Trade Republic Review 2023

2.5
/ 5
Trade Republic is #18 in our binary options broker rankings.

Trade Republic is a German-based mobile-only securities bank and stockbroker that supports stocks, derivatives and crypto trading.


Trusted
$0
Own
Stocks, ETFs, Indices, Derivatives, Cryptos
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EUR
Wire Transfer, Credit Card, Visa, Mastercard

Binary Options Trading

Binary options are offered on popular financial markets.

Forex Trading

Trade Republic offers derivatives trading on a range of currencies for its European clients.

Stock Trading

Trade Republic supports commission-free stock trading on over 9,000 securities through the Hamburg Stock Exchange.

CFD Trading

Trade Republic offers over 40,000 derivatives assets, including CFDs, with no commission charges or spread mark-ups.

Crypto Trading

Trade Republic supports derivatives trading on four leading cryptocurrencies.

Trade Republic is a German-based online stockbroker that was founded in 2015 and has been making waves in the news. Labelled as Europe’s first mobile-only, commission-free broker, Trade Republic offers European, American and Asian stocks and ETFs, along with a range of derivatives and blockchain tokens. This review discusses the broker’s trading platform, asset range, regulation, fee structure and more. Find out how to start trading today.

Trade Republic Headlines

Six years ago, three founders in Berlin started Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a German securities trading bank and stockbroker that is regulated by the Federal Bank of Germany (BaFin). By June 2021, the bank had amassed over 1 million clients for a business of just under 400 employees.

Built on a similar business model to the US broker Robinhood, Trade Republic endeavours to offer commission-free, mobile stock trading services for European markets with a sleek trading platform. The first few years of the company’s life entailed application development, secure digital infrastructure building and license acquisition, setting itself up before launching into the industry spotlight.

Trade Republic boasts a range of impressive business partnerships and strategic investors, including SolarisBank AG, HSBC Germany, Lang & Schwarz Exchange and Sino AG.

Securities trading for the broker’s serious number of customers is carried out using either the electronic LS Exchange system on the Hamburg Stock Exchange or, in the case of its failure, Tradegate. Derivatives are traded over the counter with the asset issuers, including HSBC, Citi and Société Générale and cryptos are traded with the cryptocurrency liquidity provider B2C2.

In the second quarter of 2021, Trade Republic’s CEO put out a press release stating that they raised $900 million for their Series C development programme, which seeks to expand their services throughout Europe, including Luxembourg and the Netherlands, taking their valuation to more than $5 billion. This smashed their previous Series B funding of $75 million in 2020.

Mobile Trading Platform

Trade Republic was built with mobile-only trading services in mind, spending years crafting an application on which its clients can trade securities, derivatives and cryptos with ease. The trading platform can be downloaded onto iOS and Android (APK) devices and brings an easy-to-use interface and decent functionality. User reviews are generally positive, praising its accessibility and asset range. However, issues have been raised with the identification process and automation functionality, as well as reports of slippage and crashing during times of peak liquidity.

trade Republic depot
Trade Republic Mobile Platform

Unfortunately, no web interface app or desktop trading is supported by Trade Republic, which means that clients used to advanced platforms like MetaTrader 5 (MT5) or cTrader will need to get used to only using a mobile platform.

Assets

Trade Republic clients have access to three classes of tradeable assets. The first is exchange-traded securities, such as spot stocks and ETFs, of which there are over 8,000 German and international stocks and 500 ETFs based on stocks, indices, commodities and currencies. Fractional shares and penny stocks are both available for investing.

The second asset class is derivatives; Trade Republic boasts more than 40,000 derivatives, such as CFDs on stocks, indices, currencies and commodities.

Trade Republic also introduced cryptocurrency trading for German investors in the first quarter of 2021. Clients can buy and either hold or sell Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). Despite the broker’s strong following on social media, including Twitter and Reddit, popular cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Ripple (XRP) are not offered.

All asset types can be traded using market orders, limit orders and stop orders.

Trade Republic Fees

Trade Republic has a transparent and competitive fee structure, claiming to be commission-free on all its assets. However, there is a €1 lump fee per trade settlement for third-party costs, regardless of volume. While this isn’t entirely cost-free, it is much cheaper than most competitors. Spreads and share prices are drawn directly from the XETRA reference market (Deutsche Börse), where applicable.

Whereas other brokers make money by marking up the spreads or charging commissions, Trade Republic earns its revenue only through payments for order flow from trading partners.

