neon invest
neon
Overall Rating
Annual cost (ETF investor)
CHF 130
ETF CHF 5k on SIX
CHF 25
FX fee
Included
Custody fee
None
Our take on neon invest
neon invest is the easiest way to start investing in Switzerland. It's not the cheapest way to grow.
neon invest ranks #8 among 10 brokers. For our starter profile it costs about CHF 39 a year, among the cheapest, but our ETF investor pays CHF 130 because the 0.5% fee scales with every order. It suits beginners who want a clean, CHF-only app and savings plans on selected ETFs.
When is the 0.5% fee fine, and when does it hurt?
For CHF 500 a month, 0.5% is CHF 2.50 per buy, and neon charges no custody fee. That's why our starter profile costs only about CHF 39 a year, on par with Yuh. Buy through the savings plan on selected ETFs and the trading fee drops to 0%, leaving only the Swiss stamp duty.
Bigger orders tell a different story. A CHF 5,000 ETF buy costs CHF 25, so our ETF investor pays CHF 130 a year versus CHF 46 at Saxo. Invest CHF 100,000 in one go and you pay CHF 500 in commission plus CHF 150 stamp duty. Somewhere between CHF 20,000 and 30,000 invested, a classic broker starts to win.
What Actually Stands Out
The savings plan is neon's best feature. You can hold up to six savings-plan positions on selected ETFs with a 0% trading fee, starting from CHF 1. If you invest a fixed amount every month into one or two global ETFs, that's about as cheap as it gets inside a Swiss bank.
The eTax statement is free, while Swissquote charges CHF 85. Swiss trades are priced in CHF, so there's no FX line to think about. The bank behind neon is Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, FINMA-licensed, and esisuisse covers your cash up to CHF 100,000. Remember that limit applies per bank, not per app.
What Most Reviews Miss
International stocks cost 1% per trade, currency conversion included. That's fair for a one-off Apple purchase but expensive as a habit: CHF 5,000 of US stocks costs CHF 50 every time. Swiss stocks and ETFs bought outside the savings plan pay 0.5%, with a CHF 1 minimum.
The universe is small. neon covers a curated list of stocks and ETFs, with no bonds, no funds, no options and no fractional shares. That's a deliberate choice for simplicity, and it works for beginners. But if you think you'll want more later, check the exit cost before you build a big portfolio here.
The Bottom Line
neon invest is a genuinely good starting point: simple, CHF-only, a free tax statement and 0% on savings-plan ETFs. The 0.5% and 1% fees make it a poor home for a growing portfolio, though. If you're torn between the two Swiss investing apps, read our Yuh investing review next.
Verdict: Excellent for first steps and small monthly ETF plans; move on once your orders reach several thousand francs.
Pros
- 0% trading fee on selected savings-plan ETFs
- No custody fee
- Free Swiss eTax statement
- Savings plans from CHF 1, Swiss trades in CHF
Cons
- 0.5% per trade on Swiss stocks and ETFs
- 1% per trade on international stocks
- Small range: no bonds, funds, options or fractions
- Transfer-out costs CHF 100 per position
Broker Details
At a Glance
- No custody fee
- FINMA-licensed bank, esisuisse protection
- Free Swiss eTax statement
- ETF savings plan
- Access to 1 exchanges
- CHF IBAN
What does it cost you per year?
What does it cost you per year?
Everything neon invest 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
neon invest runs through Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, a FINMA-licensed Swiss bank, so your cash is protected by esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 and your securities are held in custody as your own 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
| neon invest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.4 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 | 3.4 / 5 | 3.7 / 5 |
| Annual cost (ETF investor) | CHF 130 | CHF 20 | CHF 130 | CHF 110 |
| ETF CHF 5k on SIX | CHF 25 | CHF 5 | CHF 25 | CHF 20 |
| FX fee | Included | 0.002% | 0.95% | 1% |
| Safety level | FINMA bank, esisuisse | EU/UK regulated | FINMA bank, esisuisse | FINMA bank, esisuisse |
Frequently asked questions
- Which stocks and ETFs can I buy with neon invest?
- neon offers around 220 stocks and about 70 ETFs, all traded in CHF on BX Swiss. It's a curated list on a single exchange, not direct access to foreign markets, so check that your ETF is on it before you open an account.
- How much does it cost to move my neon portfolio to another broker?
- CHF 100 per position. With six savings-plan ETFs, that's CHF 600 to transfer out. If the positions are small, selling and buying again at the new broker can be cheaper, even after stamp duty.
- Can I buy crypto with neon invest?
- Only indirectly. neon doesn't offer coins themselves, but you can buy crypto ETPs, exchange-traded products that track assets like bitcoin, in the same app. You hold a security in your custody account, not a wallet.
- Can I use neon invest on a computer?
- No, neon invest is mobile only: there's no web platform, so you trade and check your portfolio in the app. If you like analysing positions on a big screen, that's a real limitation compared with Saxo or Swissquote.
How We Rated This Broker
54.4 points out of 100, shown as 3.4 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.
Ready to Open an Account?
Open your neon invest account and start investing.