tradegate.direct Review

Company background

tradegate.direct is a retail brokerage service launched in June 2024 by Tradegate AG Wertpapierhandelsbank, the Berlin-based operator of the Tradegate Exchange. Unlike most neobrokers that partner with a custodian bank, Tradegate AG holds its own full banking license, which means tradegate.direct can act as both broker and custodian without an intermediary. The settlement account is held with BNP Paribas. The platform is targeted at German private investors and markets itself as a direct channel to the Tradegate Exchange, the second most liquid retail exchange in Germany after Xetra.

The service launched with a focus on commission-free trading for stocks, exchange-traded products and derivatives. By 2025 the product range had expanded to include over 7,000 stocks, approximately 4,000 ETPs, more than 5,000 mini futures and over 4,400 savings plans. Bonds, investment funds and foreign currency accounts are not offered.

Fees and pricing

tradegate.direct lists trading commissions as zero for stocks, ETPs, mini futures and savings plan executions. There is no account management fee and no inactivity fee. Foreign currency conversion is charged at 0.40% for trades in non-EUR denominated securities. Xetra Gold positions carry a custody fee of 0.03% per month. ADR name registration costs 2 EUR per position. The minimum purchase order size is EUR 500 for stocks and EUR 100 for ETPs, while savings plans start from EUR 25 per execution.

Deposits are made by bank transfer from a linked account and no deposit fee is stated. Withdrawals return funds to the same linked bank account and no withdrawal fee is stated by the broker.

Regulation and safety

tradegate.direct operates under Tradegate AG Wertpapierhandelsbank, which holds a full banking license and is supervised by BaFin, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. Because Tradegate AG is a licensed bank, client cash in the settlement account benefits from the statutory German deposit guarantee scheme up to EUR 100,000. Securities held in custody are segregated assets and are not part of the broker's balance sheet, so they are protected in the event of the broker's insolvency regardless of the deposit guarantee limit.

Platform experience

tradegate.direct is available via a web-based trading platform and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The platform supports market, limit, stop, OCO and trailing stop orders. Users can open two separate depots for different investment strategies and create multiple watchlists. Real-time quotes from the Tradegate Exchange are included. Trading hours run from 7:30 to 22:00 CET. No demo account is listed as an available feature. Account opening uses a video identification process through a WebID provider. Support is available by email only; no phone or live chat support is offered.

Pros and cons

tradegate.direct's main advantages are zero trading commissions across stocks, ETPs and mini futures, no account or inactivity fees, extended trading hours, BaFin regulation with a full banking license, and EUR 100,000 deposit protection. The advanced order types and dual-depot feature add flexibility for active investors. The main drawbacks are restriction to a single trading venue, a EUR 500 minimum for stock purchases, no portfolio transfer functionality, no crypto or CFD trading, no foreign currency accounts and email-only customer support.