Cornèrtrader
Cornèr Banca
Overall Rating
Annual cost (ETF investor)
CHF 152
ETF CHF 5k on SIX
CHF 9
FX fee
0.5%
Custody fee
Free up to CHF 10k, then from CHF 86 a year
Our take on Cornèrtrader
A Lugano bank running Saxo's technology, built for traders who know what they're doing. Is it worth paying more than Saxo?
Cornèrtrader ranks #7 among 10 brokers. It's the online trading arm of Cornèr Banca in Lugano, with 36 exchanges, listed options and futures and a FINMA licence, but our ETF investor pays about CHF 152 a year. It suits experienced traders who want derivatives and a professional platform at a Ticino-based Swiss bank.
Where does the CHF 152 a year come from?
Three items. Commission is 0.12% with a CHF 9 minimum on SIX, so four CHF 5,000 ETF buys cost CHF 36. Stamp duty adds CHF 30. The rest is custody on stocks and ETFs: free up to CHF 10,000, then CHF 20 to 70 per quarter plus VAT. At CHF 50,000 you're in the CHF 20 tier, which comes to CHF 86.48 a year.
Compare that with Saxo, whose technology Cornèrtrader runs on: CHF 46 a year for the same profile, with no custody fee. Small investors under CHF 10,000 escape custody entirely, but the CHF 9 minimum still makes CHF 500 monthly buys expensive: that's 1.8% per purchase, and about CHF 117 a year for our starter.
What Actually Stands Out
Depth for experienced traders. Beyond stocks and ETFs on 36 exchanges, you get listed futures and stock and index options on EUREX, CME, CBOT and OPRA, plus CFDs, forex and crypto ETPs. The platform comes with options tools, advanced order types and market-depth trading, and a free demo account lets you test it first. You can also earn income by lending your shares.
A Swiss bank in Ticino with people behind it. Cornèr Banca has been around since 1952, holds a FINMA licence, which you can confirm in FINMA's list of authorised institutions, and esisuisse protects your cash up to CHF 100,000. Relationship managers, phone orders and share register entry for Swiss stocks on request are rare among online brokers. Currency conversion costs 0.5%, well below Swissquote's 0.95% but double Saxo's 0.25%.
What Most Reviews Miss
The cheaper tiers aren't automatic. The price list shows 0.10% on SIX for deposits from CHF 100,000 and down to 0.07% higher up, but the conditions say the most expensive tier applies unless you agree otherwise, and lower tiers are at Cornèrtrader's discretion. If you bring a large portfolio, ask for the tier in writing before you move.
No savings plan, and no bonds or funds online for now. The bond page is still on the website, but the help center confirms neither bonds nor investment funds can currently be traded on the platform. Transfer-out costs CHF 65 per position plus VAT, transfers in are only accepted from CHF 30,000, and real-time market data is a paid subscription. None of that is hidden, but none of it shows up in the headline commission either.
The Bottom Line
Cornèrtrader is a serious Swiss broker for people who already know how to trade. For pure cost, Saxo gives you the same technology for less at every published tier. See where it fits among all 10 in our best brokers in Switzerland ranking.
Verdict: A solid choice for experienced traders who want derivatives and a Ticino bank; ETF savers pay too much here.
Pros
- 36 exchanges, with listed options and futures on EUREX, CME and CBOT
- Share register entry for Swiss stocks on request
- eTax statement for CHF 20 plus VAT
- FINMA bank in Lugano with esisuisse cover
Cons
- CHF 9 minimum on SIX, lower tiers only by agreement
- Custody from CHF 86 a year above CHF 10,000
- No savings plan, no bonds or funds online for now
- Transfer-out costs CHF 65 per position plus VAT
Broker Details
At a Glance
- FINMA-licensed bank, esisuisse protection
- Access to 36 exchanges
- CHF IBAN
What does it cost you per year?
What does it cost you per year?
Everything Cornèrtrader charges in a year for our three investor profiles: custody fees incl. VAT, commissions, Swiss stamp duty and currency conversion.
