Broker Comparison · 2026

Scalable Capital vs DEGIRO (2026):
Full Comparison for EU Investors

Q: How much does Scalable Capital PRIME+ cost and is it worth it?

Scalable Capital PRIME+ costs EUR 4.99 per month (EUR 59.88 per year). It pays 2.50% per annum on uninvested cash up to EUR 100,000. To break even on the subscription cost through cash interest alone, you need an average uninvested cash balance of around EUR 2,400. Above that threshold, PRIME+ generates net income compared to DEGIRO, which pays 0% on cash. Investors with smaller cash buffers are typically better served by the Scalable FREE tier.

Q: Can I use both Scalable Capital and DEGIRO at the same time?

Yes. There is no rule against holding accounts at both brokers simultaneously. Some investors use Scalable Capital for automated monthly savings plans into core UCITS ETFs, while keeping a DEGIRO account for occasional manual trades in international stocks or ETFs on exchanges not covered by Scalable. The practical question is whether managing two accounts is worth the added complexity versus consolidating at one broker.

Updated May 2026 · 10 min read · EU / EEA investors

Two different philosophies. Scalable Capital automates ETF investing from €1, pays 2.50% p.a. on uninvested cash (PRIME+), and is built around the passive DCA investor. DEGIRO is an execution-first platform covering 45+ global exchanges with 1,000+ commission-free Core ETFs and access to options and futures. For most EU passive investors buying mainstream UCITS ETFs, Scalable FREE already costs €0 per trade — fewer investors actually need DEGIRO than they assume.

Open Scalable Capital → Open DEGIRO → Fee breakdown Who it fits

Plain black background featuring the Scalable Capital and DEGIRO broker logos in the center of the image

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At a glance

Head-to-head overview

Structural differences at a glance. Fee detail and break-even math follow in the next section.

Category	Scalable Capital	DEGIRO
Best fit	Passive DCA investors — savings plans, automation, cash interest	Global-access traders — broad exchanges, options, futures, manual control
ETF trade (popular UCITS, PRIME ETFs ≥ €250)	€0 — FREE tier	€1 handling fee (Core Selection on Tradegate)
Platform fee	€0 (FREE) / €4.99/mo (PRIME+)	€0
Cash interest	2.50% p.a. (PRIME+ only, up to €100,000)	0%
Savings plan / SEPA direct debit	Yes — from €1	No
Fractional shares	No (savings plan execution: partial amounts)	No
ETF universe	2,000+ UCITS ETFs	6,000+ (1,000+ Core Selection)
Stocks / exchanges	8,000+ stocks, primarily German venues	50,000+ stocks, 45+ markets, 30+ countries
Options / Futures	No	Yes — Eurex, CBOE
Countries available	6 (DE, AT, FR, IT, ES, NL)	15 EU countries
Regulator	BaFin, Deutsche Bundesbank	BaFin, AFM (NL), DNB (NL)
Cash protection	€100,000 (via Baader Bank AG)	€100,000 (flatexDEGIRO Bank SE)
Publicly listed	No (private GmbH)	Yes (flatexDEGIRO SE, Frankfurt — FTK)

Fee breakdown

Full fee comparison

All figures from confirmed sources, verified May 2026. Use the DEGIRO fee schedule and Scalable Capital plan pages for the latest rates.

Fee	Scalable FREE	Scalable PRIME+	DEGIRO
Platform fee	€0/month	€4.99/month	€0/month
PRIME ETFs (Amundi, iShares, Vanguard, Xtrackers) ≥ €250	€0	€0	€1 handling fee
All other ETFs ≥ €250 on Gettex/EIX	€0.99	€0	€1 Core / €3 non-Core
Any order below €250	€0.99	€0.99	€1 Core / €3 non-Core
Non-Core ETFs / stocks	€0.99	€0 (≥ €250 on Gettex/EIX)	€3 (€2 + €1 handling)
FX markup	Embedded in exchange spread	Embedded in exchange spread	0.25% AutoFX on foreign-currency trades
Connectivity fee	None	None	0.25% / max €2.50 per exchange per year
Cash interest	0%	2.50% p.a. (up to €100,000)	0%
Minimum deposit	€1	€1	€0

Is Scalable PRIME+ worth it? The break-even math.

