Review Captrader
CapTrader, founded in 2011, has emerged as a distinguished online brokerage firm headquartered in Germany. It has carved out a reputation for itself as a leading global stockbroker, particularly noted for its cost-effective stock and ETF fees that appeal to a diverse clientele of investors and traders alike.
As an introducing broker for Interactive Brokers (IBKR), CapTrader offers its users entry to a vast spectrum of markets and a wide variety of financial instruments. This is further enhanced by the provision of top-notch research facilities, all accessible through its sophisticated trading platforms.
Recommended to:
CapTrader’s highly advanced trading platforms make it more suitable for experienced users.
Pros
- Low tock and ETF fees
- Wide range of products
- Great research tools
Cons
- Account opening is complicated
- Complex desktop trading platform
Review’s Keypoints
Country of regulation
Ireland
Minimum deposit
$2,000
Time to open an account
3 days
Trading fees class
Average
Deposit with bank card
Not available
Number of base currencies supported
9
Products offered
Stocks
ETFs
Forex
Funds
Bonds
Options
Futures
Cryptos
Warrants
Structured Products
Depositing with electronic wallet
Not available
Demo account provided
Yes
Fees
CapTrader’s fees for stocks, ETFs, and margin rates are low. However, futures and options fees are high.
Pros
- Low stock and ETF fees
- One free withdrawal per month
- Low margin rates
Cons
- High options and futues fees
CapTrader Costs
- ***1000 in EUR or USD for the Stocks transaction.
- *** Price per contract for Options & Futures
Account
CapTrader, under Irish regulation, serves a global clientele without a detailed list of eligible countries. The digital account opening is a complex hour-long process, with a verification period of ten days, longer than the broker average.
CapTrader offers many account types, which differ in ownership and the range of services provided.
Individual
Individual
Account is owned and used by a single individual
Joint
Joint
Account is owned and used by two individuals
Trust
Trust
Account is held by a Trustee (separate legal entity) for your benefit
Click on the card to see details
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01Start account opening process
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02Submit address and identity
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03Provide financial and investment details
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04Upload and approve documents
Transfers
CapTrader allows a free monthly withdrawal and charges no deposit fees, but does not accept credit/debit cards or e-wallets. US clients get extra deposit options like Online Bill Payments and checks.
Pros
- One free withdrawal per month
- Nine account base currencies
Cons
- Limited deposit options
Trading Platforms
WebTrader
The web trading platform is user-friendly, has a clear fee report, and is accessible with a secure two-step verification login process.
You can choose between two web platforms when you trade online: the Client Portal and WebTrader. The WebTrader portal is available in several languages, and the platform is user-friendly and intuitive, with easy-to-find features.
The search function is also easy to use and works better than on the desktop platform. In addition, many order types are available, and you can set price alerts using the notifications icon.
Lastly, the platform provides a clear overview of your performance under the 'Portfolio' tab and includes historical profit/loss balances.
CapTrader (IBKR) Mobile
Available for iOS and Android, CapTrader user Interactive Brokers' mobile trading platform, IBKR mobile.
The available languages are nearly the same as on the web trading platform, except for Slovakian. Other languages thus include Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Simplified, and traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Turkish.
While the overall look and user-friendliness fall short of some competitors' mobile platforms, the mobile trading app is much handier than the web platform.
To log in, you can choose between two-step verification or biometric authentication (if your device has a fingerprint reader).
The search function works well, and the same order types as the web trading platform are available. Traders can also set price alerts and use the chatbot to execute or close an order.
CapTrader TWS
Trader Workstation, the desktop trading platform, is highly advanced with various features. It is available in multiple languages, but Dutch and Slovakian are missing.
Despite the platform's complexity, it is incredibly customizable.
The security features are the same as the web trading platform, but the search function lags behind the Mobile and web trading platforms.
Many different order types are available, and the Smart Routing feature automatically detects the best route for your trades. Elsewhere, traders can set Alerts and notifications, and portfolio and fee reports are transparent.
Offering
Tools
CapTrader offers mostly free third-party recommendations, with premium options for real-time analysis and portfolios from subscription-based tools.
Recommendations
CapTrader offers mostly free recommendations from third parties like Reuters and Morningstar, with subscription-based access to in-depth analysis and portfolios from The Validea and TheLeadingEDGE.
Trading Ideas
CapTrader provides trading ideas with signals containing entry and exit points that you can combine with your own risk and money management strategy.
Fundamental Data
A wide variety of fundamental data is available on all CapTrader's platforms. It includes income statements for up to six years, a dividend calendar, and peer group companies.
News feed
The 'Traders' Insight' channel on CapTrader's desktop platform provides daily market summaries, latest news, and analyst recommendations, along with useful features like earnings and economic event calendars
Charting
CapTrader has 120 technical indicators, but like the rest of the platforms, the charting tool could improve. Other technical tools include a Stock/ETF benchmarker, Mutual fund and ETF replicator, Volatility lab, Option probability lab, and VaR/Sharpe.
Regulation
CapTrader acts as an introducer to IBIE, with client assets held by IBKR and regulation by the Central Bank of Ireland. Investor protection for Interactive Brokers’ clients is governed by its Ireland-based entity. The broker only provides negative balance protection for forex spot and CFD trading for retail clients from the EU. Professional and non-EU clients do not receive negative balance coverage. CapTrader is not required to publish financial information as it is not listed on a stock exchange.
Bottom Line
CapTrader is a global stockbroker recommended mainly for advanced traders. The broker has low stock and ETF fees, a wide variety of available markets and products, and excellent research tools.
On the flip side, forex fees are high, and the account opening process is complicated. In addition, the desktop trading platform is complex and, thus, not ideal for beginners. Still, if you have experience navigating rugged platforms, CapTrader’s low-cost trading could be enticing and worth trying.
