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Broker comparison for the EU and Sweden
A short educational stub for readers who want to compare Interactive Brokers, Trading 212, and Saxo before opening an account. Lician does not execute orders and does not hold client money.
Three brokers to research
Descriptions are orientation, not a fee table. Confirm every point on the broker’s own site. Official links below are public homepages with no referral parameter.
Interactive Brokers
A global broker often used by residents in the EU and Sweden who want access to several exchanges and more advanced order types. Which Interactive Brokers entity would hold your account depends on where you live.
- Whether they currently accept clients in your country of residence
- Which legal entity would custody the account, and which investor-protection scheme applies
- How SEK or EUR deposits are converted, and the current commission and FX schedule
Official site (interactivebrokers.com) (opens in a new tab, not a referral link)
Placeholder for IBKR. No affiliate ID is configured, so this control does not open an account and does not track a commission.
Trading 212
An app-first broker used by many retail investors in Europe for shares and ETFs. Invest accounts and CFD accounts are different products. Availability for Swedish residents can change, so confirm it on their site before you apply.
- Whether an Invest account (not only CFDs) is offered where you live
- Which regulator and compensation scheme cover the entity you would join
- FX, custody, and any inactivity costs on the current price list
Official site (trading212.com) (opens in a new tab, not a referral link)
Placeholder for T212. No affiliate ID is configured, so this control does not open an account and does not track a commission.
Saxo
A multi-asset broker with a long presence for European clients, covering listed shares, ETFs, and other instruments. Pricing tiers and which Saxo entity serves Sweden or another EU country are on Saxo’s own pages.
- Whether your country of residence is on the current onboarding list
- Which pricing tier you would join, and what that tier costs today
- How dividends, withholding, and annual tax statements are handled
Official site (home.saxo) (opens in a new tab, not a referral link)
Placeholder for Saxo. No affiliate ID is configured, so this control does not open an account and does not track a commission.
What to compare yourself
Use this as a checklist. It is not a score, and it does not include live commissions.
| Check | Why it matters in the EU and Sweden |
|---|---|
| Residency | A broker can refuse applications from some countries even when the brand is well known in Europe. |
| Account type | In Sweden, a plain brokerage account, an ISK, and a kapitalförsäkring are taxed differently. Confirm what the broker actually offers, then check the treatment with Skatteverket or an advisor. |
| Currency | Funding in SEK or EUR, and the spread when you buy a USD share, often matters more than a headline commission. |
| Markets | Check which exchanges you can trade, including US listings and Nordic shares, and whether fractional shares exist. |
| Protection | Read which legal entity holds the assets and which investor-compensation scheme applies if that firm fails. |
| Costs | Compare commission, FX, custody, and inactivity fees on the broker’s current price list. This page does not publish those numbers. |
| Tax reporting | Swedish readers should check that the annual statement is usable for a declaration. EU readers should check local reporting rules. |
Questions
- Are the broker buttons on this page affiliate links?
- No. Interactive Brokers, Trading 212, and Saxo referral IDs are not connected. The buttons are disabled placeholders. Lician does not earn a commission from this page. Official-site links go to each broker’s public homepage and do not include a referral parameter.
- Does Lician recommend a broker?
- No. This is an educational checklist for readers in the EU and Sweden. It is not a ranking, not a personal recommendation, and not investment advice. You choose an account, if you open one, after reading the broker’s own disclosures.
- What should a reader in Sweden check?
- Confirm the broker accepts Swedish residents, which entity would hold the account, how the account is taxed (including whether an ISK or kapitalförsäkring is even available), how SEK funding and FX work, and whether the annual statement fits a Swedish tax return. Lician is not authorized by Finansinspektionen to give investment advice.
- What should a reader elsewhere in the EU check?
- Confirm the broker passports or is authorized to serve your country, which MiFID disclosures apply, the all-in cost (commission plus FX and custody), and the investor-protection scheme for that legal entity. Product availability differs by country.
Compliance disclaimer
This page is general information for readers in the European Union and Sweden. It is not investment advice, not a personal recommendation, and not an offer to buy or sell any financial instrument. Capital is at risk. You can lose money.
Lician is operated by Distinct Systems i Sverige AB, org.nr 556335-1260, Per Hans Väg 7, 436 50 Hovås, Sweden. Lician is not a broker, bank, or investment firm and is not authorized by Finansinspektionen to provide investment advice or to receive and transmit orders. We do not assess whether an account is suitable for you.
Brokers serving EU clients must give you their own MiFID cost, risk, and conflict disclosures. Those documents control. Fees, product lists, tax treatment, and whether Swedish residents can open an ISK or other wrapper change without notice. Verify them on the broker’s site and, for Swedish tax, with Skatteverket or a qualified advisor.
If affiliate IDs are added later, Lician may earn a commission when someone opens an account through a labeled referral link. That would be disclosed on this page. Today there is no referral link, no tracking ID, and no commission.
Also read the Lician disclaimer. For how research fits before you choose an account, see how to invest.