Neon vs Yuh (2026): Which Swiss Investing App Is Better?
Switzerland’s two most popular neobrokers are remarkably similar on the surface — both free to open, both 0% custody, both app-only. The real differences come down to three things: fractional shares, cross-border eligibility, and how FX costs work for international positions. Here is how they actually compare.
Neon vs Yuh at a glance
The headline numbers are close. The deciding factors are in the details.
| Feature | Neon | Yuh |
|---|---|---|
| ETF commission (manual trade) | 0.5% (min CHF 1) | 0.5% (min CHF 1) |
| ETF savings plan | Free (select ETFs) | Free (qualifying ETFs) |
| Swiss stock commission | 0.5% (min CHF 1) | 0.5% (min CHF 1) |
| International stock commission | 1.0% (min CHF 1) | 0.5% + 0.95% FX = 1.45% |
| FX markup | 0% (all trades settle in CHF) | 0.95% on non-CHF assets |
| Fractional shares | No | Yes (from CHF 10) |
| Custody fee | 0% | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | CHF 0 | CHF 0 |
| Minimum deposit | CHF 0 | CHF 0 |
| Swiss residents | Yes | Yes |
| Neighbouring countries (DE/FR/IT/AT/LI) | No | Yes (CHF 500 min deposit) |
| Backed by | Hypothekarbank Lenzburg AG | Swissquote Bank SA |
| FINMA-regulated | Yes (via partner bank) | Yes (via Swissquote) |
| Deposit protection | CHF 100,000 | CHF 100,000 |
| Pillar 3a | Yes | Yes |
| TradingView charts | No (basic line chart) | Yes (embedded) |
The real cost of investing on Neon and Yuh
Neither platform charges custody fees or monthly platform fees. The difference is entirely in trading commissions and FX.
- ETF (manual): 0.5%, min CHF 1
- ETF savings plan: Free (select products)
- Swiss stocks: 0.5%, min CHF 1
- International stocks: 1.0%, min CHF 1
- FX markup: 0% — everything settles in CHF
- Custody fee: 0%
- Platform fee: CHF 0/month
- ETF (manual): 0.5%, min CHF 1
- ETF savings plan: Free (qualifying ETFs — curated list)
- Swiss stocks: 0.5%, min CHF 1
- International stocks: 0.5% + 0.95% FX
- FX markup: 0.95% on non-CHF assets
- Custody fee: 0%
- Platform fee: CHF 0/month
What a CHF 500 trade actually costs
| Trade type | Neon cost | Yuh cost | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss UCITS ETF (manual, CHF 500) | CHF 2.50 | CHF 2.50 | CHF 0 |
| ETF savings plan (CHF 500) | CHF 0 | CHF 0 | CHF 0 |
| Swiss stock (CHF 500) | CHF 2.50 | CHF 2.50 | CHF 0 |
| International stock (CHF 500) | CHF 5.00 (1.0%, no FX) | CHF 7.25 (0.5% + 0.95% FX) | CHF 2.25 — Neon cheaper |
| International stock (CHF 2,000) | CHF 20.00 | CHF 29.00 | CHF 9.00 — Neon cheaper |
For the core Swiss UCITS ETF use case — savings plan or manual trade into a CHF-denominated ETF — costs are identical. Neither platform has an edge here.
The difference only appears on international stocks, where Neon’s 1.0% flat beats Yuh’s 0.5% + 0.95% FX combined. If your portfolio is primarily Swiss-listed ETFs, this cost gap is irrelevant. If you actively trade international equities, Neon is cheaper despite the higher headline commission rate.
The fractional shares gap: why it matters in practice
This is the single biggest structural difference between the two platforms.
Whole units only. If your monthly contribution is CHF 200 and your chosen ETF unit costs CHF 175, you buy one unit and CHF 25 sits uninvested as idle cash. Over time this cash drag compounds quietly against you.
All available stocks and ETFs can be traded in fractions. Minimum CHF 10 per trade. You deploy your full monthly contribution every time — no idle cash from rounding.
Assume a Swiss-listed ETF unit costs CHF 220. On a CHF 300/month plan:
- Neon: Buys 1 unit (CHF 220 deployed). CHF 80 sits as cash, rolling forward. After 3 months you might accumulate enough to buy a second unit — but that’s 3 months of cash drag.
- Yuh: Deploys the full CHF 300 each month. 1.36 fractional units purchased. No idle cash.
