4 Best European Brokers for 2025 • Benzinga

European investors have a variety of brokerages to choose from, and each one offers features to suit specific needs. From cost-conscious beginners focused on long-term investments to experienced traders executing complex strategies across global markets, you have many options. 

Considerations when choosing the best European brokers include fee structures, investment products available, and the quality and usability of trading platforms, all of which contribute to a secure and efficient investing experience.

Best European Brokers

• Interactive Brokers — Best for Global Market Access
• eToro — Best for Social Trading
• DEGIRO — Best for Low Cost
• XTB — Best for Contract for Difference (CFD) and Forex Trading
• Saxo Bank — Best for Multiasset Trading

How We Chose the Best European Brokerages 

To choose the best European brokers, we evaluated fee structures across various asset classes, investment access to global and local markets, the platform’s usability and technology, and the quality of research and educational resources. We also considered account options and minimums for diverse investment needs.

Best European Brokerages

Interactive Brokers — Best for Global Investing

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) provides extensive access to a range of global markets and investment products. It caters to sophisticated investors and active traders who demand low costs, advanced trading platforms, and the ability to execute complex strategies across numerous asset classes and international exchanges. 

Key Features: 

• Fees: IBKR offers some of the lowest commissions in the industry, particularly for active traders. Stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) commissions in Europe start around 3 euros per trade, though tiered pricing models offer lower rates for high-volume traders. Futures, options, forex and other instruments also have competitive volume-tiered commissions. 

• Investment Access: IBKR allows European clients to trade stocks, ETFs, options, futures, forex, bonds, mutual funds and CFDs across 160 markets in 36 countries. It provides direct access to major European exchanges as well as North American and Asian markets, all from a single account. Fractional shares are also available for many assets.

• Platform Experience: IBKR’s platforms include Trader Workstation (TWS), which offers a variety of advanced charting tools, technical indicators, customizable layouts and sophisticated order types. The Client Portal offers a simplified web-based experience for account management and basic trading. The IBKR Mobile app mirrors much of the desktop capabilities for trading on the go. 

• Tools/Education Highlights: Interactive Brokers provides a library of research and educational content through its IBKR Campus and Traders’ Insight, including webinars, courses, tutorials, daily market analysis, and access to over 200 free and premium research providers. Advanced tools like PortfolioAnalyst, Risk Navigator and various screeners are also available.

• Drawbacks: The complex platforms and fee structure may be challenging to navigate. European investors may need to handle some local tax reporting themselves because IBKR does not provide automated solutions for all specific European tax nuances.  

Who It’s Best For: Experienced traders, active investors and institutions in Europe who require extensive global market access, competitive low fees and sophisticated trading tools for complex strategies across a variety of asset classes.

eToro — Best for Social Trading

EToro’s socially focused interactive platform appeals to beginners and those interested in learning from a global community of investors. While it provides access to a broad range of assets primarily through CFDs, it also allows direct ownership of real stocks and ETFs in many regions wrapped in an intuitive and user-friendly interface.

Key Features: 

• Fees: EToro offers commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs. For CFDs, it operates on a spread-only model, meaning the cost is built into the bid-ask spread. European users incur a currency conversion fee starting at 0.75% with active recurring investment plans. Other eToro conversion fees are charged in PIPs, which reflect a fee of 1.5% to 3%. There is also a $5 withdrawal fee.

• Investment Access: Users can access a wide selection of tradable instruments, including real stocks and ETFs, a range of CFDs on commodities, forex, indices, and cryptocurrencies. Its Smart Portfolios and CopyTrader features allow users to invest in pre-built diversified portfolios or automatically replicate the trades of successful investors. 

• Platform Experience: Both the web and mobile platforms are easy to use. The social feed, similar to social media, allows users to share insights and interact. The CopyTrader feature helps users find and copy Popular Investors with a few clicks. The charting tools are functional but less advanced than those on platforms designed for professional traders.  

• Tools/Education Highlights: EToro offers a Trading Academy with education courses, webinars and guides covering investment bases, different asset classes, and trading strategies. Its main learning tool is its social community, where users can observe and copy more experienced traders and participate in discussions. 

• Drawbacks: The $5 withdrawal fee and currency conversion fees can add up, and the inactivity fee is a disadvantage for passive investors. The platform lacks in-depth analytical tools, customizable charting and advanced order types.  

Who It’s Best For: Beginners, social investors and people interested in a user-friendly platform for simple, multiasset trading.

DEGIRO — Best for Low Cost

DEGIRO offers low fees and extensive access to global markets. It’s well-regarded for its cost-effectiveness in trading stocks and ETFs across various European and international exchanges, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious investors looking for direct control over their portfolios.

Key Features: 

• Fees: Transaction fees are often just a $1 handling fee for U.S.-listed stocks, ETFs and futures, with additional costs for currency conversion or specific changes. Commissions on bonds start at 0.05%, and options are as low as $0.75 per contract

• Investment Access: DEGIRO offers access to a range of investment products, including stocks and ETFs, across more than 45 global exchanges in 30 countries. It also provides access to options, futures and some leveraged products. It does not offer fractional shares or direct cryptocurrency trading.

