Detailed comparison of all fees, features, and suitability — updated for 2026.
Interactive Brokers is the better choice for Professionals, while Smartbroker+ wins for Free Trades. Which one suits you depends on your strategy — the detailed comparison below shows every difference.
| Metric | Interactive Brokers | Smartbroker+ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order fee per trade | 1.00 € | 0.00 € | 1.00 € cheaper at Smartbroker+ |
| 10y savings plan cost @ €100/month | 120 € | 0 € | 120 € cheaper at Smartbroker+ |
| Interest on €10,000 cash (1 year) | 4.33 % = 433 € | — | +433 € more at Interactive Brokers / year |
| Free ETF savings plans | 0 | 2.000 | +2.000 more at Smartbroker+ |
| Available exchanges | 1 | 3 | +2 more at Smartbroker+ |
| BMInsider rating | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 | +0.5 at Interactive Brokers |
All fees, products, and platform features compared side-by-side. The "Winner" column shows which broker leads in each category.
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Smartbroker+ | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees & Costs | |||
| Order Fee | $0.005/Aktie (min $1) or Fixed $1 | 0€ (gettex, from 500€) / 4€ (Xetra) | Smartbroker+ |
| ETF Savings Plan Fee | - | 0€ | Smartbroker+ |
| Account Fee | 0€/Year | 0€/Year | Tie |
| Minimum Deposit | 0€ | 0€ | Tie |
| Interest on Cash | bis 4.33% (USD) | 0% | Interactive Brokers |
| Product Range | |||
| Stocks | Tie | ||
| ETFs | Tie | ||
| Crypto | Tie | ||
| Options | Tie | ||
| CFDs | Tie | ||
| Fractional Shares | Tie | ||
| Number of Exchanges | 150+ Börsen in 33 Ländern | gettex, Xetra, und weitere | Smartbroker+ |
| Platform & Tools | |||
| Mobile App | Tie | ||
| Desktop Platform | Interactive Brokers | ||
| Demo Account | Interactive Brokers | ||
| Security & Regulation | |||
| Regulated by | SEC / FCA / BaFin | BaFin | Tie |
| Deposit Protection | $500.000 (SIPC) | 100.000€ | Tie |
| Founded | 1978 | 2019 | Tie |
| Overall Rating | |||
| Rating | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Interactive Brokers |
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 Interactive Brokers →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 Interactive Brokers →Interactive Brokers is the professional's choice with access to 150+ exchanges, all product classes, and the lowest fees for active traders.
Particularly suitable for: Professionals, Active Traders, International Investors, Options Trading.
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.
Interactive Brokers (US-domiciled, founded 1978) and Smartbroker+ (founded 2019, BaFin) are both attractive to active traders but at fundamentally different scales. IBKR is the global professional trading infrastructure — 150+ exchanges, full multi-asset (options/futures/FX/bonds), institutional spreads, but US-broker-style tax overhead. Smartbroker+ is the DACH-focused discount neo-broker — €0 trading on gettex above €500, German steuereinfach status, native crypto, but limited to gettex/Xetra and Eurex.
The honest framing: IBKR is structurally a different product. It serves multi-asset traders who genuinely need 150+ exchanges. Smartbroker+ serves the German DIY investor who wants steuereinfach + €0 gettex execution.
You trade options at high volume (10+ contracts/month). IBKR's per-contract fee at $0.65 (or $0.15–0.55 Tiered) is materially cheaper than Smartbroker+'s. For active options traders, savings compound across hundreds of contracts.
You trade futures, FX, or bonds. IBKR offers Eurex/CME/CBOE futures, 100+ FX pairs with institutional spreads, direct corporate + government bond markets. Smartbroker+ offers limited Eurex futures, no FX direct, no bond market access.
You trade non-European markets. IBKR routes to 150+ exchanges including Tokyo, Hong Kong, ASX, TSX, Singapore. Smartbroker+ routes only to gettex/Xetra plus US exchanges.
You hold $50 k+ in USD cash. IBKR pays SOFR-based USD interest (4.33 %+). Smartbroker+ pays 0 % on cash regardless of currency.
You manage capital across multiple accounts. IBKR supports sub-accounts, joint accounts, custodial accounts. Smartbroker+ is single-user.
