quirion vs Scalable Capital

The management fee is 0.48%, taken on the portfolio rather than per trade. Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge, and support comes through email, chat and phone. The fee sits above the robo-advisor median of 0.35%, so a large balance costs more than it would at a lower-fee rival.

quirion is regulated by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), the German financial supervisor, so it operates under supervision rather than as an informal saving scheme. Money with quirion is covered by the EU investor compensation scheme up to the limit that scheme states. That protection concerns the firm failing, not the market moving against a portfolio.

The self-directed account takes a minimum deposit of €1, so you can open and fund it from a small amount. That entry point is well below the typical requirement, which is one of the reasons people try the app first. You can add to it as your savings grow.

Management fees run at 0.245% to 0.375% a year on the managed side, charged on the portfolio rather than per trade. That sits above the cheapest managed plans elsewhere, so it pays to compare before committing a large lump sum. Smaller pots feel the percentage more.