DEGIRO vs Trade Republic for Expats Netherlands 2026

This comparison looks at both brokers from the point of view of a Dutch tax resident in 2026: fees, ETF access, savings plans, cash, tax overviews and operational details such as funding and support. DEGIRO fees come from its Dutch fee schedule (rates from 1 January 2026, checked again on 29 September 2026); they apply to Dutch accounts and can differ for accounts held in another country. Trade Republic figures come from its own website and help centre, checked on 25 and 29 September 2026.

💡 New to investing in the Netherlands? Start with Best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026 and the Meesman vs DEGIRO comparison for the wider picture.

Quick answer: For single ETF orders the fees are in the same range: DEGIRO charges a €1 handling fee per transaction for ETFs in its ETF Core Selection on Tradegate (currency or external product and spread costs may apply) and €3 for other ETFs; Trade Republic, according to its help centre, charges €1 external cost per single trade. For regular purchases the models differ: Trade Republic says orders in its savings plans carry no transaction costs, while at DEGIRO you place, and pay for, each order yourself.

DEGIRO gives access to a broad range of instruments on many exchanges. Trade Republic is built around automatic savings plans and a cash account with interest. Which fits depends on how you want to invest.

What DEGIRO and Trade Republic Are

DEGIRO is a European online broker with, according to DEGIRO, more than 3 million investors (September 2026). It is part of flatexDEGIRO Bank SE. DEGIRO is execution-only: it carries out your orders and does not give investment advice. Its platform runs on the web and in a mobile app.

Trade Republic is a German broker with a banking licence, supervised by BaFin. It started as a mobile app and combines investing with a cash account and a payment card.

A simple way to put it: DEGIRO is an execution-only broker where you choose products and place orders yourself, with access to many exchanges. Trade Republic is an app-first broker with banking features attached.

Account Opening for Expats

Both brokers ask for a valid ID, your address and your tax identification number. DEGIRO says it is legally required to report your country of tax residence to the Belastingdienst; for Dutch residents the tax number is your BSN.

DEGIRO requires you to be a tax resident and physical resident of one of the countries it accepts (the Netherlands is one), with a bank account in your own name in the SEPA zone. A Dutch account can be funded by iDEAL or a regular bank transfer; accounts from other countries may not support iDEAL.

Trade Republic onboarding runs through the app. Check its current requirements if you have only just arrived and are still waiting for your BSN.

If you do not have a BSN yet, sort that out first. Our BSN application guide explains the steps.

Fee Structures, Side by Side

DEGIRO costs in 2026

Rates for Dutch accounts, from DEGIRO’s Dutch fee schedule (Tarievenoverzicht at degiro.nl/tarieven, rates from 1 January 2026; checked 29 September 2026). DEGIRO’s fees can vary depending on the account culture, that is the country your account is held in, so the fee schedule for your own account’s country is the one that applies:

With the ETF Core Selection you have access to more than 1,000 ETFs, ETCs and ETNs on Tradegate for a €1 handling fee per transaction. Currency or external product and spread costs may apply.

• Exchange connectivity fee: €2.50 per exchange per calendar year (maximum 0.25% of your annual maximum account value). It does not apply to Euronext Amsterdam, Euronext Brussels, OTC Tradias or the ETF Core Selection. Currency or external product and spread costs may apply.
• Currency: AutoFX at 0.25%, built into the buy or sell price; manual currency transaction €10 plus 0.25%.
• Deposits, withdrawals, inactivity, custody: no DEGIRO fee. Transaction fees and currency, connectivity or external product and spread costs may apply. Specific custody or external product fees may apply for certain instruments where offered. See DEGIRO’s Fee Schedule.

Trade Republic costs in 2026

• Single orders: Trade Republic’s help centre states that clients pay no order commission and “only an one euro external settlement cost per single trade” (checked 25 September 2026).
• Savings plans: automatic, recurring purchases of ETFs and shares, starting from small amounts. Trade Republic’s Dutch website says: “Bij het plaatsen van een order voor periodiek beleggen zijn er geen transactiekosten” (no transaction costs for periodic investment orders; checked 29 September 2026).
• Currency, spreads and other costs: see Trade Republic’s cost information before you trade. Every broker’s execution price includes a spread.
• Cash interest: Trade Republic’s Dutch website advertises 3% a year on cash balances up to €50,000, an offer it says applies only to new clients (checked 29 September 2026). Terms and conditions apply; check the current terms.

Cost example: monthly ETF purchase

A worked example: one ETF purchase per month, 12 a year, amount per order €500.

Spreads, currency costs (if the ETF trades in another currency) and the ETF’s own ongoing charges come on top in every column; at DEGIRO, currency or external product and spread costs may apply. Sources: DEGIRO’s Dutch fee schedule (rates from 1 January 2026) and Trade Republic’s help centre and Dutch website (checked 25 and 29 September 2026).

