DEGIRO markets itself as one of Europe's cheapest brokers — and for many trades, it genuinely is. But the pricing structure has multiple moving parts: a three-component fee engine, four account profiles with very different rules, exchange-based pricing tiers, and several hidden penalties that can catch investors off guard. This is the complete breakdown.
How DEGIRO's fee engine works
Every trade on DEGIRO generates a cost built from three independent components. The crucial insight is that these stack — your total execution cost is always the sum of all three layers.
The three-part fee structure. Base Commission (€0–€5+) + Handling Fee (€1.00 flat) + Connectivity Fee (€2.50/exchange/year) = your real cost per trade.
- Base Commission — varies by asset class and exchange. Ranges from €0.00 on Core Selection ETFs to €5.00+ for APAC markets.
- Handling Fee — a flat €1.00 per trade. For UK account holders, the handling fee is £1.00 when trading stocks listed on the London Stock Exchange; overseas exchanges (US, European) still charge €1.00 even for UK accounts. Waived on Tradegate stocks, ETF Core Selection, OTC transactions, and crypto.
- Connectivity Fee — €2.50 per exchange, per year, capped at 0.25% of account value. Your designated home market and ETF Core Selection are exempt.
Key takeaway: A single trade on a foreign exchange carries three cost layers. The connectivity fee compounds across a multi-market portfolio and hits passive investors hardest — even if you never trade, it accrues annually per exchange you hold positions on.
Standard vs. Custody: the profile architecture
Before choosing Basic, Active, or Trader, you must first decide between two structural architectures: Standard and Custody. This choice has far-reaching consequences for both your costs and your rights as an investor.
Standard profiles permit DEGIRO to lend your securities. Custody keeps them strictly segregated — but at a significant cost for income investors.
On Standard profiles (Basic, Active, Trader), DEGIRO is permitted to lend your securities to third parties. In return, you get free dividend and coupon processing, access to margin, and access to derivatives. On the Custody profile, your securities are strictly segregated and cannot be lent — but you lose access to derivatives and margin, and corporate actions become very expensive.
The Custody dividend penalty
The Custody trade-off is severe for income investors. Every dividend or coupon payment triggers a processing fee charged directly to your account:
The Custody dividend penalty. On a €1,000 dividend: €1.00 + €30.00 = €31.00 in processing fees alone. Note: the fee is capped at 10% of the dividend — so a €10 dividend costs at most €1.00 (not €1.30).
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Warning: Custody is excellent for pure buy-and-hold growth investors (think S&P 500 accumulating ETFs). It severely penalises income-generating dividend portfolios. If you hold dividend stocks or distributing ETFs, stick to a Standard profile.
Equity pricing tiers (stocks & ADRs)
Stock commissions are not flat — they depend entirely on which exchange the stock is listed on. DEGIRO uses a three-tier pyramid:
Three pricing tiers by exchange. US stocks are cheaper than most European equivalents. Asian markets carry the highest base commission.
- Tier 1 — €1.00 base: US markets (NYSE, NASDAQ), Euronext Lisbon, Toronto (TSX). ADRs also fall here but incur external custody pass-through costs.
- Tier 2 — €3.90 base: XETRA, Euronext (Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Milan, Dublin), LSE, Swiss Exchange, Tradegate, Madrid.
- Tier 3 — €5.00 base: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Börse Frankfurt.
Practical implication: Buying Apple on NASDAQ costs €1.00 + €1.00 = €2.00 total. Buying a XETRA-listed stock costs €3.90 + €1.00 = €4.90. Buying on Tradegate gets the handling fee waived — effective cost just €3.90.
ETF, ETN & ETC pricing
DEGIRO's ETF offering splits into two very different pricing bands. Knowing which ETFs qualify for the Core Selection is essential before you invest:
Core Selection ETFs have €0.00 base commission across major primary exchanges — not just Tradegate. On Tradegate, the handling fee is also waived (fully free). On other exchanges, handling fees may still apply under the Fair Use Policy. All non-Core-Selection ETFs cost €3.00 per trade. Xetra-Gold (DE000A0S9GB0) is a notable exception with a monthly custody fee.
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Xetra-Gold exception: The Xetra-Gold ETC (DE000A0S9GB0) incurs a specific monthly custody fee of 0.025% + VAT regardless of which profile you hold. Verify Core Selection membership on DEGIRO's site before assuming any ETF is free.
Options & futures (Active / Trader only)
Derivatives are exclusively available on Standard profiles. Custody accounts cannot trade options or futures under any circumstances.
Options and futures pricing. US derivatives carry an additional €5.00/month connectivity charge just for holding positions — even in months you do not trade.
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US derivatives trap: Holding any US derivative position triggers a mandatory €5.00/month connectivity fee — separate from the annual €2.50/exchange fee. If you hold US options for 3 months, that's €15.00 in standing charges before counting commissions.
Leverage & short selling
Margin lending is available on Standard profiles only. Rates depend on whether you pre-allocate funds, and short selling carries tiered inventory fees based on stock liquidity category.
Allocating margin funds in advance saves 1.50% per year on borrowed capital. Short inventory fees range from 1.00% to 2.00% depending on liquidity category.
