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Is Erste Broker free?

Your expert
Adam N.
Fact checked by
Updated
Dec 2024
Personally tested
Data-driven
Independent

Erste Broker 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 Erste Broker 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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Overall score
3.9/5
Minimum deposit
$0
Stock fee
Average
Fund fee
High
Inactivity fee
no
Account opening
1-3 days
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Overview of Erste Broker fees and charges

When it comes to brokerage fees, Erste Broker 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 Erste Broker fees are beneficial for you. Continue reading about Erste Broker fees and charges to see if this is the right broker for you, or if a similar broker like Interactive Brokers or KBC Equitas might suit you better.

Here's a high-level overview of Erste Broker's fees

Erste Broker Fees snapshot
Assets Fee level Fee terms
US stock fee Average 0.45%, with a $7 minimum
EURUSD fee - FX not available
US mutual fund fees High 1.0-2.5% of market value, min. €2; only Erste Funds available
Inactivity fee Low No inactivity fee

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Erste Broker 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 Erste Broker fees with its closest competitors, Interactive Brokers and KBC Equitas.

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Erste Broker trading fees

Erste Broker'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 Erste Broker.

Trading fees

Erste Broker's trading fees are average.

Stock fees and ETF fees

Erste Broker has average stock trading fees.

Stock fees of a $2,000 trade
US stock
$7.0
$1.0
$7.0
UK stock
-
$3.8
$7.3
German stock
$7.4
$3.2
$7.3

Data updated on December 23, 2024

Fund fees

Erste Broker fund fees are high.

Fees of a $2,000 fund purchase
Mutual fund
$20.0
$15.0
$0.0
EU mutual fund
- $4.4
-

Data updated on December 23, 2024

Bond fees

Erste Broker has bond fees.

Fees of a $10,000 bond trade
US Treasury bond
-
$5.0
-
EU/UK government bond
-
$10.0
-

Data updated on December 23, 2024

Currency conversion fee

Erste Broker 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: 0.60% currency conversion fee.

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Erste Broker non-trading fees

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

Non-trading fees include various brokerage fees and charges at Erste Broker 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 Erste Broker stacks up in terms of non-trading fees
Withdrawal fee
$0
$0
$5
Deposit fee
$0
$0
$0
Inactivity fee
No
No
No
Account fee
Yes
No
Yes

Data updated on December 23, 2024

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Overall score
3.9/5
Minimum deposit
$0
Stock fee
Average
Fund fee
High
Inactivity fee
no
Account opening
1-3 days
View your investments in one neat dashboard
Get real-time insights without the hassle of multiple broker logins.
Start tracking now

Erste Broker deposit fee

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

Erste Broker deposit methods
Bank transfer
Yes Yes Yes
Credit/debit card
No No
No
Electronic wallets
No No No
Deposit fee
$0
$0
$0

Data updated on December 23, 2024

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Erste Broker withdrawal fee

Erste Broker generally doesn't charge a withdrawal fee.

Erste Broker withdrawal fees and options compared
Bank transfer
Yes Yes Yes
Credit/debit card
No No
No
Electronic wallets
No No No
Withdrawal fee for bank transfer
$0
$0
$5

Data updated on December 23, 2024

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Erste Broker inactivity fee

Erste Broker does not apply an inactivity fee, which is great because your account won't be charged even if you do not trade for an extended period (like several months or years).

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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.

author
Adam Nasli
Author of this article
I bring extensive financial expertise as one of BrokerChooser's earliest team members. Personally, I tested nearly all 100+ brokers on our site, opening real-money accounts, executing trades, assessing customer services, and providing firsthand assessment. My professional background includes roles in the banking sector and a degree from Central European University, where I teach finance. My passions lies in in-depth research of the financial industry, building trading algorithms, and managing long-term investments.
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