Deposits & Withdrawals

Trade Republic supports only a few options for funding and emptying their trading accounts. Bank wire transfers will take between one and three working days to clear. Other deposit and withdrawal methods include credit and debit cards (Visa or Mastercard), Google Pay and Apple Pay, for all of which your payment will clear immediately.

Trade Republic how to deposit money
Mobile app

The broker does not charge any outright transaction fees, though some may be incurred for payments from different countries. The popular payment method PayPal is not supported by Trade Republic.

Promotions

Trade Republic currently offers onboarding clients a €15 welcome referral bonus that is credited to your account automatically after executing your first trade. Check out the broker’s website for the latest promotions and deals before opening a trading account.

Regulation Review

Trade Republic acquired a full banking license, allowing it to carry out savings and holding services as well as stockbroking. Both the Federal Bank of Germany and Deutsche Bundesbank supervise Trade Republic. Client deposits are legally insured for up to €100,000 and all funds are segregated from the brokers own money in trustee accounts with their partner bank in Berlin. All financial assets are owned by the clients and held by HSBC Germany.

Additional Features

Trade Republic does not offer any additional features or services to its clients, such as educational resources or financial insights. This lowers the competitiveness of the broker against some of its closest rivals and alternatives, like Justtrade, Freetrade and eToro, as most top brokers nowadays provide learning support for newer traders and market analysis from experts.

How to start trading with Trade Republic

Live Accounts

Trade Republic only has one account option that offers access to all of its brokerage services. Every asset type can be invested in using just one account, which makes diversifying your portfolio simpler and removes common entry barriers for lower-capital clients.

Unfortunately Trade Republic does not offer a demo account, which can be very useful for new traders to learn the ropes or more experienced clients to test new strategies and markets.

Trade Republic Pros

Trade Republic Cons

Trading Hours

Trade Republic offer some of the most extensive trading hours of licensed and regulated European stockbrokers. All securities can be traded between 07:30 GMT+2 and 23:00 GMT+2, derivatives trading is supported between 09:00 GMT+2 and 22:00 GMT+2 while cryptocurrency trading is available 24/7.

Contact Details

Trade Republic customer service is limited, with an FAQ section on their website and the team’s English and German email addresses below as their only offerings. Alternatively, you can contact the broker via post at its headquarters in Berlin, whose address is below.

Client Security

Trade Republic have a high level of security as required for securities trading bank status on top of standard BaFin stockbroker regulations. Client personal data is not shared without permission and there is a contactable data protection officer. Encrypted communications and segregated bank accounts also help ensure client funds and details are not stolen.

Trade Republic Verdict

Trade Republic is a relatively new broker that has quickly amassed a large number of users, exceeding 1 million, thanks to the competitive fee structure and range of tradeable assets. The broker is accessible for new traders, with a sleek mobile app and no minimum deposit. Experienced traders can also take advantage of the zero-commission stockbroking and simple portfolio diversification options. However, the mobile trading focus limits the market analysis tools available in established desktop trading platforms and slippage may eat away at profits.

Accepted Countries

Trade Republic only accepts traders from Germany, France, Austria.

Payment Methods

Trade Republic Details

Minimum Trade 0.01 Lots
Regulated By BaFin, Bundesbank
Account Types
  • STP
Islamic Account No
Mobile Apps iOS & Android
Margin Trading No
Volatility Index No
Spot Trading Yes
Perpetual Swaps No
ELWs No
REITs No
AI / Machine Learning No
Robo Advisor No
P2P Trading No
Negative Balance Protection No
VPS Hosting No
Tournaments No
Demo Competitions No
Managed Accounts No
Market Maker No
Social Trading No
Guaranteed Stop Loss No
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver

CFD Trading Details

FTSE Spread Market
GBPUSD Spread Market
Oil Spread Market
Stocks Spread Market

Forex Trading Details

GBPUSD Spread Market
EURUSD Spread Market
EURGBP Spread Market
Assets Limited

Cryptocurrency Trading Details

Crypto Spread Market
Crypto Lending No
Crypto Staking No
Crypto Mining No
Crypto Auto Market Maker No
Crypto Coins
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC

Binary Options Trading Details

Payout Percent Undisclosed
Ladder Options No
Boundary Options No

Compare Trade Republic

Compare Trade Republic with similar brokers that accept traders from your location. Among available brokers these are the most similar to Trade Republic:

