⏱️ 20 min read · 3,818 words · Updated Jun 13, 2026

If you’ve spent more than ten minutes researching online brokers, you’ve probably landed on the same two names over and over. DEGIRO and eToro.

“They’re both massive, they both cater to European investors, and they both show up at the top of every "best Broker" listicle on the internet.”

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“But they’re built for fundamentally different people, and choosing the wrong one can quietly cost you hundreds of euros a year.”

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This isn’t one of those articles where I tell you both platforms are “great options” and leave it at that. They’re not interchangeable. One of them charges you almost nothing but gives you a bare-bones experience. The other wraps everything in a social media layer that’s genuinely fun but comes with hidden costs you might not notice at first. Let me break it down properly.

What DEGIRO Gets Right (and Where It Falls Apart)

DEGIRO started in the Netherlands and has since expanded across most of Europe. The company built its reputation on one thing: low fees. And they deliver on that promise. For European stocks and ETFs, you’re looking at fees that most competitors can’t touch. A standard European stock trade costs around 2 euros. Many ETFs on their Core Selection list are completely free to trade once per calendar month, as long as you meet the conditions.

The platform itself is functional. It’s not ugly, but nobody is going to confuse it with a sleek consumer app. The web interface gets the job done. You can see your portfolio, place orders, check basic charts, and move on with your day. The mobile app has improved over the years, but it still feels like it was designed by engineers who care more about order execution than user experience.

Here’s where it gets interesting though. DEGIRO’s fee structure rewards a specific type of investor. If you’re someone who buys and holds ETFs, makes a few trades per month, and doesn’t need fancy tools, the costs are hard to beat. Their transaction fees for US stocks are around 0.50 euros. For options and futures, the pricing is competitive too. If you’re building a diversified portfolio of low-cost index funds, DEGIRO is one of the cheapest ways to do it in Europe.

But there are real limitations. The charting is basic. You won’t find advanced technical indicators or drawing tools that active traders expect. The research section exists but it’s thin compared to what you’d get at Interactive Brokers or even Trading 212. Customer support has historically been slow, though they’ve made improvements. And the product range, while broad, doesn’t include everything. You can’t trade mutual funds on DEGIRO, which matters to some people.

One thing that catches people off guard: DEGIRO charges a connectivity fee for certain exchanges. It’s small, usually around 1 euro per exchange per year, but it adds up if you’re trading across multiple markets. They also have a currency conversion fee of 0.25% when you buy assets in a currency different from your account base currency. If you’re buying US-listed ETFs regularly, that 0.25% on every transaction is not nothing.

What eToro Does Differently (and Why People Love It)

eToro took a completely different approach. Founded in Israel and headquartered in Cyprus, the platform built its entire identity around social and copy trading. The idea is simple: you can see what other traders are doing, follow them, and automatically copy their trades. For a lot of people, especially beginners, this is genuinely appealing. It removes the paralysis of not knowing what to buy.

The interface is polished. It looks like a modern fintech app because that’s exactly what it is. Everything is visual, colorful, and designed to make you feel like you’re part of a community. You can see trending assets, popular portfolios, and what the top traders on the platform are holding. It’s engaging in a way that DEGIRO simply isn’t.

eToro offers commission-free stock and ETF trading. That sounds amazing on paper, and for many users it genuinely is. You buy a share of Apple or an ETF tracking the S&P 500, and you pay zero commission. But eToro makes money in other ways. The spread on their platform is wider than what you’d find at a traditional Broker. For currency pairs and crypto, the spreads can be significant. The platform also charges a withdrawal fee of 5 USD, and if you’re depositing in a currency other than USD, there’s a conversion fee that can be as high as 50 pips on some currencies.

Then there’s the copy trading feature, which is eToro’s crown jewel. You can allocate a portion of your portfolio to automatically mirror another trader’s moves. If they buy, you buy. If they sell, you sell. It sounds like a dream for people who don’t want to manage their own investments. But here’s the thing nobody talks about enough: past performance on eToro means nothing. The platform’s leaderboard is full of traders who took massive risks and got lucky for a few months. Copying them can blow up your account just as easily as it can grow it.

DEGIRO vs eToro: The Fee Comparison Nobody Wants to Show You

Let’s get specific, because this is where the DEGIRO vs eToro debate actually gets decided for most people. Fees are the single biggest factor in long-term returns, and even small differences compound into real money over time.

