The best stock brokers in the world are DEGIRO, eToro, IG Markets, and XTB.
To choose the best brokers for buying and investing in stocks, commissions, the number of markets offered, investment flexibility, minimum deposit requirements, and the overall quality of the broker’s platform and services are the most important criteria.
DEGIRO is the world’s best stock broker overall with access to over 50 global stock exchanges with low commissions (from €1.00 for U.S. stocks), supports stock trading via browser and mobile app, and very low minimum deposit of just €0.01.
eToro, IG Markets, and XTB follow DEGIRO as the best stock brokers worldwide, for wide access to global stocks, low commissions and flexible investment features. eToro supports fractional stock investing (both real and CFD) from $10, offers “Smart Portfolios” for thematic stock investing, and provides both browser-based and mobile trading. IG Markets gives access to over 16,000 stocks via CFDs through its proprietary platform and app. XTB offers more than 5,400 stocks and charges 0.2% commission per €10 traded, while offering zero commissions on volumes below €100,000 monthly.
What are the best stock brokers?
Below our curated list of the best stock brokers, with details of features and characteristics.
DEGIRO
best broker for european stock traders
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About DEGIRO
DEGIRO is a European online broker founded in 2008, whose CEO is Oliver Behrens. DEGIRO offers access to over 50 global exchanges for trading securities like stocks, ETFs, bonds, options and futures. DEGIRO offers low fee structures, user-friendly platforms, and a AFM regulated investing environment.
DEGIRO Features
The features of DEGIRO are listed below.
- At DEGIRO you can trade stocks on over 50 stock exchanges around the world.
- The wide choice of stocks is accompanied by very low commissions starting at €1.00 for US stocks.
- On DEGIRO you cannot purchase fractional shares.
- DEGIRO does not offer a trial period but allows its users to open accounts starting at €0.01.
- DEGIRO’s trading platform is available from both browser and app.
- Trading stocks listed with currencies other than the Euro will result in a small additional fee for currency conversion.
DEGIRO Pros and Cons
Advantages of DEGIRO
The advantages of DEGIRO are listed below.
- User-Friendly Platform
- Low and Transparent Fees
- Wide Range of Investment Options
Disadvantages of DEGIRO
The disadvantages of DEGIRO are listed below.
- No Direct Cryptocurrency Trading
- Lack of a Demo Account
- Limited Educational Resources
eToro
best for investing in stocks in a flexible way
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About eToro
eToro is a global multi-asset investment platform founded in 2007, offering trading on stocks, ETFs, Crypto CFDs, commodities, and forex. eToro provides a proprietary web and mobile platform with social trading features. eToro is regulated by multiple authorities including FCA, ASIC, and CySEC. eToro is known for its user-friendly interface, copy trading functionality, and commission-free stock trading. eToro serves over 30 million users worldwide. The eToro CEO and co-founder is Yoni Assia.
eToro Features
The features of eToro are listed below.
- eToro is a broker that offers a very flexible platform for investing in stocks
- Through eToro you can invest in fractional stocks (real and CFD) from as little as $10.
- eToro’s platform also allows you to trade baskets of stocks called “Smart Portfolios” which will allow you to invest semi-automatically.
- You can buy stocks either with eToro’s webtrader platform or from the app.
- eToro offers a great free unlimited demo account, while a real account requires a $50 minimum deposit.
eToro Pros and Cons
Advantages of eToro
The advantages of eToro are listed below.
- Great copy trading and social trading features
- Wide range of asset classes
- It allows to buy fractional stocks from $10
Disadvantages of eToro
The disadvantages of eToro are listed below.
- The eToro spreads can be high
- Offers only USD accounts
- Transferring cryptocurrencies to other platforms can be hard
IG Markets
best for trading CFD stocks
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About IG Markets
IG Markets is a global online trading provider founded in 1974, offering access to over 17,000 financial markets including forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. IG Markets provides proprietary trading platforms alongside MetaTrader 4 and ProRealTime. IG Markets is regulated by multiple top-tier authorities worldwide, including the FCA and ASIC. IG Markets is known for competitive spreads, extensive educational resources, and innovative features like weekend trading. The IG Markets’ parent company “IG Group” CEO is Breon Corcoran.
IG Markets Features
The features of IG Markets are listed below.
- At IG Markets you can trade a total of more than 16,000 stocks.
- IG Markets does not offer real stocks, only derivatives (CFDs).
- Leverage on stocks of up to 1:5.
