Updated September 28, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
growney vs SoFi
Where growney and SoFi differ
| Compare |  growney |  SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Regulators | Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), Deutsche Bundesbank | SIPC, FDIC |
| Investor protection | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 | SIPC up to USD 500,000 |
| Account types | Joint, Corporate | IRA, Roth IRA, Joint |
| Portfolio types | ETF, ESG, Cash | ETF, Cash, Crypto |
| Management fee | 0.38% to 0.68% | Not confirmed |
| Minimum investment | €25 | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Regulators: only growney offers Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), Deutsche Bundesbank.
- Regulators: only SoFi offers SIPC, FDIC.
- Founded is lower at SoFi: 2011 vs 2014.
- Account types: only growney offers Corporate.
- Account types: only SoFi offers IRA, Roth IRA.
- Portfolio types: only growney offers ESG.
- Portfolio types: only SoFi offers Crypto.
Our verdict on each
growney
growney suits beginners in Germany who want savings and a managed portfolio under one roof, with joint and corporate accounts offered alongside ETF, ESG and cash portfolios. Entry starts at €25, and cash is offered at 2.25%, so a saver can begin small.
SoFi
SoFi suits retirement savers in the US, with a stock trade fee of $0, an account fee of $0 and a minimum deposit of $0. The named licences are US registrations, so readers outside the US should check the account types and terms first.
Score breakdown
| Area | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.9Management fee of 0.38% to 0.68% a year against a robo-advisor median of 0.35%, with deposits and withdrawals free. | 9.5HigherRanks 1 of 161 on stock trade fee, 1 of 138 on account fee, 1 of 56 on inactivity fee. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.4 |
| Trust | 9.4Higher | 9.2 |
Feature by feature
| Portfolio types | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| ETF | Yes | Yes |
| ESG | Yes | No |
| Cash | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Account types | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| IRA | No | Yes |
| Roth IRA | No | Yes |
| Joint | Yes | Yes |
| Corporate | Yes | No |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Not confirmed | |
| United States | Not confirmed | SIPC SIPC member 68389 FDIC FDIC cert 26881 |
Additional countries for growney: 1. Additional countries for SoFi: 1.
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 70 of 471 | 80 of 471 |
| Brokers for beginners | 22 of 88 | 26 of 88 |
| Robo-advisors | 18 of 151 | 22 of 151 |
Sources behind this comparison
growney
- growney.de: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
SoFi
- en.wikipedia.org: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- sipc.org: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- banks.data.fdic.gov: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | growney GmbH | SOFI SECURITIES LLC |
| Headquarters | Germany | United States |
| Founded | 2014 | 2011Lower |
| Support channels | Phone, Chat, Email, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Brokers
| Fact | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Markets | ETFs, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Crypto |
| Features | Not confirmed | Crypto, Fractional shares, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Tages- und Festgeld kostenlos | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 2.25% | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | growney | SoFi | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.38% to 0.68%above the median | Not confirmed | 0.345 |
| Minimum investment | €25at the median | Not confirmed | €25 |
Median across 86 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
growney
Pros
- Day and fixed-term deposits carry no deposit or withdrawal charge.
- German supervision through BaFin and the Deutsche Bundesbank, with protection at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
- Help runs on phone, chat and email, so a first-time investor has several routes to an answer.
Cons
- The management fee of 0.38% to 0.68% a year is the main ongoing cost, sitting above providers charging 0%.
- Instruments run to etfs and funds, so there is no direct share dealing here.
- Account types are limited to joint and corporate.
SoFi
Pros
- A stock trade costs $0 on a commission free model, so cost does not decide which shares you can hold.
- The account fee is $0 and the inactivity fee is $0, so extra accounts and balances left untouched are not billed.
- The minimum deposit is $0 where Vantage asks $5, so a small amount can start an account.
Cons
- The account types listed are ira, roth ira and joint, retirement and joint accounts, and a general taxable account is not among them.
- Markets stop at stocks, etfs and options, while eToro lists stocks, etfs and forex, so forex, CFDs and futures are out of reach here.
- The group sits in US and its registrations are SIPC member 68389 and FDIC cert 26881, with no UK or EU regulator named.
Who each suits
growney
Who it suits
- Beginners in Germany who want savings and a managed portfolio without choosing holdings themselves.
- Couples and companies, since joint and corporate accounts are supported.
- Anyone who wants day and fixed-term deposits alongside an invested plan.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not eToro, which charges 0% in management fees and suits people who place trades themselves.
- Not Axos Invest, whose minimum starts at $100 against €25 here.
- Not Vivid Standard, where plans run at 0.5% to 1.5% a year against 0.38% to 0.68% here.
SoFi
Who it suits
- Beginners, which the audience fact lists as beginners, who want to start small with a $0 minimum deposit.
- Retirement savers who want an IRA, a Roth IRA or a joint account at $0 in account fees.
- Fractional share buyers who want crypto and equities in the same app, as the feature list crypto, fractional shares and mobile app shows.
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders after forex, CFDs or futures, since eToro lists stocks, etfs and forex and SoFi lists stocks, etfs and options.
- Investors who want a broader spread of instruments than shares, ETFs, options and crypto, since CFI lists stocks, etfs and forex.
- Readers who need a UK or EU regulated provider, because the licences named are SIPC member 68389 and FDIC cert 26881.
Country by country
| Country | growney | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
growney
What does growney charge to manage my money?+
growney takes a management fee of 0.38% to 0.68% a year on the portfolio it runs. That is the main ongoing cost, and it sits in the middle of the robo-advisor range, where the upper quartile reaches 0.6%. Day and fixed-term deposits add no deposit or withdrawal charge.
How much do I need to start with growney?+
The minimum investment is €25, below the robo-advisor median of €60.06. A low entry suits a beginner trying a managed approach, and it makes it easy to hold a small portfolio while the rest of the money sits in savings.
SoFi
What does it cost to open and hold a SoFi account?+
The published minimum deposit is $0, the account fee is $0 and the inactivity fee is $0, so opening and holding an account adds no charge on the listed terms. Those are account level figures, which is the first thing to check before you choose a wrapper or leave a balance untouched.
What does a stock trade cost?+
A stock trade costs $0 and the pricing model is commission free, so commission does not decide which shares you can hold. Other brands on the site charge a stock trade fee as high as €17.54, and the account fee of $0 and inactivity fee of $0 add nothing on top.
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