Savings-plan costs compared: where ETF savings plans are genuinely €0
Trade Republic and Scalable Capital run every ETF savings plan for free (€0/execution, from €1, with fractional shares). ING is the cheapest direct bank (all 1,100+ ETF savings plans permanently €0). Comdirect falls behind with 1.5% per execution — €7.50 a month on €500. For an AVD from 2027, the savings-plan fee is the central cost lever.
By Tilman Freyenhagen · Reviewed by the Vorsorgedepot-Lotse editorial team · As at 22 June 2026 · Next review Q4 2026
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Savings-plan costs are charged on every automatic execution, usually monthly. Because this fee compounds over decades, it is the most important cost factor for long-term retirement provision. €0/execution beats any percentage-based model; fractional shares ensure the full instalment gets invested.
Top providers for Savings-plan costs
The three providers with the best Savings-plan costs rating.
Savings-plan costs
€0 / execution (no minimum-amount surcharge, plus spreads)
Savings-plan costs compared head-to-head
Ranked by Savings-plan costs score. As at 22 June 2026, terms variable.
| # | Provider | Cost/execution | Free ETFs | Minimum rate | Fractional shares | Score | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | €0 / execution | approx. 2,000 ETFs (plus approx. 2,500 shares) | €1 | yes | 10 | Learn more ↗ |
| 2 |  | €0 / execution (all tariffs) | > 2,700 ETFs | €1 | yes | 10 | Learn more ↗ |
| 3 | finanzen.net zero | €0 / execution (no minimum-amount surcharge, plus spreads) | > 1,000 ETF savings plans (page title; > 2,000 ETFs tradeable) | €1 | yes | 9.5 | Learn more ↗ |
| 4 |  | €0 / execution for all ETF savings plans (the 1.75% commission is waived) | > 1,100 savings-plan-eligible ETFs (all free) | €1 | yes | 9.5 | Learn more ↗ |
| 5 |  | €0 / execution (all ETF/fund plans, no partner tier) | > 1,000 ETF savings plans (5,000+ plans in total) | €25 | yes | 9 | Learn more ↗ |
| 6 | Consorsbank | 0% / execution (the former 1.50% has been dropped, partner-funded; plus spreads) | > 1,700 ETF savings plans | €10 | yes | 9 | Learn more ↗ |
| 7 |  | €0 on > 500 promotional ETFs, otherwise €1.50 / execution (flat) | > 2,000 savings-plan-eligible ETFs (500+ promotional ETFs free) | €25 | yes (but not portable on account transfer) | 7.5 | Learn more ↗ |
| 8 |  | 1.5% of the order volume / execution (rotating €0 "ETF specials") | > 10,000 savings-plan-eligible securities | €1 | yes | 6 | Learn more ↗ |
The providers in detail
Savings-plan costs per provider, with the full score profile and neutral pros/cons.
Beste Gesamtwertung- Cost/execution
- €0 / execution
- Free ETFs
- approx. 2,000 ETFs (plus approx. 2,500 shares)
- Minimum rate
- €1
- Fractional shares
- yes
Pros
- No ongoing account/savings-plan fees: €0 account + €0 savings plan.
- Flat, volume-independent order fee (€1 whether you invest €1,000 or €10,000).
- 2.25% interest on cash, no cap, the same for new and existing customers.
Cons
- Only one trading venue (LS Exchange/Lang & Schwarz): no choice of exchange, no direct Xetra routing.
- Cash above €100,000 does not fall under classic deposit protection, but into a money market fund (a different protection regime).
Best for: Cost-conscious private investors who want broad, long-term diversification via a free savings plan from €1.
Bester Cash-Zins- Cost/execution
- €0 / execution (all tariffs)
- Free ETFs
- > 2,700 ETFs
- Minimum rate
- €1
- Fractional shares
- yes
Pros
- Zero ongoing platform costs on the FREE tariff (€0 account + €0 savings plan from €1, fractional shares).
- Genuine €0 orders ≥ €250 via the PRIME+ flat rate on gettex.
Cons
- "Free" comes with conditions: it depends on the tariff, the €250 threshold, ETF partner status and the trading venue; a €1,000 non-PRIME ETF order costs €0.99 on the FREE tariff, plus €3.99 on Xetra in both tariffs.
Best for: Savings-plan investors on the €0 platform, plus active traders who route orders ≥ €250 via gettex (PRIME+).
- Cost/execution
- €0 / execution (no minimum-amount surcharge, plus spreads)
- Free ETFs
- > 1,000 ETF savings plans (page title; > 2,000 ETFs tradeable)
- Minimum rate
- €1
- Fractional shares
- yes
Pros
- Genuine zero costs: €0 account, €0 orders ≥ €500, €0 savings plans from €1, fractional shares (per the site, "cost leader, Stiftung Warentest 12/2025").
- Explicit, early AVD commitment: dedicated page, waiting list, Riester transfer, "fee-free," from €10/month.
Cons
- Single venue + PFOF risk: gettex only; the fee-free model is PFOF-funded, and the PFOF ban from July 2026 forces a tariff change.
