Broker Comparison
This page compares brokers on the costs that actually decide what index-fund investing costs, rather than on the length of their catalogue: the price of a trade, whether there is an annual custody fee, whether a regular investment plan is offered free or at reduced cost, currency conversion charges when the fund is priced in another currency, and the available wrappers, general account, tax-free account, pension account. The ranking changes with the amount invested and the frequency of trading: a broker charging three euros a trade is cheaper than one charging one euro plus custody once the portfolio passes a certain size, and dearer below it. The table therefore lets you place your own practice rather than crown a single winner. One further point that price lists rarely highlight: not every broker lists every fund, and a cheap broker that does not carry the fund you chose is not, for this decision, a cheap broker.
Published by Radif Partners · Updated
Frequently asked questions
What separates one European broker from another?
Three things decide the cost: the commission per order, the currency conversion fee when you buy a fund denominated in another currency, and the custody or account fee. A broker that advertises zero commission usually recovers it on conversion, so compare the total cost of a realistic order rather than the headline. Which tax wrappers the broker supports then decides what you can hold at all.
Does the broker change which ETFs I can buy?
Yes. Each broker lists a subset of the funds available in Europe, and a tax wrapper narrows it further: a French PEA accepts only funds that meet its eligibility rules. A fund shown here may therefore be unavailable at your broker, or available in a different share class with different charges. Check the ISIN in your broker's own search before deciding.
Is this comparison sponsored?
No. We receive nothing from the brokers listed and hold no position in the funds they distribute. The comparison uses their published tariff schedules, which change: verify the current fee on the broker's own site before opening an account, and treat what you read here as a starting point rather than a quotation.
The costs people forget to count
Three costs escape quick comparisons. Currency conversion charges, often a quarter to half a point on each conversion, apply on buying and on selling a dollar-priced fund: they can exceed the dealing charge itself. Custody fees, quoted as a percentage of assets, grow with the portfolio while dealing charges stay fixed. And the spread between buying and selling price is not billed by the broker but paid to the market, on every round trip.
What this page does not do
It recommends no broker and takes no payment from an intermediary for a ranking. The prices quoted are those published by the brokers at the date of update, and they change: the applicable tariff is the one in force when you place your order. The page judges neither service quality, nor usability, nor the soundness of the institution, which are assessments that fees do not measure.