Share & ETF brokers and investing apps in Europe

If you want to own shares and ETFs rather than trade leveraged CFDs, this is the part of the register to start with. It covers pan-European neobrokers such as Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, Trading 212 and Lightyear, established national brokers such as Nordnet, Avanza, Directa and Bourse Direct, and specialist local firms across Central and Eastern Europe.

#What to compare

• Licence and custody. Is the broker a bank, an investment firm, or a tied agent of another firm? Where are your securities held?
• Order costs and FX fees, including the spread on the execution venue.
• Savings plans – many brokers now offer free monthly ETF plans. See ETF savings plans in Europe.
• Tax reporting. A broker in your own country may withhold tax or provide national tax forms; a foreign one usually does not. See tax on trading.
• Tax-advantaged accounts such as ISK (Sweden), PEA (France), ISA (UK) or IKE/IKZE (Poland), which are usually available only at domestic providers.

Owning securities also changes what happens if the broker fails: correctly segregated securities are returned to clients, with the compensation scheme as a back-stop for shortfalls.