- IG Markets allows you to trade stocks on its proprietary platform andthe app.
- A real account on IG can be opened from €300. A demo account is also offered.
IG Markets Pros and Cons
Advantages of IG Markets
The advantages of IG Markets are listed below.
- Low spreads from 0.6 pips on Forex
- Wide range of financial instruments
- 40 years of experience in the Forex industry
Disadvantages of IG Markets
The disadvantages of IG Markets are listed below.
- No copy trading features
- No social trading features
XTB
best investment platform
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About XTB
XTB is a global forex and CFD broker founded in 2002 and headquartered in Poland. XTB offers trading on over 2,000 instruments including currencies, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. XTB provides the proprietary xStation platform and is regulated by multiple authorities including FCA, CySEC, and KNF. XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and serves over 897,500 clients worldwide. The XTB CEO is Omar Arnaout since March 2017.
XTB Features
The features of XTB are listed below.
- XTB allows you to trade over 5400 stocks on its platform.
- Stocks on XTB charge a 0.2% commission for every €10 of volume.
- XTB does not charge any commission on stocks if you trade less than €100,000 monthly.
- In addition, XTB allows its users to create EU and US stock market orders from $10.
- A free XTB demo account is offered.
XTB Pros and Cons
Advantages of XTB
The advantages of XTB are listed below.
- No minimum deposit
- Wide selection of assets
- Competitive trading costs
Disadvantages of XTB
The disadvantages of XTB are listed below.
- Small withdrawal fee
- No social or copy trading
- XTB demo account is limited to 30 days
Trading 212
best for trade fractional stocks
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About Trading 212
Trading 212 is a global online broker founded in 2004, offering commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs, forex, and CFDs. Trading 212 provides proprietary web and mobile platforms. Trading 212 is regulated by multiple authorities including FCA, CySEC, and FSC. Trading 212 is known for its user-friendly interface, educational resources, and fractional share investing. Trading 212 serves over 2 million clients worldwide. The Trading 212 CEO is Mukid Chowdhury since 2024.
Trading 212 Features
The features of Trading 212 are listed below.
- With Trading 212 you can invest in over 7000 stocks.
- Trading 212 presents the Autoinvest feature, which allows you to create customized portfolios to manage according to your goals.
- At Trading 212 you can choose to invest in CFDs (with the Trading 212 CFD account) or in real stocks (Trading 212 Invest).
- Trading 212 also makes fractional stocks available starting at $1.
- Opening an account requires a minimum deposit of $1 for the Invest account, and $10 for the CFD account. Alternatively, you can try both with a demo account.
Trading 212 Pros and Cons
Advantages of Trading 212
The advantages of Trading 212 are listed below.
- User-Friendly Interface
- No Commission Trading
- Wide Range of Assets
Disadvantages of Trading 212
The disadvantages of Trading 212 are listed below.
- Limited Research Tools
- High Forex Spreads
- Lack of Advanced Features
FP Markets
best for investing in Australian stocks
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About FP Markets
FP Markets is an Australian-based global forex and CFD broker founded in 2005. FP Markets offers trading on over 10,000 instruments including forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. FP Markets provides MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and proprietary platforms. FP Markets is regulated by multiple authorities including ASIC, CySEC, and FSA. FP Markets is known for tight spreads, fast execution, and extensive educational resources. The FP Markets CEO is Craig Allison.
FP Markets Features
The features of FP Markets are listed below.
- At FP Markets you can trade online on a multitude of markets including over 4000 instruments in total.
- FP Markets offers online trading at very low commissions as low as 0 pips, with lightning-fast order execution.
- With FP Markets you can trade stocks on MetaTrader, but also on the IRESS platform.
- FP Markets requires a minimum deposit of $100 to get started, but there is also a free trial account.
FP Markets Pros and Cons
Advantages of FP Markets
The advantages of FP Markets are listed below.
- Broad Instrument Offering
- Competitive Spreads
- Multiple Trading Platforms
Disadvantages of FP Markets
The disadvantages of FP Markets are listed below.
- High Fees for International Withdrawals
- Outdated Platform Design
Saxo
professional trading environment
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About Saxo
Saxo is a Danish investment bank and online trading platform founded in 1992. Saxo offers trading in forex, stocks, CFDs, futures, options, and other financial instruments across global markets. Saxo provides proprietary trading platforms and white-label solutions for institutional clients. Saxo is regulated by multiple authorities including the Danish FSA and UK FCA. Saxo serves retail and institutional clients in over 170 countries. The Saxo CEO and co-founder is Kim Fournais.