  1. World Forex – World Forex is an offshore broker registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines, offering commission-free trading with a $1 minimum deposit and 1:1000 leverage. Digital contracts are also available, offering beginners a straightforward way to speculate on popular financial markets.
    Go to World Forex
  2. Videforex – Videforex offers access to stock, index, crypto, forex and commodities markets via binary options and CFDs. The proprietary platform, mobile app and integrated copy trading are user-friendly and will suit new and casual traders, and the market analysis tools and trading contests provide good ways to improve your trading skills.
    Go to Videforex
  3. BinaryCent – BinaryCent is an unregulated binary options broker that offers 24/7 trading on forex, cryptos and stocks with payouts up to 95%. Despite its lack of regulation, this broker takes client security seriously and stores client funds in European banks. The broker also offers CFDs with very high leverage up to 1:500.
    Go to BinaryCent

Trade Republic Comparison Table

Compare Trade Republic With Similar Brokers
Trade Republic World Forex Videforex BinaryCent
Rating 2.5 4 3.6 3.5
Markets Stocks, ETFs, Indices, Derivatives, Cryptos Forex, CFD Stocks, Metals, Energies, Cryptos, Digital Contracts Binary Options, CFDs, Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Crypto
Demo Account No Yes Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit $0 $1 $250 $250
Minimum Trade 0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots $0.01 $0.01
Regulators BaFin, Bundesbank SVGFSA VFSC
Bonus 100% Deposit Bonus 20% to 200% Deposit Bonus 20% – 200% deposit bonus
Education No No No No
Platforms Own MT4, MT5 TradingView Own
Leverage 1:1000 1:500 1:500
Payment Methods 4 10 8 12
Visit Visit Visit Visit
Review Trade Republic
Review
World Forex
Review
Videforex
Review
BinaryCent
Review

Compare Trading Instruments

Compare the markets and instruments offered by Trade Republic and its competitors. Please note, some markets may only be available via CFDs or other derivatives.

Compare Trade Republic Trading Instruments
Trade Republic World Forex Videforex BinaryCent
Binary Options Yes Yes Yes Yes
Expiry Times 1 minute – 7 days 5 seconds – 1 month 5 seconds – 30 days
Ladder Options No No No No
Boundary Options No No No Yes
CFD Yes Yes Yes Yes
Forex Yes Yes Yes Yes
Stocks Yes Yes Yes Yes
Commodities Yes Yes Yes Yes
Oil No Yes Yes Yes
Gold Yes Yes Yes Yes
Copper No No Yes No
Silver Yes Yes No Yes
Corn No No No No
Crypto Yes Yes Yes Yes
Futures Yes No Yes No
Options Yes No No Yes
ETFs No No No No
Bonds No No No No
Warrants No No No No
Spreadbetting No No No No
Volatility Index No No No No

Trade Republic vs Other Brokers

Compare Trade Republic with any other broker by selecting the other broker below.

Trade Republic vs

FAQ

How Can I Open A Trade Republic Securities Account?

To open a securities account with Trade Republic, you must own a smartphone with iOS or Android as an operating system, be at least 18 years old and have a permanent residence in Germany, Austria or France (with tax liability). You must also have a European phone number and a SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) bank account. If you fit these requirements, simply follow the login process on the Trade Republic app to open an account.

How Is My Money Protected With Trade Republic?

Trade Republic segregate all client capital from their own using HSBC Berlin, ensuring insolvency does not cause significant losses. Additionally, clients are insured for up to €100,000 and accounts are supervised by the BaFin and Solaris Bank AG.

No, Trade Republic does not currently have any options for leveraged trading, despite a wide range of derivatives available to be traded. Margin accounts are available with other brokers like Degiro, ZuluTrade and Trading 212.

How Does Commission-Free Trading Work With Trade Republic?

Trade Republic receive rebates from trading partners, and as a result of this can offer no commission fees through their efficient pricing structure.

Is Trade Republic A Qualified Intermediary?

Trade Republic does not hold US qualified intermediary (QI) status. This means that clients looking to invest in US stocks, like Gamestop and other NASDAQ stocks, or indices, like the S&P 500, must consider US withholding tax implications in their ETF or other cost calculations.

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Trade Republic is a German-based mobile-only securities bank and stockbroker that supports stocks, derivatives and crypto trading.