Broker Comparison
XTB vs Trade Republic (2026):
Which Is Better for UCITS ETF Investors?
Both are zero-custody, low-cost brokers available across most of the EU. But they are built for different investors. XTB gives you a full platform with advanced charting and commission-free manual trades. Trade Republic gives you a banking app with a dead-simple savings plan workflow and a German banking licence. The right choice depends on how you invest, not just what you pay.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up through them. This does not affect our reviews or recommendations — we only feature products we genuinely believe are useful for investors. This site provides educational content only, not personalized investment advice. Investments can lose value and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own financial decisions and for confirming the tax and legal rules that apply in your country.
Who each broker is built for
Both brokers serve EU UCITS ETF investors well. But they optimise for different behaviour. If you have any doubt, the section that applies to you is the one that matches how you actually invest week to week.
Better if you…
- Want commission-free manual ETF and stock trades
- Use a desktop or web platform for research and charting
- Want access to CFDs alongside your ETF portfolio
- Invest in multiple currencies and need clean FX handling
- Prefer a broker with a public listing and transparent structure
Better if you…
- Run a recurring ETF savings plan and almost never trade manually
- Want a banking app with an IBAN, debit card, and cash interest in one place
- Want the lowest possible fractional share minimum (from 1 EUR)
- Value a full German banking licence and up to 100,000 EUR cash protection
- Prefer a mobile-first, minimal-click experience over a full trading platform
Fee comparison: XTB vs Trade Republic
All figures from verified broker fee schedules. Fees can change — always confirm on the broker’s official pricing page before opening an account.
| Fee | XTB | Trade Republic |
|---|---|---|
| ETF commission (manual trade) | 0% up to 100,000 EUR/month; 0.2% (min 10 EUR) above | 1 EUR per trade (external settlement fee) |
| ETF commission (savings plan) | 0% (Investment Plans, within monthly threshold) | 0% (Sparplan executions) |
| FX markup | 0.5% on currency conversions | Not published — embedded in L&S exchange spread; est. 0.5–1.0%* |
| Annual custody fee | 0% | 0% |
| Platform fee | 0 EUR/month | 0 EUR/month |
| Fractional shares | Yes — from 10 EUR | Yes — from 1 EUR |
| Minimum deposit | 0 EUR | 1 EUR |
| Inactivity fee | 10 EUR/month after 365 days with no trade AND no deposit in prior 90 days | None |
*Trade Republic does not publish a clean FX markup percentage. The 0.5–1.0% figure is a modelling proxy based on the Lang & Schwarz exchange spread. For EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs on European exchanges, no separate FX charge applies at either broker.
Break-even math
If you run one manual ETF trade per month: Trade Republic costs 12 EUR/year in settlement fees; XTB costs 0 EUR. For savings plan-only investors, both brokers execute at zero commission and cost parity is exact. XTB’s inactivity fee is only triggered if you go a full year without any trade and also make no deposit in the prior 90 days — straightforward to avoid for any active investor.
Savings plans and UCITS ETF access
XTB — Investment Plans
- Around 2,000+ UCITS ETFs available
- Investment Plans: up to 9 ETFs per plan with percentage allocations
- Minimum per plan: 15 EUR
- Scheduling: daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
- Fractional ETF orders from 10 EUR
- Manual trades also commission-free below monthly threshold
- Real stocks: 7,100+ plus CFD access
Trade Republic — Savings Plans (Sparplan)
- Around 2,200+ UCITS ETFs available
- Savings plans: any ETF, stock, or crypto; 0 EUR commission
- Minimum per plan: 1 EUR
- Scheduling: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly
- Fractional ETF orders from 1 EUR (via Market Orders on LSX)
- Manual trades: 1 EUR settlement fee each
- No CFDs; direct crypto ownership available
The ETF universe is broadly comparable. Trade Republic’s 1 EUR minimum savings plan is a meaningful advantage for investors starting very small. XTB’s Investment Plans allow multi-ETF allocations in a single plan, which is useful if you want a three-fund UCITS portfolio automated in one instruction. For standard single-ETF monthly buys, either platform handles the job cleanly.
Platform and research tools
This is the sharpest difference between the two brokers. If platform quality matters to you, XTB wins by a large margin.
xStation 5
Full desktop and web platform with advanced charting: 30+ technical indicators, drawing tools, heatmaps, economic calendar, and market sentiment overlays. The mobile app is fully functional for managing Investment Plans on the go. Desktop gives materially more power for research. A proper trading environment, not just a brokerage interface.
Stock screener
CFD access
Demo account
Mobile app
Mobile-first by design. The web interface is a secondary dashboard that mirrors the app, not a standalone platform. Charting is minimal: line charts and basic candlesticks with no technical indicators. Research tools are basic. The app shines at what it is built for: setting up and managing recurring savings plans with as few taps as possible. Comes with an integrated IBAN, debit card, and “Saveback” round-up feature.
Debit card
Saveback
No demo account
Interest on uninvested cash
XTB
XTB pays interest on uninvested EUR, USD, and GBP balances. Rates are tiered: new clients receive a promotional rate for the first 90 days, which steps down to a standard rate thereafter. Rates adjust with the ECB and other central bank cycles. No minimum balance required; interest is calculated daily and paid monthly. Check the current rate on XTB’s pricing page before depositing, as it changes with market conditions.
