are high.

Options fees for 10 contracts
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
US stock options Estimated commission for opening 10 contracts	$35.0 $3.5 per contract	$20.0 $2 per contract, but using VIP pricing it can be $0.75 per contract	$14.9 $1.49 per contract and no minimum
US stock index options Estimated commission for 10 contracts	$35.0 $3.5 per contract	$20.0 $2 per contract, but using VIP pricing it can be $0.75 per contract	$19.9 $1.99 per contract commission with $5 min
UK stock index options Estimated commission for 10 contracts	$43.8 £3.5 per contract	$37.5 £3 per contract, but using VIP pricing it can be £1 per contract	- Telephone only
German stock index options Estimated commission for 10 contracts	$21.6 €2 per contract, from 1.000 contracts/per month special conditions	$8.1 €0.75 per contract FOR all accounts	$10.8 €1 per contract commission with €5 min

Data updated on September 23, 2024

Futures fees

CapTrader's futures fees are high.

Stock index futures fees for 10 contracts
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
US micro e-mini stock index futures Estimated commission for 10 contracts	$35.0 $3.5 per contract	$30.0 $3 per contract, but using VIP pricing it can be as low as $1 per contract	$19.9 $1.99 per contract commission with $5 min (E-Mini only)
UK stock index futures Estimated commission for 10 contracts	$43.8 £3.5 per contract	$37.5 £3 per contract, but using VIP pricing it can be as low as £1 per contract	- Telephone only
German e-mini stock index futures Estimated commission for 10 contracts	$21.6 €2 per contract, from 1.000 contracts/per month special conditions	$43.2 €3 per contract, but using VIP pricing it can be as low as €1 per contract	$10.8 €1 per contract commission with €5min

Data updated on September 23, 2024

CFD fees

CapTrader has high CFD trading fees.

CFD fees and commissions on a $2,000 trade
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
Apple CFD Commission for a $2,000 stock CFD trade	$2.1 $0.01 per share with $2 min	$4.1 $0.02/share; min $4, but using VIP pricing the minimum can be as low as $1	- Not available
Vodafone CFD Commission for a $2,000 stock CFD trade	$5.6 0.1% of trade value with £4 min	$10.6 0.1% of trade value; min £8, but using VIP pricing it can be as low as 0.05% of trade value with £5 minimum	- Not available
Germany Commission for a $2,000 stock CFD trade	-	$11.4 0.1% of trade value; min €10, but using VIP pricing it can be as low as 0.05% of trade value with €6 minimum	- Not available

Data updated on September 23, 2024

Currency conversion fee

CapTrader will charge a Currency Conversion Fee for all trades on instruments denominated in a currency different to the currency of your account. The fee is charged as the following: Trade value less than $1 billion: 0.3 bps * trade value; min. $3.75.

Margin rates

CapTrader margin rates are low.

CapTrader margin rates
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
USD margin rate	7.3% Interest on Margin Loans: IB rate + 1%	- Margin stock trading is not available to most clients. Clients from Hong Kong can use margin lending.	9.6% Debit interest rate
EUR margin rate	6.5% Interest on Margin Loans: IB rate + 1%	- Margin stock trading is not available to most clients. Clients from Hong Kong can use margin lending.	8.2% Debit interest rate

Data updated on September 23, 2024

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CapTrader non-trading fees

When it comes to non-trading fees, CapTrader is a rather cheap broker.

Non-trading fees include various brokerage fees and charges at CapTrader that are not related to buying or selling assets. This can be a withdrawal fee, deposit fee, inactivity fee or account fee.

A high-level overview of how CapTrader stacks up in terms of non-trading fees
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
Withdrawal fee Fee for withdrawing money from the broker account. It is zero if you can withdraw money for free via any method, e.g. credit/debit card or bank transfer.	$0 Free in the current calendar month, every additional bank transfer in the current month costs 8 Euro.	$0 Free withdrawal	$10 CHF 2/€2/$10 dependent on currency
Deposit fee	$0 Free deposit	$0 Free deposit	$0 Free bank deposit, but for credit/debit cards, between 2.2% and 2.5% charged
Inactivity fee Fee applied if a customer does not trade for a certain length of time	Yes If your portfolio is below $1,000 and no trades have been carried out during the month, then a monthly fee of $1 applies	No No inactivity fee	No The activity fees will be applicable after 3 years of inactivity. The fees are 0310% on assests (securities, digital assets and precious metals), with a minimum of 50 euros per quarter.
Account fee Monthly account fee	No No account fee	No No account fee	No No account fee

Data updated on September 23, 2024

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CapTrader

3.9/5

Minimum deposit

$2,000

Stock fee

Low

FX fee

High

Inactivity fee

yes

Account opening

>3 days

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CapTrader deposit fee

Usually, brokers don't charge anything for deposits, and CapTrader is no different.

CapTrader deposit methods
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
Bank transfer Bank transfer is available for deposit	Yes	Yes	Yes
Credit/debit card Credit/debit cards are available for deposit	No	Yes Not available to CEE clients	Yes
Electronic wallets Electronic wallets are available for deposit	No	No	No
Deposit fee	$0 Free deposit	$0 Free deposit	$0 Free bank deposit, but for credit/debit cards, between 2.2% and 2.5% charged

Data updated on September 23, 2024

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CapTrader withdrawal fee

CapTrader generally doesn't charge a withdrawal fee.

CapTrader withdrawal fees and options compared
	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
Bank transfer Bank transfer is available for deposit	Yes	Yes	Yes
Credit/debit card Credit/debit cards are available for deposit	No	Yes Not available to CEE clients	Yes
Electronic wallets Electronic wallets are available for deposit	No	No	No
Withdrawal fee for bank transfer Fee for withdrawing money from the broker account. It is zero if you can withdraw money for free via any method, e.g. credit/debit card or bank transfer.	$0 Free in the current calendar month, every additional bank transfer in the current month costs 8 Euro.	$0 Free withdrawal	$10 CHF 2/€2/$10 dependent on currency

Data updated on September 23, 2024

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CapTrader inactivity fee

CapTrader does apply an inactivity fee and it is If your portfolio is below $1,000 and no trades have been carried out during the month, then a monthly fee of $1 applies. Keep this in mind to avoid getting charged after a longer idle period. The fact that CapTrader charges an inactivity fee makes it less ideal for you if you are a buy-and-hold investor.

The inactivity fee charged by CapTrader is low.

	CapTrader CapTrader	Saxo Saxo	Swissquote Swissquote
Inactivity fee Fee applied if a customer does not trade for a certain length of time	Yes If your portfolio is below $1,000 and no trades have been carried out during the month, then a monthly fee of $1 applies	No No inactivity fee	No The activity fees will be applicable after 3 years of inactivity. The fees are 0310% on assests (securities, digital assets and precious metals), with a minimum of 50 euros per quarter.
Inactivity fee Fee applied if a customer does not trade for a certain length of time	If your portfolio is below $1,000 and no trades have been carried out during the month, then a monthly fee of $1 applies	No inactivity fee	The activity fees will be applicable after 3 years of inactivity. The fees are 0310% on assests (securities, digital assets and precious metals), with a minimum of 50 euros per quarter.

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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.

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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.