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Europeans are often spoilt for choice when having to choose the right trading app to use and this includes both iOS and Android users.
The real challenge lies in sifting through them to get the best trading app that will perfectly suit the investor’s needs. Although this can be a somewhat daunting task, we’ve helped narrow down the search by testing and reviewing the most popular stock trading apps in Europe.
We’ve examined the top apps and how well they’ll serve beginner, long-term investors and even people that trade stocks as a hobby. The criteria used were based on fees, user experience, charting and more.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Contents
What is the difference between mobile and desktop stock trading apps?
One important factor to always keep in mind is that there’s a huge difference between mobile and desktop trading apps. This especially comes to fore for newbie investors that aren’t familiar with the difference between both platforms
For starters, mobile trading apps are perfect for executing trades on the go. This comes in handy when the broker needs to react to vital market-moving news when they don’t have access to a computer.
In contrast, desktop trading apps are well suited for sophisticated analysis, like editing charts or trend lines. On the other hand, the mobile and desktop/web trading interfaces have lots of similarities but they differ in functionality.
Overview of the Best 5 Trading Apps in Europe – Our Top Picks for 2023
There are several features to look out for when choosing the best stock trading app. For starters, the app should make it easy for brokers to trade on a wide range of equity markets via a mobile device at the lowest or even zero cost.
Here are some of our top picks
Interactive Brokers: Best all-around app
Interactive Brokers has set itself apart from others in the field thanks to its amazing service offerings. It’s one trading platform that brokers can literally brag that has all the bells and whistles needed to trade on a mobile.
For starters, brokers have access to more than 150 market destinations across 33 countries. They support top assets like Bonds, ETFs, Stocks, Funds, Commodities, Forex, Cryptos Futures, Futures, CFDs, Options, and even micro caps with little to no liquidity.
In addition, business owners can use the business account of Interactive Brokers for their company. The trading experience is second to none for users that know make use of their vast library of learning resources.
That’s not all, users get the best customization with the desktop version i.e. the TWS platform. This includes making advanced conditional order types like one-triggers-another and one-cancels-another.
Apart from the TWS platform, brokers can invest with an almost perfect mobile app or the more advanced web version.
| Account Types | Individual, Joint, UGMA/UTMA, Islamic, Trust, IRA, and Demo Accounts. |
| Supported Assets | Stocks, Forex, Options, Futures, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, and Funds |
| Tools | IBKR Mobile and IBKR GlobalTrader app |
| Fees & Charges | Minimum Deposit: €/$0 Fees: $0.0035 per US stock (min. $0.35 per order) |
| Mobile Trading | Supported |
| Overall Rating | 4.8★ |
- Low trading fees
- Extensive product range
- Advanced trading platform (Trader Workstation)
- Global market access (135 markets in 33 countries)
- Fractional shares trading
- Strong customer support
- Comprehensive research tools
- High account minimums ($10,000)
- Complexity of trading platform (may be overwhelming for beginners)
eToro has carved a niche for itself in the mobile stock trading industry to the point where the platform now houses more than 30 million users worldwide. eToro has always been a well known name in European stock trading circles and from the look of things, they are still waxing stronger.
Beginner traders that want simplicity but still have access to a wide selection of products often prefer this platform. Investors get to enjoy zero-commission ETF and stock trades, together with a vibrant community of other experienced social traders.
Social trading has gained mainstream acceptance in the last few years. It is a practice where investors copy the trades of more experienced traders who have winning strategies. On eToro, this process is automated, which allows users to passively and effectively follow and implement these strategies.
It comes with a two-factor login and it’s offered in 21 languages and still counting. This makes it perfect for the extremely diverse eurozone.
In addition, eToro is great for CFDs (contracts for differences). These allow traders to take advantage of price movements of currencies, underlying securities, or commodities without having to own them.
| Account Types | Professional Account, Islamic account, Retail Account and Demo account. |
| Supported Assets | Futures and Options, Bonds, Stocks, ETFs, new shares at IPO (initial price offering) |
| Tools | eToro mobile app and web app |
| Fees & Charges | Minimum Deposit: €0 (€2,000 for IPOs) Fees from €0.008 per share |
| Mobile Trading | Supported |
| Overall Rating | 4.7★ |
- User-friendly platform
- Social trading feature
- Diverse range of assets
- Free demo account
- Educational resources
- Higher fees
- Limited advanced tools
Freedom24 – Best app for research and IPOs
There is a lot to admire about the platform Freedom24. A lot more people know Freedom Finance, the parent company.
