Head to head
Fio banka vs comdirect — which broker is better?
Fio banka or comdirect? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
Fio banka
A privately owned Czech bank with Prague, US and XETRA access and a DIP account — but currency conversion at its own rates with no published margin.
- Stocks (per order)
- 0.35 %
- Minimum deposit
- None
- 5,000 order
- €17.50
Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest.
comdirect
One of Germany's most complete online brokers — every product, every platform, and a price list to match.
- Stocks (per order)
- €4.90 + 0.25 %
- Minimum deposit
- None
- 5,000 order
- €17.40
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
The verdict in numbers
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall comdirect takes it, 3.9 against 3.6 out of 5. comdirect is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €17.40 there against €17.50. comdirect scores 93 against 59 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. comdirect covers more ground with 10 of 14 asset classes against 5. On platform and app comdirect is ahead, 4.4 against 3.5 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
- Fio banka
- 3.6
- comdirect
- 3.9 — Better
- Fio banka
- €17.50
- comdirect
- €17.40 — Better
- Fio banka
- 59 of 100
- comdirect
- 93 of 100
- Fio banka
- 5/14
- comdirect
- 10/14 — Better
- Fio banka
- 3.5
- comdirect
- 4.4 — Better
Compare brokers side by side
Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 02 Nov 2026
| Criterion | Fio banka 3.6 Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest. | comdirect 3.9 Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.6 | 3.9 — Better |
| Group index | 59 of 100 | 93 of 100 |
| Best for | Czech and Slovak residentsDIP retirement saversXETRA ETF investorsPrague Stock Exchange investorsInvestors who want a branch | Investors who want one full-service accountEurex options and futures tradersActive traders needing a real deskAnyone prioritising deposit protectionClients who also want a German Girokonto |
| Regulation | CNB | BaFinECB |
| Top-tier licences | 0 | 2 — Better |
| Investor protection | €100,000 | €100,000 |
| Listed group | No | Yes |
| Banking licence | Yes | Yes |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | No | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | 1 |
| Founded | 1993 | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Prague, CZ | Quickborn, DE |
| Fees | 3.2 — Better | 2.9 |
| Safety & regulation | 4.0 | 4.6 — Better |
| Trading platform | 3.5 | 4.4 — Better |
| Product range | 3.3 | 4.6 — Better |
| Mobile app | 3.5 | 4.3 — Better |
| Research | 3.4 | 4.2 — Better |
| Customer support | 3.8 — Better | 2.4 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 3.5 | 4.0 — Better |
| Account opening | 3.9 | 4.0 — Better |
| Education | 3.8 | 4.0 — Better |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €17.50 | €17.40 — Better |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | 0.35 % | €4.90 + 0.25 % — Better |
| US stocks | tiered | €7.90 + 0.25 % |
| ETFs | tiered | €4.90 + 0.25 % |
| Options | Not offered | €1.50 |
| Futures | Not offered | €4.50 |
| Crypto | n/a | Not offered |
| Bonds (order) | 0.1 % — Better | €4.90 + 0.25 % |
| Funds (order) | Free | €4.90 + 0.25 % |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | n/a |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | n/a | 1 % |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | n/a | free |
| Deposit fee | n/a | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 5 | 10 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Forex | No | No |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | No |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities | No | Yes |
| Indices | No | Yes |
| Warrants | Yes | Yes |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | No |
| Crypto access | no crypto | no crypto |
| Platforms | e-BrokerFio Smartbroker | comdirect web (Persönlicher Bereich)ProTradercomdirect Appcomdirect trading AppCFD Trader and CFD AppO&F-TraderREST APIstock3, TraderFox and Quant4you |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | No | Yes |
| Maximum leverage | No CFDs and no spot forex. Leverage comes from loans for trading (úvěr na obchodování) at a base rate of 8.50% a year in CZK, EUR and USD, with discounts that… | 1:30 |
| Account opening | Online for existing Fio clients, who add a trading account in Internetbanking or Smartbanking; new clients first open a free current account online (express with Bank iD) or at a branch with an ID card or passport, then complete the investment questionnaire | Fully online in a few minutes with identity verification and photoTAN activation; the Eurex O&F account is a separate paper application |
| Account types | Obchodní účet (trading account)Dlouhodobý investiční produkt (DIP)Osobní makléř (personal broker) | comdirect DepotPure DepotJunior DepotZweit-DepotCFD-KontoO&F-Kontocominvest |
| Payment methods | Bank transfer | Bank transferSEPA |
| Account currencies | CZKEURUSDGBPPLNHUF | EUR |
| Deposit time | No deposit time is published. Money reaches the trading account by bank transfer (bank code 2010); Fio current accounts in the same currencies are linked to it automatically under the newer investment framework agreement, and cash in CZK, USD or EUR can be paid in at a branch | SEPA credit transfer, typically same day to 1 business day; instant if transferred from a comdirect Girokonto |
| Withdrawal time | No withdrawal time is published. Under the newer framework agreement, transfers from the trading account to your own Fio accounts can be made immediately in e-Broker and sent on from there through Internetbanking; direct transfers to other banks go only to accounts registered once at a branch as permitted accounts | 1–2 business days to the reference account |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | CzechSlovak | German |
| Channels | PhoneEmailBranchTicket system | PhoneEmailLive chat |
| Availability | Infoline Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00 Czech time; dealing desk for clients with a telephone password Monday to Friday 08:45–22:00; branches during their opening hours; authorised messages through Fio servis in the apps | 24/7 by phone, e-mail and live chat; the CFD desk runs Mon–Fri 08:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–18:00 and Sun 12:00–20:00 |
Strengths and weaknesses side by side
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Fio banka
A privately owned Czech bank with Prague, US and XETRA access and a DIP account — but currency conversion at its own rates with no published margin.
