Detailed comparison of all fees, features, and suitability — updated for 2026.
Plus500 is the better choice for CFD Traders, while Scalable Capital wins for Active Traders. Which one suits you depends on your strategy — the detailed comparison below shows every difference.
| Metric | Plus500 | Scalable Capital | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order fee per trade | 0.00 € | 0.99 € | 0.99 € cheaper at Plus500 |
| 10y savings plan cost @ €100/month | 0 € | 0 € | identical |
| Interest on €10,000 cash (1 year) | — | 2.60 % = 260 € | +260 € more at Scalable Capital / year |
| Free ETF savings plans | 0 | 2.400 | +2.400 more at Scalable Capital |
| Available exchanges | 1 | 2 | +1 more at Scalable Capital |
| BMInsider rating | 3.8/5 | 4.2/5 | +0.4 at Scalable Capital |
All fees, products, and platform features compared side-by-side. The "Winner" column shows which broker leads in each category.
| Feature | Plus500 | Scalable Capital | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees & Costs | |||
| Order Fee | 0€ (Spread-based) | 0.99€ or flat rate from 4.99€/Month | Plus500 |
| ETF Savings Plan Fee | - | 0€ | Scalable Capital |
| Account Fee | 0€/Year | 0€ (Free) / 4.99€/Mo (Plus) / 9.99€/Mo (Premium) | Tie |
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | 0€ | Tie |
| Interest on Cash | 0% | 2.6% (Plus/Premium) | Scalable Capital |
| Product Range | |||
| Stocks | Tie | ||
| ETFs | Tie | ||
| Crypto | Tie | ||
| Options | Plus500 | ||
| CFDs | Tie | ||
| Fractional Shares | Scalable Capital | ||
| Number of Exchanges | Plus500 intern | gettex, Xetra | Scalable Capital |
| Platform & Tools | |||
| Mobile App | Tie | ||
| Desktop Platform | Tie | ||
| Demo Account | Plus500 | ||
| Security & Regulation | |||
| Regulated by | CySEC / FCA / ASIC | BaFin | Tie |
| Deposit Protection | €20.000 (ICF) | 100.000€ | Tie |
| Founded | 2008 | 2014 | Tie |
| Overall Rating | |||
| Rating | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Scalable Capital |
Depending on your strategy and experience, one broker fits better. Here's how to decide:
Low barriers, simple app, demo account and no hidden costs — perfect to get started.
More about Plus500 →Low per-order fees, many trading venues and derivatives access — important if you trade regularly.
More about Plus500 →Free savings plans, interest on cash and no custody fee — what matters when you buy & hold.
More about Scalable Capital →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.
Particularly suitable for: CFD Traders, Active Traders, Experienced CFD Traders.
Scalable Capital offers a flat-rate model from €4.99/month for unlimited trades. With Xetra access and free savings plans, a good choice for active investors.
Particularly suitable for: Active Traders, Savings Plan Investors, Beginners.
Plus500 (Plus500CY Ltd, CySEC Cyprus, LSE-listed as PLUS) and Scalable Capital (Scalable Capital GmbH, founded 2014 in Munich, BaFin) serve different investing goals. Scalable is a German neo-broker with two tariffs: FREE €0.99/trade (or €0 on PRIME ETFs from €250 volume) and PRIME+ €4.99/month for €0 commission from €250 plus 2.6% cash interest. 8 000+ stocks, 2 700+ ETFs, 30+ crypto ETPs savings-plan ready from €1. Plus500 is CFD-only — no real stocks, no ETFs, no savings plans; only leveraged CFDs on 2 800+ underlyings.
Honest take: anyone holding ETFs and stocks for wealth picks Scalable. Anyone running short-term leveraged speculation on index, forex or crypto CFDs picks Plus500. Both offer crypto, but in fundamentally different wrappers (ETP/spot vs CFD).
You want CFD leverage. Plus500 allows stock CFDs 5:1, index 20:1, forex 30:1, crypto 2:1. Scalable offers no CFDs — you can run leveraged long/short via knock-outs but not in the same flow as a classic CFD.
You trade forex on EUR/USD, GBP/USD etc. Plus500 offers ~70 currency pairs with spreads from 0.7 pip. Scalable has zero forex.
You want 24/7 crypto-CFD speculation. Plus500: 25 crypto CFDs with weekend trading and short ability. Scalable crypto ETPs trade only during Xetra hours Mon–Fri.
You want zero order commission. Plus500 charges nothing — only spread plus optional overnight funding. Scalable FREE costs €0.99/trade on stock pieces (except PRIME ETFs ≥ €250); Scalable PRIME+ is €4.99/month subscription.
You want no banking bureaucracy. Plus500 onboards in 5 min via VideoIdent. Scalable requires BaFin bank opening with Postident or VideoIdent.
You're building real stock/ETF wealth. Scalable is BaFin-regulated via Baader Bank custody — you own real securities with voting and dividend rights. 2 700+ ETFs savings-plan ready from €1, all savings plans free. Plus500 has zero savings plans and no ownership.