PRIME+ costs €59.88/year. It pays 2.50% p.a. on uninvested cash. The subscription pays for itself once your average idle cash balance clears a specific threshold — after that point, PRIME+ generates net income versus DEGIRO’s 0% on cash.

Average uninvested cash	Interest earned (2.50% p.a.)	PRIME+ annual cost	Net vs DEGIRO (0% cash)
€1,000	€25/year	€59.88/year	-€34.88 (DEGIRO cheaper)
€2,400	€60/year	€59.88/year	~ Break-even
€5,000	€125/year	€59.88/year	+€65/year (PRIME+ wins)
€10,000	€250/year	€59.88/year	+€190/year (PRIME+ wins)

The practical rule: If your average uninvested cash balance is above €2,400, Scalable PRIME+ pays for itself through cash interest alone — before accounting for any trade-cost savings. Below that balance, Scalable FREE is the right default. It already offers €0 trades on major PRIME ETFs in orders above €250.

Real scenario: monthly UCITS ETF investor, €500/trade

Buying a Vanguard or iShares world ETF once a month (12 trades/year), €3,000 average cash buffer between contributions.

Scalable FREE

€0/year

Vanguard/iShares ETF = PRIME ETF. Order ≥ €250 = €0/trade. No subscription. Cash interest: €0.

Scalable PRIME+

+€15/year net

Sub: €59.88. Interest on €3,000 at 2.50% = €75. Net: +€15 income. Trades: €0.

DEGIRO Core

~€14/year cost

12 x €1 handling = €12. Connectivity fee up to €2.50/exchange/year. Cash: €0.

For a standard passive EU investor in mainstream UCITS ETFs, Scalable FREE is the cheaper option. PRIME+ generates net income at a €3,000 cash buffer — effectively earning more on idle cash than the subscription costs.

Assets and markets

What you can actually trade

DEGIRO’s product universe is significantly broader. That advantage only matters if you plan to use it.

Asset / Market	Scalable Capital	DEGIRO
ETFs	2,000+ UCITS ETFs	6,000+ (1,000+ Core Selection at €1 handling on Tradegate)
Stocks	8,000+ stocks	50,000+ across 30+ countries
Exchanges	Primarily Gettex, EIX, Xetra (German venues)	45+ global markets (NYSE, Euronext, Xetra, LSE, and others)
Options / Futures	No (warrants and knock-outs via partner banks only)	Yes — Eurex, CBOE and major derivatives exchanges
Crypto exposure	Via physically backed ETPs (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana — 32 assets total)	Via ETCs and ETPs only — no direct crypto
CFDs	No	No
Savings plans	Yes — from €1 (stocks, ETFs, funds, crypto)	No SEPA direct debit; limited recurring option only
Countries available	6 (DE, AT, FR, IT, ES, NL)	15 EU countries

Country availability is a hard constraint. If you live in Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Czech Republic, or Slovakia — Scalable Capital is not available to you. DEGIRO serves all 15 EU markets. Verify availability before starting either application.

Automation

Savings plans: the biggest practical difference

If you invest on a monthly schedule, this section matters more than the fee table above.

Scalable Capital — Savings Plans (Sparplaene)

Automated recurring purchases: ETFs, stocks, funds, and crypto
Minimum: €1 per plan
SEPA direct debit — funds pulled directly from your bank account on execution day; no manual transfer needed
Scheduling: monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually
Execution dates: specific days of the month (1st, 4th, 7th, 13th, 21st)
Partial amounts invested — full target sum deployed each execution
Plans can be paused, adjusted, or reactivated at any time

DEGIRO — Recurring Investments (limited)

Limited recurring buy option for a curated list of popular ETFs
Minimum: €50 per recurring order
Monthly intervals only
No SEPA direct debit — account must be pre-funded manually
Whole shares only — leftover cash below one ETF unit sits idle at 0%
No fractional execution

Why this matters in practice. Scalable’s SEPA direct debit removes every friction point: you set it once, funds move automatically, and every euro is deployed. DEGIRO’s recurring option requires pre-funding and produces idle cash whenever your contribution doesn’t divide neatly into whole ETF units. For investors building a consistent DCA habit, the difference is not marginal.

Cash interest

Interest on uninvested cash

One broker pays 2.50% on idle cash. The other pays 0%. Over years of investing, cash drag is a real cost — one these brokers handle very differently.

