Investing involves risk of loss. Prices can fluctuate and you can lose your invested capital. Product risks vary by instrument and product structure. This is not investment advice. We explain how products and costs work; we do not tell you what to buy. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change. Please consult a tax adviser. Currency fluctuations can impact your returns. Fees and conditions change; the provider's own fee schedule and documents prevail.
Visit DEGIRO →In this guide
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 29 October 2026, checked again on 30 October 2026); they apply to Dutch accounts and can differ for accounts held in another country. Trade Republic figures come from its own Dutch website and price list, checked on 30 October 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 Dutch price list, charges €1 settlement costs 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 customers (checked 30 October 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 describes itself as a full German bank, supervised by BaFin; some of its services are offered through its Dutch branch, which is supervised by DNB and/or the AFM. It 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
DEGIRO asks for a valid ID, your address and your tax identification number. It 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 lists these criteria on its Dutch website: a smartphone (iOS or Android), at least 18 years old, permanent residence in the Netherlands where you are also taxable, a European mobile number and a SEPA bank account (checked 30 October 2026). 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 29 October 2026; checked 30 October 2026). If your account is held through another country’s DEGIRO website, check the fee schedule on that site. The Dutch rates:
| Product | Commission | Handling fee | Per transaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETF Core Selection (ETFs, ETCs and ETNs on Tradegate) | €0 | €1 | €1 |
| Other ETFs | €2 | €1 | €3 |
| Shares on Euronext Amsterdam or Brussels | €2 | €1 | €3 |
| US shares (NASDAQ, NYSE) | €1 | €1 | €2 |
| Shares on e.g. XETRA, Euronext Paris, LSE | €3.90 | €1 | €4.90 |
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: 0.25% of your annual maximum account value, with a maximum of €2.50 per exchange per calendar year, settled monthly. 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 Dutch price list shows no order commission and €1 settlement costs per transaction, or €2 if you select an exchange with Direct Price; spread and external costs may come on top (checked 30 October 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 30 October 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 30 October 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.
| Item | DEGIRO, ETF in the Core Selection | DEGIRO, ETF outside the Core Selection (Euronext Amsterdam) | Trade Republic, single order | Trade Republic, savings plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order costs per year | 12 × €1 = €12 | 12 × €3 = €36 | 12 × €1 = €12 | €0: no transaction costs, according to Trade Republic |
| Connectivity fee | not charged (Core Selection) | not charged (Euronext Amsterdam) | not applicable | not applicable |
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 29 October 2026, checked 30 October 2026) and Trade Republic’s Dutch price list and website (checked 30 October 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
| Item | DEGIRO | Trade Republic |
|---|---|---|
| Order costs | €1 commission + €1 handling = €2 | €1 settlement costs (€2 on an exchange with Direct Price) |
| Currency | AutoFX 0.25% = €12.50 | see Trade Republic’s cost information |
| Connectivity fee | €2.50 per calendar year for the US exchange | not applicable |
| Known costs, first year | €17 | €1 + currency and spread costs |
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; Trade Republic says you can start investing from €1.
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.
Trade Republic is app-first: you need a smartphone to open an account. There is also a web version (app.traderepublic.com), where you log in by confirming in the app.
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 30 October 2026; terms and conditions apply).
DEGIRO currently pays no interest on uninvested money in your cash account (DEGIRO help centre, checked 31 October 2026).
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
For box 3, the value of your investments on 1 January is what counts under the current system, so you need that figure from each broker you use.
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 advertises automatically pre-filled tax returns on its Dutch website. Check that the figures you get show the 1 January values you need for your Dutch return.
A tax adviser can help you work out which figures from either broker go into your return.
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 need a SEPA bank account to open an account; check the app for the deposit methods available to you. The account also comes 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; some services are offered through its Dutch branch, supervised by DNB and/or the AFM.
Supervision does not remove investment risk.
Customer Support
DEGIRO: asks you to email rather than call. For urgent questions its service and order desk takes calls on weekdays from 08:00 to 17:30 in Dutch, and from 17:30 to 22:00 on a German number, currently in English (DEGIRO contact page, checked 30 October 2026).
Trade Republic: its Dutch support page advertises help by phone and live chat, 24 hours a day, directly in the app (checked 30 October 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 an app-first setup;
- the range of venues it offers covers what you want to trade.