DEGIRO’s fee model is transparent and predictable. You know exactly what you’re paying before you place a trade. For a buy-and-hold investor putting 500 euros into a European-listed ETF once a month, the annual cost could be as low as 0 to 24 euros depending on whether the ETF is on their Core Selection list. For someone trading US stocks more actively, you’re looking at roughly 0.50 euros per trade plus that 0.25% currency conversion fee.

eToro’s “zero commission” marketing is technically true but misleading. The spread on stocks is typically around 0.09% for US equities, which sounds tiny until you realize it’s charged on both the buy and the sell. That’s roughly 0.18% round trip. On a 10,000 euro trade, that’s 18 euros. Compare that to DEGIRO’s flat 0.50 euro fee for a US stock trade, and the math isn’t even close for smaller positions. For larger positions, the spread-based model at eToro can actually become more expensive than DEGIRO’s flat fees.

And then there are the non-trading fees. eToro charges 5 USD per withdrawal. If you’re withdrawing money quarterly, that’s 20 USD a year gone. They also charge an inactivity fee of 10 USD per month after 12 months of no login activity. DEGIRO doesn’t charge either of these. For someone who invests and then checks their portfolio once a year, that inactivity fee at eToro is genuinely painful.

“The cheapest broker on paper isn’t always the cheapest in practice. You have to look at the total cost picture, including spreads, conversion fees, and the stuff they don’t advertise on the homepage.”

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Platform Experience: Two Completely Different Philosophies

Comparing the DEGIRO and eToro platforms is like comparing a reliable sedan to a sports car. Both get you where you need to go, but the experience is nothing alike.

DEGIRO’s platform is built for efficiency. The order types are standard: market, limit, stop-loss, and trailing stop. The portfolio view shows your holdings, their current value, and your profit or loss. There’s a watchlist feature, basic charting with a handful of indicators, and a news section that pulls from a few sources. It’s enough for someone who knows what they want to buy and just needs a place to execute.

eToro’s platform is built for engagement. The home feed shows you what’s trending, what other users are talking about, and which assets are getting the most attention. You can comment on assets, share your thoughts, and follow other investors. The charting is more advanced than DEGIRO’s, with more indicators and better drawing tools. There’s also a demo account with 100,000 in virtual money, which is genuinely useful for beginners who want to practice before committing real funds.

But here’s my honest take on the eToro experience. The social features are a double-edged sword. They’re fun and they can be educational, but they also create a constant pressure to trade. When you see someone posting 200% returns on a crypto position, it’s hard not to feel like you’re missing out. The platform is designed to keep you engaged, and engagement means more trades, which means more spread revenue for eToro. I’m not saying it’s a scam. I’m saying the incentives aren’t perfectly aligned with your long-term financial health.

DEGIRO doesn’t have this problem because it doesn’t try to be social. You log in, you check your portfolio, you make your trades, and you log out. There’s no feed, no leaderboard, no notifications telling you that someone just made a killing on a stock you’ve never heard of. For disciplined investors, that simplicity is a feature, not a bug.

Safety and Regulation: Can You Trust Either of Them?

This matters more than most people think. You’re handing over your money to a company, and you need to know it’s going to be there when you want it back.

DEGIRO is regulated by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) and is also supervised by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB). Client assets are held in segregated accounts, and DEGIRO is a member of the Investor Compensation Scheme in the Netherlands, which covers up to 20,000 euros in case of insolvency. The company is also part of flatexDEGIRO AG, which is publicly traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. That public listing adds a layer of transparency and accountability.

eToro is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) for its European operations, and it’s also registered with the FCA in the UK and ASIC in Australia. Client funds are held in segregated accounts, and eToro offers negative balance protection for retail clients. The investor compensation scheme in Cyprus covers up to 20,000 euros. eToro has been around since 2007 and has millions of users worldwide, which gives it a track record, though it’s worth noting that the company has faced regulatory scrutiny in the past, including a significant fine from the FCA in 2023 related to promotional practices.

Both brokers are safe by the standards of the European retail investing world. Neither is some fly-by-night operation. But DEGIRO’s regulatory setup feels more conservative, which aligns with the company’s overall philosophy. eToro’s marketing has occasionally pushed boundaries, and regulators have noticed. If safety is your top priority, both are fine, but DEGIRO edges ahead on regulatory reputation.

What About ETFs? The Real Reason Most People Are Reading This

Let’s be honest. Most people comparing DEGIRO vs eToro are trying to figure out which one is better for buying ETFs. It’s the most common investment strategy in Europe right now, and for good reason. Low-cost index funds are the closest thing to a free lunch in personal finance.

