Trade Republic review 2026

Trade Republic at a glance

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Berlin, Trade Republic has grown into one of Europe's largest brokers, with more than 8 million customers across 17 countries and roughly €100 billion in assets on the platform. The pitch is simple: put the whole capital market in your pocket and strip out the fat fees that traditional banks charge to buy a share or an ETF. Everything happens in a clean, app-first experience, from your first fractional share to a fully automated monthly savings plan.

What sets it apart from a pure trading app is that Trade Republic holds a full banking licence. That means your account behaves like a hybrid: an investment brokerage on one side and a bank account with its own IBAN, a debit card and interest on cash on the other. For a European investor who wants one place to invest, save and spend, that combination is genuinely useful — provided you understand that investing always carries risk.

Key features and products

Trade Republic covers the core building blocks most retail investors need, without drowning you in complexity:

• Stocks: thousands of German, European and US shares, including fractional shares so you can invest a fixed euro amount rather than buying whole shares.
• ETFs: a broad universe of exchange-traded funds tracking global indices, regions, sectors and themes.
• ETF and stock savings plans: automated recurring investments from as little as €1, executed free of charge.
• Bonds: access to government and corporate bonds, a feature many app brokers still lack.
• Crypto: a selection of cryptocurrencies you can trade alongside traditional assets.
• Derivatives: warrants and knock-out products for experienced traders who understand the leverage risk.
• Banking: a personal IBAN, transfers, direct debits and a debit card with the Saveback feature.

The design philosophy is minimalism. You will not find dozens of chart-drawing tools or a desktop trading terminal. Instead you get a fast, legible mobile app that makes a monthly investing routine feel effortless — which, for long-term investors, is exactly the point.

Fees and costs explained

Trade Republic built its reputation on radically low pricing. There is no order commission in the classic sense. Instead, single securities orders carry a flat €1 external fee (a third-party settlement charge), whatever the size of the trade. Buying €200 or €20,000 of the same share costs the same €1. Crucially, ETF and stock savings plans are executed for free, which is what makes the platform so attractive for regular investors.

There is no account-keeping fee, no custody fee for holding your securities, and no inactivity fee. The debit card has no annual fee, and ATM withdrawals of €100 or more are free. As always, some spreads and product-specific costs (for example within an ETF's own ongoing charges, or crypto spreads) apply and are set by the product provider rather than the broker.

ETF savings plans and Saveback

The ETF savings plan is the heart of Trade Republic for most users. You can set up automated recurring investments from just €1 into any of roughly 2,500 or more eligible ETFs, on a weekly, twice-monthly or monthly schedule, and each execution is free. This is textbook long-term investing: euro-cost averaging into a diversified global index and letting compounding do the work over years.

The Saveback feature ties the card to the investing side. When you pay with the Trade Republic debit card, 1% of your spending (up to a monthly cap of around €15) is automatically funnelled into a savings plan of your choice. Combined with a "round up" option that invests the spare change from each transaction, it nudges everyday spending into your long-term portfolio without you having to think about it.

Interest on uninvested cash

Since 2023 Trade Republic has paid interest on uninvested cash sitting in your account, an unusual perk for a broker. The exact rate is indicative and variable: it broadly tracks the European Central Bank's benchmark and has moved over time (it launched around 2%). Because central-bank rates change and the offer can differ by country and over time, you should always check the current rate inside the app rather than relying on a headline figure.

One important nuance: cash covered by statutory deposit protection behaves differently from money that may be swept into money-market funds. Deposit-guarantee coverage applies to eligible bank deposits, whereas fund holdings are investments and are not covered by the statutory deposit-guarantee scheme. It is worth understanding which applies to your balance.

How to open an account

Opening an account is done entirely in the app in a matter of minutes. You provide your personal details, verify your identity electronically, and fund the account by bank transfer. Once verified you can immediately set up a savings plan or place your first order. The onboarding is one of the smoothest in European fintech — deliberately so, because the whole product is designed to get first-time investors started with minimal friction.

Who Trade Republic is for

Trade Republic is an excellent fit for long-term, buy-and-hold investors — especially anyone building wealth through monthly ETF savings plans who wants the lowest possible running costs. It also suits people who like the idea of consolidating investing, cash interest and everyday spending in a single app.

It is less suited to active day traders who need advanced charting, complex order types or a desktop platform, and to investors who want a huge menu of exotic instruments. If your strategy is patient and index-based, though, few platforms in Europe make it cheaper or simpler.

How it compares

Against traditional bank brokers, Trade Republic wins decisively on cost: a €1 flat fee and free savings plans undercut the percentage-based commissions many incumbents still charge. Against other neobrokers, its differentiators are the full banking licence, interest on cash, bonds access and the Saveback card. Some rivals offer more markets or a richer desktop experience, so the right choice depends on whether you value breadth and tools or simplicity and low cost.

Security and regulation

Trade Republic operates as Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a German bank supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank, and it holds a full banking licence granted by the European Central Bank in 2023. Eligible cash deposits are protected under the statutory deposit-guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per customer, the standard EU protection. Your securities are held in custody and remain your property; they are not part of the bank's balance sheet.

Risk disclaimer: investing involves risk. The value of stocks, ETFs, bonds and crypto can rise and fall, and you may get back less than you invested — you can lose your entire capital, particularly with crypto and leveraged derivatives. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Interest rates on cash are variable and can change. Nothing in this review is investment advice; consider your own circumstances and, if in doubt, seek independent guidance.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free ETF and stock savings plans from just €1
• Flat €1 fee on single orders, no custody or account fees
• Interest paid on uninvested cash (variable rate)
• Full German banking licence with €100,000 deposit protection
• Saveback card turns everyday spending into investing
• Clean, beginner-friendly app with bonds and crypto included

Cons

• App-only: no full desktop trading platform
• Limited charting and advanced order types for active traders
• Interest rate is variable and not guaranteed
• Crypto and derivatives carry high risk of loss

Our verdict

For cost-conscious, long-term investors, Trade Republic is one of the most compelling packages in Europe in 2026. Free savings plans, a flat €1 order fee, interest on cash and a full banking licence add up to a serious, well-regulated home for a passive portfolio. Active traders and tool-hungry investors will want more, but for anyone who wants to invest steadily and cheaply from their phone, it is an easy platform to recommend — as long as you invest only what you can afford to leave at risk.