Flatex vs Scalable Capital Comparison
In our overall rating Flatex leads with 3.1 out of 5 points, ahead of Scalable Capital with 2.9. On disclosed fees Flatex is cheaper: € 7.00 instead of € 10.89 per €1,000 purchase. Flatex has the better score in all five sub-ratings. Flatex has been on the market longer, founded in 2005, while Scalable Capital followed in 2014.
| 0.7 % | Fees | €0.99 + 0.99 % |
| € 7.00 | Minimum cost per €1,000 | € 10.89 |
| 20 | Cryptos | 32 (as ETPs) |
| SEPA Transfer | Payment Methods | SEPA Direct Debit, SEPA Transfer |
| Crypto custodian Tangany GmbH has a BaFin license. | Regulation | Full bank (CRR credit institution) supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank |
Cost comparison
The basis is a Bitcoin purchase worth €1,000, calculated from the disclosed trading fee. A price markup in the spread is not included, because most providers do not publish it.
| € 7.00 | Minimum cost per €1,000 | € 10.89 |
| 0.7 % | Fees | €0.99 + 0.99 % |
| – | Wallet transfer | – |
| Limited | Cost transparency | Yes |
| € 1 | Minimum Amount | € 1 |
| SEPA Transfer | Payment Methods | SEPA Direct Debit, SEPA Transfer |
On disclosed fees you pay €3.89 less at Flatex per €1,000 purchase.
Not enough reviews available.
Scalable Capital offers cryptocurrencies only through ETPs, i.e. exchange-traded securities. Costs consist of three parts: the order fee, a spread markup that Scalable calls the crypto fee, and the running product costs of each ETP. The FREE plan has no monthly fee, PRIME+ costs €4.99 a month.
| Transaction | FREE | PRIME+ |
|---|---|---|
| Order via the European Investor Exchange | €0.99 | €0 from €250, below that €0.99 |
| Order via Xetra or gettex | €1.99 | €1.99 |
| Savings plan from €1 per instalment | no order fee | no order fee |
| Crypto fee (spread markup on crypto ETPs) | 0.99% | 0.69% |
| Running product costs (TER) per year, examples | CoinShares Physical Bitcoin 0.15%, Bitwise Physical Ethereum 1.49%, 21Shares Solana Staking 2.50% | |
| Custody fee | €0 | €0 |
| Deposit by bank transfer or direct debit | €0 | €0 |
| Instant deposit (every euro above €5,000 per deposit free of charge) | 0.99% | 0.69% |
How to save: A €100 crypto purchase costs €1.98 on the FREE plan (€0.99 order fee plus €0.99 spread markup); for €1,000 it is €10.89. On PRIME+ the same €1,000 purchase costs €6.90, plus the monthly fee. Savings plans avoid the order fee, but the spread markup remains, so for pure crypto savings plans PRIME+ only pays off from around €1,660 a month.
As of 1 November 2026 according to Scalable Capital's cost overview and crypto page.
Pros & Cons
- BaFin-regulated German bank with a full licence, notified under MiCA for crypto trading since April 2025
- Direct trading in 25 cryptoassets for clients in Germany, from €1 per order
- Total costs of 0.6% including the spread for liquid assets such as Bitcoin
- Custody with Tangany in Munich, authorised by BaFin under MiCA since August 2025
- Crypto ETNs in the same portfolio, with a German tax certificate
- Established online broker since 2006
- Direct crypto trading only for private clients with a registered address in Germany and an individual account
- Small selection of 25 cryptoassets, no staking, no crypto savings plans
- No transfers to or from a personal wallet
- No tax withheld on directly held crypto, gains must be declared yourself
- Crypto ETNs: order fees plus ongoing product costs (TER)
- Full bank based in Munich: Scalable Capital Bank GmbH has held an ECB licence for deposit and lending business since September 2025 and is supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank
- Savings plans for crypto and ETFs possible from just €1
- Staking via individual crypto ETPs, with staking rewards of 3 to 5% a year according to the provider
- Device-bound 2FA is considered a solid security solution
- Broad range of stocks and ETFs in addition to crypto
- No custody fee; with PRIME+ at €4.99 a month, orders from €250 carry no order fee
- No actual coins: you trade ETPs, which are bonds issued by the ETP providers; transfers to your own wallet are not possible
- Crypto selection with 32 coins is room for improvement compared with specialized providers
- On top of the order fee comes a 0.99% spread markup (PRIME+ 0.69%) plus the ETPs' running costs: a €100 crypto purchase costs €1.98 on the FREE plan
- Trading only during exchange hours, not around the clock as on crypto exchanges
- Deposits only by bank transfer, direct debit or the paid Instant deposit (0.99%, 0.69% with PRIME+)
Score Comparison
User Experiences
AI AnalysisAccording to reviews, Scalable Capital presents a mixed user picture: some users appreciate the clear and intuitive app as well as everyday use that is perceived as reliable. At the same time, users report login and 2FA issues, as well as occasional delays with withdrawals and support.
Provider details (fees, licences, pros and cons) editorially reviewed: November 2026. Investing carries a high level of risk, up to and including total loss of capital. This is not investment advice. Without guarantee.
