Head to head
Scalable Capital vs Tiger Brokers — which broker is better?
Scalable Capital or Tiger Brokers? 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.
Scalable Capital
Germany's most complete savings-plan platform, now running on its own banking licence - and quietly repricing itself.
- Stocks (per order)
- €1.99
- Minimum deposit
- None
- 5,000 order
- €1.99
Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest.
Tiger Brokers
A Nasdaq-listed multi-market app broker licensed in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, with a long product list and a regulatory record in mainland China that belongs in the decision.
- Stocks (per order)
- 0.06 %
- Minimum deposit
- None
- 5,000 order
- €3
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 Tiger Brokers takes it, 4.1 against 3.9 out of 5. Scalable Capital is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €1.99 there against €3.00. Scalable Capital scores 88 against 78 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Tiger Brokers covers more ground with 10 of 14 asset classes against 8. On platform and app Tiger Brokers is ahead, 4.4 against 3.9 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
- Scalable Capital
- 3.9
- Tiger Brokers
- 4.1 — Better
- Scalable Capital
- €1.99 — Better
- Tiger Brokers
- €3.00
- Scalable Capital
- 88 of 100
- Tiger Brokers
- 78 of 100
- Scalable Capital
- 8/14
- Tiger Brokers
- 10/14 — Better
- Scalable Capital
- 3.9
- Tiger Brokers
- 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 | Visit broker Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest. | Visit broker 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 | 3.9 | 4.1 — Better |
| Group index | 88 of 100 | 78 of 100 |
| Best for | ETF savings plansFund investors in GermanyHigh-frequency retail traders on a flat rateConsolidating cash and investments | Singapore investors using CDP, CPF or SRSMulti-market stock and options traders in Asia-PacificHong Kong residents who want stocks and crypto in one appFutures traders on CME, HKEX and SGX |
| Regulation | BaFinECBBundesbank | MASSFCASIC |
| Top-tier licences | 3 | 3 |
| Investor protection | €100,000 | US$500,000 — Better |
| Listed group | No | Yes |
| Banking licence | Yes | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | No |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | 2 |
| Founded | 2014 | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Munich, DE | Singapore, SG |
| Fees | 4.3 — Better | 4.0 |
| Safety & regulation | 4.3 — Better | 3.9 |
| Trading platform | 3.6 | 4.3 — Better |
| Product range | 3.9 | 4.3 — Better |
| Mobile app | 4.2 | 4.4 — Better |
| Research | 3.4 | 4.0 — Better |
| Customer support | 2.8 | 3.6 — Better |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 3.7 | 4.0 — Better |
| Account opening | 4.4 — Better | 4.3 |
| Education | 3.4 | 3.6 — Better |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €1.99 — Better | €3.00 |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | €1.99 — Better | 0.06 % |
| US stocks | €1.99 | US$0.01/share — Better |
| ETFs | €1.99 — Better | 0.06 % |
| Options | Not offered | US$0.65 |
| Futures | Not offered | US$2.99 |
| Crypto | in the spread | 0.05 % |
| Bonds (order) | €1.99 — Better | 0.12 % |
| Funds (order) | €1.99 | Free |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | n/a |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | n/a | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | None | n/a |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | free | free |
| Deposit fee | SEPA transfers are free. An instant deposit - buying power for securities purchases credited against a SEPA direct debit that has not yet been value-dated - costs 0.99% of the amount on the FREE Broker and 0.69% on PRIME and PRIME+, charged on the first EUR 5,000 only: every euro above EUR 5,000 is free, so the charge is at most EUR 49.50 (FREE) or EUR 34.50 (PRIME, PRIME+). EUR 5,000 is a ceiling on the charged amount, not a minimum deposit. | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 8 | 10 — Better |
| Exchanges | 3 | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Forex | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | Yes | Yes |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | No |
| Crypto access | crypto derivatives only (no coins of your own) | Broker, real coins; coins to your own wallet: only for certain coins |
| Platforms | Scalable Capital web platformScalable Capital app | Tiger Trade appTiger Trade desktopTiger Open Platform (API) |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum leverage | No CFDs, no margin trading and no short selling. A securities-backed credit line (Scalable Kredit) is offered at a variable 4.75% p.a. | 1:4 |
| Account opening | Roughly 10-15 minutes online with video or eID identification; the securities account is normally usable within one business day. No minimum deposit - a EUR 1 reference transfer verifies the bank link. | Fully online in the Tiger Trade app or on the website; Singpass in Singapore (accounts opened within 1–3 business days); in Hong Kong the initial deposit must come from a Hong Kong licensed bank account for verification |
| Account types | FREE BrokerPRIME+ Broker | Cash account (Singapore)Margin account (Singapore)Cash Boost Account (Singapore)Demo accountVirtual asset account (Hong Kong) |
| Payment methods | SEPABank transferSEPA Instant | Bank transferWise |
| Account currencies | EUR | SGDUSDHKDAUDEUR |
| Deposit time | 1-2 business days by SEPA; an instant deposit raises the balance available for securities purchases before the SEPA direct debit is value-dated, for 0.99% (FREE) or 0.69% (PRIME, PRIME+) of the first EUR 5,000 | Singapore: SGD by DDA from DBS/POSB in about 5 minutes; SGD by FAST from 15 minutes during business hours; other currencies 1–2 business days; from banks outside Singapore 1–3 business days |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days to the reference account; internal transfers between the clearing and Overnight accounts are real-time | Singapore: review of 1–2 business days, then 1–3 business days by FAST, MEPS, FPS or telegraphic transfer |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | GermanEnglishItalianSpanishFrenchDutch | EnglishChinese |
| Channels | EmailLive chatTicket system | PhoneEmailLive chatWhatsApp |
| Availability | Monday to Friday, 8:00-18:00, by chat in the app or web; email if you cannot log in. The customer-service page offers no telephone line. | Singapore: phone weekdays 08:30–18:30 SGT, online chat and WhatsApp weekdays 08:30 to 05:00 the next day. Hong Kong: phone weekdays 09:30–18:30 HKT, online chat weekdays 09:30 to 05:00 the next day |
Strengths and weaknesses side by side
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Scalable Capital
Germany's most complete savings-plan platform, now running on its own banking licence - and quietly repricing itself.
