Trade Republic Altersvorsorgedepot: really 0 euros in costs?
Almost. For the account itself, for savings plan execution and for more than 50 selected ETFs, Trade Republic charges nothing at all. For other funds, by contrast, a fee does apply, and a few details are still missing. We set out here what the offer is worth and who it suits.
The key points in brief
- On 13 October 2026 Trade Republic announced a free Altersvorsorgedepot (Germany’s state-subsidized retirement investment account), launching on 1 January 2027. You can already register your interest.
- No account fee, no savings plan fee. For more than 50 selected ETFs (BlackRock, DWS, Vanguard) the fund costs are refunded every month and reinvested.
- According to the provider, the free terms apply both to the statutory standard account and to the open Altersvorsorgedepot.
- For other ETFs and actively managed funds the fee does apply, switching provider within the first five years costs 150 euros, and the final contract details are still outstanding.
- With its zero tariff, Trade Republic is sharpening the price war started by Scalable Capital, quirion and Deka.
What Trade Republic is announcing
The neobroker is going all in. For the Altersvorsorgedepot, Trade Republic charges no account fee and no fee for executing savings plans. For more than 50 selected ETFs from major houses such as BlackRock, DWS and Vanguard, the provider also refunds the ongoing fund costs – monthly, and reinvested straight away. With these funds, practically every euro you pay in works for your retirement. The free variant is said to apply both to the statutory standard account and to the open account. We track the status and the terms, with the date they were checked, in the provider monitor.
Where the catch is
There is no getting around the small print. The exemption from fees applies only to the selected ETFs; for other ETFs and actively managed products the fee does fall due. The binding contract details are also still outstanding, as is the question of how sustainable such free terms can be in the long run. Wait for the official list.
The price war is gathering pace
Trade Republic is not alone. Scalable Capital had announced fund costs of 0.15 percent for its standard account, quirion quotes Vanguard ETFs at 0.07 to 0.08 percent, Deka 0.1 percent. Now Trade Republic is going one better with zero. For savers this competition is good news, because every tenth of a percentage point less adds up a great deal over the years. And anyone who stays permanently below the statutory cap of 1.0 percent is making full use of the scope created by the reform of private retirement provision.
Conclusion
A strong signal. For self-directed investors who want to pay into broad, low-cost ETFs anyway, a genuinely free account is a tangible advantage over a long term. The final conditions are still missing, though. Take your time comparing, for example with our cost overview for the Altersvorsorgedepot. Then you can decide with all the figures in front of you.
Sources: Handelsblatt, „Trade Republic Altersvorsorgedepot: Kosten liegen bei null Euro”; WirtschaftsWoche, „Neobroker bringt das Altersvorsorgedepot zum Nulltarif”; onvista, „Trade Republic verschärft Preiskampf um Altersvorsorgedepot”; extraETF, „Trade Republic kontert Scalable Capital mit Gratis-ETFs”; Telepolis, „Trade Republic macht das Altersvorsorgedepot kostenlos, doch Fragen bleiben”; Trade Republic press release of 13 October 2026.
This article is for information purposes and is not investment advice.
What does the Altersvorsorgedepot at Trade Republic really cost?
Almost nothing. There are no costs for the account, for savings plan execution or for more than 50 selected ETFs, and for these ETFs Trade Republic even refunds the ongoing fund costs every month. That does not apply to other ETFs and actively managed funds, where a fee remains.
Does the exemption from fees apply permanently?
For the selected ETFs, yes. According to the provider it is open-ended and not merely a launch promotion, but how sustainable such free terms are remains to be seen. It only becomes binding with the official conditions from Trade Republic.
Which ETFs does the zero tariff apply to?
To more than 50 selected ETFs. Behind them are major providers such as BlackRock, DWS and Vanguard, but Trade Republic has not yet named the exact list in full. For all other funds, for example actively managed ones, the fee remains in place.
Can I take out the account now?
Not yet. An Altersvorsorgedepot can only be taken out from 1 January 2027, but you can register your interest now. Until then it is worth comparing, because several providers are currently in a price war.
Lawyer & financial market expert · AVD Anbieter Vergleich
Rolf Henning Hackel is a qualified lawyer who has spent more than 22 years as a board member and managing director at various software providers to the financial industry, and as a founder himself. As a thorough market expert he knows not only the different providers but also the financial industry’s products, their strengths and weaknesses, and the regulatory framework around them. At AVD Anbieter Vergleich he writes about the new Altersvorsorgedepot and explains subsidies, providers and return potential in plain language — independently and free of advertising.