Scalable Capital — PRIME+

2.50% p.a.

Available on PRIME+ plan only (€4.99/month)
Calculated daily, paid quarterly
Cap: €100,000 maximum eligible balance
EUR only — no GBP or USD rate
Scalable FREE tier pays 0%

DEGIRO

No interest on uninvested cash in any currency
Cash held at flatexDEGIRO Bank AG
No opt-in or upgrade available to earn interest
Cash sitting between trades earns nothing

The Scalable FREE tier also pays 0% — cash interest is exclusive to PRIME+. The relevant comparison for investors who care about this is PRIME+ (€4.99/month) vs DEGIRO (€0/month, €0 interest). Break-even cash balance: ~€2,400. See the fee section above for the full scenario math.

Platform and experience

Platform, research tools, and daily workflow

Feature	Scalable Capital	DEGIRO
Platform	Web app + mobile app (iOS / Android)	WebTrader + mobile app (iOS / Android)
Interface complexity	Minimal — designed for low friction	More menus; built for active traders
Charting / indicators	Basic — static period charts, no technical indicators	Interactive charts, ~13 indicators (RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, etc.)
Research tools	Basic metrics, Smart Predict (PRIME+), Compare Stocks (PRIME+)	LSEG data feed, analyst ratings, ESG scores, fundamental statements
Education	In-app newsletters, blog, audio podcasts	Investor’s Academy (10-lesson video/text course)
Demo / paper trading	Not available	Not available
Customer support channels	In-app chat (bot + human escalation), contact form, email	Phone (local language lines), email
Support hours	Mon–Fri, 9:00–19:00 CET	Mon–Fri, 7:00–21:00 CET (order desk to 22:00)

Know what you’re choosing. Scalable’s clean interface is a feature for passive investors — fewer menus means fewer temptations to overtrade. DEGIRO’s richer platform is useful if you actively screen ETFs or research individual stocks. Neither broker offers a demo account, so the decision is made before you test anything live.

Trust and safety

Regulation, protection, and what to know before depositing

Both brokers operate under BaFin supervision with equivalent statutory protection. The structural differences are minor.

Feature	Scalable Capital	DEGIRO
Primary regulator	BaFin, Deutsche Bundesbank	BaFin, AFM (NL), DNB (NL)
Legal entity	Scalable Capital GmbH / Scalable Capital Bank GmbH	flatexDEGIRO Bank SE (Dutch Branch)
Custodian / banking licence	Custody via Baader Bank AG	Own banking licence (flatexDEGIRO Bank SE)
Cash protection	€100,000 (German Deposit Guarantee via Baader Bank)	€100,000 (German Deposit Guarantee)
Securities protection	90% of losses / max €20,000 (EdW)	90% of losses / max €20,000 (EdW)
Fund segregation	Confirmed — held at Baader Bank, separate from Scalable assets	Confirmed — held in separate custody pools (Stichting DEGIRO)
Publicly listed	No — private GmbH	Yes — flatexDEGIRO SE on Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FTK)
Known incidents	2020 data breach (personal data and balances of early clients accessed)	2022–2023 BaFin reprimands and fines (AML and risk management gaps)

On the Scalable Capital 2020 data breach. Unauthorized third parties accessed personal records, identification data, and investment balances for tens of thousands of early clients. Scalable has since addressed the incident. No ongoing security issues have been publicly reported. It is a fact to be aware of, not a current disqualifying concern for most investors.

Pros and cons

Strengths and weaknesses at a glance

Scalable Capital

Pros

€0/trade on PRIME ETFs (Amundi, iShares, Vanguard, Xtrackers) ≥ €250 on the FREE tier
True automated savings plans from €1 via SEPA direct debit
2.50% p.a. cash interest on PRIME+ (up to €100,000)
Clean, modern platform — low barrier to entry for new investors
€1 minimum per savings plan execution

Cons

Only 6 EU countries — unavailable in Portugal, Ireland, Poland, and others
No options or futures
Limited to primarily German exchanges (Gettex, EIX, Xetra)
Cash interest requires PRIME+ subscription (€4.99/month)
2020 data breach (historic)

DEGIRO

Pros

45+ global exchanges across 30+ countries
6,000+ ETFs (1,000+ Core Selection at €1 handling on Tradegate)
50,000+ stocks — broadest access among EU retail brokers
Options and futures on Eurex, CBOE, and other derivatives venues
Available in 15 EU countries
Publicly listed — additional transparency via public filings

