Is LYNX free?
LYNX 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 LYNX 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).
LYNX fees
Overview of LYNX fees and charges
When it comes to brokerage fees, LYNX 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 LYNX fees are beneficial for you. Continue reading about LYNX fees and charges to see if this is the right broker for you, or if a similar broker like Comdirect or DEGIRO might suit you better.
Here's a high-level overview of LYNX's fees
| Assets | Fee level | Fee terms |
|---|---|---|
| US stock fee | Low | Up to 2,000 shares: $0.01 per share; from 2,000 shares: $0.005 per share. Min $5, max 2% of the transaction |
| EURUSD fee | Average | 0.4 bps of trade value; min $4 |
| US mutual fund fees | Low | 0.1% of trade value; min €6, max €45 |
| Inactivity fee | Average | It is called 'platform fee'; €5 per month. |
LYNX fees
LYNX 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 LYNX fees with its closest competitors, Comdirect and DEGIRO.
LYNX fees
LYNX trading fees
LYNX'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 LYNX.
Trading fees
LYNX's trading fees are average.
Stock fees and ETF fees
LYNX has low stock trading fees.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $5.0 | $13.8 | $2.1 |
| UK stock | $11.2 | $13.8 | $3.4 |
| German stock | $6.4 | $10.6 | $5.2 |
Forex fees
LYNX's forex fees are average.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $18.8 | $26.4 | - |
| EURGBP benchmark fee | $16.8 | $23.3 | - |
Fund fees
LYNX fund fees are low.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual fund | $6.4 | $20.0 | $4.2 |
| EU mutual fund | $6.6 | $20.0 | $10.3 |
Bond fees
LYNX has low bond fees.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Treasury bond | $10.0 | $33.5 | - |
| EU government bond | $15.0 | $30.2 | $3.2 |
Options fees
LYNX's options fees are high.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US stock options | $24.0 | - | - |
| US stock index options | $24.0 | - | $7.5 |
| UK stock index options | $43.4 | - | - |
| German stock index options | $18.7 | $48.2 | $9.6 |
Futures fees
LYNX's futures fees are average.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US micro e-mini stock index futures | $12.5 | - | $7.5 |
| UK stock index futures | $24.8 | - | - |
| German e-mini stock index futures | $10.7 | $48.2 | $8.0 |
CFD fees
LYNX has high CFD trading fees.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple CFD | $5.1 | $10.7 | - |
| Vodafone CFD | $6.2 | $5.6 | - |
| Germany | $6.8 | $5.6 | $5.7 |
Currency conversion fee
LYNX 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: 0.4 bps of trade value; min $4.
Margin rates
LYNX margin rates are low.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD margin rate | 8.6% | - | 5.9% |
| EUR margin rate | 6.6% | 7.4% | 5.9% |
LYNX fees
LYNX non-trading fees
When it comes to non-trading fees, LYNX is a rather cheap broker.
Non-trading fees include various brokerage fees and charges at LYNX that are not related to buying or selling assets. This can be a withdrawal fee, deposit fee, inactivity fee or account fee.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Inactivity fee | Yes | No | No |
| Account fee | No | No | No |
LYNX fees
LYNX deposit fee
LYNX fees
LYNX withdrawal fee
LYNX fees
LYNX inactivity fee
LYNX does apply an inactivity fee and it is It is called 'platform fee'; €5 per month.. Keep this in mind to avoid getting charged after a longer idle period. The fact that LYNX charges an inactivity fee makes it less ideal for you if you are a buy-and-hold investor.
The inactivity fee charged by LYNX is average.
| LYNX | Comdirect | DEGIRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inactivity fee | Yes | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | It is called 'platform fee'; €5 per month. | No inactivity fee in the first 3 years after account opening, then €1.95 per month if you don't meet certain criteria | No inactivity fee |
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