Compare brokers side by side

Interactive Brokers ranks #1 among 10 brokers on GetRates, and on cost it isn't close: about CHF 20 a year for our ETF investor and CHF 149 for an active trader. It suits investors who want the lowest fees and the widest market access, and who don't mind doing some of their own tax paperwork.

Saxo Bank ranks #2 among 10 brokers and is the cheapest broker with a Swiss banking licence in our table, at about CHF 46 a year for our ETF investor. It suits monthly ETF savers who want FINMA supervision, esisuisse protection and a free eTax statement without paying big-bank prices.

Swissquote trading ranks #3 among 10 brokers. It's the most complete Swiss broker in our table, from ETFs and bonds to options and crypto, but about CHF 156 a year for our ETF investor makes it far from the cheapest. It suits investors who want everything under one Swiss roof and are willing to pay for it.

• ETF investors who want the lowest yearly cost in Switzerland
• active traders buying US stocks who need near-zero FX costs
• investors who want options, futures and bonds on 135 markets in one account

• monthly ETF savers who want AutoInvest inside a Swiss bank
• buy-and-hold investors leaving a big bank's custody fees
• investors who want a free eTax statement and esisuisse protection

• investors who want stocks, options, bonds, funds and crypto in one Swiss bank
• ETF Leaders users placing orders above CHF 1,000
• Swiss stock holders who want share register entry

• you want a FINMA bank with esisuisse cash protection
• you want an eTax statement you can import at no extra cost
• you prefer a simple app over a feature-heavy trading platform

• you trade large amounts often and would pay 0.08% on every order
• you need fractional shares for small monthly amounts
• you expect to move your portfolio and want cheap transfers

• you hold a plain ETF portfolio and want the lowest yearly cost
• you buy US stocks often and would pay 0.95% FX each time
• you're starting with less than CHF 1,000

• No custody, account or inactivity fees
• FX conversion at 0.002%, minimum USD 2
• No Swiss stamp duty on purchases
• 135 markets, including options, futures and bonds
• Fractional shares and recurring investments

• No custody fee and no inactivity fee
• Free Swiss eTax statement
• 0.08% commission on SIX, minimum CHF 3
• FX conversion at 0.25%
• AutoInvest ETF savings plan inside a FINMA bank

• Widest product range of any Swiss bank in our table
• 31 markets, fractional shares and a savings plan
• Flat CHF 9 for ETF Leaders above CHF 1,000
• Share register entry for Swiss stocks
• FINMA bank with esisuisse cover up to CHF 100,000

• No Swiss eTax statement; third parties charge about CHF 45 to 50
• No esisuisse protection: you contract with a UK entity
• Complex platform that takes time to learn
• No Swiss share register entry for Swiss stocks

• Percentage commission gets expensive for large, frequent trades
• Transfer-out costs CHF 50 per position
• No fractional shares
• Swiss stamp duty on every purchase

• Custody fee of CHF 86 to 216 a year
• 0.95% FX on every currency conversion
• CHF 0.85 real-time surcharge on each trade
• eTax statement costs CHF 85