Cons

0% on uninvested cash — idle money earns nothing
No real savings plan or SEPA direct debit automation
€1 handling fee per Core ETF trade (vs €0 on Scalable FREE for PRIME ETFs)
No fractional shares
2022–2023 BaFin reprimands for AML and risk management shortfalls

Verdict

Who each broker actually fits

Scalable Capital — good fit if:

You want automated monthly DCA into UCITS ETFs without manual intervention
You buy from Amundi, iShares, Vanguard, or Xtrackers in orders above €250
You hold a meaningful cash buffer and want 2.50% on it (PRIME+)
A clean, minimal interface matters to you — fewer menus, less temptation to tinker
You are based in DE, AT, FR, IT, ES, or NL

DEGIRO — good fit if:

You want access to global stocks on NYSE, Euronext, LSE, or other international exchanges
You trade or plan to trade options and futures (Eurex, CBOE)
You live in one of the 9 EU countries Scalable does not serve
You want the widest possible ETF choice beyond the 2,000 available on Scalable
You prefer manual execution and local-language phone support

The decision in one sentence

If you invest passively in mainstream UCITS ETFs on a monthly schedule, Scalable Capital FREE is cheaper and more automated than DEGIRO. If you need global exchange access, derivatives, or live outside the 6 Scalable countries, DEGIRO is the answer. These two brokers are not really competing for the same investor — the choice is usually straightforward once you know which category you fall into.

Ready to open an account?

Both applications are fully online. Check country availability and current plan details on each broker’s site before applying.

Open Scalable Capital → Open DEGIRO → Scalable Capital plans DEGIRO fee schedule

Frequently asked questions

Is Scalable Capital better than DEGIRO for ETF investing?

For most EU passive investors buying popular UCITS ETFs from Amundi, iShares, Vanguard, or Xtrackers in orders above €250, Scalable Capital FREE is cheaper — those PRIME ETFs cost €0 on Scalable FREE versus €1 handling fee at DEGIRO Core. Add automated savings plans and 2.50% cash interest (PRIME+), and Scalable is the cleaner fit for passive investors. DEGIRO wins when you need 45+ global exchanges, options and futures, or live in a country Scalable doesn’t serve.

How much does Scalable Capital PRIME+ cost and is it worth it?

Scalable PRIME+ costs €4.99/month (€59.88/year) and pays 2.50% p.a. on uninvested cash up to €100,000. To recover the subscription cost through interest alone, you need an average uninvested cash balance of around €2,400. Above that balance, PRIME+ generates net income versus DEGIRO’s 0% on cash. Below it, Scalable FREE is the right default — it already offers €0 trades on major PRIME ETFs above €250 with no monthly fee.

Does DEGIRO have a savings plan or recurring investment feature?

DEGIRO has a limited recurring investment option for a curated list of ETFs: monthly intervals only, €50 minimum per order, whole shares only, and your account must be pre-funded manually — there is no SEPA direct debit. Scalable Capital’s Savings Plans are a different category: from €1, SEPA pulls funds from your bank automatically, scheduling is flexible, and the full target amount is deployed each execution. For serious monthly DCA investors, the gap between the two is significant in practice.

Is my money safe with Scalable Capital and DEGIRO?

Both are BaFin-regulated and provide equivalent statutory protection: cash up to €100,000 under the German Deposit Guarantee Scheme, and securities up to 90% of losses capped at €20,000 via the German Investor Compensation Scheme (EdW). DEGIRO holds a direct banking licence through flatexDEGIRO Bank SE; Scalable Capital routes custody through Baader Bank AG. In both cases, your securities are legally owned by you and held separately from the broker’s own assets.

Can I use both Scalable Capital and DEGIRO at the same time?

Yes — there is no rule against holding accounts at both brokers simultaneously. Some investors use Scalable for automated monthly savings plans into core UCITS ETFs while keeping DEGIRO for occasional manual trades in international stocks or ETFs on exchanges not available through Scalable. The practical question is whether managing two accounts adds more complexity than it solves. For most passive investors, consolidating at one broker is the simpler answer.

Scalable Capital vs DEGIRO (2026):Full Comparison for EU Investors