Investing your savings is the first step toward financial independence. It lets you earn money while you sleep, play with your kids, or simply enjoy life.
But then comes THE question:
You: “OK, so which online broker should I pick to invest?"
Me: “It depends. Do you need your broker to be based in Switzerland?"
You: “Not necessarily. I mainly want to pay the lowest fees possible."
Me: “OK, and would a US-based broker be a problem?"
You: “Yes! I want something from the Old Continent (= Europe), and not Chinese either, that would stress me out too much."
Me: “Then DEGIRO is exactly what you need."
You: “Never heard of it. Is it reliable?"
Me: “DEGIRO is part of the flatexDEGIRO group, listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange and regulated in Germany. I used it from 2019 to 2024 for my kids’ investments (we’ve since switched to a US broker for them too). But if today I had to pick a European broker, DEGIRO would be my first choice. The fees are nearly unbeatable.”
If that alone convinces you, then you can create your DEGIRO account by following this link directly:
Maybe you’d rather dig into everything before jumping in? In that case, go through this complete DEGIRO guide. By the end, you’ll know how to use their trading platform with your eyes closed.
The idea here is to walk you through screen by screen: from creating your account all the way to the day you’ll see your money working for you (capital growth + dividends).
Ready?
What exactly is an online broker?
In short: with a DEGIRO account, you place buy and sell orders on securities (stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, etc.) without going through a traditional bank.
DEGIRO also provides dashboards to track your portfolio value over time. You’ll see your investments evolve along with the income they distribute (dividends).
What is DEGIRO?
DEGIRO was founded in 2013 in Amsterdam by former Binckbank employees, with one clear goal: making stock market investing accessible to everyone at ultra-competitive fees.
DEGIRO office and headquarters in Amsterdam, European online broker for Swiss investors (photo credit: Google Maps)
Since 2020, DEGIRO has been part of the flatexDEGIRO AG group, listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange. The group is supervised by BaFin (the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) and the DNB (the Dutch central bank).
In plain terms: it’s a European online broker, based in the Netherlands and Germany, that offers its services to Swiss investors with a CHF account.
What stands out first about DEGIRO is the fee structure. A selection of popular ETFs at EUR 1 in handling fees per transaction, meaning no percentage on the amount, no hidden minimum. When you invest CHF 100 or 200 every month, that changes everything compared to brokers that charge 0.5% or more.
The flatexDEGIRO group, listed in Frankfurt, manages over 3 million accounts across Europe (2024 figures). That size is reassuring, especially compared to fintechs that open and shut down within a few years. You’ll find the official information on their website.
Before getting into the details, a quick look back at my investing journey and the broker mistakes I’ve made since 2013…
Why I recommend DEGIRO (and how I got there)
It all started in 2019, when we wanted to invest for our kids. The need was simple: invest CHF 100 per month into a single ETF, period. At that amount, every franc in fees matters. A Swiss broker charging a minimum of CHF 10 or 15 per order on a hundred francs? That made zero sense. Not to mention the Swiss stamp duty of 0.15% per transaction on foreign securities, a tax that a broker based outside Switzerland like DEGIRO lets you avoid entirely.
At that point, I’d already been investing since 2013. First with Swissquote (the default Swiss reflex, but too expensive in practice), then with Interactive Brokers since 2016 for my personal investments. Great broker, but American, which didn’t sit well with some blog readers. So I figured I’d look into the best Europe-based broker and test it myself with our kids’ brokerage account.
DEGIRO was the natural choice. An ETF at EUR 1 in fees per transaction, a simple interface, a broker regulated in Europe. We used it for five years for the kids, from 2019 to 2024, before consolidating everything on Interactive Brokers (as our kids are growing up, and I want to get them used to the trading platform they’ll use as adults). If someone asks me today for a reliable and affordable European broker, DEGIRO is what I recommend without hesitation.
As a reminder, my three broker recommendations for a Swiss investor:
- Interactive Brokers: the best broker, period. Based in the United States.
- DEGIRO: the best European broker, with unbeatable fees. Based in the Netherlands and Germany. That’s why you’re reading this article :)
- Saxo Bank: the best broker based in Switzerland, if that’s an important criterion for you.
You’ll find my full comparison of online brokers for Swiss investors here.
To give you an idea of my actual journey:
- 2013: first steps in the stock market (with the wrong broker, obviously)
- 2014: bought my first ETFs with a few hundred francs (same, with the wrong ETFs, obviously…)
- 2016: migrated to the right broker and started building a FIRE portfolio, CHF 10'000 invested
- 2019: opened the DEGIRO account for our kids’ investments (used until 2024)
- 2026: CHF 1'050'000 invested in ETFs on the stock market, including CHF 302'000 in unrealized gains
If I’m sharing all of this, it’s so you know I’m speaking from experience. This guide is the one I wish I’d found when I started out.
What you’ll learn in this DEGIRO guide
Trading platforms have a reputation for being complicated. That was true ten years ago. Today, DEGIRO offers a clean interface designed for investors who want to buy an ETF without drowning in pro-level charts. In practice, once you understand the basics, the entire buying process takes just a few clicks (under 3 minutes for me).
Here are the steps we’ll cover together:
- How to easily open your DEGIRO account
- How to invest in your first ETF to grow your savings as passively as possible
I know that the idea of opening a brokerage account can feel intimidating. The financial jargon, screens full of numbers, the fear of clicking in the wrong place… I’ve been there too.
That’s why each chapter is illustrated with screenshots and concrete explanations. No abstract theory, just what you need to know to take action.
Ready? Here’s what’s coming:
Chapter 1: How to open a DEGIRO account?
Time to take action with opening your account. I walk you through screen by screen, with clear explanations, so this step goes smoothly.
Chapter 2: How to buy an ETF on DEGIRO?
The long-awaited moment: buying your first ETF to put your money to work. In a few clicks on DEGIRO, you’ll know exactly how to do it, including the smart choice between VWRL and VGWL to pay the lowest fees possible.
That’s the plan. I hope this guide gives you the momentum to invest in the stock market and build a more financially secure future.
If you decide to open your DEGIRO account 1 through this affiliate link, thank you so much: it helps support the blog and frees up time to create more guides like this one.
Investing involves a risk of loss. ↩︎