It depends on what you need. eToro is better for beginners, social investors, and anyone who wants crypto alongside ETFs in a clean app. IBKR is better for serious long-term investors who want the widest UCITS ETF selection, the lowest FX costs, and a platform they won’t outgrow. For portfolios above €20k focused on buy-and-hold ETFs, IBKR generally wins on total cost of ownership.

Yes — eToro charges zero commission on ETF trades. Stocks carry a $1–$2 per-trade commission for most EU residents. “Free” means no broker commission — you still pay the market spread, and FX conversion applies if your account currency differs from the asset’s trading currency. eToro also charges a flat $5 withdrawal fee on every withdrawal, which is worth factoring in if you withdraw regularly.

Yes. eToro charges a flat $5 fee on every withdrawal, with a minimum withdrawal amount of $30. This is a real recurring cost if you move money in and out frequently. IBKR allows one free withdrawal per month, with fees applying after that depending on the transfer method. For buy-and-hold investors who rarely withdraw, neither broker’s withdrawal fee is a major issue.

Interactive Brokers eliminated its monthly inactivity fee in 2021 for most retail account types. Most EU retail investors on the standard IBKR account pay no inactivity fee. Always verify current terms on IBKR’s official website, as conditions can vary by account type or regional entity. eToro also charges no inactivity fee.

Interactive Brokers has no minimum deposit. You can open an account and fund it with any amount. You pay commissions only when you trade — minimum €1.25 per EU ETF or stock trade on the Fixed plan.

Generally no. EU PRIIPs regulations prevent retail EU investors from buying US-listed ETFs. This applies to both brokers for standard retail accounts. IBKR is the only option for investors who qualify as Elective Professional Clients under MiFID — requiring a portfolio of €500k+ or one year of relevant professional experience. Everyone else uses UCITS equivalents, which track the same indices with broadly similar outcomes for European holders.

This is the biggest real cost gap in the standard setup. eToro charges 0.75%–1.5% on currency conversion depending on account type, Club tier, and payment method — roughly €75–€150 on a €10,000 trade. IBKR charges ~0.002%, or about €0.20 on the same amount. Two important mitigations on the eToro side: opening the EUR local-currency account removes the FX fee on deposits and withdrawals entirely, and buying EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs from that account also incurs no conversion charge. At Platinum tier ($25,000+ equity), all FX conversion fees are waived. For investors buying USD-denominated assets below Platinum tier, IBKR’s cost advantage compounds meaningfully over years of monthly contributions.

eToro supports the basics: market, limit, stop-loss, and trailing stop. Interactive Brokers offers a far wider range — OCO, OTO, bracket orders, TWAP, VWAP algorithmic orders, iceberg, and after-hours trading. For buy-and-hold ETF investors, eToro’s order types are sufficient. For anyone running an active allocation strategy or needing precise conditional entry and exit logic, IBKR’s execution toolkit is significantly more capable.

It can be useful as a learning tool or a small satellite allocation — not as a core strategy. You copy from $200, set a stop-loss at copy level, and can stop at any time. The key risk: past performance of Popular Investors does not guarantee future results, and you carry full market exposure regardless. Review a trader’s actual drawdown history before copying, not just their headline return.