You want the German standard tax certificate. Scalable withholds 25% KESt + 5.5% Soli automatically. Plus500 as Cypriot CySEC pays gross; you self-declare in Anlage KAP and respect the €20 000 loss cap on derivative transactions.
You want PRIME+ cash interest. Scalable PRIME+ pays approximately 2.6% p.a. on idle EUR cash up to €500 000. Plus500 pays zero interest on account cash.
You want savings plans / drawdown plans. Scalable Auszahlplan enables regular withdrawals from the portfolio — e.g. for early retirement. Plus500 has no drawdown plan; CFDs are not an investment wrapper for that.
You want crypto exposure via ETPs rather than CFDs. Scalable offers 30+ crypto ETPs (BTC, ETH, SOL etc. as physically backed spot products) with savings-plan eligibility. Crypto ETPs are real securities, inheritable, with no self-custody wallet risk.
Germany — Scalable steuereinfach, Plus500 not. Scalable withholds 25% KESt + 5.5% Soli automatically and issues an annual tax certificate. Plus500 as Cypriot CySEC pays gross; CFD gains go in Anlage KAP.
€20 000 loss cap on CFDs: Since 2026 losses from derivative transactions are capped at €20 000/year. Applies to Plus500. Scalable stocks/ETFs/crypto-ETPs are exempt — crypto ETPs are securities, not derivatives.
Austria — neither steuereinfach. Scalable has no AT KESt arrangement. AT users self-declare via FinanzOnline E1kv. Plus500 carries an extra 27.5% AT special rate.
Vorabpauschale 2026: Scalable books automatically on 2 January. Plus500 has no ETFs.
Crypto tax: Scalable crypto ETPs fall under §20 EStG (capital income, 25% KESt). Plus500 crypto CFDs are §23 EStG derivative transactions (25% KESt, €20 000 cap). The ETP route is often more tax-efficient for buy-and-hold.
US dividends: Scalable uses W-8BEN, 15% US tax credited automatically. Plus500: only cash adjustment minus 30% US withholding on stock-CFD dividends.
Profile A — Active investor: 1 monthly €200 savings plan, 60 trades at €2 000 on stocks/ETFs, €5 000 idle cash buffer.
| Item | Plus500 | Scalable PRIME+ |
|---|---|---|
| 12× €200 savings plan | not offered | €0 |
| 60× €2 000 stock/ETF buys | not offered | €0 (≥€250 PRIME) |
| PRIME+ subscription | n/a | €59.88 |
| Cash interest on €5 000 | €0 | +€130 (2.6%) |
| Yearly balance A | n/a | ≈€70 gain |
Profile B — Active index-CFD trader: 100 trades/year on DE40 CFD at €5 000, 20 held overnight.
| Item | Plus500 | Scalable |
|---|---|---|
| 100× DE40 spread | ≈€120 (0.8 pt) | not offered |
| Overnight funding 20× | ≈€45 | n/a |
| Yearly cost B | ≈€165 | n/a |
Conclusion: Profile A is crystal-clear Scalable — Plus500 has no real savings plans. Profile B only at Plus500 — Scalable has no CFDs.
Pick: Scalable FREE. 2 700+ savings plans from €1 free. Plus500 has no savings plans.
Pick: Scalable PRIME+. €4.99/month plus cash interest plus €0 commission from €250. Plus500 doesn't compete.
Pick: Plus500. Tight spread, no commission, forex and 24/7 crypto CFDs. Scalable has no CFDs.
Pick: Scalable. Crypto ETPs physically backed, spot nature, inheritable, tax-simpler than CFDs. Plus500 crypto is a CFD bet.
Pick: Plus500. If your profile is leveraged CFDs, no match at Scalable. For CFD leverage you go to Plus500 or specialists like IG, CMC.
Answers to the most common questions about Plus500 vs Scalable Capital.
For order fees, Plus500 leads at 0€ (Spread-basiert), while Scalable Capital charges 0.99€ oder Flatrate ab 4.99€/Monat. Note: with CFD brokers, spreads add hidden cost — the lower nominal price isn't always cheaper overall.
Plus500 is regulated by CySEC / FCA / ASIC, Scalable Capital by BaFin. Both fall under EU oversight. Deposit protection: Plus500 €20.000 (ICF), Scalable Capital 100.000€.
For German/Austrian customers, language, BaFin regulation and tax-simple status often matter most. Check the 'Regulated by' and 'Languages' rows — DACH-focused brokers usually have the edge.
Scalable Capital offers free ETF savings plans from 1€. If a savings plan matters to you, that's a clear edge.
Both are covered under their home regulator's deposit protection. Plus500: €20.000 (ICF), Scalable Capital: 100.000€. Securities are held in segregated accounts and protected in case of broker insolvency.
Scalable Capital leads on cash interest at 2.60%. Watch the conditions — some brokers require a paid plan or cap the amount.
Both offer native mobile apps with good app-store ratings. Which is better depends on your needs — try both with a demo account if available.
A second broker makes sense when one offers features the other lacks (e.g. options, crypto, more exchanges). A full switch is only worth it if the cost difference or missing features are significant.
Sign up with the broker that fits your strategy. Both are regulated and offer a demo account to test risk-free.