Pros
- XETRA orders cost EUR 3.95 up to an order value of EUR 1,400 (EUR 1.98 up to EUR 500 on a DIP account), with German trading from 08:00 to 22:00
- One account for the Prague Stock Exchange, RM-SYSTÉM, NYSE, NASDAQ and XETRA, plus bonds, certificates, warrants and Fio's own funds
- Offers the Czech DIP: up to CZK 48,000 a year deductible, no fees for opening or running it and no portfolio-based fees
- Fio banka, a.s. is a Czech bank and securities dealer licensed by the ČNB according to its legal notice; cash falls under deposit insurance up to EUR 100,000 and securities under the Garanční fond (90% up to EUR 20,000)
- No minimum deposit and no safekeeping fee on listed shares and ETFs held through Fio's omnibus accounts
- Free 30-day e-Broker demo and free Škola investování seminars (89 seminars in 19 cities in 2025)
- Branches across the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and a phone dealing desk until 22:00 on weekdays
- Loans for trading in CZK, EUR and USD and short selling on the Prague Stock Exchange
Cons
- US orders cost a flat USD 7.95, or USD 9.95 above 100 shares — expensive for small US purchases
- Currency conversion runs at Fio's own rates, shown only in e-Broker; the bank's FX rate sheet sat roughly 3% either side of the reference rate on 2 November 2026, with better rates only above USD 10,000 between 09:00 and 16:30
- Dividends and other cash payments credited from instruments in Fio's own register cost 0.20% plus VAT
- We found no options, fractional shares or crypto, and futures trading has ended per Fio's Slovak price list; short selling in the US is suspended
- Serves the Czech Republic and Slovakia only as far as we could find, with support in Czech and Slovak
- Fio Smartbroker rates 3.7 on the Czech App Store and 3.5 on Google Play (2 November 2026), and Fio funds cannot yet be bought in the app
Best for
comdirect
One of Germany's most complete online brokers — every product, every platform, and a price list to match.
Pros
- The broadest product range of the three German incumbents: shares, ETFs, funds, bonds, certificates, warrants, CFDs and direct Eurex options and futures in one depot
- Excellent platform stack — ProTrader for real-time multi-monitor trading, O&F-Trader with a margin simulator, CFD Trader with a free demo, plus a documented REST API and stock3, TraderFox and Quant4you integrations
- Cash sits behind Commerzbank AG: statutory EdB cover of EUR 100,000 plus the voluntary BdB Einlagensicherungsfonds protecting private individuals up to EUR 3 million, with direct ECB supervision as a significant institution
- Custody is now free for depots opened from 15 July 2026, and the second depot has always been free
- Cheap Eurex derivatives pricing: EUR 1.50 per single-stock option contract and EUR 1.50 for the MicroDAX future, each with a EUR 9.90 execution minimum
- Fully tax-simple for German residents — automatic Abgeltungsteuer withholding, Freistellungsauftrag, loss-offset pots and free annual tax certificates
- A EUR 1.00 Pure Depot exists for investors who only need gettex and savings plans, and a 15% Viel-Trader discount rewards 125+ trades per half-year
Cons
- Standard commissions are among the highest in the market: EUR 4.90 plus 0.25% of order value, minimum EUR 9.90 and maximum EUR 59.90, plus a EUR 2.50 venue fee — roughly four times what flatex charges on a EUR 10,000 order
- Savings plans cost 1.50% of the amount invested per execution. On a EUR 500 monthly ETF plan that is EUR 7.50 a month, or EUR 90 a year, where Consorsbank and flatex both charge zero
- Customer service is the standout failure: 1.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 4,117 reviews, dominated by complaints about extremely long telephone hold times and unhelpful responses, despite the advertised 24/7 desk
- The advertised EUR 3.90 per trade applies only to new depot customers for 36 months, after which the full tariff returns — the headline number is not the price you end up paying
- The cheap Pure Depot is heavily restricted: gettex only, no off-exchange trading, no derivatives, no IPOs, no ProTrader, no securities credit, no joint or second depot
- No spot cryptocurrency and no wallet — exposure is limited to crypto certificates and ETNs, and foreign trades settle at Commerzbank reference rates rather than a published percentage markup; comdirect's own cost disclosure estimates the conversion at 1%
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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