Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs IG
What sets them apart
| Compare |  flatex Online-Broker (DE) |  IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | €5.90 | £0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Crypto, Bonds, Funds, Metals | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto, Spread betting |
| Regulators | BaFin | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPCCovers more |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile | Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 69% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.4% | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free | Not confirmed |
| Account types | Joint | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5% |
Same on both: Account fee (€0), Investor protection (EU ICS up to EUR 20,000).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- IG scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only IG offers SIPC.
- IG is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only flatex Online-Broker (DE) offers Bonds, Funds, Metals.
- Markets: only IG offers Futures, Spread betting.
- Platforms: only flatex Online-Broker (DE) offers Web, Mobile.
- Platforms: only IG offers Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime.
- Features: only flatex Online-Broker (DE) offers Crypto.
- Features: only IG offers Fractional shares.
- Pricing model: only flatex Online-Broker (DE) offers Low fees.
Our verdict on each
flatex Online-Broker (DE)
flatex suits investors who prefer a flat fee per trade and no account charge. A stock trade costs €5.90, the account fee is €0 and deposits and withdrawals are free, so holding an account costs nothing beyond each order placed.
IG
IG suits traders who want shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting under a single roof, with an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5% on uninvested balances. Share dealing runs commission-free, while the retail loss rate is 69%.
Score breakdown
| Area | flatex Online-Broker (DE) | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.8Account fee of €0, a flat €5.90 per stock trade and free deposits. | 9.3Higher |
| Offer | 9.2 | 9.6HigherCommission-free share dealing, a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5%. |
| Trust | 8.6 | 9.5Higher |
Licences and countries
| Country | flatex Online-Broker (DE) | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 | |
| United States | Not confirmed | SIPC SIPC member 71021 |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | flatex Online-Broker (DE) | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 178 of 471 | 48 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 75 of 147 | 18 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 73 of 145 | 16 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 63 of 122 | 14 of 122 |
| Options trading platforms | 60 of 103 | 12 of 103 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | flatex Online-Broker (DE) | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Crypto, Demo account, Mobile app | Demo account, Mobile app, Fractional shares |
| Pricing model | Low fees | Commission free |
| Legal entity | flatexDEGIRO SE | IG Europe GmbH |
| Headquarters | Germany | Germany |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | flatex Online-Broker (DE) | IG | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | €0at the median | €0at the median | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 69%below the median | 72.05% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.4%below the median | Not confirmed | 0.45% |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5%below the median | 3% |
Median across 52 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
flatex Online-Broker (DE)
Pros
- No account fee: €0 on the standard account.
- Deposits and withdrawals are free: free.
- A flat stock trade fee of €5.90 rather than a percentage, with currency exchange at 0.4%.
Cons
- The stock trade fee of €5.90 is higher than most rivals, where the site median is €0.
- Only a joint account type is listed in joint, so there is no ISA or SIPP wrapper for UK investors.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre only, with no live chat listed.
IG
Pros
- Markets list stocks, etfs and forex, so shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting sit together.
- Regulated by Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, with client protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
- Platform choice runs Mobile trading, L2 Dealer and ProRealTime.
Cons
- Retail accounts that lose money come to 69%.
- The commission-free model in commission free applies to share dealing, and it does not extend to trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options or futures.
- Accounts sit with IG Europe GmbH in Germany, so compensation stops at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
Who each suits
flatex Online-Broker (DE)
Who it suits
- Investors in Germany who want a flat fee per trade and no account charge
- Long-term stock, ETF, fund and bond holders rather than active traders
- Anyone who needs crypto, forex, CFDs and options under the same account
Who should look elsewhere
- Day traders, who pay €5.90 on every small order where eToro charges $0
- UK investors after an ISA or SIPP wrapper, since joint lists a joint account only
IG
Who it suits
- Traders who want stocks, etfs and forex reachable from the same account rather than several platforms.
- Share buyers who want dealing on a commission-free basis, since commission free covers their trades.
- EU clients who weight regulation and compensation, given Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC and EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want a platform built around share dealing and crypto alone should compare CFI, whose stocks, etfs and forex is a shorter, simpler list.
- Investors priced in dollars rather than euros should weigh eToro, where the stock trade fee is $0.
- Anyone weighing only the account charge should know Vantage lists $0, so IG's €0 is not the only way to hold an account cheaply.
Current offers
flatex Online-Broker (DE)
Current offer
Bonus
20 commission-free trades on account opening: 20 trades
upon account opening
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | flatex Online-Broker (DE) | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Yes | No |
Questions about each
flatex Online-Broker (DE)
What does it cost to trade a stock at flatex?+
A stock trade costs €5.90 per order, the same flat rate on every trade size. There is no account fee, at €0, so holding an account adds nothing to the bill. For comparison, the typical broker charges €0 per stock trade.
Is there any account or inactivity fee?+
The account fee is €0, so there is nothing to pay for holding the account open. No separate inactivity charge appears in the available details. Across the brokers listed, the highest account fee reaches €219.24.
IG
What does it cost to trade shares with IG?+
Share dealing runs on a commission-free model, with a stock trade fee of £0 and an account fee of €0. Those are the two figures that matter for holding and trading, and both sit at the floor of the site tables. Trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options and futures are quoted apart from share dealing.
Who regulates IG and is my money protected?+
The regulators are Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, and the licences listed are MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 and SIPC member 71021. Client protection in the EU is EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, so a claim against the firm is covered only up to that ceiling. Any balance above the cap is your own exposure.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- IG vs Nexo
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Trading 212
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs LYNX
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Vanguard
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs tastytrade
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Tradier
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Libertex
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Lightspeed Financial
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs FXTM
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs VT Markets
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs quantfury
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Wealthfront
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Wealthsimple
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Capital.com
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Trade Nation
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs ActivTrades
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs XTB
- IG vs NAGA
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs eToro
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Mintos
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Bitpanda
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Robinhood
- IG vs S Broker
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs Kraken
- flatex Online-Broker (DE) vs EBC Financial Group