At a 7% assumed annual return, CHF 80 sitting uninvested for 3 months costs roughly CHF 1.40 in missed growth per cycle — small individually but consistent over a 20-year plan.
What you can actually invest in
Both platforms are curated — neither gives you access to thousands of instruments. The scope difference matters for investors who want to go beyond Swiss-listed ETFs.
| Asset class | Neon | Yuh |
|---|---|---|
| ETFs | ~70 (BX Swiss, CHF only) | ~250+ stocks + ETF selection (NASDAQ, NYSE, SIX) |
| Stocks | ~240 (BX Swiss only) | ~250+ (global exchanges) |
| US ETFs | Not available | Not available (UCITS only) |
| Crypto / digital assets | Yes (via Crypto ETPs) | Yes (real digital assets — Bitcoin, Ethereum and select altcoins) |
| Bonds | Not confirmed available | Yes |
| Themed portfolios | No | Yes (Cannabis, Green Energy, etc.) |
| Pillar 3a | Yes | Yes |
| Exchange used | BX Swiss only | SIX, NASDAQ, NYSE and more |
| Settlement currency | CHF (all trades) | CHF, EUR, USD (multi-currency) |
| Charting | Basic line chart only | TradingView embedded |
| Savings plan / autopilot | Yes (monthly, from CHF 50) | Yes (weekly or monthly, from CHF 10) |
| Minimum savings plan amount | CHF 50/asset | CHF 10/asset |
| Desktop platform | No (app only) | No (app only) |
Neon routes all trades through BX Swiss (Bern exchange). The selection — around 70 ETFs and 240 stocks — is curated for Swiss retail investors and covers the most popular UCITS ETFs. However, there are no US ETFs, no bonds, and no exposure to assets outside the BX Swiss universe. If your investment plan fits within this selection, the constraint is invisible. If you want to explore beyond it, Yuh’s broader exchange access is a genuine advantage.
How your money and assets are protected
Neither Neon nor Yuh is itself a bank. Both route through a fully FINMA-licensed Swiss banking partner — and that matters.
- App provider: neon Switzerland AG (not a bank)
- Banking partner: Hypothekarbank Lenzburg AG (FINMA-licensed)
- Deposit protection: CHF 100,000 per client (esisuisse)
- Securities segregation: Yes — under Swiss bankruptcy law (Art. 37b BankA)
- Publicly listed: No
- App provider: Yuh Ltd (not a bank)
- Banking partner: Swissquote Bank SA (FINMA-licensed)
- Deposit protection: CHF 100,000 per client (esisuisse — shared with Swissquote)
- Securities segregation: Yes — all securities and fractional shares segregated under Swiss law
- Publicly listed: Yuh is not; Swissquote Group is listed on SIX (SQN)
Who can open an account
This is a hard constraint — Neon’s Swiss-only rule disqualifies a significant portion of the region’s investors.
- Must reside in Switzerland
- Must be subject to Swiss tax only
- Foreign nationals: B or C permit required
- Minimum age: 15
- Cross-border workers (Grenzgänger) living outside Switzerland: not eligible
- Germany, France, Italy, Austria residents: not eligible
- US persons: not eligible
- Switzerland residents: yes, from age 18
- Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein residents: yes
- Neighbouring country residents: min CHF 500 initial deposit + proof of residence required
- Must hold an eligible passport or Swiss residence permit
- US persons: not eligible
- Teen account (Yuh 14+) available for Swiss residents aged 14+
If you live in Germany commuting to Basel, or in France working in Geneva, Neon is simply not an option — Yuh is the neobroker for your situation. The CHF 500 minimum initial deposit and proof-of-residence requirement add a small friction step, but the product access is genuine and the Swissquote infrastructure is identical to what Swiss-domiciled users get.