If you hold an account at both, you need the 1 January values from both brokers for 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. Many UCITS ETFs sold in Europe are domiciled in Ireland or Luxembourg; Vanguard’s FTSE All-World and iShares’ Core MSCI World UCITS ETFs, for example, are Irish-domiciled. 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.
Check each broker’s product search for the exact ETF, share class (accumulating or distributing) 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 a month (bunq Help: What plans are available, checked 30 October 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 a savings account with “up to 3.11%* interest, paid weekly” on every plan. New savers earn 3.11% on all their euro savings (up to €100,000) until their first threshold is set on 1 January or 1 July; after that, savings up to the threshold (the highest balance of the previous six months) earn 1.61% on the first €10,000 and 1.51% on the rest, and only the part above the threshold earns 3.11%. Rates are variable; bunq.com and help.bunq.com, checked 30 October 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 an app-first setup. 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 Tweede Kamer passed the bill (Wet werkelijk rendement box 3, designed to start on 1 January 2028) on 12 February 2026. After the Eerste Kamer debate of 30 June 2026 the vote was postponed until the Eerste Kamer has debated the announced amending bill (novelle), and on 13 October 2026 the Eerste Kamer’s finance committee decided to wait for the Tweede Kamer’s handling of that novelle before taking a final decision (Eerste Kamer, status checked 30 October 2026).
If the reform goes ahead as proposed, the tax would be based on actual returns: income such as dividends and interest plus changes in value, with costs deductible. You would then need more detail from your broker than year-end values alone.
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.
Investing involves risk of loss. Prices can fluctuate and you can lose your invested capital. Product risks vary by instrument and product structure. This is not investment advice. DEGIRO is an execution-only broker. Fees can vary depending on the account culture, that is the country your account is held in; the fee schedule for your own account applies.
Visit DEGIRO →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Trade Republic in the Netherlands as an expat?
Yes. Trade Republic is a German bank supervised by BaFin and offers its services in the Netherlands, with a Dutch-language website; some services run through its Dutch branch, supervised by DNB and/or the AFM. According to its Dutch website you need a smartphone (iOS or Android), must be at least 18, live permanently in the Netherlands and be taxable there, and need a European mobile number and a SEPA bank account (checked 30 October 2026).
Which costs less, DEGIRO or Trade Republic, for monthly ETF investing?
It depends on how you buy. At DEGIRO, ETFs in the ETF Core Selection on Tradegate cost a €1 handling fee per transaction; other ETFs cost €2 commission plus €1 handling (DEGIRO's Dutch fee schedule, rates from 29 October 2026; fees can vary depending on the country of your account, and the fee schedule for that country applies). Currency or external product and spread costs may apply. Trade Republic's Dutch price list shows €1 settlement costs per single trade (€2 if you select an exchange with Direct Price), and its Dutch website says orders for periodic investing (savings plans) carry no transaction costs (both checked 30 October 2026). Spreads and the ETF's own ongoing charges come on top at both brokers.
Do DEGIRO and Trade Republic offer the same ETFs?
Both offer a range of ETFs. DEGIRO describes a broad range of instruments available; through its ETF Core Selection you have access to more than 1,000 ETFs, ETCs and ETNs on Tradegate. Check each broker's product search for the exact ETF and listing you are looking at.
How are DEGIRO and Trade Republic supervised?
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. Trade Republic is a German bank supervised by BaFin. Supervision does not protect you against falling markets.
Do I need to file Dutch taxes differently for DEGIRO vs Trade Republic?
No. For Dutch residents, investments at either broker fall under box 3, which in 2026 taxes an assumed return on your assets on 1 January above the tax-free allowance. You remain responsible for your own return. DEGIRO says its annual statement is not an official document sent to the Belastingdienst but can be used for your tax return; Trade Republic's Dutch website advertises automatically pre-filled tax returns, so check which figures it supplies.
Can I transfer my portfolio from DEGIRO to Trade Republic or vice versa?
DEGIRO charges €20 per line plus external costs for an outgoing portfolio transfer; 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 (DEGIRO fee schedule, rates from 29 October 2026). Whether and on what terms Trade Republic accepts incoming or sends outgoing transfers is set in its own conditions, so check those before you start. Selling and buying again instead of transferring means extra transaction costs and possibly tax consequences.