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Comparison
Trade Republic vs Scalable Capital: which broker is better for expats investing in ETFs and stocks from Germany?
By Mahiuddin Al Kamal · 5 options
Investing in Germany as an expat is surprisingly easy once you have a broker account. The two platforms that dominate the market, Trade Republic and Scalable Capital, both offer commission-free ETF savings plans and competitive cash interest rates. The hard part is choosing between them.
Both platforms are regulated by BaFin (Germany's financial authority), your investments are protected up to 100,000 EUR per the EU deposit guarantee, and both support the MSCI World and Vanguard FTSE All-World ETFs that most passive investors want. The differences come down to how you prefer to invest.
We looked at what matters for expat investors building long-term wealth: ETF savings plan costs, available ETFs, cash interest rates, platform usability, and tax document quality (you'll need proper German tax statements for your Steuererklarung). Both are strong, but Trade Republic edges ahead for most beginners thanks to its simpler interface and higher cash interest rate.
Important: As a German tax resident, you'll pay 26.375% (25% base rate plus 5.5% solidarity surcharge) on investment profits. Both platforms handle the tax withholding automatically, so you don't need to worry about manual reporting for standard investments.
01 / At a glance
Pick an option name to jump to its full write-up below.
| Option | Rating | Best for | Fees | English app | ETF plans | Min invest | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top pick Trade Republic | 4.5 | Low-cost ETF savings plans | €1/trade, free plans | Full | Yes | €1 | Visit Trade Republic website, opens in a new tab |
| Scalable Capital | 4.3 | Flat-fee frequent traders | Free tier / €4.99+ mo | Full | Yes | €1 | Visit Scalable Capital website, opens in a new tab |
| comdirect Bank brokers | 4.0 | Wide fund selection | From €0 plans | No | Yes | €1 | Visit comdirect website, opens in a new tab |
| Interactive Brokers Full brokers | 4.4 | Global markets & pros | Low, tiered | Full | Yes | None | Visit Interactive Brokers website, opens in a new tab |
| eToro App-first brokers | 3.8 | Social & copy trading | FX + spread costs | Full | Limited | $50 | Visit eToro website, opens in a new tab |
Scroll the table sideways to see every spec.
02 / In detail
Commission-free investing in stocks, ETFs, and crypto. 1 EUR per trade for savings plans.
Pros
Cons
Modern broker with free ETF savings plans and a robo-advisor option.
Pros
Cons
Bank brokers
Established German broker (Commerzbank group) with a huge fund/ETF selection and savings plans.
Pros
Cons
Full brokers
Global broker with the widest market access and lowest FX costs. Best for serious or international investors.
Pros
Cons
App-first brokers
Social/copy-trading platform, English-first. Popular for stocks and crypto, though costs are higher.
Pros
Cons
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Related
InvestingThe BMF set the 2026 Basiszins at 3.20 percent, and that number decides whether your ETF depot gets debited a few euros or a few hundred each January without a Freistellungsauftrag.
InvestingA 1,000 EUR monthly ETV plan costs 12 EUR a year in fees on one platform and nothing on the other, depending purely on how many funds you split it across.
InvestingA 300 EUR monthly MSCI World Sparplan at 7% growth nets about 13,046 EUR of a 16,000 EUR gain after Vorabpauschale and Abgeltungssteuer, roughly 18.5% tax drag thanks to Teilfreistellung.
