Comdirect Depot
Your online broker for ETFs and stocks in Germany 2026
Comdirect runs one of Germany’s largest online brokers, a direct bank inside Commerzbank AG, so you invest from your laptop instead of a branch counter.
Shares and ETFs cost €3.90 per trade for your first three years. After that it’s €4.90 base fee plus 0.25% of the order value (min €9.90, capped at €59.90).
Set up any of 500+ ETF savings plans from €1 a month, claim your €100 new-customer bonus, and keep idle cash earning in the optional Tagesgeld PLUS.
Quick answer
The Comdirect Depot keeps custody free for active investors and charges €3.90 per trade on shares and ETFs for your first three years, then €4.90 base fee plus 0.25% of the order value (min €9.90, capped at €59.90). You can set up any of 500+ free ETF savings plans from €1 a month and claim a €100 new-customer bonus. It runs as a full online broker inside Commerzbank AG, so you invest from your laptop instead of a branch counter.
Updated August 2026
What makes the Comdirect Depot different
Per trade, first 3 years
Flat fee on shares and ETFs for 36 months. Afterwards €4.90 base fee plus 0.25% of the order value (min €9.90, up to €59.90).
Free ETF savings plans
Automate your investing from €1 a month across more than 500 ETFs at zero order cost.
Tagesgeld PLUS promo
Optional cash account paying a promotional 1.75% p.a. with a linked Girokonto — no fixed end date.
Why expats pick the Comdirect Depot
Broker DNA, not a bank sideline
Comdirect grew up as an online broker inside Commerzbank AG, and it still builds for investors first. You trade on every German exchange plus major venues abroad, with real-time quotes and limit orders in the app.
€3.90 flat while you find your feet
For the first three years, every share, ETF, certificate, and bond order costs a flat €3.90 (plus the usual spreads and exchange fees). From year four it’s €4.90 base fee plus 0.25% of the order value (min €9.90, capped at €59.90). Phone orders add €14.90.
500+ ETF savings plans with no order fee
Pick from more than 500 Top-Preis ETFs and run them from €1 a month with no execution cost. Other ETF and stock savings plans cost 1.5% of the amount. It is the cheapest way to buy the same MSCI World every payday.
One login for the whole family’s investing
Open a JuniorDepot in your child’s name and invest from €1 a month, using the child’s own €1,000 yearly tax-free allowance. Keep short-term money in the optional Tagesgeld PLUS. A single Comdirect login covers it all.
Built for opening from abroad or on day one
You verify by video call with your passport, so there is no branch visit. Comdirect withholds the 25% German Abgeltungssteuer on gains and dividends at source, and a Freistellungsauftrag keeps your first €1,000 each year tax-free.
Your first ETF plan starts at €1
Open your Comdirect Depot online in minutes. Free depot management for active investors, 500+ no-fee ETF savings plans, and €3.90 trades for three years.
Open Depot NowThe Comdirect Depot at a glance
Orders from €3.90
Flat €3.90 per trade for three years, then €4.90 + 0.25% (min €9.90, max €59.90).
500+ free ETF plans
Run Top-Preis ETF savings plans from €1 a month at no order cost.
€100 welcome bonus
New customers collect a €100 bonus on top of the low intro pricing.
Free depot management
No custody fee while your depot stays active: two trades a quarter, a Sparplan, or a Girokonto.
Cash that earns
Add Tagesgeld PLUS for a promotional 1.75% p.a. — granted until further notice.
All markets, one app
Trade every German exchange and major international venues from the Comdirect app.
From application to first trade
Three moves and you are trading
Fill in the online application
The form takes about ten minutes. Already bank with Comdirect? Log in and your details are pre-filled. New customers open the Depot together with a free settlement account (Verrechnungskonto).
Prove your identity by video
New customers run a short IDnow video call from home, roughly 5 to 10 minutes, with a passport or EU ID. Existing customers confirm with a TAN.
Activate and place your first order
New customers get a photoTAN letter within 1 to 2 business days; existing customers can trade the next working day. Then buy your first ETF or start a savings plan from €1.
How long it takes
- ✓ Existing customers: trade as soon as the next business day
- ✓ New customers: ready to trade 1 to 2 business days after the video check
Two routes into your Depot
Already a Comdirect customer
Apply for the Depot from inside your online banking. Your existing Girokonto becomes the settlement account, and a single TAN confirms the whole thing.
New to Comdirect
Apply for the Depot plus a free settlement account in one form. Choose your login and PIN, then the application hands you straight to the video check.
Your digital Postbox
Comdirect switches on your electronic Postbox automatically. Order confirmations, securities statements, and annual tax summaries all land there, inside the app or online banking.