Features
| not specified | Savings plan | available |
| not specified | Staking (via ETPs) | available |
| not specified | Wallet transfer | not available |
| not specified | Credit card payment | not available |
| not specified | BaFin regulation | available |
| not specified | Web platform | available |
| not specified | Mobile app (iOS/Android) | available |
| not specified | Stocks & ETFs | available |
| not specified | SEPA direct debit | available |
- 25 cryptoassets tradable directly for 0.6% to 0.7% in total costs including the spread
- Crypto trading in the flatex account alongside shares and ETFs
- More than 55 crypto ETNs also available as a savings plan from €1, with no order commission
- Neobroker with stocks, ETFs, and crypto in one place
- BaFin-regulated with headquarters in Germany
- Crypto savings plans from €1 for regular investing
- Staking available via crypto ETPs
The five areas head to head
AI AnalysisFees & Costs
Direct crypto trading: total costs of 0.6% including the spread for liquid cryptoassets such as Bitcoin and 0.7% for less liquid ones, each for customary order sizes; orders start at €1. Crypto ETNs: order commission from €5.90 per order plus third-party costs (a flat €2.00 at Tradegate, gettex, Lang & Schwarz and other venues), €0 for the nxtAssets ETNs on Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP bought off-exchange from €1,000; savings plans in crypto ETNs from €1 with no order commission. Spreads and ongoing product costs (TER) depending on the issuer come on top. As of 1 November 2026.
There is only limited concrete feedback in the user data regarding fees and costs. According to reviews, users mainly comment on usability, login, and features in comparison, while pricing questions are mentioned less often.
Usability & User Experience
Not enough reviews available.
According to reviews, users particularly appreciate Scalable Capital for its clear and partly intuitive app, which some also describe as easy to learn. At the same time, users also report a confusing interface and login problems. From the user perspective, usability is therefore perceived differently.
Features & Offering
Not enough reviews available.
According to reviews, Scalable Capital is used by users primarily for long-term investing, and some also highlight the cash account positively. At the same time, users express several wishes, including a trailing stop-loss, an overall profit and loss overview, more ELTIFs, and more savings plans. Users also want changes to the dark design and the YTD view, as well as a group watchlist and less analysis in the free area.
Stability & Security
Not enough reviews available.
According to reviews, users describe Scalable Capital as reliable in part. At the same time, users report technical issues such as a black screen, OTP codes not being sent, as well as app problems and crashes. Stability is therefore perceived differently by users.
Customer Support
Not enough reviews available.
According to reviews, users occasionally report rather negative experiences with support, especially in connection with login or 2FA topics. Some feedback describes customer service as slow or not very helpful.
Details
| flatexDEGIRO Bank AG | Company | Scalable Capital GmbH |
| 2005 | Founded | 2014 |
| Crypto custodian Tangany GmbH has a BaFin license. | Regulation | Full bank (CRR credit institution) supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank |
| € 1 | Minimum Amount | € 1 |
| eID, Video-ID, PostIdent | KYC | eID, Video-ID, PostIdent |
Verdict
In our overall rating Flatex leads with 3.1 against 2.9 for Scalable Capital.
On disclosed fees you pay €3.89 less at Flatex per €1,000 purchase.
Neither provider reaches 4.0 out of 5 in our rating, so we do not give an unreserved recommendation here.
For investors in Germany who want to hold crypto with the same broker as their shares and ETFs, flatex is a solid choice: according to flatex, liquid assets such as Bitcoin cost 0.6% in total including the spread, less liquid ones 0.7%, each for customary order sizes. The selection of 25 cryptoassets is small, though, there is no staking and no crypto savings plan, and coins can neither be transferred to your own wallet nor deposited from one. flatex does not withhold tax on crypto gains, because directly held crypto is not subject to Germany's flat-rate withholding tax. Clients without a registered address in Germany cannot use direct crypto trading at all and are left with crypto ETNs. Since April 2025 the bank has been notified to BaFin under MiCA for executing crypto orders, and its custodian Tangany has held a MiCA authorisation since August 2025. In France, the Netherlands and Spain the same bank has offered direct crypto trading under the DEGIRO brand since September 2025. If you prefer securities, more than 55 crypto ETNs can be bought through a savings plan from €1 with no order commission. If you want a wide choice of coins or your own wallet, a crypto exchange is the better fit.
Scalable Capital has made a name for itself in the DACH region primarily as a robo-advisor and ETF broker and has also offered crypto since December 2021. Since September 2025 the company has been a full bank: Scalable Capital Bank GmbH in Munich received the ECB licence for deposit and lending business and is supervised by BaFin and the Deutsche Bundesbank. Since March 2026 it has also been listed in ESMA's MiCA register with a notification for advice on crypto-assets. According to its September 2026 fact sheet, Scalable serves more than one million customers with over €60 billion in assets.
The crypto offering covers 32 cryptocurrencies, which are not traded as coins but through crypto ETPs on regulated exchanges. No wallet or private keys are needed; in return, holdings cannot be moved to your own wallet, and trading is limited to exchange hours. Savings plans from €1 make for a particularly low-threshold entry, and some ETPs add staking rewards. Besides the €0.99 order fee there is a 0.99% spread markup, or 0.69% with the PRIME+ subscription at €4.99 a month. Since September 2026, orders via Xetra and gettex have cost a flat €1.99.
For investors who mainly put money into stocks and ETFs and want to hold crypto as an addition in the same securities account, Scalable Capital is a practical solution. Anyone who wants to hold actual coins, move them to their own wallet or trade around the clock is better served by a crypto exchange.