Saxo vs eToro Comparison – 2025

Top Reasons to Choose Saxo vs eToro

After a thorough analysis, I found that Saxo is the better choice for seasoned traders and investors. As a major player in financial markets, Saxo offers an impressive selection of over 72,000 derivative and non-derivative instruments, suitable for both speculating on price movements and long-term value investing. Additionally, Saxo is one of the safest trading entities in Europe and provides a professional-grade platform for high-level trading.

eToro is another major player in the online trading industry. The broker has built a global trading community of over 20 million users since its founding in 2007. The Israel-based broker is best known for its social and copy trading services, making it a top choice for those looking to follow and replicate successful traders’ strategies. eToro also offers an excellent proprietary platform and access to more than 5,800 tradable instruments, appealing to traders of all experience levels.

Saxo: Snapshot

Saxo is a well-established Danish investment bank, founded in 1992. Regulated in 15 jurisdictions, it is widely regarded as one of the safest derivatives brokers in Europe. Saxo stands out with its massive selection of over 72,000 trading and investing products, including 8,800+ CFDs, futures, European-style options contracts, and more.

Saxo: Who is it For?

I consider Saxo an excellent choice for highly experienced retail traders and trading professionals. The platform is highly customizable, offering hundreds of analytical tools, configuration options, and advanced order types. Notably, Saxo provides sophisticated algorithmic trading capabilities, including VWAP and TWAP orders, along with multiple APIs for trade automation and Direct Market Access (DMA). Additionally, Saxo’s extensive range of investing instruments allows professionals to diversify their portfolios and earn dividends.

What Makes Saxo Stand Out?

In addition to all the benefits of Saxo listed above, the bank impresses with its high transparency and safety. Saxo is licensed and regulated in 15 different jurisdictions and has a positive A- rating by S&P Global Ratings. Essentially, the risk of price manipulation or bankruptcy with Saxo is almost nonexistent.

eToro: Snapshot

eToro is one of the most recognizable brands in the online trading industry. The broker offers a professional-grade platform with an easy learning curve, along with many supporting tools. It was also one of the first brokers to introduce commission-free trading.

eToro: Who is it For?

eToro primarily caters to traders interested in copy and social trading. It has built a comprehensive environment where strategy providers and followers can interact easily, exchange trading ideas and experiences, and generally make the most out of each other’s goals and needs.

What Makes eToro Stand Out?

Unlike most other brokers that offer copy and social trading, eToro does not charge a service (commission) fee for this particular type of trading. This makes it more cost-effective for strategy providers to market their systems and for strategy followers to capitalize on their success.

Trust

Saxo vs eToro Trust and Regulation Comparison

Saxo is regulated by nine top-tier financial authorities, ensuring compliance with the industry’s strictest safety standards. The bank guarantees segregation of client funds, negative balance protection, and participation in client compensation schemes. Additionally, Saxo holds an A- rating from S&P Global Ratings, highlighting its financial stability and transparency. It is also the first banking institution to earn STAR Level 2 and the Trusted Cloud Provider mark from the Cloud Security Alliance.

eToro operates through five entities, with four licensed by Tier-1 regulators: the FCA in the UK, CySEC in Cyprus, ASIC in Australia, and FINRA in the US. One entity is authorized offshore by the FSA (Seychelles). The broker complies with all essential safety requirements, including segregation of client funds, negative balance protection, and capped retail leverage. Additionally, some entities participate in compensation schemes. eToro’s legal documents are detailed and transparent, ensuring clear information on fees and regulatory protections.

Fees

Saxo vs eToro Spreads, Fees, and Commissions Comparison

Saxo’s Classic account features floating spreads starting from 0.9 pips and a $6 round-turn commission per traded lot. This combination exceeds the industry average. On the other hand, there is interest payable on all unused account balances starting from €10,000. Professionals earn higher interest on larger account balances. Saxo also allows commission-free trading, but it requires executing larger position sizes to qualify.

eToro provides commission-free trading with floating spreads from 1.0 pips on its Standard account. Based on my analysis, eToro’s spreads vary by asset class — ranging from low to high on currency pairs, average on share CFDs, and average to high on commodities and indices. Additionally, copy trading carries no service fees. Deposits are fee-free, though currency conversion charges may apply, and withdrawals incur a handling fee.

Platforms and Tools

Saxo vs eToro Trading Platforms Comparison

Saxo shines in the platforms category with its SaxoTraderGo and SaxoTraderPro proprietary platforms, which I consider among the best in the industry due to their intuitive and highly customizable designs. These platforms feature more than 100 analytical tools and chart configurations. Additionally, the broker integrates seamlessly with TradingView and Dynamic Trend, providing traders with a comprehensive overview of price action behavior. The platforms also feature advanced algorithmic order types, such as OCO, VWAP, and TWAP.

eToro has developed an excellent proprietary platform with an easy learning curve, specifically designed to accommodate copy and social trading. The platform’s charts are fluid and easily scalable, powered by the seamless TradingView, and feature a broad range of analytical tools. Furthermore, I appreciated eToro’s ‘Delta Tool,’ which simplifies the performance tracking of multiple accounts, helping traders diversify their opportunities in the market with eToro.

In case you’re looking for brokers that offer third-party platforms, check out our guides on the best MT4, MT5, and cTrader forex brokers.

