Trade Republic and Scalable Capital are the top neobroker picks. Trade Republic offers free Sparplane on thousands of UCITS ETFs from 1 EUR/month with automatic Vorabpauschale handling and full English support. Scalable Capital PRIME+ (4.99 EUR/month) adds a broader ETF universe and a desktop platform. Smartbroker+ is the Finanztip-recommended alternative for cost-conscious German-speaking investors who want free Sparplane without a subscription fee. Among the direct banks, ING offers over 1,100 Sparplan-eligible ETFs for free execution, and Comdirect offers 500+ free “Top-ETF” Sparplane alongside 2,000+ eligible ETFs at 1.5% per execution otherwise. flatex and Finanzen.net Zero both run large free Sparplan universes too, but neither auto-handles German tax any differently than the other German-regulated options here — they simply add breadth of choice.

Vorabpauschale is an annual prepayment tax on the notional return of accumulating ETFs, applied each January — even if you sold nothing. The calculation uses the German Basiszins, your fund’s opening value, and a factor of 0.7. For 2026, the Basiszins is 3.20% (BMF, January 2026), giving an effective Basisertrag of 2.24% of your fund’s opening value. A 10,000 EUR VWCE position generates a Basisertrag of approximately 224 EUR — typically covered by the Freistellungsauftrag for smaller portfolios, but a growing cash buffer requirement for larger ones. The 2026 Vorabpauschale will be deducted from your cash balance in January 2027. Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, Smartbroker+, ING, Comdirect, flatex, and Finanzen.net Zero all calculate and withhold it automatically as German-regulated entities, applying your Freistellungsauftrag first. With IBKR or DEGIRO you declare it yourself in your annual Steuererklarung or via a Steuerberater.

Smartbroker+ is a BaFin-regulated German broker backed by Baader Bank. It offers free ETF Sparplane and commission-free trades on Gettex for orders of 500 EUR or more — no monthly subscription required. Vorabpauschale is handled automatically. It is recommended by Finanztip, Germany’s most trusted independent financial advice platform, and is the strongest option for cost-conscious German-speaking investors who want free trades without a subscription. The main limitation: it operates primarily in German, so it is less suitable for expats who need English-language support.

The EU PFOF ban took effect 30 June 2026, ending the Lang and Schwarz arrangement that used to power Trade Republic’s pricing — brokers used to receive rebates from market makers in exchange for routing orders. All nine brokers reviewed here have adapted. Trade Republic now runs on two execution models: Best Price (1 EUR, the default, Trade Republic acting as counterparty) and Direct Price (2 EUR, choose from 30 exchanges); Sparplane stay free either way. Trade Republic holds a BaFin MTF licence to operate this model. Scalable Capital PRIME+ uses a subscription model that is structurally PFOF-independent. Smartbroker+, ING, Comdirect, flatex, and Finanzen.net Zero all route primarily through exchange-cost models, mainly Gettex, rather than PFOF rebates. IBKR and DEGIRO are unaffected. The practical impact for passive ETF investors is minimal — Sparplane remain free or near-free across nearly every broker on this list.

Of the nine brokers covered here, only four operate fully in English: Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, IBKR, and DEGIRO. Smartbroker+, ING, Comdirect, flatex, and Finanzen.net Zero are all German-language only. For expats who may eventually relocate, IBKR is the strongest long-term option due to its global reach and account portability — you can keep the same account across most countries without closing your Depot. If none of the four English-language options fit your needs, Lightyear is worth checking separately, though it isn’t covered in depth on this page.

Yes. DEGIRO’s parent company is flatexDEGIRO Bank AG, a fully BaFin-regulated German bank, providing deposit insurance up to 100,000 EUR. The main drawback for most passive investors: no ETF Sparplane and no automatic Vorabpauschale handling. Note the difference between DEGIRO’s Basic and Custody account types — they have different asset protection structures and it is worth understanding this before opening. Full guide: DEGIRO Basic vs Custody.

Yes. IBKR is fully available to German residents. The practical challenges for passive investors: no Sparplan support, and Vorabpauschale is not handled automatically — you must declare it in your annual Steuererklarung. IBKR provides an annual consolidated tax statement to help. For passive ETF investors running a monthly Sparplan, Trade Republic or Scalable Capital are more practical. IBKR is the better long-term infrastructure for investors who may move countries, trade complex instruments, or need multi-currency accounts.

The Freistellungsauftrag applies your Sparerpauschbetrag — the 1,000 EUR annual saver’s allowance (2,000 EUR for jointly assessed couples) — before any Kapitalertragsteuer or Abgeltungsteuer is withheld on investment gains. Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, Smartbroker+, and the direct banks and brokers covered here all handle this digitally in-app or online in under a minute. You can split the allowance across multiple brokers, but the combined total across all brokers must not exceed 1,000 EUR per person. With IBKR or DEGIRO you typically claim the allowance in your annual Steuererklarung rather than setting it on the platform.

Both offer free Sparplan execution and automatic Vorabpauschale handling as regulated German entities. Trade Republic’s advantages: full English support, a slicker app, and no requirement to also hold a Girokonto or Extra-Konto with the bank. ING’s advantage: it bundles Depot, Girokonto, and Extra-Konto under one login, which some investors prefer for simplicity, plus a Gemeinschaftsdepot option for couples sharing an address. ING’s platform is German-only, so it is not a fit for expats who need English support. For most Sparplan-only investors, the two are cost-equivalent; the decision comes down to whether you want an all-in-one German banking relationship (ING) or a lean, English-language investing app (Trade Republic).

Largely yes, with one caveat. Trades and Sparplan executions are 0 EUR in order fees, but orders below 500 EUR carry a 1 EUR Mindermengenzuschlag (small-order surcharge) — Sparplan executions are exempt from this surcharge regardless of size. Trading is limited to a single venue (Gettex), and market-standard spreads still apply on every trade. There is no explicit interest rate paid on uninvested cash; Zero instead points users toward money-market and iBonds ETFs for yield. For occasional single-stock or ETF purchases above 500 EUR, or for Sparplan investors of any amount, the broker is effectively free of order fees.

Among the brokers covered here, ING and flatex both offer a Gemeinschaftsdepot for up to two account holders (ING requires both holders to share an address; flatex requires separate identity verification from each holder and does not allow CFD trading on the joint account). Comdirect offers a Gemeinschaftsdepot on its classic Depot but not on the newer Pure Depot. Finanzen.net Zero does not currently offer joint accounts. Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, Smartbroker+, IBKR, and DEGIRO do not offer joint accounts either — all are single-holder only.