Head to head
Fio banka vs flatex — which broker is better?
Fio banka or flatex? 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.
flatex
One flat EUR 5.90 per order, free ETF savings plans and a German banking licence — the incumbent that actually competes on price.
- Stocks (per order)
- €5.90
- Minimum deposit
- None
- 5,000 order
- €5.90
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 flatex takes it, 4.0 against 3.6 out of 5. flatex is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €5.90 there against €17.50. flatex scores 79 against 59 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. flatex covers more ground with 9 of 14 asset classes against 5. On platform and app flatex is ahead, 3.9 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
- flatex
- 4.0 — Better
- Fio banka
- €17.50
- flatex
- €5.90 — Better
- Fio banka
- 59 of 100
- flatex
- 79 of 100
- Fio banka
- 5/14
- flatex
- 9/14 — Better
- Fio banka
- 3.5
- flatex
- 3.9 — 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. | flatex 4.0 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 | 4.0 — Better |
| Group index | 59 of 100 | 79 of 100 |
| Best for | Czech and Slovak residentsDIP retirement saversXETRA ETF investorsPrague Stock Exchange investorsInvestors who want a branch | Medium and large single ordersETF savings plan investorsCost-conscious German and Austrian investorsSpot crypto through a regulated German bankBuy-and-hold portfolios that stay fully invested |
| Regulation | CNB | BaFin |
| Top-tier licences | 0 | 1 — 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 | 3 |
| Founded | 1993 | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Prague, CZ | Frankfurt am Main, DE |
| Fees | 3.2 | 4.3 — Better |
| Safety & regulation | 4.0 | 4.2 — Better |
| Trading platform | 3.5 | 3.8 — Better |
| Product range | 3.3 | 4.0 — Better |
| Mobile app | 3.5 | 3.9 — Better |
| Research | 3.4 — Better | 3.3 |
| Customer support | 3.8 — Better | 3.6 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 3.5 | 3.6 — Better |
| Account opening | 3.9 | 4.3 — Better |
| Education | 3.8 — Better | 3.6 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €17.50 | €5.90 — Better |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | 0.35 % | €5.90 — Better |
| US stocks | tiered | €5.90 |
| ETFs | tiered | €5.90 |
| Options | Not offered | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | Not offered |
| Crypto | n/a | 0.6 % |
| Bonds (order) | 0.1 % — Better | €5.90 |
| Funds (order) | Free | €5.90 |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | n/a |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | n/a | 0.35 % |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | n/a | free |
| Deposit fee | n/a | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | 3.5 % |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 5 | 9 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | 40 |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | No |
| Futures | No | No |
| Forex | No | No |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| 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 | Broker, real coins; coins to your own wallet: not possible according to the provider |
| Platforms | e-BrokerFio Smartbroker | flatex next (web)flatex next (mobile)flatex classicflatex trader 2.0stock3 |
| 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 with video or eID identification; flatex advertises account opening in about five minutes |
| Account types | Obchodní účet (trading account)Dlouhodobý investiční produkt (DIP)Osobní makléř (personal broker) | flatex DepotGemeinschaftsdepotKinderdepotAltersvorsorgedepotCFD-KontoFremdwährungskonto |
| Payment methods | Bank transfer | Bank transferSEPASEPA Instant |
| Account currencies | CZKEURUSDGBPPLNHUF | EURUSDGBPCHF |
| 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 1–2 business days; flatex says money sent by SEPA instant transfer (Echtzeit-Überweisung) is available immediately |
| 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 registered reference account |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | CzechSlovak | German |
| Channels | PhoneEmailBranchTicket system | PhoneEmailTicket system |
| 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 | Weekday telephone and e-mail support; flatex does not publish fixed service hours on its public contact page |
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
flatex
One flat EUR 5.90 per order, free ETF savings plans and a German banking licence — the incumbent that actually competes on price.
Pros
- EUR 5.90 flat commission on German, US, Canadian and other foreign orders with no percentage component up to EUR 40,000 — a EUR 10,000 trade costs the same as a EUR 1,000 trade
- All ETF and fund savings plans execute at EUR 0.00 commission with over 5,000 plans available and no cap on the savings rate
- No custody fee, no account fee, no inactivity fee, and free incoming and outgoing depot transfers
- Genuine spot crypto in around 25 coins at 0.6%–0.7% all-in, traded through the regulated German bank and held by the BaFin-authorised custodian Tangany rather than as an ETN wrapper
- Full German banking licence under BaFin and Bundesbank supervision, with an MDAX-listed parent (flatexDEGIRO SE, ticker FTK) publishing audited accounts and over EUR 100 billion in customer securities under custody
- Tax-simple in both markets it serves: automatic German Abgeltungsteuer withholding and automatic Austrian KESt settlement at 27.5% on flatex.at
- Free foreign-currency sub-accounts, so USD or CHF proceeds can be held rather than converted back at a spread every time
- Fast onboarding — flatex advertises a five-minute fully digital account opening, and no minimum deposit applies
Cons
- 0.00% p.a. credit interest on cash balances. Competitors pay 1%–1.75% on the settlement or call account, so an investor holding EUR 20,000 in cash gives up EUR 200–350 a year that never shows up in any fee table
- Currency conversion costs an absolute margin of USD 0.0040 per euro — roughly 0.35% — which is worse than Consorsbank's published USD 0.0030 and far worse than a multi-currency specialist
- No Eurex or US options and futures trading at all. Certificates, knock-outs and Société Générale CFDs are the only leveraged instruments on offer
- The price list still meters real-time quotes — 25 free per month plus 10 per executed order, then EUR 0.01 per query — although flatex currently advertises Xetra real-time quotes as free until further notice; the professional flatex trader 2.0 platform costs EUR 15–39 a month on top
- The EUR 5.90 floor makes flatex expensive for small orders — a EUR 300 purchase pays about 2% in commission before venue costs, where a EUR 1 neobroker charges 0.3%
- Direct foreign market access is narrow: US, Canada, Euronext, Vienna, Zurich and Milan (sell only). There is no direct London, Tokyo, Hong Kong or Nordic access, and stock savings plans cost 1.00% of the rate
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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