Tradable Instruments

Saxo vs eToro Instruments Selection Comparison

Saxo offers over 72,000 trading and investing instruments. The broker strikes a fine balance between higher-yield/risk assets, such as share CFDs, indices, and cryptocurrencies, and lower-risk securities, like bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds. This extensive selection allows traders to diversify their market exposure and implement a variety of trading strategies.

eToro provides more than 5,800 tradable instruments across different asset classes, with over 5,000 share CFDs forming the bulk of its offering. I found a well-balanced mix between lower-risk securities, including 671 ETFs, and higher-risk assets, such as 170 cryptocurrencies. This variety makes eToro well-suited for traders using different strategies to manage risk and capture market opportunities.

Customer Support

Saxo vs eToro Customer Support Comparison

Saxo’s customer support is surprisingly disappointing, given the bank’s strong performance in other areas. There is no live chat support for demo accounts, and general inquiries are difficult to resolve due to the lack of a clearly listed email, contact form, or phone number. The primary source of assistance is the extensive FAQ section, which covers most common queries but does not replace direct customer support.

eToro’s customer support is available 24/5 in multiple languages via live chat, email, and phone. However, live chat and phone support are restricted to funded accounts with a minimum balance of $5,000. Other users can submit inquiries through the Customer Service Center’s ticketing system. eToro also provides a comprehensive FAQ section, which answers general questions about its services.

Research

Saxo vs eToro Research Tools Comparison

Saxo offers diverse and highly practical research content. Clients have access to a wide variety of market breakdowns, trading analyses, webinars, podcasts, and seminars. Additionally, actionable trading ideas from Autochartist, one of the most trusted market analysis providers in the industry, are incorporated directly into the SaxoTraderGo platform. This integration helps intraday traders make fast and well-informed decisions.

eToro also impresses with the breadth and scope of its research content. The broker offers comprehensive analyses and forex news developed in-house. There are also daily video breakdowns for traders interested in learning about viable trading opportunities in a more flexible manner. My overall impression of eToro’s research content is predominantly positive. Its resources are varied and encompass a broad spectrum of topics.

Deposits & Withdrawals

Saxo vs eToro Deposit and Withdrawal Methods Comparison

Saxo accepts payments via credit/debit cards and bank wire. However, e-wallets and crypto wallets are not available. The broker does not impose a handling fee for deposits and withdrawals, though third-party banking fees may apply. Deposits and withdrawals are processed fairly quickly, typically within the same business day.

eToro offers deposits and withdrawals through bank wire, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, Rapid Transfer, iDeal, Klarna, Trustly, Przelewy24, and the eToro Money Wallet. All payment transactions are instant, except for bank transfers, which may take 4 to 7 business days. While deposits are free of charge (though conversion fees may apply), withdrawals incur a $5 fee.

Account Types and Terms

Saxo vs eToro Account Types Comparison

Saxo provides three retail account types: Classic, Platinum, and VIP. The Classic account does not require a minimum deposit, while the other two have quite high barriers to entry (€200,000 and €1,000,000, respectively). All three feature the same pricing mechanism: a $6 round-turn commission and floating spreads starting from 0.7 pips. There is no Islamic account option for swap-free trading.

eToro offers a single retail account type with a $50 minimum deposit requirement and multiple tiers. The more money one has in the account balance, the better conditions one gets, such as discounts on exchange rate fees, interest on the balance, and more. The broker also has Islamic accounts that allow for swap-free trading.

Education

Saxo vs eToro Educational Content Comparison

Saxo’s educational materials are well-balanced and diverse. They comprise mostly educational articles and videos covering a wide range of topics – from the basics of technical and fundamental analysis to the intricacies of risk management and trading psychology. There are also multiple videos explaining how to use Saxo’s professional trading platforms.

eToro stands head and shoulders above other brokers when it comes to the range of its educational materials. The broker provides an impressive array of 21 courses, guides, and step-by-step tutorials. There is also The Digest & Invest podcast, which features lengthy conversations between market experts on multiple trading and investing topics. Traders can delve into the intricacies of technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and trading psychology.

Our Methodology

Since 2011, FX Empire has developed a detailed methodology for evaluating CFD brokers, involving over 250 variables across nine crucial categories. Our team of experts, with deep industry knowledge, conducts live testing and research by interacting with the brokers directly. We check regulations, open accounts, test spreads, account costs, platform functionality, instrument variety, customer support reliability, and the quality of research and educational content. This granular analysis helps us identify each broker’s strengths and weaknesses, keeping our comparisons current with market trends and ensuring our guides meet traders’ needs.

We strive to evaluate each broker objectively, considering how their offerings align with the diverse trading goals and preferences of our readers. Our focus is on providing a balanced overview of each broker’s strengths and weaknesses. This method ensures that our readers receive clear, insightful comparisons to aid in making well-informed trading decisions.

We employ a comprehensive rating system across nine key categories:

• Trust
• Fees
• Platforms and Tools
• Tradable Instruments
• Customer Support
• Research
• Deposits and Withdrawals
• Account Types and Terms
• Education

In each category, we conduct an in-depth analysis for both brokers, outlining features, advantages, and disadvantages and determining their suitability for different trader profiles. By blending insights from our extensive reviews with first-hand experiences and observations, we ensure each comparison is balanced, informative, and tailored to the trader’s unique needs. You can read more about our review process here.

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