Pros
- Free savings-plan executions from EUR 1 with fractional amounts, across more than 2,700 ETFs, 4,500 shares and 3,800 funds - the deepest catalogue in Europe.
- PRIME+ at EUR 4.99 a month makes trading a fixed cost rather than a variable one; commission-free orders from EUR 250 on EIX break even at roughly five trades a month. Purchases of PRIME ETFs (Amundi, iShares, Vanguard, Xtrackers) from EUR 250 on EIX are free on the FREE Broker as well, so they do not count towards that.
- Holds its own full ECB banking licence since September 2025 and custodies client securities itself, with cash covered to EUR 100,000 and PRIME+ balances spread across partner banks for wider statutory coverage.
- 2.60% p.a. on the Scalable Overnight cash account, paid monthly - on unlimited cash, with or without PRIME+.
- More than 3,800 mutual funds tradable without the front-end load, which is unusual at a flat-fee broker and useful for anyone holding legacy fund positions.
- German residents get Abgeltungsteuer, solidarity surcharge and church tax withheld and remitted automatically, with annual tax certificates issued.
- Broker, cash account, robo-advisor (Scalable Wealth) and a securities-backed credit line all sit behind one login, which is a genuine consolidation argument.
Cons
- Since 1 September 2026 gettex orders cost up to EUR 1.99 on every plan, up from EUR 0.99, which wiped out the PRIME+ commission-free advantage that made the subscription compelling on that venue.
- Only three trading venues - EIX, gettex and Xetra - with no direct access to US or other foreign exchanges, so you buy foreign shares through a German quote rather than on their home market.
- On EIX, Scalable is the single market maker on the venue it routes you to by default, which is the same broker-as-counterparty conflict the post-PFOF industry inherited.
- Euro-only accounts with no multi-currency balances and no itemised FX charge, so the true cost of a foreign share purchase is not visible on the contract note.
- No telephone support: chat and email only, with slow replies and delayed tax documents the most common complaint in user reviews.
- Fractional trading works in savings plans but not in ordinary lump-sum orders, and there is no demo account.
Best for
Tiger Brokers
A Nasdaq-listed multi-market app broker licensed in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, with a long product list and a regulatory record in mainland China that belongs in the decision.
Pros
- At Tiger Brokers Singapore, one Tiger Trade account reaches US, Hong Kong, Singapore, China A-share (Stock Connect) and Australian stocks, plus US and HK options, futures, US Treasuries and over 1,500 funds
- Low SGX pricing at Tiger Brokers Singapore: 0.03% commission plus a 0.03% platform fee (minimums SGD 0.99 and SGD 1), and the SGD 2 quarterly SGX custody fee is waived until further notice
- Licensed group companies in Singapore (MAS), Hong Kong (SFC, CE BMU940) and Australia (ASIC, AFSL 300767) under a Nasdaq-listed parent (TIGR)
- Singapore-specific features: the Cash Boost Account with CDP, CPF and SRS linkage, Singpass onboarding and no minimum deposit
- Free US Level 2 data (NYSE ArcaBook) and a free demo account with USD 1 million in virtual funds
- Auto-invest from USD 2 in US stocks and ETFs, HKD 500 in HK stocks and SGD 100 in SGX stocks, daily to monthly (SGX plans on the 1st and 15th of each month)
- Hong Kong clients can trade BTC, ETH, SOL, AVAX and LINK as retail investors under the SFC licence, with on-chain deposits and withdrawals for BTC and ETH (USDT for professional investors only)
Cons
- China's CSRC Beijing Bureau imposed penalties and confiscations of about RMB 411 million (about USD 59.7 million) on group subsidiaries on 22 May 2026, after an earlier CSRC finding of unlicensed cross-border business reported in January 2023
- US shares are not commission-free in Singapore: USD 0.005 per share commission plus USD 0.005 per share platform fee (minimums USD 0.99 and USD 1 per order) plus a USD 0.003 per share settlement fee
- The New Zealand company is registered as a client money and property service provider but states that it is not licensed by a New Zealand regulator
- Prices, products and protection differ by entity, and some advertised prices (the HK commissions for targeted participants, the US option coupon plan) are time-limited promotions or need activation
- Moving holdings out of Tiger Brokers (HK) costs USD 150 per US stock and HKD 500 per Hong Kong stock, and neither the Singapore nor the Hong Kong pages we read state what currency conversion costs
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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