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Transferable to your own wallet
Self-custody of cryptocurrencies plays an important role for many users who want to manage their cryptocurrencies and thus their "private keys" themselves and not leave them in the hands of the exchange. Most exchanges offer the option of sending the purchased cryptocurrencies to their own wallet.
Deposit protection is a safeguard for the assets of users of a stock exchange or broker, which is intended to protect investors in the event of insolvency or a high loss due to a hacker attack. Service providers based in Germany are legally obliged to provide deposit protection of €100,000. In some cases, international exchanges have a special insurance policy that covers a certain portion of the assets instead of a deposit guarantee.
The overall rating is the average of our individual ratings. Our ratings do not constitute investment advice, but merely our personal opinion. You are welcome to use them as rough indicators and additional perspective. In the dynamic and fast-growing crypto sector, parameters can often change from one day to the next, so we cannot guarantee that the rating data is up to date. Therefore, please never use our ratings as an isolated basis for decision-making and not as a substitute for your own research.
This rating describes our personal assessment of the user-friendliness of the product. How easy is the onboarding process? How modern is the user interface and is it easy to use? Are all the important functions quick and easy to find? We ask ourselves all these questions in order to give a personal rating from 1 to 10 points.
This rating describes our assessment of the fee structure of a stock exchange or broker. It is not only the amount of fees that can differ, but also the type of fees. The most common type of fees for crypto exchanges are the "maker/taker" fees or spreads. In some cases, there are also hidden fees that are not recognizable to users at first glance.
For products or services in the crypto space, trust and security should be the biggest factors in the selection process. Since we could not seriously evaluate the technical security of a platform or product, we analyze publicly available factors such as security features, location, regulation, certifications, audits, team/company, general reputation and, of course, track record.
Crypto doesn't have to be cryptic. Especially for beginners, the first contact with the crypto world can be overwhelming. With this rating, we give our assessment of how easy it is for beginners to find their way around: from the onboarding process to using the most important functions.
Customer support is an important factor for many users. A long wait or no response at all in the event of problems can be frustrating, especially when it comes to sensitive topics such as finances. With this rating, we give our assessment of the quality of customer support. In order to provide as balanced an assessment as possible, we also include user opinions from other platforms in our evaluation.
Some exchanges and brokers are regulated by financial supervisory authorities in certain countries/states. This often entails strict financial regulatory requirements and compliance requirements to which the company must adhere. Regulatory clarity can contribute to greater transparency and thus also greater trustworthiness.
Trade Republic vs Plus500 in comparison
Overview
- 50 cryptos as real coins that you can send to your own wallet
- A flat €1 fee per trade and free crypto savings plans
- Staking for SOL, ETH, DOT and more at no extra fee
- Crypto, stocks, ETFs, a current account and a card in one app from a German bank
- Orders from 1 euro and no minimum investment amount
- The size of the crypto spread is not published on the website
- The €1 fee weighs heavily on small orders
- A short coin list compared with crypto exchanges
- No proof of reserves that we could find, and no private keys of your own in the app
- Only for residents of 18 European countries
- Regulated by CySEC in the EEA, with 17 licenses across the group
- No commission to open or close a crypto CFD
- Negative balance protection and segregated client money
- Long or short on 24 cryptocurrencies, next to shares and forex
- Crypto futures for approved US customers through a separate US company
- No real coins: no crypto withdrawals, no wallet, no staking
- 80% of retail CFD accounts lose money with this provider
- Spreads vary by coin, for example 0.15% on Bitcoin and 4.46% on Polkadot at our latest check
- Inactivity fee of up to USD 10 a month after three months without a login
- Crypto leverage for retail clients capped at 1:2
Features Comparison
- Cryptocurrencies
- Stocks
- ETFs
- Derivatives
- Crypto CFDs
- Stocks
- ETFs
- Currency
- Options
- Indices
- Raw materials
0
%
€1
€1
Varies
0
%
Spread only
Spread only
Not possible
50
+
$
1
24
+
$
100
Exchange Rating
Functions
- Free savings plans
- Crypto transfers to and from external wallets
- Crypto staking
- Web Terminal for stocks and derivatives
- Fast and reliable order execution
Company Details
Investment App vs CFD Platform
Trade Republic offers real stock ownership with limited crypto exposure. Plus500 offers CFDs without ownership. One gives partial ownership; one gives none.
Product Type
Trade Republic offers real stock/ETF ownership.
Plus500 offers CFDs—no ownership of any underlying assets.
Crypto Selection
Trade Republic offers about 50 cryptocurrencies.
Plus500 offers CFDs on 24 cryptocurrencies.
Beginner Experience
Trade Republic scores 10/10 for beginner friendliness.
Plus500 scores 8/10 with clear mobile app.
The Decision
Trade Republic at 7.9 suits beginners wanting one app for stocks and crypto exposure.
Plus500 at 7.5 suits traders wanting CFD exposure across asset classes.
About the author
At Exchange Flow, Ethan is recognized as the resident crypto expert. With 10+years of experience navigating the waters of global crypto exchanges, Ethan is a trusted voice in the ever-evolving world of digital currencies. He tests and scrutinizes exchanges so you don’t have to, offering reviews and articles that newbies and seasoned traders alike find invaluable. When he’s not coding, Ethan likes to travel and play retro games. He uses his crypto earnings to fund his trip around the globe.
