Kraken Pro vs Scalable Capital Comparison
In our overall rating Kraken Pro leads with 4.4 out of 5 points, ahead of Scalable Capital with 2.9. On disclosed fees Kraken Pro is cheaper: € 8.00 instead of € 10.89 per €1,000 purchase. Kraken Pro has been on the market longer, founded in 2011, while Scalable Capital followed in 2014.
| 0.8 % | Fees | €0.99 + 0.99 % |
| € 8.00 | Minimum cost per €1,000 | € 10.89 |
| 629 | Cryptos | 32 (as ETPs) |
| SEPA Instant Transfer, SEPA Transfer, PayPal, Credit Card | Payment Methods | SEPA Direct Debit, SEPA Transfer |
| - EU: MiCA - USA: CFTC - UK: FCA | 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 A price markup in the spread is not included, because most providers do not publish it.
| € 8.00 | Minimum cost per €1,000 | € 10.89 |
| 0.8 % | Fees | €0.99 + 0.99 % |
| € 1.49 | Wallet transfer | – |
| Yes | Cost transparency | Yes |
| € 5 | Minimum Amount | € 1 |
| SEPA Instant Transfer, SEPA Transfer, PayPal, Credit Card | Payment Methods | SEPA Direct Debit, SEPA Transfer |
On disclosed fees you pay €2.89 less at Kraken Pro per €1,000 purchase.
Kraken Pro uses a maker/taker model with 17 tiers. Since 9 July 2026 the best of three measures applies: 30-day spot volume, 30-day futures volume or your current assets on the platform, such as crypto, cash and staked coins. The tier you reach applies to both spot and futures. Volume on stablecoin and FX pairs, Instant Buy and conversions does not count.
| Tier | 30-day spot volume (USD) | or assets on platform (USD) | Maker | Taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 0+ | not applicable | 0.40% | 0.80% |
| Tier 2 | 2,500+ | not applicable | 0.30% | 0.60% |
| Tier 3 | 10,000+ | 20,000+ | 0.22% | 0.38% |
| Tier 4 | 25,000+ | 50,000+ | 0.20% | 0.35% |
| Tier 5 | 50,000+ | 100,000+ | 0.15% | 0.30% |
| Tier 6 | 100,000+ | 200,000+ | 0.12% | 0.25% |
| Tier 7 | 250,000+ | 400,000+ | 0.10% | 0.22% |
| Tier 8 | 500,000+ | 600,000+ | 0.08% | 0.20% |
| Tier 9 | 1M+ | 1M+ | 0.06% | 0.18% |
| Tier 10 | 2.5M+ | 2.5M+ | 0.04% | 0.15% |
| Tier 11 | 5M+ | 5M+ | 0.02% | 0.12% |
| Tier 12 | 10M+ | 10M+ | 0.00% | 0.10% |
| Pro 1 to Pro 5 | 50M+ | 20M+ | 0.00% | 0.09% to 0.05% |
Stablecoins, pegged tokens and FX pairs have their own schedule from 0.20% maker and taker. Margin positions also incur opening and rollover fees per pair, for example 0.02% to 0.04% on opening and every four hours. As of 1 November 2026, Kraken fee schedule. This comparison does not constitute investment advice.
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
- Maker/taker fees from 0.40% / 0.80%; since 9 July 2026 your balance also counts towards your tier, with Tier 3 (0.22% / 0.38%) from USD 20,000
- Pro order types: stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop, iceberg, OCO
- Margin trading up to 5x (selected pairs up to 10x)
- Full-featured API: REST and WebSocket v2 incl. Level 3 order book
- Shared account with standard Kraken, no transfer required
- In the EEA, Bitcoin and Ether options since 26 October 2026, in the same derivatives account as futures
- Learning curve compared to the standard interface has room for improvement
- Margin for EEA customers on fiat pairs only against USD and EUR, funded in USDC and EURC
- Futures and options only via a separate derivatives account, options only after an appropriateness assessment
- Lowest fee tiers only reachable from high 30-day volume onward
- Stablecoin and FX pairs on their own schedule from 0.20%, and their volume does not count towards your tier
- 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+)
User Experiences
AI AnalysisNo separate analysis -- based on Kraken.
According 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. This comparison does not constitute investment advice. All information without guarantee.
Features
| not available | Maker/Taker Model | not specified |
| not available | Margin Trading | not specified |
| not available | Futures/Derivatives | not specified |
| not available | Order Types | not specified |
| not available | API | not specified |
| not available | Charts | not specified |
| not available | Mobile App (Pro Mode) | not specified |
| not available | Asset Selection | not specified |
| not available | 2FA Security | not specified |
| not available | Cold Storage | not specified |
| 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 |
- Volume-based fee model from 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker
- Pro order types including iceberg and OCO bracket
- Margin trading with up to 5x leverage across 150+ markets
- API access for REST and WebSocket v2
- MiCA authorisation from the Central Bank of Ireland, valid in 30 EEA countries
- Bitcoin and Ether options for EEA customers since 26 October 2026
- 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
No separate analysis -- based on Kraken.
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
No separate analysis -- based on Kraken.
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
No separate analysis -- based on Kraken.
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
No separate analysis -- based on Kraken.
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
No separate analysis -- based on Kraken.
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
| Payward Europe Solutions Limited | Company | Scalable Capital GmbH |
| 2011 | Founded | 2014 |
| - EU: MiCA - USA: CFTC - UK: FCA | Regulation | Full bank (CRR credit institution) supervised by BaFin and the Bundesbank |
| € 5 | Minimum Amount | € 1 |
| Photo ID, VideoIdent | KYC | eID, Video-ID, PostIdent |
Verdict
In our overall rating Kraken Pro leads with 4.4 against 2.9 for Scalable Capital.
On disclosed fees you pay €2.89 less at Kraken Pro per €1,000 purchase.
For most investors Kraken Pro is therefore the better choice.
Kraken Pro is the separate trading interface from Kraken (pro.kraken.com and Pro mode in the mobile app) and is aimed at active traders. Unlike the standard platform with flat 1% fees, the maker/taker model applies here, starting at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker and falling across 17 tiers to 0.00% maker and 0.05% taker. Since 9 July 2026 Kraken sets your tier by the best of three measures: 30-day spot volume, 30-day futures volume or assets on the platform. Anyone holding USD 20,000 at Kraken therefore trades in Tier 3 at 0.22% maker and 0.38% taker even without any turnover. Account, verification, and asset balances are shared between both interfaces.
The order set covers market, limit, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop, iceberg orders, and bracket/OCO combinations. Margin trading is offered with up to 5x leverage depending on the pair, with selected assets reaching 10x; for EEA customers, margin on fiat pairs is now limited to USD and EUR and funded in USDC and EURC. EEA customers trade futures and, since 26 October 2026, Bitcoin and Ether options on Kraken Pro from a separate derivatives account using the same wallet; the provider is Cyprus-based Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited with a MiFID licence from CySEC, and options require an appropriateness assessment. The crypto services themselves are provided by Payward Europe Solutions Limited, authorised under MiCA by the Central Bank of Ireland since 25 June 2025 and passported to 30 EEA countries (ESMA register, file dated 30 October 2026). Charts, order book, and API access (REST and WebSocket v2) are described in user reviews as sufficient for active strategies; the learning curve compared to the standard interface is occasionally criticized.
Kraken Pro is considered particularly suitable for active traders who value pro order types, lower volume-based fees, and margin features. Those primarily looking for savings plans or simple spot investing will find a more fitting setup on the standard interface. This comparison does not constitute investment advice.
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.