Starter · CHF 10,000 portfolio, 12 ETF buys of CHF 500 a year
ETF investor · CHF 50,000 portfolio, 4 ETF buys of CHF 5,000 a year
Active · CHF 200,000 portfolio, 24 Swiss and 12 US trades a year
Same profiles as the ranking. USD/CHF 0.80, EUR/CHF 0.94.
Price list
Price list
Swiss stock CHF 1,000 on SIX
Swiss stock CHF 5,000 on SIX
Swiss stock CHF 10,000 on SIX
ETF CHF 5k on SIX
US stock USD 1,000
US stock USD 5k
FX fee
Custody fee
Transfer out, per position
Minimum deposit
Commissions only, without stamp duty and currency conversion. Source: the broker's published price list.
Safety check
Safety check
You contract with Cornèr Banca in Lugano, a FINMA-licensed Swiss bank, so your cash is protected by esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 and your securities are held as segregated client assets.
Safety level
FINMA-licensed bank
Cash protected by esisuisse (CHF 100,000)
Securities held separately from the broker's assets
Securities in custody belong to you and are returned if the broker fails. Cash is only protected up to the deposit scheme limit.
Swiss tax check
Swiss tax check
eTax statement
Swiss stamp duty
Swiss share register entry
US dividends: 15% withheld at source with a W-8BEN form, claimable as a credit with the DA-1 form in your Swiss tax return.
Products and features
Products and features
Exchanges
Savings plan
Fractional shares
CHF IBAN
Multi-currency account
Bonds
Funds
Options and futures
Crypto
Mobile app
Web platform
Demo account
Compare to Similar Brokers
| Cornèrtrader | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.6 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 | 3.4 / 5 |
| Annual cost (ETF investor) | CHF 152 | CHF 20 | CHF 156 | CHF 130 |
| ETF CHF 5k on SIX | CHF 9 | CHF 5 | CHF 9.85 | CHF 25 |
| FX fee | 0.5% | 0.002% | 0.95% | Included |
| Safety level | FINMA bank, esisuisse | EU/UK regulated | FINMA bank, esisuisse | FINMA bank, esisuisse |
Frequently asked questions
- Does Cornèrtrader charge an inactivity fee?
- Not a regular one. The standard inactivity fee is CHF 0; one-off and yearly fees apply only to accounts classed as dormant. That puts Cornèrtrader in line with the other nine brokers we compare, none of which charge a regular inactivity fee.
- Can Cornèrtrader register my Swiss shares in the share register?
- Yes, on request. You ask your relationship manager or customer service, and the first time you sign a general registration authorisation form. One catch: registered shares can't be traded freely on the platform until they're de-registered, which takes several days. Among the 10 brokers we compare, only Cornèrtrader, Swissquote, PostFinance and UBS offer share register entry.
- How much is the Cornèrtrader tax statement?
- CHF 20 plus VAT. That's one of the cheapest Swiss eTax statements in our table, well below Swissquote at CHF 85, PostFinance at CHF 97.30 and UBS from CHF 100. Only Saxo and neon give theirs away for free.
- Is there a minimum deposit at Cornèrtrader?
- Yes, CHF 1,000. Saxo, IBKR and neon all start at CHF 0. If you want to try the platform before committing that amount, the free demo account lets you practise first.
- Does Cornèrtrader get cheaper for larger deposits?
- Possibly, but not automatically. The price list shows the SIX commission dropping from 0.12% to 0.10% from CHF 100,000, 0.08% from CHF 250,000 and 0.07% from CHF 500,000, with a CHF 6 minimum in the top tiers. But the conditions say the most expensive tier applies unless you agree otherwise, and changes are at Cornèrtrader's discretion. On a CHF 20,000 order, that's CHF 24 at the standard rate versus CHF 14 at the top tier, so it's worth asking.
How We Rated This Broker
57.1 points out of 100, shown as 3.6 out of 5.
Ratings are updated monthly based on the latest available data. All brokers are evaluated using the same methodology. Deals, promo codes and commissions never change the score: every rank comes from published fees and verifiable features.
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