Detailed comparison of all fees, features, and suitability — updated for 2026.
ING is the better choice for Full-Service Bank Customers, while Smartbroker+ wins for Free Trades. Which one suits you depends on your strategy — the detailed comparison below shows every difference.
| Metric | ING | Smartbroker+ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order fee per trade | 9.90 € | 0.00 € | 9.90 € cheaper at Smartbroker+ |
| 10y savings plan cost @ €100/month | 1.188 € | 0 € | 1.188 € cheaper at Smartbroker+ |
| Free ETF savings plans | 0 | 2.000 | +2.000 more at Smartbroker+ |
| Available exchanges | 5 | 3 | +2 more at ING |
| BMInsider rating | 3.5/5 | 4.0/5 | +0.5 at Smartbroker+ |
All fees, products, and platform features compared side-by-side. The "Winner" column shows which broker leads in each category.
| Feature | ING | Smartbroker+ | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees & Costs | |||
| Order Fee | 4.90€ + 0.25% (min 9.90€) | 0€ (gettex, from 500€) / 4€ (Xetra) | Smartbroker+ |
| ETF Savings Plan Fee | 1.75% | 0€ | Smartbroker+ |
| Account Fee | 0€/Year | 0€/Year | Tie |
| Minimum Deposit | 0€ | 0€ | Tie |
| Interest on Cash | 0% | 0% | Tie |
| Product Range | |||
| Stocks | Tie | ||
| ETFs | Tie | ||
| Crypto | Smartbroker+ | ||
| Options | Smartbroker+ | ||
| CFDs | Tie | ||
| Fractional Shares | Smartbroker+ | ||
| Number of Exchanges | Xetra, Frankfurt, Direkthandel | gettex, Xetra, und weitere | ING |
| Platform & Tools | |||
| Mobile App | Tie | ||
| Desktop Platform | Tie | ||
| Demo Account | Tie | ||
| Security & Regulation | |||
| Regulated by | BaFin | BaFin | Tie |
| Deposit Protection | 100.000€ | 100.000€ | Tie |
| Founded | 1991 | 2019 | Tie |
| Overall Rating | |||
| Rating | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Smartbroker+ |
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 Smartbroker+ →Low per-order fees, many trading venues and derivatives access — important if you trade regularly.
More about Smartbroker+ →Free savings plans, interest on cash and no custody fee — what matters when you buy & hold.
More about Smartbroker+ →ING offers securities trading as part of its full banking service. For customers who want checking and brokerage under one roof.
Particularly suitable for: Full-Service Bank Customers, Casual Investors, Savings Plan.
Smartbroker+ offers free trades from €500 order volume and free Xetra access. A strong competitor to Trade Republic.
Particularly suitable for: Free Trades, Savings Plan Investors, Cost-Conscious Investors.
ING (formerly ING-DiBa, 9M+ German bank customers) and Smartbroker+ (founded 2019, BaFin-regulated) target very different German retail-investor profiles. ING is the full-service Direktbank with bundled Girokonto + Extra-Konto + depot. Smartbroker+ is the 2019-vintage discount broker with €0 trading on gettex above €500, free ETF savings plans, and mature retail Eurex options.
The honest framing: Smartbroker+ is structurally cheaper for active gettex traders. ING is structurally easier for users who want one bank for paycheck + savings + depot.
You want a Girokonto + Extra-Konto + depot bundle. ING is universally regarded as the most polished consumer banking experience among German Direktbanks. Smartbroker+ is depot-only — no Girokonto, no payment card.
You want German telephone customer service. ING runs a German call centre with experienced staff. Smartbroker+ phone support is more limited.
You hold large idle EUR cash. ING's Extra-Konto pays 1.5–1.75 % standard, periodically higher with promo rates. Smartbroker+ pays 0 % on cash. For €15 k+ buffers, the differential is €225–€263/year free at ING.
You're a casual investor with sub-€500 buys. Smartbroker+'s €500 gettex commission-free threshold disqualifies it for small monthly buys. ING's €9.90 minimum is also expensive at this scale, but the broader banking experience compensates if you already use the bank.