Saxo Features
The features of Saxo are listed below.
- Saxo is great for trading stocks with high volumes.
- With Saxo, you can trade over 23,500 stocks on over 50 world stock exchanges.
- Commissions are high and start at $18, however they can be lowered to as low as $2.50 if you make more than 1,000 trades per month.
- The trading environment is highly professional, with detailed stock market analysis.
- Saxo allows traders to choose between the Investor and TraderGO platforms depending on their needs. Both are available as a webtrader and as an app.
Saxo Pros and Cons
Advantages of Saxo
The advantages of Saxo are listed below.
- Regulation and Trust
- Extensive Product Range
- Advanced Trading Platform
Disadvantages of Saxo
The disadvantages of Saxo are listed below.
- High Minimum Deposits for Premium Accounts
- Lack of Spread Betting Options
- Custody Fees in Certain Regions
Fineco
best for high-volume stock investors
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About Fineco
Fineco is an Italian online bank and broker founded in 1999, offering trading services on stocks, ETFs, bonds, futures, options, forex, and CFDs. Fineco provides proprietary web and mobile trading platforms. Fineco is regulated by multiple authorities including Banca d’Italia and CONSOB. Fineco is known for its integrated banking and investing services, competitive pricing, and extensive product range. Fineco serves over 1.4 million clients primarily in Italy and the UK. The Fineco CEO is Alessandro Foti since 2000.
Fineco Features
The features of Fineco are listed below.
- On Fineco areable to trade over 1200 stocks in total on European (including Italy), Canadian and American stock exchanges.
- Stocks on Fineco can be traded either as real or CFDs.
- Commissions on Fineco are fixed and start at €19 per transaction, however, they can be reduced to €2.95 per order (or €3.95 for US stocks) depending on the volumes generated by the account.
- Commissions on CFDsare not fixed, but are represented by the spread and vary depending on the state of the market.
- Fineco’s trading platform is available not only on mobile, but also from webtrader.
- Opening an account with Fineco requires a minimum deposit of €100, and there is no trial account.
Fineco Pros and Cons
Advantages of Fineco
The advantages of Fineco are listed below.
- No Minimum Deposit Requirement
- Competitive Trading Fees
- Diverse Range of Tradeable Assets
Disadvantages of Fineco
The disadvantages of Fineco are listed below.
- Lack of a Demo Account
- Limited Educational Resources
- Higher Spreads Compared to Competitors
Interactive Brokers
best for professional investors
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About Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers is a global electronic broker founded in 1978, offering trading in stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies across 150 markets in 33 countries. Interactive Brokers provides advanced trading platforms, low commissions, and access to a wide range of financial instruments. Interactive Brokers is known for its sophisticated technology and serves both retail and institutional clients. Interactive Brokers is regulated by multiple top-tier authorities worldwide. The CEO of the Interactive Brokers Group is Milan Galik.
Interactive Brokers Features
The features of Interactive Brokers are listed below.
- At Interactive Brokers you can trade over 17000 stocks at very low commissions.
- Commissions on IB start at $0.35 for trading US stocks.
- IB’s IBKR platform lends itself not only to classic stock trading, but allows more advanced traders to create EAs and automate investments.
- IB is suitable for professionals as well as beginners because of the ability to trade fractional shares from as low as $25
- A demo account on IB is available to try the service, but a minimum of €2000 is required to open a real account.
Interactive Brokers Pros and Cons
Advantages of Interactive Brokers
The advantages of Interactive Brokers are listed below.
- Low Trading Fees
- Advanced Trading Tools
- Wide Market Access
Disadvantages of Interactive Brokers
The disadvantages of Interactive Brokers are listed below.
- Not user-friendly
- No MetaTrader Support
- Additional Fees
Tradestation
- A large number of stocks can be traded with TradeStation without commissions.
- TradeStation users can buy stocks, invest in options on stocks, and use margin up to 3.5 percent.
- TradeStation offers a stock lending program, where traders can lend shares to earn daily interest.
- Stock prices shown on the TradeStation platform are in real-time.
- A minimum of $1000 is required to open an account on Tradestation.
Investing in a whole stock vs fractional stock
The main differences between investing in whole shares and fractional shares are the amount of money needed to make the purchase and the flexibility in managing the portfolio even with little money.
