Lightyear review

Pros and cons

Who it suits

• You want upkeep at €0 and inactivity at €0 and prefer XTB only if ticket fees matter more
• You seek stocks, ETFs and crypto from modest sums starting at €1 rather than eToro style ranged pricing

Who should look elsewhere

• You trade stocks very often and want ticket fees of $0 from ActivTrades rather than fees of $1
• You want phone or chat help rather than help on email and help centre, so XTB may suit you better

Regulation and registers

Lightyear operates under Estonian supervision. The public record names the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority as the competent authority for Lightyear Europe AS. The authorisation shown is MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54. That entry places the firm inside the European supervisory framework for investment and crypto asset services. You should read the licence entry together with the disclosures on the Lightyear site. The licence reference MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54 helps you find the correct entity when you search registers. It also helps you confirm that you are dealing with the intended European entity rather than a similarly named firm elsewhere. Keep a copy of the licence reference MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54 with your account records. If details change, updated entries will appear under the same supervisory approach. You can ask support to point you toward the current register entry. Using the licence reference MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54 keeps your checks precise. Supervision does not remove market risk. Prices can fall as well as rise. Your role is to confirm entity, authority and scope before you place orders, and to revisit those checks if you change residence or account type.

What trading costs

Stock trading carries fees of $1. That ticket applies when you buy or sell listed shares through the published pricing. Account upkeep sits at €0. That means you do not face a recurring platform charge for simply holding the account open. Inactivity also stays at €0. That structure suits you if you invest in bursts and then leave positions to mature. Currency conversion applies at 0.35% when your order currency differs from your account currency. That charge matters for overseas shares and for ETFs listed abroad. You can limit its effect by grouping orders in the same currency or by favouring listings in your home currency where suitable. Bank transfers in and out carry no extra platform charge, described in everyday terms on the pricing page. That keeps funding and withdrawals predictable. Interest on idle cash is separate from trading costs. Overall, the至今 cost picture combines fees of $1 per stock order with upkeep at €0, inactivity at €0 and conversion at 0.35%. Review that mix against your order size and trading rhythm before you commit.

Safety and regulation

Lightyear names Estonian Financial Supervision Authority and Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA) as its regulators. That points you toward Estonian supervision for the European entity. The licence entry is MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54. You can use that reference to locate the firm on public registers and to confirm entity scope. Investor protection is stated as EU ICS up to EUR 20,000. That wording sets the compensation limit that applies to eligible claims. It does not protect against market losses. Shares, ETFs, bonds, funds and crypto can fall in value. You should read the help pages on protection, asset segregation and claim eligibility. The combination of Estonian Financial Supervision Authority and Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA), the licence MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54 and cover at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 gives you a clear safety checklist. Confirm the regulator name, confirm the licence entry, note the protection limit, and keep records of statements and correspondence. If you move country, recheck which entity serves you and whether the same supervisory and protection terms continue to apply. That habit keeps your safety view current as rules and residence change.

How Lightyear compares

• 

  Nexo

  8.9 vs 9.0
• 

  MC Prime

  8.9 vs 9.4
• 

  Simply Wall St

  8.9 vs 8.7
• 

  MarketScreener

• 

  ActivTrades

  ActivTrades lists stock trade fees of $0 while Lightyear lists fees of $1, which matters if you place many equity orders.

  8.9 vs 9.4
• 

  CORUM Vastgoedfondsen

  8.9 vs 8.7
• 

  DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank)

  8.9 vs 9.0
• 

  XTB

  XTB lists stock trade fees of €0 while Lightyear lists fees of $1, useful to compare ticket costs side by side.

  8.9 vs 9.3
• 

  NAGA

  8.9 vs 8.7
• 

  UNest

  Lightyear vs UNest8.9 vs 8.6
• 

  eToro

  eToro lists stock trade fees that run $1 to $2 while Lightyear lists fees of $1, so you can weigh flat versus ranged pricing.

  Lightyear vs eToro8.9 vs 9.2
• 

  Linxea

  8.9 vs 8.7
• 

  Kitco

• 

  Mintos

  8.9 vs 9.1
• 

  The Best Prop

• 

  EBC Financial Group

  8.9 vs 9.0
• 

  Instant Funding

  8.9 vs 9.0
• P

  Pepperstone

• 

  Vaulted

• 

  wikifolio.com

• I

  Intellectia

• W

  Winvest

• LI

  Libertex International

• XV

  XM VN

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• lightyear.com/en-eu/pricing checked September 29, 2026

  Backs: Inactivity fee, Account types, Interest on cash, Deposit and withdrawal fees, Currency conversion fee, Markets, Pricing model, Account fee, Stock trade fee

  “Account fee - We don't charge you for leaving your money to grow.”

• lightyear.com checked September 26, 2026

  Backs: Minimum investment, Portfolio types

  “No minimum. From 1 EUR to infinity. We do not limit the amount you can add to the vaults.”

• lightyear.com/en-eu/help checked September 26, 2026

  Backs: Investor protection, Regulators

• lightyear.com/lv-lv checked September 26, 2026

  Backs: Features

  “From stocks to funds, bonds and more - fractional shares”