Pepperstone vs Trade Republic: Which Broker Suits You?
Pepperstone scores 3.6 and Trade Republic 3.4 out of 5 on our published methodology. Pepperstone leads on Platform & Tools and Account Access & Support; Trade Republic leads on Asset Range, and they tie on Costs & Fees and Regulation & Trust. Both accept clients in the EU.
Overall score
Trade Republic
3.4/5
Best for: Low-cost EU investing & savings plans
Read the full Trade Republic review →Score by score
Each category is scored 1–5 using our published methodology. The overall score is the plain average of the first five; ease of use is shown separately.
Key facts side by side
| Pepperstone | Trade Republic | |
|---|---|---|
| What you own | CFDs only | Real assets |
| Available assets | Forex and CFDs across major asset classes | Stocks, ETFs, bonds and crypto, plus warrants and private-market funds |
| Regulated by | FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA and others | German bank licence, supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank, with branches in several EU countries |
| Stands out for | Raw spreads with a choice of MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView | A flat €1 order fee, free savings plans and interest on uninvested cash |
| Watch out for | Derivatives only — there is nothing here to buy and hold | EU only, an app-first service whose support has struggled with rapid growth, and tax reporting that varies by country |
| Accepts clients in | The UK, the EU and other countries | The EU |
Is Pepperstone cheaper than Trade Republic?
Both score 4/5 on Costs & Fees, so neither has a clear overall cost advantage on our measures; which is cheaper for you depends on what you trade, how often, and in which currency. Fees differ by country and account type and change often, so check both brokers’ current price lists before you choose.
Which is safer, Pepperstone or Trade Republic?
Pepperstone is regulated by FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA and others; Trade Republic by German bank licence, supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank, with branches in several EU countries. Both score 4/5 on our Regulation & Trust measure. Which company holds your account, and which investor compensation scheme covers it, depends on where you live. Compensation schemes cover a broker failing, never investment losses.
Which is better for beginners?
On ease of use for a beginner, which sits outside the overall score, Pepperstone scores 2/5 and Trade Republic 5/5. Trade Republic is the gentler place to start. Beginners should know that CFDs are leveraged derivatives rather than ownership, and that most retail accounts trading them lose money.
Who each one tends to suit
Pepperstone
- Tends to suit
- Forex & CFD trading
- Stands out for
- Raw spreads with a choice of MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView
- Watch out for
- Derivatives only — there is nothing here to buy and hold
Trade Republic
- Tends to suit
- Low-cost EU investing & savings plans
- Stands out for
- A flat €1 order fee, free savings plans and interest on uninvested cash
- Watch out for
- EU only, an app-first service whose support has struggled with rapid growth, and tax reporting that varies by country
More head-to-heads
Scores and facts come from our own reviews as of September 2026 and follow one published methodology. Plain Investor has no commercial relationship with either broker. This is general education, not personal financial advice. Fees, features and regulation change, so confirm current terms with each broker before opening an account.