A fractional share is, as the name suggests, a portion of a whole share. Today, some stock brokers allow one to buy small slices of shares that would normally require hundreds if not thousands of USD to buy.
This is also reflected in the benefits that that shares could provide, such as dividends. These too will be proportionate to the fraction of the share purchased.
Flexibility, on the other hand, is the other plus point, especially for those who want to invest small amounts. Professionals try to balance their portfolio by buying different stocks in different markets.
A well-balanced portfolio is in fact one of the keys to limiting the volatility of one’s investments, but tens of thousands of USD are often required to have a balanced portfolio.
Fractional stocks, on the other hand, allow you to invest in expensive stocks for cheap, which makes it possible to expose your portfolio to many companies and markets with more flexibility. By purchasing a fractional share, dividends, if any, will also be fractional.
Below you can find an example of investing in a $100 share that offers an annual dividend of $1.
| Owned Quantity | Investment | Annual Dividend |
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| 1,75 stocks | $175 | $1,75 |
| 2,05 stocks | $125 | $1,25 |
| 1,00 stock | $100 | $1,00 |
| 0,50 stocks | $50 | $0,50 |
| 0,10 stocks | $10 | $0,10 |
What to buy: real shares or CFD shares?
For long-term investing, real shares are always the best choice, whereas if you want to speculate on the short term, CFD shares are the most suitable derivative.
CFDs lend themselves well to short-term trading because they involve the use of leverage, and above all, one can open both long and short positions depending on the direction of the market.
The main problem with CFDs, however, is the presence of swap commissions. Swap commissions are interest of a few cents that the broker charges each day at the close of the market if you leave your trading position open.
This means that over the long term, a CFD stock will accumulate a large number of small daily commissions that over time will erode potential gains or compound losses.
Real shares, on the other hand, as well as fractional shares, do not charge overnight commissions and can therefore be held over the long term without worrying about management costs.
In the following example you will find the costs of buying and managing an Apple share on eToro (140 USD).
| Real stock | CFD long (leverage 1:5) | CFD short (leverage 1:5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investment | $140 | $700 | $700 |
| Purchase commission | $0 | $0,40 | $0,40 |
| Overnight costs (per week) | $0 | $1,51 | $0,96 |
| Overnight costs (per month) | $0 | $6,04 | $3,84 |
| Total costs (after 3 months) | $0 | $23,05 | $14,80 |
What happens when you buy stocks on a broker
When purchasing a share, the broker acts as an intermediary with the stock exchange to fulfil the client’s order. Typically, the shares purchased are not actually owned by the client, but are held in the client’s name in omnibus accounts.
Omnibus accounts are segregated accounts owned by the broker in which the broker deposits the shares and/or financial instruments purchased by all clients.
Although the shares are in fact owned by the broker, the broker labels each share in the omnibus account so that they are kept in the name of the client who made the purchase.
Why do many brokers use omnibus accounts?
Brokers use omnibus accounts to cut costs and offer more competitive commissions. They also allow them to offer a range of additional services such as fractional shares.
What happens is that, for example, if a share is worth $100, the broker would not be able to buy only part of it if it were to be owned by the customer.
However, if 4 clients place a $25 purchase order on a share that is worth $100, the broker can buy it and keep the whole share in his omnibus account, thus allocating 25% of the share to each of these clients.
The result is that the share is de facto owned by the broker, but the broker internally allocates it to the clients who have requested it.
Useful resources for investing in shares
Stock brokers generally offer a good number of additional services for investors.
These include economic calendars to monitor economic decisions that could shake up the markets.
Other calendars that can be found on brokers like eToro are dividend and earnings calendars, which help to monitor when a company will distribute its next dividend, and when a company will publish its financial status report, respectively.
However, very often brokers lack advanced tools to monitor the markets, or their platform makes it complex or unintuitive to monitor the stocks of interest.
There are several services for this purpose, including:
Finviz: a site that allows one to filter stocks via its ‘screener’ function. The user can apply over 60 different filters based on descriptive characteristics, fundamental analysis, and technical analysis of the stock.
Morningstar: is one of the main hubs for monitoring the stock market at a fundamental level. Morningstar’s database makes it possible to monitor, compare and verify the financial status of thousands of companies. With a subscription, you can also get stock-specific information and analysis (such as Fair Value calculations) from Morningstar analysts.
Yahoo Finance: Here you can find news, market overviews, and even specific information on stocks you are interested in.