Best Broker for Options Trading 2026
Options trading requires a specialized broker with derivatives access and professional tools.
Options brokers: EUREX, CBOE and professional tooling
Options trading is a different world from stocks. You need a broker with real EUREX or CBOE access, low per-contract fees (ideally under €1.50 per contract) and a platform that computes Greeks in real time. Discount brokers like Trade Republic or Scalable Capital offer options either not at all or only via knock-out certificates — which is not the same product.
Margin, short-selling and spread strategies
If you want to trade iron condors, calendar spreads or cash-secured puts, you need a margin account and a broker that accepts multi-leg strategies as a single order ticket. Otherwise commission costs balloon. Short-selling capability and a sensible pattern-day-trader threshold also matter — below them, US daytrading is effectively impossible.
Interactive Brokers
Options & derivatives access
Interactive Brokers is the professional's choice with access to 150+ exchanges, all product classes, and the lowest fees for active traders.
DEGIRO
Options & derivatives access
DEGIRO offers access to 50+ exchanges worldwide at low fees. Ideal for internationally diversified portfolios.
Smartbroker+
Options & derivatives access
Smartbroker+ offers free trades from €500 order volume and free Xetra access. A strong competitor to Trade Republic.
Flatex
Options & derivatives access
Flatex is especially popular in Austria as a tax-simple broker with access to many exchanges and derivatives.
Plus500
Options & derivatives access
Plus500 is a CFD broker with 0 commission and spread-based pricing. Over 2,800 instruments across CFDs on stocks, forex, crypto CFDs, commodities, ETFs and options. Note: 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Fee Comparison: Best Brokers for Options Trading
| Broker | Order Fee | Savings Plan | Account | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | $0.005/Aktie (min $1) oder Fixed $1 | - | 0€/Jahr | |
| DEGIRO | 2€ + 0.03% (Europa) / 2€ + 0.05% (USA) | - | 0€/Jahr + 2.50€ Konnektivitätsgebühr/Börse/Jahr | |
| Smartbroker+ | 0€ (gettex, ab 500€) / 4€ (Xetra) | ✅ 0€ | 0€/Jahr | |
| Flatex | 5.90€ + Börsengebühr | 1.50€ | 0€/Jahr | |
| Plus500 | 0€ (Spread-basiert) | - | 0€/Jahr |
| #1 | Interactive Brokers | 4.5/5 | |
| #2 | DEGIRO | 4.0/5 | −0.5/5 vs #1 |
| #3 | Smartbroker+ | 4.0/5 | −0.5/5 vs #1 |
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers leads on "BMInsider rating" by 0.5/5 vs runner-up DEGIRO.
What matters when choosing a broker for Options Trading
- Direct access to EUREX and CBOE
- Low per-contract option fees
- Margin account and short-selling available
- Professional order types (limit, stop, trailing)