You are a German tax resident wanting steuereinfach. Smartbroker+ withholds 26.375 % KESt + Soli at source. IBKR is not steuereinfach — manual Anlage KAP filing required.
You trade only DACH + US large caps. If your portfolio fits within Smartbroker+'s gettex/Xetra/US universe, IBKR's 150+ exchanges are wasted complexity.
You consistently trade ≥€500 orders on gettex. Smartbroker+ charges €0 commission. IBKR charges $1 fixed (or tiered $0.005/share) — about €0.95 on a €5 000 order. The pure-commission gap is small but Smartbroker+'s steuereinfach saves the Steuerberater fee that IBKR typically incurs.
You want native crypto + fractional shares + Eurex options in one BaFin-regulated account. Smartbroker+ supports all four. IBKR offers fractional shares but limited crypto and a more complex Eurex options interface.
You want a polished retail-friendly UI. Smartbroker+'s app and web are designed for retail. IBKR's TWS is professional-grade and steep for new users.
Germany — Smartbroker+ is steuereinfach, IBKR is not. Smartbroker+ withholds 25 % KESt + 5.5 % Soli + optional Kirchensteuer at source. IBKR Germany (operated through IBIE — IBKR Ireland) does not auto-withhold. Manual Anlage KAP filing required.
Austria — neither austriakonform. Both Smartbroker+ and IBKR require self-reporting via Anlage E1kv on FinanzOnline.
Vorabpauschale 2026: Smartbroker+ applies automatically on January 2. IBKR reports the base in the year-end statement; manual Anlage KAP-INV filing required.
Eurex options tax handling: Both offer Eurex options; the controversial €20 000 Termingeschäft loss-cap applies to both. Smartbroker+'s tax statement separates options vs equities cleanly; IBKR's annual report requires manual classification.
Currency-gain tracking: EUR-tax-resident clients holding USD-denominated IBKR positions trigger taxable currency gains/losses on every position close. Smartbroker+ EUR-only operations abstract this away.
Profile: 8 manual orders/month at €2 000 average, monthly Eurex options trade (~3 contracts), €10 000 average idle EUR cash buffer.
| Item | Smartbroker+ | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| 960× manual orders €2 000 (gettex) | €0 (above €500 threshold) | ~€960 ($1 each) |
| 120× options × 3 contracts | ~€144 (€0.40 each) | ~€234 ($0.65 each) |
| Cash interest (€10k × 10y) | €0 | +€3 000 (3.0 % EUR avg) |
| Tax-handling (Steuerberater) | €0 | ~€2 500 (10y × €250) |
| Net 10-year cost | €144 | €694 |
Smartbroker+ wins by ~€550 over 10 years for this profile, primarily due to the €0 gettex commission and steuereinfach savings. IBKR's cash interest helps but doesn't close the gap.
For options-heavy traders (50+ contracts/month) or non-European market access, IBKR overtakes economically. For German tax-resident DIY investors trading only DACH/US, Smartbroker+ is the structurally cheaper option.
Pick: Smartbroker+. Steuereinfach + €0 gettex commission make Smartbroker+ structurally cheaper. IBKR's depth is unused.
Pick: Interactive Brokers. Per-contract fee gap compounds at this volume.
Pick: Interactive Brokers. Smartbroker+ is too narrow at this complexity.
Pick: Interactive Brokers. Smartbroker+ does not route to non-European markets beyond US.
Pick: Smartbroker+. IBKR's complexity and tax-filing burden are wasted on retail-scale users.
Answers to the most common questions about Interactive Brokers vs Smartbroker+.
For order fees, Smartbroker+ leads at 0€ (gettex, ab 500€) / 4€ (Xetra), while Interactive Brokers charges $0.005/Aktie (min $1) oder Fixed $1. Note: with CFD brokers, spreads add hidden cost — the lower nominal price isn't always cheaper overall.
Interactive Brokers is regulated by SEC / FCA / BaFin, Smartbroker+ by BaFin. Both fall under EU oversight. Deposit protection: Interactive Brokers $500.000 (SIPC), 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. Interactive Brokers: $500.000 (SIPC), Smartbroker+: 100.000€. Securities are held in segregated accounts and protected in case of broker insolvency.
Interactive Brokers leads on cash interest at 4.33%. 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.
