Trade Republic vs Scalable Capital: Which Is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Trade Republic and Scalable Capital? Here is the short answer, then the full breakdown on fees, features, and who each one is best for.
Reviewed by Yaniv Barshaf, CPA · Fees verified 6 October 2026 · Our methodology
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Best overall: Trade Republic
The two leading German neobrokers, and the choice comes down to how often you trade and where your orders go. Trade Republic charges a flat €1 per trade with free ETF savings plans — simple and cheap for most investors. Scalable Capital's FREE Broker charges €0.99 per trade (and €0 on €250+ PRIME ETF purchases) on its own European Investor Exchange, but since 1 September 2026 every Xetra or gettex order costs a flat €1.99 on either plan; its €4.99/month PRIME+ Broker offers a €0-commission flat rate that pays off for frequent traders. Both offer free savings plans and pay interest on cash. For simplicity and light trading, Trade Republic; for lump-sum PRIME ETF buys on EIX or heavy trading, Scalable Capital.
- Best for beginners: Trade Republic
- Best for low fees: Trade Republic
- Best for advanced: Scalable Capital
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Trade Republic vs Scalable Capital at a glance
| Feature | Trade Republic | Scalable Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Stock commission | €1 flat per trade (Best Price execution); €2 per order for Direct Price routing to a chosen exchange (Xetra, NYSE, etc., since July 2026) | Price depends on the venue. European Investor Exchange (EIX) — FREE Broker: €0.99 per trade, or €0 on purchases of €250 or more in PRIME ETFs (Amundi, iShares, Vanguard, Xtrackers); PRIME+ Broker (€4.99/mo): €0 per trade from €250, else €0.99. Xetra and gettex: €1.99 flat per order on both plans, PRIME ETFs included, with no free-trade threshold and trading-venue fees waived. EIX is the only venue where the €0.99 and free-above-€250 pricing still applies |
| Withdrawal fee | Free to a linked bank account | Free to a linked bank account |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Min deposit | None | None |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Regulators | BaFin, Bundesbank | BaFin, Bundesbank |
Pros and cons
Trade Republic
Pros
- +Flat €1 per trade — one of the simplest, cheapest fee models in Europe
- +Free ETF savings-plan executions from €1
- +Pays interest on uninvested cash (linked to ECB rates)
- +Licensed German bank with €100,000 statutory deposit protection on cash
Cons
- −No individual UK ISA or UK availability — eurozone-focused
- −Deliberately minimal platform with limited research and tools
- −Interest rate on cash varies by country and can change with ECB policy
Scalable Capital
Pros
- +Free ETF savings-plan executions on every plan
- +Free trades on €250+ purchases of Prime ETFs via the European Investor Exchange (FREE Broker)
- +Optional PRIME+ flat rate (€4.99/mo) for €0 per-trade commission
- +No custody fee and no account fee on the FREE Broker
Cons
- −€0.99 per-trade fee on the FREE Broker for smaller or non-PRIME trades
- −gettex and Xetra orders cost €1.99 flat on both plans, with no free-trade threshold — only the European Investor Exchange keeps the cheap pricing
- −Eurozone-focused — no UK ISA or UK availability
Trade Republic
Best €1-flat neobroker for low-cost investing in the eurozone
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scalable Capital vs Trade Republic: which is cheaper?
For an occasional investor they are within a cent of each other: Trade Republic charges €1 flat per trade, Scalable Capital's FREE Broker €0.99 on its European Investor Exchange. Scalable pulls ahead on lump-sum purchases of €250 or more in PRIME ETFs (free on EIX) and for frequent traders on the €4.99/month PRIME+ flat rate. Trade Republic pulls ahead if you would otherwise route orders to Xetra or gettex, where Scalable charges €1.99 per order. ETF savings-plan executions are free at both.
Is Trade Republic or Scalable Capital safer?
Both are supervised by BaFin and both protect uninvested cash under the German statutory deposit guarantee up to €100,000. Trade Republic is itself a licensed German bank and holds securities in custody at HSBC and Citi. Scalable Capital runs its brokerage through a BaFin-regulated setup with Baader Bank as custodian. Neither protection covers market losses. Capital at risk.
Which is better for an ETF savings plan?
Neither charges for savings-plan executions, so for a monthly plan the cost is identical: €0 at both. The difference only appears on one-off orders, where Trade Republic is €1 flat and Scalable is €0.99 on EIX, €0 for PRIME ETFs from €250 on EIX, or €1.99 on Xetra and gettex.
Can UK investors use Trade Republic or Scalable Capital?
No. Both are eurozone brokers: neither accepts UK residents and neither offers a Stocks and Shares ISA. UK investors looking for flat, low-cost pricing should compare Trading 212, Lightyear and InvestEngine instead.
Trade Republic
Best €1-flat neobroker for low-cost investing in the eurozone
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.