ETF investing looks simple — but the broker you choose determines how much of your return you keep. Costs, fund selection, savings plan availability, and tax handling differ more than the headline fee numbers suggest.
ETF execution cost per order
Custody / depot fee for ETFs
Number of ETFs available
Savings plan / auto-invest option
Fractional ETF shares supported
Tax reporting for ETFs
What should I look for in an ETF broker?
The main factors are order fees (a flat fee beats a percentage for large orders), custody costs (some brokers charge a percentage of portfolio value annually), the ETF catalog size, and whether savings plans are free — since many passive investors run monthly auto-investments.
Are ETF savings plans (Sparpläne) available at most brokers?
Availability varies significantly by market. In Germany, savings plans are widely offered and often free. In the UK and Netherlands, recurring investment options exist but the terminology and fee structures differ — worth checking the per-broker breakdown in the full analysis.
Does the custody fee matter more than the order fee for ETF investors?
For buy-and-hold investors who trade infrequently, the annual custody fee often dominates total cost — a 0.2% per-year charge on a €50,000 portfolio costs €100/year regardless of how often you trade. Active savers using monthly plans need to look at both.