You want a long-tenured banking brand. ING has 30+ years of banking history; Smartbroker+ is younger.
You consistently trade orders ≥€500 on gettex. Smartbroker+ charges €0 commission on gettex orders ≥€500. ING charges €4.90 + 0.25 % with €9.90 minimum. For monthly buys at €1 000+ on gettex, Smartbroker+ saves ~€120/year per recurring order.
You want fee-free ETF savings plans. Smartbroker+ offers €0 savings plans on a broad ETF catalog. ING savings plans cost 1.75 % per execution. For €100/month savings plans over 10 years, the gap is ~€210 in Smartbroker+'s favor.
You want Eurex options access in your German tax-simple depot. Smartbroker+ offers Eurex retail options. ING does not offer options at all.
You want native crypto + fractional shares. Smartbroker+ supports both. ING offers neither.
You want a more modern web + app interface. Smartbroker+'s digital experience is more app-modern than ING's banking-first app.
Germany — both steuereinfach. ING and Smartbroker+ both withhold 25 % KESt + 5.5 % Soli + optional Kirchensteuer at source.
Austria — neither austriakonform. Both ING and Smartbroker+ require self-reporting via Anlage E1kv on FinanzOnline for Austrian residents.
Vorabpauschale 2026: Both apply Vorabpauschale automatically on January 2 by debiting the cash account.
Quellensteuer on US dividends: Both file W-8BEN; the standard 15 % US withholding is creditable against German KESt automatically.
Eurex-options tax handling: Smartbroker+ supports Eurex options; the controversial €20 000 Verlustverrechnungstopf cap on Termingeschäft applies. ING does not offer options, so this consideration does not apply.
Profile: 1 monthly ETF savings plan at €100, 6 manual one-off purchases per year at €1 000 each (gettex above €500), average €5 000 idle EUR cash buffer.
| Item | ING | Smartbroker+ |
|---|---|---|
| 120× savings-plan execution (1.75 %) | €210 | €0 |
| 60× manual orders €1 000 (gettex) | €594 (€9.90 each) | €0 (above €500 threshold) |
| Cash interest (€5 k × 10 y on Extra-Konto) | €875 (1.75 %) | €0 |
| Net 10-year cost | −€71 | €0 |
The two come out almost even — ING's Extra-Konto cash interest exactly offsets the higher commissions at this profile. The choice depends almost entirely on whether you use ING's Extra-Konto actively (move cash there) and whether you value the bundled banking.
If the user does NOT actively move cash to Extra-Konto, ING pays 0 % on Verrechnungskonto and the gap widens by ~€875 in Smartbroker+'s favor. If trading frequency increases (10+ orders/month), Smartbroker+ wins decisively because each gettex-free order compounds.
Pick: Smartbroker+ (or Trade Republic for sub-€500 buys). €0 savings plans on hundreds of ETFs. ING's 1.75 % per-execution fee is meaningful drag at this scale.
Pick: Keep ING for banking, open Smartbroker+ for active trading. Dual-broker setups are common; ING's banking is competitive but the depot is structurally outclassed.
Pick: Smartbroker+. €0 commission on gettex is genuinely free. ING's €9.90 minimum is too expensive at this volume.
Pick: Smartbroker+. ING does not offer options. Smartbroker+ supports Eurex retail.
Pick: ING. Extra-Konto interest + bundled Girokonto is competitive for users who don't actively trade.
Answers to the most common questions about ING vs Smartbroker+.
For order fees, Smartbroker+ leads at 0€ (gettex, ab 500€) / 4€ (Xetra), while ING charges 4.90€ + 0.25% (min 9.90€). Note: with CFD brokers, spreads add hidden cost — the lower nominal price isn't always cheaper overall.
ING is regulated by BaFin, Smartbroker+ by BaFin. Both fall under EU oversight. Deposit protection: ING 100.000€, Smartbroker+ 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.
Smartbroker+ 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. ING: 100.000€, Smartbroker+: 100.000€. Securities are held in segregated accounts and protected in case of broker insolvency.
Neither broker pays meaningful interest on uninvested cash. Look elsewhere if cash yield matters.
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.
