The cost argument

DEGIRO's proposition is straightforward: access to 50+ exchanges worldwide at among the lowest commissions available to European retail investors, with US trades at €3 (plus $0.50 handling), UK London Stock Exchange shares from £1.75, and French and German equities similarly priced. For investors who trade regularly across global markets and do not need an ISA or SIPP wrapper, these rates are difficult to beat at comparable exchange breadth.

The pricing transparency is genuine. DEGIRO publishes a full fee schedule with rates by exchange and instrument type, without hidden conversion fees buried in the spread structure. Before every trade, the platform shows you the estimated commission. That level of disclosure is less common than it should be across the retail brokerage industry.

50+ exchanges, genuinely accessible

DEGIRO provides access to US, UK, European, Asian, and Latin American exchanges from a single account, NYSE, NASDAQ, LSE, Euronext Paris, Euronext Amsterdam, Deutsche Börse (Xetra), Borsa Italiana, and dozens of others. For investors who want meaningful European exposure beyond the main UK and US indices, or who need to access a specific regional exchange, DEGIRO's coverage is broader than almost every retail competitor in its price range.

Interactive Brokers covers more markets in absolute terms (150+ versus DEGIRO's 50+). At DEGIRO's commission level and European-retail price point, no other broker comes close in exchange breadth. The practical implication: a European investor who wants to buy individual French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and German equities alongside US names in a single account can do so without paying a premium.

DEGIRO also offers a curated list of commission-free ETFs, a selection of funds from major providers that trade at zero commission under certain conditions (one free trade per ETF per day, if the order is in the same direction as the previous trade). The ETF list includes global index funds, bond ETFs, and sector funds from providers including iShares, Vanguard, and Amundi. For passive investors building an index-based portfolio, this is a meaningful added value.

flatexDEGIRO and the custody structure

DEGIRO is part of flatexDEGIRO AG, a publicly listed German bank holding company regulated by BaFin. The listing means audited consolidated accounts are public, a financial transparency requirement that most private retail brokers do not face. Client assets at DEGIRO sit with a separate custodian entity structured as a Dutch SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) under Dutch law.

This structure is meaningfully different from, and generally more protective than, a standard nominee account. In the event of DEGIRO's insolvency, the SPV holds the client securities separately from any DEGIRO corporate assets, they cannot form part of any insolvency estate. This structural protection is one reason DEGIRO's Trust & Regulation score is higher than its nominal investor compensation scheme coverage might suggest, given that BaFin's EdW investor compensation scheme covers substantially less than the UK's FSCS (€20,000 versus £85,000).

Options and futures, for more experienced investors

DEGIRO offers options trading on major European and US exchanges, and futures trading on a range of indices and commodities. All of these come within the same account as equities and ETFs, with no requirement to open a separate derivatives account. Options pricing starts from €0.75 per contract plus an exchange fee. This suits investors who use options for systematic income or hedging: DEGIRO's options pricing ranks among the most competitive in Europe.

What's missing

DEGIRO does not offer a Stocks & Shares ISA or SIPP. UK investors who want tax-efficient wrappers need a separate provider for those accounts, the two-broker approach (DEGIRO for international access, Trading 212 or Freetrade for the ISA/SIPP) is a legitimate strategy that some UK investors use.

There are no fractional shares, positions must be whole units. This prices high-value stocks like Berkshire Hathaway A shares and several other expensive US names out of reach for small investors without accumulation strategies. Research tools are functional but sparse: the platform provides basic fundamental data and news, but there is no integrated stock screener, earnings calendar, or third-party analyst content within the platform.

The platform interface and mobile app are less polished than competitors like Trading 212 or eToro. They prioritize function over form, a clean but utilitarian experience that focuses on order execution and position management over discovery or social features. For investors who make buy-and-hold decisions outside the platform and use DEGIRO purely for execution, this is irrelevant. For investors who want the broker's platform to help them find investment ideas, DEGIRO is not the right tool.

BaFin and AFM: public banking group with SPV custodian protection

DEGIRO is regulated by BaFin (Germany) and the AFM (Netherlands) under MiFID II with full EU passporting coverage, and is part of flatexDEGIRO AG, a publicly listed banking group publishing audited consolidated accounts. The SPV custodian structure provides additional structural protection as described above. UK clients access DEGIRO through its Dutch entity under the FCA Temporary Permissions Regime post-Brexit. The regulatory profile is solid for a cost-focused broker, though the EdW compensation scheme maximum (€20,000) is lower than the FSCS £85,000 that UK investors typically expect.

Where it falls short

No ISA or SIPP, no fractional shares, and sparse research tools. The platform is deliberately utilitarian: customer support operates through email and a help centre with no live chat, and response times for complex queries can be slow. Currency conversion for non-EUR stocks costs 0.1% per conversion, which adds up across frequent multi-currency trades.

Bottom line

DEGIRO is the strongest choice for cost-conscious investors who want broad global exchange access, 50+ exchanges, without paying a premium for the privilege. UK investors who need an ISA or SIPP will need a separate provider. For investors who need fractional shares, eToro or Trading 212 are better fits. For the core use case of low-cost access to European and global stock markets across the widest exchange coverage available at retail prices, DEGIRO is the definitive choice.