DEGIRO has a curated list called the Core Selection. These are ETFs that you can trade once per calendar month with no commission at all. The list includes popular options like the Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF, the iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF, and the Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF. If your strategy is to buy one or two of these funds on a regular schedule, DEGIRO is almost unbeatable on cost. You’re paying zero in commissions and only the ongoing TER (total expense ratio) of the fund itself.

eToro also offers commission-free ETF trading, and their selection includes many of the same popular funds. The iShares Core MSCI World, the Vanguard FTSE All-World, the SPDR S&P 500, and others are all available with zero commission. But remember that spread. Every time you buy and sell, you’re paying the bid-ask spread, which on eToro tends to be wider than on a traditional order-book exchange. For a long-term buy-and-hold investor, that spread cost on entry and exit can add up, especially if you’re investing larger amounts.

Here’s something that might surprise you. If you’re investing in accumulating ETFs (the kind that reinvest dividends automatically), both platforms handle this correctly. But DEGIRO has a slight edge for European investors because of the tax treatment. DEGIRO operates through a German entity for many EU customers, which can affect dividend withholding tax rates depending on your country of residence. eToro’s tax treatment varies by your specific regulatory jurisdiction. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s worth checking based on where you live.

The Social Trading Question: Is Copy Trading Worth the Hype?

This is where the DEGIRO vs eToro comparison gets philosophical. eToro’s copy trading feature is genuinely unique among major European brokers. DEGIRO doesn’t offer anything similar. If you’re the kind of investor who wants to learn by watching others, or who doesn’t have the time to research individual stocks, copy trading can feel like a shortcut to diversification.

But I need to be direct about this. Most people who use copy trading lose money or underperform a simple index fund. The traders at the top of eToro’s leaderboard got there by taking concentrated, high-risk bets. When you copy them, you’re copying the risk too. And if they blow up their account, yours goes down with it. The platform does show risk scores for each trader, but those scores are backward-looking and don’t predict future behavior.

There’s also the fee layer. When you copy a trader, you’re still paying the spread on every trade they make. If the trader is active, those spreads add up fast. A trader who makes 50 trades per month might look profitable on paper, but after accounting for the spread on each of those 50 trades, your net return could be significantly lower than what the trader’s headline number suggests.

DEGIRO’s approach is the opposite. It assumes you’re an adult who can make your own investment decisions. There’s no safety net of copying someone else. You pick your assets, you place your orders, and you live with the results. For people who want to learn about investing and build their own strategy, this is actually better. You’ll make mistakes, but you’ll learn from them. Copy trading can create a dependency that prevents you from ever developing your own judgment.

Which Broker Wins for Different Types of Investors

Rather than declaring one winner, let me tell you who should pick which platform based on how you actually invest.

Choose DEGIRO if: You’re a buy-and-hold investor who wants the lowest possible fees. You’re comfortable making your own decisions. You trade infrequently, maybe once or twice a month. You want access to a wide range of European and US exchanges. You don’t need social features or advanced charting. You’re building a long-term portfolio of ETFs and individual stocks and you want to minimize every euro that goes to fees instead of investments.

Choose eToro if: You’re a beginner who wants a guided, social experience. You’re interested in copy trading as a learning tool or a hands-off strategy. You want a polished, modern app that makes investing feel accessible. You’re trading smaller amounts where the spread cost is negligible compared to the flat fees you’d pay elsewhere. You want access to crypto alongside traditional assets in one place. You value the demo account for practicing before going live.

And here’s a thought that might be unpopular. You don’t have to pick just one. Some investors use DEGIRO for their core ETF portfolio and eToro for smaller, more speculative positions or to experiment with copy trading. There’s no rule that says you need a single broker for everything. The key is being intentional about why you’re using each platform.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions in the DEGIRO vs eToro Debate

Beyond the obvious fees, there are a few costs that catch people off guard.

DEGIRO’s currency conversion fee of 0.25% applies to every trade in a non-base currency. If you’re a euro-based investor buying US stocks, that’s 0.25% on every purchase and every sale. Over a year of regular investing, this can be a meaningful drag. Some investors get around this by using a currency conversion service or a multi-currency account, but that adds complexity.

eToro’s conversion fee is less transparent. If you deposit in euros, your money is converted to USD at a rate that includes a markup. The exact markup varies by currency pair and can be significant for less common currencies. For major pairs like EUR/USD, it’s typically around 0.5% to 1%, which is higher than DEGIRO’s flat 0.25%.

Both platforms charge for certain corporate actions. DEGIRO may pass through fees for things like stock splits or special dividends. eToro handles most corporate actions smoothly, but there have been reports of delays in processing certain events, particularly for less liquid stocks.

Tax reporting is another area where the two differ. DEGIRO provides a comprehensive annual tax report that’s useful for filing in most European countries. eToro also provides tax documents, but the format and completeness can vary by your regulatory jurisdiction. If you’re in a country with complex tax rules, DEGIRO’s reporting tends to be more thorough.