Support channels and hours
| Feature | Neon | Yuh |
|---|---|---|
| Phone support | Plus/Global/Metal plans only | Yes — +41 44 825 87 89 |
| Email support | service@neon-free.ch | info@yuh.com |
| In-app support | Contact form | In-app chat + message support |
| AI chatbot | Not confirmed | Yuhlia chatbot |
| Support hours | Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00 | Mon–Fri 08:00–19:00 |
| Fraud/card blocking hotline | 24/7 | 24/7 |
Who each platform actually fits
- You are a Swiss resident with full Swiss tax domicile
- Your plan is a CHF savings plan into BX Swiss-listed ETFs — and you are comfortable with the curated 70-ETF selection
- You want the simplest possible UI with zero FX drag
- Your chosen ETF unit prices are low enough that whole-unit trading does not create meaningful cash drag
- You invest in international stocks and want the lower effective rate (1.0% vs Yuh’s effective 1.45%)
- You live in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, or Liechtenstein and need a Swiss-backed investing account
- Fractional shares matter — you want to deploy every franc of each monthly contribution without idle cash
- You want broader exchange access beyond BX Swiss, including global stocks
- You value TradingView’s embedded charts for basic research
- You want crypto via real digital assets (not ETPs) or access to themed portfolios
- Extended support hours or phone access matters to you
For most Swiss residents running a straightforward monthly ETF savings plan, the cost difference between Neon and Yuh is zero. The decision is not about fees — it is about features. Yuh is the more capable platform. Neon is the simpler one. If you need fractional shares, cross-border eligibility, or broader asset access, Yuh wins. If you want the cleanest possible app for a single CHF ETF savings plan with no currency noise, Neon is hard to beat.
Neither is a long-term platform for investors who expect to build complex multi-currency portfolios or need advanced tools. If your needs will grow beyond the neobroker tier, look at Swissquote — wider selection, proper desktop platform, and both are effectively built on top of its infrastructure anyway.
Ready to open an account?
Neon for Swiss residents who want the simplest CHF savings plan setup at zero FX cost. Yuh if you need fractional shares, live in a neighbouring country, or want broader platform depth.
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Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper for ETF savings plans: Neon or Yuh?
Both are free for ETF savings plans: Neon charges 0% on select savings plan ETFs, and Yuh charges 0% on qualifying ETF savings plans — a curated selection, not all ETFs. Check the current eligible list in the Yuh app before building your plan around a specific fund. For manual ETF trades, both charge 0.5% with a CHF 1 minimum. There is no meaningful cost difference for a standard recurring ETF investment strategy on either platform. The cost gap only appears on international stock trades, where Neon’s 1.0% flat outperforms Yuh’s effective 1.45% (0.5% commission + 0.95% FX).
Can non-Swiss residents use Neon or Yuh?
Neon is strictly limited to Swiss residents with legal domicile and tax residence in Switzerland. Foreign nationals need a B or C permit, and cross-border workers living outside Switzerland are not eligible. Yuh is available to residents of Switzerland and five neighbouring countries: Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Residents of those neighbouring countries need an initial deposit of at least CHF/EUR 500 from a bank account held in their country of residence. US persons cannot open accounts on either platform.
Does Neon or Yuh offer fractional shares?
Yuh supports fractional shares for all available stocks and ETFs, with a minimum trade size of CHF 10. Neon does not offer fractional shares — you buy whole units only, with a CHF 1 minimum trade value. For investors with smaller monthly contributions, this creates a practical difference: with Neon, cash below the price of one full unit sits uninvested until you accumulate enough to buy another whole unit.
Is Yuh safe? What happens if Swissquote has problems?
Yuh’s banking and financial services are provided by Swissquote Bank SA, a fully FINMA-authorised Swiss bank. Cash deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 per client under the esisuisse deposit guarantee scheme — but this limit is shared across your Yuh and Swissquote accounts. Securities and fractional shares are legally segregated from the bank’s balance sheet under Swiss bankruptcy law, meaning they are returned to you in the event of insolvency and do not form part of the bankruptcy estate. Swissquote is publicly listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SQN) and Swissquote completed the acquisition of PostFinance’s stake in Yuh in July 2025.
Can I transfer my portfolio from Neon to Yuh, or vice versa?
Yuh does not support portfolio transfers out — you must sell all positions to switch brokers. This means leaving Yuh triggers a sale event, with Swiss stamp duty on both legs and potential timing considerations. Fractional share positions cannot be transferred in any case. Neon offers a share transfer out feature (CHF 100 per position) for whole-unit holdings, which avoids a forced sale when switching. Before making any move on either platform, confirm current terms directly with the broker.
Does Neon or Yuh support Pillar 3a?
Both platforms now offer a Pillar 3a account directly within the app. Neon’s Pillar 3a is integrated into the main neon interface. Yuh’s Pillar 3a is also available in-app, backed by Swissquote’s infrastructure. If Pillar 3a is central to your long-term plan, compare the specific fund selection, underlying fund costs, and contribution terms of each offering before committing — the product details differ and the choice can have meaningful long-term impact. See our Swiss Pillar 3a investing guide for a framework.
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