On these assumptions, order costs range from €0 a year with a Trade Republic savings plan to €36 a year at DEGIRO outside the Core Selection.

Cost example: €5,000 in a US share

For DEGIRO the €2.50 connectivity fee is charged once per exchange per calendar year, not per trade. For Trade Republic the currency and spread component depends on the venue and the moment of the trade, which is why we do not put a number on it; it is part of the price you pay there too, so it is not zero.

A general point on low order fees: what you save in commission you may pay in spreads, FX or through access to fewer exchanges. And if you trade often because orders are cheap, trading back and forth and paying spreads each time reduces your returns.

ETF and Stock Selection

DEGIRO gives access to a broad range of instruments on many exchanges. Its Dutch fee schedule lists more than 25 stock exchanges for shares, from Euronext and XETRA to NYSE, NASDAQ, Tokyo and Hong Kong. The ETF Core Selection alone covers more than 1,000 ETFs, ETCs and ETNs on Tradegate.

Trade Republic offers shares and ETFs; check its product search for the exact product and venue you want.

If you want shares on specific exchanges, such as Tokyo or Hong Kong, check whether Trade Republic offers them; DEGIRO’s fee schedule lists the exchanges it connects to.

Savings Plans

Automatic savings plans are central to Trade Republic. You choose an ETF or share, an amount and a frequency, and the purchases run automatically. You can pause or change the plan in the app.

DEGIRO does not offer automatic investing: as an execution-only broker, it says, you place every order manually. You can set up automatic deposits from your bank to DEGIRO.

Automatic investing takes effort out of the routine; it does not remove market risk.

User Experience

DEGIRO has a web platform and a mobile app with the usual order types, including market, limit and stop orders, and transaction overviews. DEGIRO says it is working on providing more features; portfolio performance graphs are being tested and are due to be implemented soon.

Trade Republic is app-first and minimal. There is also a web version. The design puts simplicity ahead of information density.

Cash Management and Interest

Trade Republic pays interest on cash in the account; its Dutch website advertises 3% a year on balances up to €50,000 for new clients (checked 29 September 2026; terms and conditions apply).

DEGIRO currently pays no interest on uninvested money. It points out that overnight-interest ETFs exist to park uninvested money. These are investments, not savings accounts: transaction fees apply, currency or external product and spread costs may apply, and investing involves risk of loss.

If you want to keep a cash buffer outside your investments, a savings account at a bank is another option. See our bunq review for one example of how Dutch savings rates compare.

Tax Reporting for Dutch Residents

Both brokers provide an annual overview you can use for box 3, where the value of your investments on 1 January is what counts under the current system.

DEGIRO provides a fiscal annual statement, which it says is not an official document sent to the Belastingdienst but can be used for your tax return. DEGIRO also says the Belastingdienst does not copy data about the linked flatex cash account into the pre-filled return, so you have to add it yourself.

Trade Republic also provides an annual tax report. Check that it shows the 1 January values you need for your Dutch return.

With a tax adviser, either overview is workable.

Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change. Please consult a tax adviser.

Funding and Withdrawing

DEGIRO: Dutch accounts support iDEAL and regular SEPA transfers; accounts from other countries may not support iDEAL.

Trade Republic: you fund the account by bank transfer; the account also works with a payment card for everyday spending.

For multi-currency funding (for example a USD salary or a GBP transfer), compare a live quote from Wise with the broker and receiving bank. Include conversion, transfer and receiving fees before routing money through an extra account.

Supervision

DEGIRO: flatexDEGIRO Bank Dutch Branch, trading under the name DEGIRO, is the Dutch branch of flatexDEGIRO Bank SE. flatexDEGIRO Bank SE is primarily supervised by the German financial regulator (BaFin). In the Netherlands, flatexDEGIRO Bank Dutch Branch is registered with DNB and supervised by AFM and DNB.

Securities lending at DEGIRO is always opt-in. If you consider it: investing involves risk of loss. Borrowers may not act in your interest.

Trade Republic: a German bank supervised by BaFin.

Supervision does not remove investment risk.

Customer Support

DEGIRO: phone support on weekdays from 08:00 to 22:00 and email 24/7 (DEGIRO website, checked September 2026). Email replies can sometimes be slow; DEGIRO says it has improved on this. There is no in-app chat.

Trade Republic: its Dutch support page advertises help by phone and chat, 24/7 (checked 25 September 2026).

Which Fits Which Situation

This is not a recommendation. Which broker fits depends on your own knowledge, goals and circumstances. Investing involves risk of loss. This is not investment advice.

What DEGIRO’s model involves:

• a broad range of instruments available, on many exchanges (connectivity and currency costs may apply outside Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels);
• order types such as limit and stop orders;
• a web platform next to the app;
• placing each order yourself.