The key lever here is allocation: by pre-committing your borrowing requirement, the debit rate drops from 6.25% to 4.75% (EUR) — a meaningful 1.50% annual saving for active margin users. For GBP and USD accounts, the saving is even larger: the unallocated rate of 6.90% drops to 5.25% when allocated, a 1.65% annual saving. Category D stocks cannot be shorted at all on DEGIRO.
Geographic differences: UK vs. Europe
DEGIRO's fee engine is structurally identical in the UK and across Europe, but several specific rates differ for UK-registered accounts:
UK investors face slightly higher margin rates and a higher home market base commission (£1.75 vs €1.00 for EU users on Euronext Lisbon).
The home market advantage
DEGIRO waives the connectivity fee entirely on your designated home market — the exchange in your country of residence. Understanding this bias helps you optimise your portfolio's cost structure:
Both UK and EU investors get their home exchange connectivity waived. UK investors pay £1.75 for domestic (LSE) stock trades. EU domestic commissions vary by country: PT and ES investors pay €1.00, while NL investors pay €2.00 on Euronext Amsterdam.
Strategy tip: If you invest primarily in US or home-market stocks and Core Selection ETFs, your connectivity fees are largely zero. The annual fee only bites when you spread across multiple foreign exchanges.
FX conversion & market data
Two often-overlooked cost areas: currency conversion on cross-border trades, and real-time market data subscriptions.
Auto FX adds 0.25% to every trade involving currency conversion. Manual FX becomes cheaper above €4,000 trade size. Market data for LSE/XETRA costs €10/month.
- Auto FX (default): 0.25% baked into the trade value — no visible line item, which can make it easy to miss.
- Manual FX: €10.00 / £10.00 flat + 0.25% — cheaper than Auto FX for trades above ~€4,000.
- Free data: Euronext, Tradegate, Börse Frankfurt, CHI-X.
- €5/month: NASDAQ, BATS (free after first trade), Vienna, Prague, Madrid, Euronext Milan, Athens Stock Exchange, Warsaw Stock Exchange, CME, MEFF, Nasdaq Nordics.
- €10/month: LSE, Eurex, XETRA (excluding ETFs).
Administrative & penalty fees
The fees that hurt most are often the ones investors discover too late — when exiting a position or triggering a margin call:
Exit costs are significant: transferring a 10-position portfolio out costs at minimum €200 in DEGIRO fees, before external custodian charges.
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Exit cost warning: Portfolio transfers out cost €20.00 per position plus external costs. A 15-stock portfolio costs €300 in DEGIRO exit fees alone. Factor this into your decision when opening an account.
Which profile is right for you?
The three investor archetypes and which DEGIRO profile matches each one.
The WhichBrokr verdict
DEGIRO rewards investors who understand the structure. Pick your profile based on your actual strategy — not the headline commission rate.
Basic Profile
The Everyday Investor
Free Core ETFs + cheap US stocks. Accept securities lending. Best for 90% of European retail investors.
Custody Profile
The Cautious Accumulator
Only for strict growth-only, zero-dividend portfolios. Severe penalty for income investors.
Active / Trader
The Leveraged Strategist
Unlocks 4.75% allocated margin and €0.75 derivatives. For experienced investors only.
Frequently asked questions
Does DEGIRO charge a monthly fee? +
No monthly fee. DEGIRO charges an annual connectivity fee of €2.50 per exchange you hold positions on (capped at 0.25% of account value). Your home market is always exempt. There is no inactivity or subscription fee.
Are DEGIRO ETFs really free? +
Core Selection ETFs have €0.00 base commission across major primary exchanges (Euronext, Xetra, LSE, Tradegate) — membership is not restricted to Tradegate. On Tradegate specifically, the handling fee is also waived, making trades fully free. On other exchanges, a handling fee may still apply under the Fair Use Policy. Outside the Core Selection, standard rates apply: €2.00 base + €1.00 handling = €3.00 per trade. Check DEGIRO's Core Selection list before assuming an ETF is free.
What is the DEGIRO handling fee? +
A flat €1.00 charged per trade, on top of the base commission. UK account holders pay £1.00 when trading stocks listed on the London Stock Exchange; overseas exchanges (US, European) retain the €1.00 fee even for UK accounts. The handling fee is waived on Tradegate-listed stocks, ETF Core Selection trades, OTC transactions, and crypto.
Should I choose Basic or Custody? +
Basic is right for most investors — it gives access to free ETFs and cheap US stocks while accepting that DEGIRO may lend your securities. Custody only makes sense if you hold exclusively non-dividend growth assets and strongly prioritise asset segregation. The dividend processing fees in Custody make it expensive for income portfolios.
How does DEGIRO handle currency conversion? +
Auto FX (the default) adds 0.25% to the trade value automatically with no visible line item. Manual FX costs €10.00 / £10.00 flat + 0.25%, which becomes cheaper than Auto FX on trades above approximately €4,000.
What does it cost to leave DEGIRO? +
Portfolio transfers out cost €20.00 per position plus any external custodian charges. A 10-position portfolio costs at minimum €200 in DEGIRO exit fees. Portfolio transfers in are free.