Trade Republic
Trade Republic pays interest on EUR cash balances only. The rate is variable and tied to ECB rate movements. It must be manually activated in the app. Balances are accrued daily and paid monthly. For users in core countries with the full TR IBAN structure, balances can be uncapped; for non-core countries or older account structures, a cap of 50,000 EUR may apply. Check the current rate on Trade Republic’s website as it changes with ECB decisions.
Key difference: XTB pays interest in EUR, USD, and GBP. Trade Republic pays interest in EUR only. If you hold a meaningful USD or GBP cash buffer, XTB has the edge. Both rates reset with ECB and central bank cycles, so any headline comparison is valid only at a specific point in time — always verify before depositing a large idle balance.
Regulation and investor protection
Both brokers are regulated within the EU framework. The key structural difference is that Trade Republic holds a full banking licence, which changes cash protection materially.
XTB
- Regulators: KNF (Poland), CySEC (Cyprus), FCA (UK) for respective entities
- Cash protection (KNF entity): 100% up to 3,000 EUR + 90% up to approx. 22,000 EUR
- Cash protection (CySEC entity): up to 20,000 EUR under the Investor Compensation Fund
- Securities: segregated client accounts, separate from corporate funds
- Publicly listed: Yes — Warsaw Stock Exchange (XTB)
- Securities lending: Not applied to standard retail portfolios
Trade Republic
- Regulator: BaFin and Deutsche Bundesbank; full ECB banking licence
- Cash protection: up to 100,000 EUR per investor under the German deposit guarantee scheme (EdB)
- Securities: segregated custody; held as client property outside insolvency estates
- Securities compensation: EdW covers up to 90% of claims, capped at 20,000 EUR
- Publicly listed: No — private, venture-backed company
- Securities lending: Not applied to standard retail portfolios
Bottom line on protection: Trade Republic’s banking licence gives it a significantly higher cash protection ceiling (100,000 EUR vs approximately 20,000–22,000 EUR at XTB’s EU entities). For investors holding large cash balances, this is a meaningful structural advantage. For securities, both brokers hold ETFs in segregated custody outside insolvency estates, which is the right structure for long-term ETF holders. XTB’s public listing provides an additional layer of financial transparency that a private company cannot match.
Account types and country availability
XTB
- Standard investment account (stocks, ETFs)
- CFD trading account (separate from investment account)
- Demo account (available)
- Islamic (swap-free) account (availability varies by country)
- Available across most EU/EEA countries: Poland, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and others
Trade Republic
- Individual investment and banking account (integrated)
- IBAN + Visa debit card (core countries)
- Child savings account (select regions)
- No CFD account, no ISA, no demo account
- Available in: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia
Ready to open an account?
If you trade manually and want a full desktop platform with advanced research tools, XTB is the stronger pick. If you run a set-and-forget ETF savings plan and want a banking app with the highest cash protection in the EU, Trade Republic is built for that workflow.
Go deeper
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for UCITS ETF investing, XTB or Trade Republic?
For automated savings plans, both execute at zero commission and cost parity is exact. For manual one-off ETF trades, XTB charges nothing below 100,000 EUR of monthly turnover, while Trade Republic charges a flat 1 EUR settlement fee per trade. If you trade manually once a month, that is 12 EUR per year at Trade Republic versus 0 EUR at XTB. Trade Republic has the edge for set-and-forget savings plan investors who want the simplest possible app experience and an integrated banking account.
Does XTB charge commission on ETF trades?
No. XTB charges 0% commission on real stock and ETF trades up to 100,000 EUR of monthly turnover. Above that threshold, a 0.2% commission applies with a 10 EUR minimum. For the vast majority of retail investors, the threshold is never reached and all ETF trades are commission-free throughout the year.
Is Trade Republic a bank?
Yes. Trade Republic Bank GmbH holds a full banking licence issued by the European Central Bank (ECB) and is regulated by BaFin and the Deutsche Bundesbank. This means cash deposits up to 100,000 EUR are covered by the German deposit guarantee scheme (EdB), which is significantly higher protection than a standard brokerage account. It also means Trade Republic can issue IBANs and debit cards directly.
Can I buy fractional ETFs on both XTB and Trade Republic?
Yes on both. XTB allows fractional shares and ETF purchases from a minimum of 10 EUR per order. Trade Republic allows fractional purchases from 1 EUR via Market Orders on the Lang and Schwarz exchange, which is a lower entry point and useful for very small savings plans or investors just starting out.
Does Trade Republic or XTB lend out my shares?
Neither broker engages in active securities lending for standard retail portfolios. Your ETF holdings are held in segregated custody at both brokers and are not used for short-selling by third parties. This is an important detail for long-term buy-and-hold investors who want clean, unencumbered ETF ownership.
Which broker has better investor protection?
Trade Republic offers stronger cash protection: up to 100,000 EUR under the German deposit guarantee scheme because it holds a full banking licence. XTB’s investor compensation depends on the servicing entity: the Polish KNF scheme covers up to roughly 22,000 EUR; the CySEC Investor Compensation Fund covers up to 20,000 EUR. Securities at both brokers are held in segregated custody and are not part of insolvency estates, which is the more relevant protection for ETF investors. XTB’s public listing on the Warsaw Stock Exchange provides a level of financial transparency that a private company cannot match.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up through them. This does not affect our reviews or recommendations — we only feature products we genuinely believe are useful for investors. This site provides educational content only, not personalized investment advice. Investments can lose value and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own financial decisions and for confirming the tax and legal rules that apply in your country.