“The best broker isn’t the one with the flashiest app or the most features. It’s the one whose fee structure matches your actual behavior as an investor.”

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My Honest Take After Using Both

I’ve used both platforms extensively, and here’s what I’ve landed on. For my core portfolio, the boring stuff that I’m building over decades, DEGIRO is the clear winner. The fees are lower, the platform is straightforward, and I don’t need social features to buy a global index fund once a month. Every euro I save on fees is a euro that stays invested and compounds over time.

But I’d be lying if I said eToro doesn’t have its place. The demo account is genuinely useful for testing strategies. The social features, while sometimes distracting, can expose you to investment ideas you wouldn’t have found on your own. And for smaller, more speculative positions where the absolute fee difference is tiny, the user experience at eToro is more enjoyable.

The real mistake is choosing based on marketing rather than your actual needs. If someone tells you eToro is “free” without mentioning spreads, they’re not giving you the full picture. If someone tells you DEGIRO is “the cheapest” without mentioning the currency conversion fee, they’re also leaving things out. The truth is in the details, and the details depend entirely on how you invest.

FAQ

Is DEGIRO or eToro better for beginners? – DEGIRO vs eToro

eToro is generally more beginner-friendly because of its polished interface, demo account, and social features. The learning curve is gentler. DEGIRO is better for beginners who are willing to learn the basics of investing and want to minimize fees from the start. If you’re the type of person who wants to understand what you’re doing rather than just copying others, DEGIRO’s simplicity can actually be an advantage.

Which broker has lower fees overall? – DEGIRO vs eToro

DEGIRO has lower fees for most European investors, especially those trading European and US stocks and ETFs on a regular schedule. The flat fee structure is predictable and often cheaper than eToro’s spread-based model. However, for very small trades or for assets where eToro’s spread is tight, the difference can be negligible. The currency conversion fee at DEGIRO (0.25%) is also typically lower than eToro’s conversion markup.

Can I trade crypto on both platforms?

Yes, both platforms offer crypto trading, but the experience is different. eToro offers a wider range of cryptocurrencies and allows you to buy actual coins or trade CFDs depending on your jurisdiction. DEGIRO offers crypto through third-party providers like Bitstamp, and the selection is more limited. If crypto is a significant part of your strategy, eToro has the edge here.

Is my money safe with DEGIRO or eToro?

Both brokers are regulated by reputable European authorities and offer investor compensation schemes up to 20,000 euros. Client funds are held in segregated accounts at both platforms. DEGIRO is part of a publicly traded German company, which adds transparency. eToro has faced regulatory fines in the past but remains a licensed and regulated broker. Neither platform is unsafe by European standards.

Can I transfer my portfolio from DEGIRO to eToro or vice versa?

Yes, both platforms support incoming and outgoing transfers, but the process can be slow and may involve fees. DEGIRO charges an outgoing transfer fee that varies by asset type and destination. eToro also charges for outgoing transfers. It’s usually easier to sell your holdings, withdraw the cash, and deposit at the new broker, though this may trigger tax events depending on your country.

Which platform has better customer support?

Neither is known for exceptional customer support, but both have improved in recent years. DEGIRO offers email and phone support in multiple languages, though response times can be slow during peak periods. eToro offers live chat, email support, and a comprehensive help center. For urgent issues, eToro’s live chat is generally faster than DEGIRO’s email-based system.

Do both platforms offer tax-advantaged accounts?

Availability depends on your country of residence. DEGIRO offers certain tax-advantaged account types in specific European countries. eToro’s offerings vary by jurisdiction as well. Check what’s available in your specific country before opening an account, as this could be a significant factor in your decision.

Sources

• DEGIRO Fee Schedule
• eToro Pricing and Fees
• European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)

Conclusion

The DEGIRO vs eToro debate doesn’t have a universal winner. It has a winner for you, and that depends on how you invest, what you invest in, and what you value in a broker.

If you want the lowest possible fees and you’re comfortable being a self-directed investor, open a DEGIRO account. Set up a recurring investment into a low-cost global ETF, keep your costs minimal, and let compounding do the work. Check your portfolio once a quarter and resist the urge to tinker.

If you want a more engaging experience, you’re drawn to the social side of investing, or you want to experiment with copy trading, eToro is the better fit. Just go in with your eyes open about the spreads and fees, and don’t mistake the gamified experience for a guarantee of returns.

And if you’re still unsure, start with a demo account on eToro to learn the basics, then move your serious long-term investments to DEGIRO once you understand what you’re doing. There’s no rule against using both. The only mistake is choosing based on a marketing slogan instead of your actual needs as an investor.