Trade Republic’s model fits situations where:

• you want automatic savings plans;
• you want interest on cash in the same account;
• you prefer a minimal, app-first design;
• the range of venues it offers covers what you want to trade.

If you hold an account at both, that means two annual overviews to include in your tax return.

Things to Watch in 2026

Trade Republic interest rate: the rate is variable. Check the current rate and conditions on Trade Republic’s website.

DEGIRO ETF Core Selection: the updated Core Selection covers all ETFs, ETCs and ETNs on Tradegate, and the Fair Use Policy no longer applies. You pay a €1 handling fee per transaction and no connectivity fee; currency or external product and spread costs may apply. Check the current terms on DEGIRO’s website.

Dutch tax changes: box 3 reform is ongoing. See our tax filing guide for freelance expats for context.

Portfolio transfers: moving holdings out of DEGIRO costs €20 per line plus external costs. With 10 positions that is €200 plus external costs.

Related Guides

For the wider Dutch investing landscape, see our eToro review, Meesman vs DEGIRO and the crypto tax guide.

What to Consider When Choosing ETFs as a Dutch Tax Resident

This section explains terms that come up when comparing ETFs. It is educational, not a recommendation of any product. This is not investment advice.

Accumulating vs distributing. Accumulating ETFs reinvest dividends inside the fund. Distributing ETFs pay dividends into your broker account, where they sit as cash until you do something with them. Under the current box 3 system the value on 1 January counts, whichever type you hold.

Domicile. Most UCITS ETFs sold in Europe are domiciled in Ireland or Luxembourg. The domicile affects how much withholding tax on dividends is lost inside the fund, because tax treaties differ per country.

Trading currency. An ETF listed in euros still holds companies in other currencies, so the currency exposure stays. Buying in euros avoids a currency conversion on the order itself. Currency fluctuations can impact your returns.

Both brokers offer accumulating and distributing ETFs; check each broker’s product search for the exact ETF and listing.

Brokerage Account Combined With bunq, Wise or a Traditional Bank

How a broker account fits into your wider expat banking. Common patterns:

• Salary lands in bunq (or a traditional Dutch bank): a Dutch IBAN, so payroll works without friction. bunq has a free tier (bunq Free, €0.00/month) and paid plans from €3.99 (bunq Help: What plans are available, checked 14 September 2026).
• Monthly transfer to the broker: a scheduled SEPA transfer from your bank to DEGIRO or Trade Republic on a fixed date.
• Cash reserve kept separately: for example bunq savings (bunq advertises “3.01%* annual interest paid out weekly” on its Core and Pro plan pages, variable, checked 14 September 2026), Trade Republic cash, or deposits through a savings marketplace.

For income in other currencies (USD freelance income, GBP rental income), Wise can sit between the payer and your broker: receive in the source currency, convert when you choose, then transfer to the broker.

Moving Between the Two

DEGIRO to Trade Republic: DEGIRO charges €20 per line plus external costs for an outgoing transfer. With 10 positions that is €200 plus external costs. Check first whether Trade Republic accepts the incoming transfer for your holdings.

Trade Republic to DEGIRO: incoming transfers carry no DEGIRO fee; trades afterwards carry the normal transaction and handling fees, and currency or external product and spread costs may apply. The sending broker may charge its own costs. Check Trade Republic’s conditions for outgoing transfers. If a transfer is not possible, selling and buying again means paying transaction costs and spreads twice, and possibly being out of the market for a few days.

Final Verdict for 2026

The two brokers are built for different ways of investing. For single ETF orders their fees are in the same range; for regular purchases, Trade Republic says its savings plans carry no transaction costs, while at DEGIRO each order carries its own fee (see the tables above; spreads and currency costs come on top at both).

DEGIRO gives access to many exchanges, a web platform next to the app and order types such as limit and stop orders, and you place each order yourself. Transaction and handling fees apply, and connectivity and currency costs may apply outside Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels. Trade Republic is set up around automatic savings plans, interest on cash and a minimal app. Which of those matters depends on how you want to invest.

Investing involves risk of loss.

Box 3 Reform and What It Means for Both Brokers

The Dutch box 3 system is being reformed from taxing an assumed return to taxing actual returns. It is not law yet: the bill (Wet werkelijk rendement box 3) targets 1 January 2028, but the Eerste Kamer postponed its vote on 30 June 2026 and the bill is on hold (status 24 September 2026).

If the reform goes ahead, brokers will need to report more detail, such as realised gains, dividends and interest received, instead of only year-end values.

For more on the reform and current box 3 rules, see our tax filing as a freelance expat guide and the crypto tax guide. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change. Please consult a tax adviser.

External source: Belastingdienst — Box 3 — official information on how savings and investments are taxed.