What the video check and photoTAN involve
Comdirect runs the whole opening online. Existing customers can trade the next business day; new customers get access 1 to 2 business days after the video check clears.
IDnow VideoIdent
The quickest route is a live video call through IDnow. Follow the link in your confirmation email, hold your passport or EU ID to the camera, and an agent verifies you in about ten minutes.
Setting up photoTAN
Your activation letter arrives 1 to 2 business days after the video check. Install the photoTAN app, scan the activation image, and confirm your login to release trading.
Rounding out your Comdirect setup
A Depot works best alongside a Comdirect current account. Here is the rest of the lineup for expats.
The full fee picture
Trading
- First 3 years (new customers): €3.90 per trade, plus spreads and exchange fees
- From year 4 (shares, ETFs, certificates, bonds): €4.90 + 0.25% of volume (min €9.90, max €59.90)
- Phone orders: €14.90 surcharge
- Limit orders: no extra fee
Savings plans
- 500+ Top-Preis ETFs: free
- Other ETF and stock savings plans: 1.5% of the amount
- Minimum rate: €1 per month
Depot and cash
- Depot management: free with quarterly activity, otherwise €1.95/month
- New-customer bonus: €100
- Tagesgeld PLUS (optional): 1.75% p.a. promo with a Girokonto (up to €5,000,000)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do I need to start investing with Comdirect?
Nothing fixed. There's no minimum to open the Depot, and ETF savings plans start at €1 a month. Single orders cost €3.90 in your first three years, so even small buys stay cheap early on. New customers also get a €100 bonus.
What does a single Comdirect trade cost?
For your first three years, €3.90 flat per order on shares, ETFs, certificates, and bonds, plus the usual spreads and exchange fees. From year four the fee is €4.90 base fee plus 0.25% of the order value (min €9.90, capped at €59.90). Phone orders add €14.90.
Which ETF savings plans are free, and how small can they be?
More than 500 Top-Preis ETFs run with no order fee, from providers like iShares, Xtrackers, Amundi, and Vanguard. The minimum rate is €1 a month. Other ETF and stock savings plans cost 1.5% of the amount invested.
Can I invest in US and other foreign markets?
Yes. You trade on all German exchanges and major international venues, so US, UK, and European shares and ETFs are all in reach. Fees can differ on foreign venues. If you hold a US passport, read our Comdirect Depot guide first, because the PFIC rules change which funds make sense.
Is holding the Depot free?
It stays free while you use the Depot. Comdirect waives the €1.95 monthly custody fee in any quarter with at least two trades, a savings plan execution, or a Comdirect Girokonto under the same customer number, and the first two quarterly statements after opening are free either way. 500+ ETF savings plans carry no order fee at all, and idle cash can sit in the optional Tagesgeld PLUS.
Savings plan or single order, which should I use?
Use a savings plan for regular, automated buys, monthly from €1 and often at zero order fee. Use a single order to buy or sell a specific amount right now for €3.90 in your first three years. Most expats building wealth run a savings plan and place the occasional single order.
How fast can I place my first trade?
Existing Comdirect customers can trade as soon as the next business day. New customers get access 1 to 2 business days after the IDnow video check clears and the photoTAN letter arrives.
Do I need a Comdirect current account for the Depot?
You need a settlement account (Verrechnungskonto). If you already hold a Comdirect GiroKonto, it does the job. If not, you open a free settlement account together with the Depot in the same application.
How are my investments taxed in Germany?
Germany levies 25% Abgeltungssteuer plus solidarity surcharge on gains and dividends. Comdirect withholds it automatically, so there is no separate return for German gains. File a Freistellungsauftrag and your first €1,000 a year (€2,000 for jointly assessed couples) stays tax-free.
Can I invest for my children too?
Yes, through a Comdirect JuniorDepot in the child's name. It runs the same 500+ free ETF savings plans from €1 a month and uses the child's own €1,000 tax-free allowance, which can shelter growth that would otherwise land on your own allowance.
What if I move away or close my accounts?
You can transfer your securities to another broker (Depotübertrag) or sell them before you leave. German exit rules only bite if you hold at least 1% of a single company, which is rare for ordinary ETF investors. Our Depot guide covers the details.
Can I get exposure to Bitcoin or crypto?
Not directly. Comdirect doesn't offer coin trading, but you can buy crypto ETPs, crypto-themed ETFs, or certificates tracking Bitcoin and Ethereum. These trade like any other security in your Depot.
Ready to open your Comdirect Depot?
Open online in about ten minutes. €3.90 trades for three years, 500+ free ETF savings plans from €1, a €100 bonus, and 1.75% on optional Tagesgeld PLUS.