- No genuine interest-bearing cash account (return only via a money market ETF); orders below €500 cost €1.
Best for: Buy-and-hold savers who trade ≥ €500 via gettex and want to join the 2027 AVD early.
- Cost/execution
- €0 / execution for all ETF savings plans (the 1.75% commission is waived)
- Free ETFs
- > 1,100 savings-plan-eligible ETFs (all free)
- Minimum rate
- €1
- Fractional shares
- yes
Pros
- €0 account with no turnover condition, and all 1,100+ ETF savings plans permanently €0 (confirmed in the binding price list).
- Low entry barrier with fractional shares (savings plan from €1, sellable fee-free).
- Double deposit protection (statutory + BdB fund).
Cons
- One-off orders are comparatively expensive: 0.25% + venue fee with no low flat cap: around €10.30 on €1,000 via Xetra, scaling with volume; the model favours savings plans, not one-off trades.
Best for: Cost-conscious buy-and-hold ETF savers with automatic savings plans from €1, not frequent traders.
- Cost/execution
- €0 / execution (all ETF/fund plans, no partner tier)
- Free ETFs
- > 1,000 ETF savings plans (5,000+ plans in total)
- Minimum rate
- €25
- Fractional shares
- yes
Pros
- €0 account + €0 on all 5,000+ savings-plan executions (1,000+ ETFs), minimum rate €25, fractional shares.
- Visible 2027 AVD readiness: a dedicated AVD page plus an existing fractional-share/flexible-plan engine.
Cons
- Single/one-off orders carry a fixed minimum of around €7.90 (€5.90 + €2 venue fee), volume-independent: expensive for small one-off trades.
- No published interest rate on cash holdings (a transparency gap) plus a custody fee for Xetra-Gold/ADR/GDR.
Best for: Cost-conscious long-term savings-plan investors (and AVD prospects) who place €0 executions alongside inexpensive one-off trades.
- Cost/execution
- 0% / execution (the former 1.50% has been dropped, partner-funded; plus spreads)
- Free ETFs
- > 1,700 ETF savings plans
- Minimum rate
- €10
- Fractional shares
- yes
Pros
- No account fee and a 0% ETF savings-plan fee (both officially confirmed).
- Low entry point plus fractional shares: savings plans from €10, 1,700+ ETFs.
Cons
- The low order price is mostly a time-limited promotion: after the opening month plus 12 months, the tiered model applies (Silver €4.95 + 0.25%, min. €9.95); regular one-off orders cost considerably more.
Best for: Cost-sensitive ETF savings-plan investors who want a €0 account, 0% savings plans and fractional shares from €10.
- Cost/execution
- €0 on > 500 promotional ETFs, otherwise €1.50 / execution (flat)
- Free ETFs
- > 2,000 savings-plan-eligible ETFs (500+ promotional ETFs free)
- Minimum rate
- €25
- Fractional shares
- yes (but not portable on account transfer)
Pros
- €0 account for everyone, with no activity hurdle.
- Broad savings-plan range with 500+ free promotional ETFs and genuine fractional shares from €25/month.
- A concretely promised 2027 AVD: a front-runner among the direct banks.
Cons
- One-off trades are comparatively expensive: a €10 minimum order commission (+ up to €2.50 on Xetra) versus around €1/free at neobrokers; the standard savings plan costs €1.50/execution outside the promotional ETFs.
- Fractional shares are not portable when switching accounts.
Best for: Buy-and-hold ETF savers who want a permanently free full-service bank account and an early line to the 2027 AVD.
- Cost/execution
- 1.5% of the order volume / execution (rotating €0 "ETF specials")
- Free ETFs
- > 10,000 savings-plan-eligible securities
- Minimum rate
- €1
- Fractional shares
- yes
Pros
- A free account that's easy to keep fee-free (3 years unconditionally, then €0 with, e.g., 1 savings plan per quarter).
- Low-threshold fractional-share savings plans from €1 across > 10,000 instruments.
- Independently ranked cost-competitive (Stiftung Warentest "cost leader 12/2025," a self-citation).
Cons
- The savings-plan fee scales poorly (1.5%/execution; 1.5% on €500 = €7.50) and regular orders are expensive (base fee + 0.25% plus a €2.50 minimum venue fee → approx. €12.40 on €1,000), far above neobroker flat fees.
Best for: Long-term investors who want a free, fully featured account with a huge fund/ETF universe and small, flexible savings plans, not large one-off orders.
How we rate Savings-plan costs
€0/execution + many free ETFs + a low minimum rate + fractional shares = 9–10; percentage-based or partially priced models scored down (e.g. Comdirect 1.5% = 6).
Frequently asked questions
- Why do savings-plan costs matter more than the account fee?
- Because they're charged on every execution and compound over the years. A 1.5% model costs €7.50 per execution at €500/month — over 30 years, many times any one-off account fee.
- What are fractional shares, and why do they matter for the AVD?
- Fractional shares let you invest a fixed euro amount in full, even if it doesn't cover a whole ETF unit. For AVD micro-contributions from 2027, they're practically a prerequisite.
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