Founded in 2008, the platform has more than 400,000 clients with a wide range of product offerings. One thing that makes the platform unique is that it gives retail traders access to IPOs. Previously, this was exclusively a right enjoyed by institutional brokers.
To begin trading, customers select their ideal service plans which are all quoted in euros. Each plan offers different trading benefits to help optimize the trading experience and costs. Another feature that makes Freedom24’s a user favourite is the fact that they allow for free trading for the user’s first 30 days.
Their platform also offers invaluable tools for both beginners and expert traders and they also have the InvestIdeas blog at their disposal. Freedom24 is loaded with research from analysts at Freedom Finance securities which includes actual forecasts and recommendations.
The mobile app is pretty straightforward with an intuitive navigation panel. The panel offers a personal overview in line with various international exchanges (it’s filtered by region) and appropriate research for the trader.
| Account Types | Stocks and ETFs, IPO Info, Savings D-account, Affiliate program, Investideas, and White label |
| Supported Assets | ETFs, Stocks, Futures and Options, Bonds, new shares at initial (IPO) price |
| Tools | Freedom24 app |
| Fees & Charges | Minimum Deposit €0 and €2,000 for IPOs Fees start from €0.008 per share |
| Mobile Trading | Supported |
| Overall Rating | 4.6★ |
- User-friendly platform
- Educational resources
- Customer support
- Access to global markets
- Competitive fees
- Account options
- Mobile app
- Limited advanced trading tools
- No demo account
DEGIRO – Best app for ETFs
The platform has lived up to the billing so far as UK’s Financial Times and Investors Chronicle named it the “Top Rated Overall Investment Platform & Investment App 2020.”
Also, the company bagged an award from Brokerchooser as the “Best Discount Broker 2021.” This is just to mention a few of their 80 international awards that recognizes DEGIRO as one of the cheapest and best mobile platforms for investors in Europe.
DEGIRO is the ideal fit for most investors regardless of their skill level. They offer a highly competitive commission structure together with a wide range portfolio of investment options. At the time of compiling this article, Degiro has an estimated two million clients using its services. On the other hand, the platform charges a fixed fee of €0.50 for most transactions. Also, they fall short in areas of research and they don’t have a demo account for users.
| Account Types | Custody account, active account, Basic account, and Trader account. |
| Supported Assets | ETFs, Stocks, bonds, futures, mutual funds, and options |
| Tools | DeGiro Trading Broker API, DeGiro Web Trader app and DeGiro mobile app |
| Fees & Charges | Minimum Deposit: €/£0 Commissions: €/£0 for certain ETFs |
| Mobile Trading | Supported |
| Overall Rating | 4.6★ |
- Low fees
- Wide range of investment options
- User-friendly platform
- International market access
- No minimum deposit
- Good customer support
- Limited research and analysis tools
- No forex trading
Conclusion
Starting the online trading journey may sometimes feel daunting. As luck would have it, we’ve done most of the hard work to ease the journey. Investing and trading in stocks are filled with amazing opportunities and with the offering of great rewards when done right. That’s why there are a lot of things to consider when registering with a new stockbroker. The most important fact is to ensure priorities are rightly evaluated.
FAQs
The best investing and stock trading apps for Europeans is eToro while DEGIRO comes a close second. Both platforms are discount brokers and they have attractive pricing models. However, eToro gives commission-free stock trading, with no ticket fees, no markup, and no management fees.
Also, the platform offers more than 145 ETFs and 2,000 stocks. On the other hand, DEGIRO gives budget prices on ETFs and stocks, zero service fees, and gives access to various stock exchanges worldwide.
eToro also comes out tops when considering free trading apps in Europe. As a matter of fact, the platform offers zero commissions, no-strings-attached ETF trading and stocks.
For starters, it is important to note whether the user wants to do active trading or just investing. For investors, In addition, Interactive brokers have great and resourceful educational tutorials and videos.
Firstly, the investor has to glean information from online discussions and reviews about the prospective brokerage app. Next, they have to figure out the features that are important for their investing needs.
They have to consider whether they’re going for conventional equity investments like bonds, stocks, and ETFs or if they want to actively trade leveraged instruments. This will help determine the right broker as there are several operating in various markets.
For a fact, very little funds are needed to start investing when using an online brokerage app. Most of these brokers offer stocks and ETFs commission-free trades, while others allow users buy a fraction of expensive stocks with as low as €1.
StockHax strives to provide unbiased and reliable information on cryptocurrency, finance, trading, and stocks. However, we cannot provide financial advice and urge users to do their own research and due diligence.
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