Relai vs Scalable Capital Comparison

Relai has established itself in the DACH region as one of the best-known Bitcoin-only apps and is especially appreciated by the Bitcoin community. The Swiss company follows a consistent self-custody approach: Bitcoin is held directly in the in-app wallet, and transfers to external wallets, including hardware wallets, are possible. Customers in the EU are served by Relai EU SASU, which has held a MiCA authorisation from the French financial markets authority AMF since 23 October 2025 and, according to the ESMA register, may operate in all 27 member states via the EU passport; in Switzerland, Relai AG is a member of the self-regulatory organisation VQF. Relai is therefore considered to be on solid regulatory footing.

The savings plan functionality is particularly valued, enabling automatic Bitcoin purchases with direct transfer to your own wallet or a hardware wallet. For investors who see Bitcoin as a long-term store of value and place importance on self-custody, Relai is regarded as one of the most accessible solutions. The fee is 1 % per purchase, or 0.9 % with an invite code; the first monthly auto-invest plan up to €100 remains fee-free. Paying by credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay adds 3.0 %.

Since only Bitcoin can be traded, Relai is not suitable for investors interested in altcoins, something occasionally criticized by some users. The minimum amount of 50 € and the setup of external wallet transfers are also seen as room for improvement. Relai is therefore especially suited to Bitcoin-focused investors who want to combine self-custody and automated saving with a regulated provider.

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.