• Platform Experience: The user-friendly web-based platform and mobile app are suitable for beginners and experienced investors. While not as feature-rich as platforms designed for active traders, DEGIRO provides tools for placing orders, viewing market data and managing portfolios effectively. 

• Tools/Education Highlights: DEGIRO’s Knowledge Centre includes educational articles, videos and a blog to help investors understand market basics, products and strategies. The platform also provides data like company profiles, financials, ratios and analyst views. 

• Drawbacks: DEGIRO does not offer fractional shares, and the platform lacks some advanced analytical tools and portfolio tracing features that more advanced traders may want.  

Who It’s Best For: Cost-conscious, self-directed investors in Europe who focus on long-term investments in stocks and ETFs across multiple global markets and want a straightforward trading platform.

XTB — Best for CFD and Forex Trading

XTB offers competitive spreads on a range of CFDs, including forex, commodities like crude oil, indices and cryptocurrencies. It also offers commission-free trading on real stocks and ETFs. XTB appeals to new and experienced traders who want a cost-effective and well-rounded trading experience.

Key Features: 

• Fees: With XTB’s Standard account, most CFD markets are traded with zero commission, with the cost built into tight spreads. For real stocks and ETFs, XTB offers commission-free trading up to a 100,000-euro investment per calendar month, with a 0.2% commission applying after that. A 0.5% foreign exchange fee may apply for investments in a different currency than your base currency. A 10-euro monthly inactivity fee applies after one year of no trading activity, and a 5-euro withdrawal fee for amounts less than 50 euros.

• Investment Access: XTB provides access to more than 5,800 financial instruments, including CFDs on forex, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies. For European investors, XTB also offers real stocks and ETFs from 14 global exchanges. It also offers plans for automated ETF investing.  

• Platform Experience: XTB’s xStation 5 platform is fast and user-friendly for both the web and mobile versions. It offers powerful charting tools, a built-in economic calendar, market sentiment analysis and a comprehensive news feed.  

• Tools/Education Highlights: XTB’s Trading Academy offers articles, videos, webinars and e-books. Daily market analysis, a market calendar and integrated market commentary are also available. 

• Drawbacks: XTB’s focus is on CFDs, which involve leverage and come with the risk of losing more than your initial deposit. The inactivity fee can be a deterrent for passive investors, and the 0.5% currency conversion fee can add up for diverse international portfolios. 

Who It’s Best For: European CFD and forex traders who want competitive spreads and a powerful, user-friendly platform, as well as stock and ETF investors looking for commission-free trading up to a significant monthly volume.

Saxo Bank — Best for Multiasset Trading

Saxo Bank offers a sophisticated and comprehensive trading experience across Europe. Its range of tradable instruments, powerful proprietary trading platforms and in-depth research capabilities caters to serious, active traders who value a premium service, extensive market access and advanced analytical tools.

Key Features: 

• Fees: Saxo Bank’s tiered commission structure rewards higher trading volumes. For stocks and ETFs, commissions start at 3 euros per trade for European markets. Forex and CFD spreads are tight, and futures commissions are competitive. There isn’t a minimum required to open a Classic account, but higher tiers with lower fees require larger deposits. Currency conversion fees apply when trading in a currency that’s different from your account’s base currency.

• Investment Access: Saxo Bank covers more than 71,000 financial instruments, including stocks and ETFs from over 50 global exchanges, 250-plus futures contracts, 3,000 listed options, 5,200 bonds, 18,300 mutual funds and a range of forex pairs and CFDs on various asset classes.

• Platform Experience: Saxo’s platforms include SaxoTraderGO for web and mobile and SaxoTraderPRO for desktop. SaxoTraderGO is well-designed for general trading and offers powerful charting and analysis. SaxoTraderPRO is a professional-grade platform with multiscreen support, advanced order types and customization. Both platforms are fast, stable and offer comprehensive features.

• Tools/Education Highlights: Saxo Bank provides daily market updates, podcasts, webinars and in-depth analysis from its in-house SaxoStrats team. The platforms integrate screeners, fundamental analysis tools, ESG ratings and an economic calendar. Educational content includes videos, online courses and risk-management rules.

• Drawbacks: Saxo Bank’s fees can be high for less active traders or users with smaller account balances. The platforms might be overwhelming for beginners who want a simpler interface.  

Who It’s Best For: Experienced, active traders in Europe who want a premium trading experience with global market access, powerful analytical tools, research and are comfortable with a feature-rich platform. 

Choosing the Best European Brokerages 

The European brokerage market offers many choices for investors. 

Interactive Brokers offers wide global market access and low fees for active trading. EToro caters to beginners and social investors with its intuitive interface and copy trading features. For budget-conscious investors focused on long-term stock and ETF investments, DEGIRO offers low commissions. XTB stands out for CFD and forex traders, providing competitive spreads and a user-friendly platform. Saxo Bank provides multiasset trading with advanced tools and research. 

When choosing a broker, make sure it aligns with your investing goals, experience level and preferred asset classes. 

Frequently Asked Questions