Head to head

Cornèrtrader vs Saxo — which broker is better?

Cornèrtrader or Saxo? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

Cornèrtrader

A genuine Swiss bank behind a genuine multi-asset terminal — priced for portfolios, not for pocket money.

3,8

Group index 80/100Protection depends on your legal entity

FINMA

Stocks (per order): 0.12 %
Minimum deposit: CHF 1,000
FX conversion: 0.5 %

Visit broker Full review

Saxo

A Danish bank that trades like a professional platform — broad, polished, and no longer expensive.

4,4

Group index 96/100Protection depends on your legal entity

DFSAFCAFINMA+2

Stocks (per order): 0.08 %
Minimum deposit: None
EUR/USD spread: 0.7 pips

Visit broker Full review

Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Overall Saxo takes it, 4.4 against 3.8 out of 5. Saxo is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €4.00 there against €9.36. Saxo scores 96 against 80 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Saxo covers more ground with 11 of 14 asset classes against 10. On platform and app Saxo is ahead, 4.7 against 3.9 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.

Overall score

Cornèrtrader: 3.8
Saxo: 4.4 — Better

Costs

Cornèrtrader: €9.36
Saxo: €4.00 — Better

Group indexNo winner

Cornèrtrader: 80 of 100
Saxo: 96 of 100

Product range

Cornèrtrader: 10/14
Saxo: 11/14 — Better

Platform & app

Cornèrtrader: 3.9
Saxo: 4.7 — Better

Compare brokers side by side

Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.

Data as of: 30 Aug 2026

Best value in the row

Cornèrtrader · Saxo
Criterion	Cornèrtrader 3,8 Visit broker	Saxo 4,4 Visit broker

Overall score	3.8	4.4 — Better
Group index	80 of 100	96 of 100
Best for	Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place	Multi-asset portfoliosBond investorsOptions and futures tradersPlatform quality seekersEuropean investors wanting a bank

Regulation	FINMA	DFSAFCAFINMAMASJFSA
Top-tier licences	1	5 — Better
Investor protection	CHF 100,000	CHF 100,000
Listed group	No	No
Banking licence	Yes	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	No	Yes
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	None
Founded	1952	1992
Headquarters	Lugano, CH	Copenhagen, DK

Fees	3.2	4.2 — Better
Safety & regulation	4.4	4.7 — Better
Trading platform	4.2	4.7 — Better
Product range	4.4	4.8 — Better
Mobile app	3.6	4.6 — Better
Research	3.8	4.5 — Better
Customer support	3.6	3.8 — Better
Deposit & withdrawal	3.2	4.0 — Better
Account opening	3.2	4.2 — Better
Education	3.4	4.0 — Better

Reference order EUR 5,000	€9.36	€4.00 — Better
Minimum deposit	CHF 1,000	None — Better
Stocks (per order)	0.12 %	0.08 % — Better
US stocks	0.15 %	0.08 % — Better
ETFs	0.12 %	0.08 % — Better
Options	€4	US$2 — Better
Futures	€4	US$3 — Better
Crypto	Not offered	n/a
Bonds (order)	n/a	0.2 %
Funds (order)	n/a	Free
EUR/USD spread	n/a	0.7 pips
Index CFD spread	1.38 points	n/a
FX conversion	0.5 %	0.25 % — Better
Inactivity fee	n/a	None
Custody fee	n/a	0.15 % p.a.
Withdrawal fee	n/a	free
Deposit fee	n/a	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY +7	Inactivity fee: None Minimum deposit: EUR 0 on the Classic tier Currency conversion: 0.25% over mid-market for EU and Swiss entities; UK is tiered from 0.60% (Classic) to 0.20% (VIP) Transfer out of securities: Around EUR 50 per ISIN, capped per transfer request Card funding: Withdrawn as a deposit method in April 2025 — bank transfer only

Asset classes (of 14)	10	11 — Better
Exchanges	n/a	50
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	Yes	Yes
CFDs	Yes	Yes
Crypto	No	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	Yes	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	No	Yes
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform	SaxoTraderGOSaxoTraderPROSaxoInvestorSaxo mobile appSaxo OpenAPITradingView integration
Demo account	Yes	Yes
Fractional shares	No	No
Maximum leverage	Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.	1:30 · Pro 1:200
Account opening	Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account	Fully online with electronic ID in most markets; often same day, otherwise 1–3 business days
Account types	CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY	ClassicPlatinumVIP

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPA	Bank transferSEPA
Account currencies	CHFEURUSD	EURUSDGBPCHFDKKSEKNOKAUDCADJPY+9
Deposit time	SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days	SEPA same day to 2 business days; international wire 1–3 business days
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days by bank transfer	Usually 1 business day to the registered bank account
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish	EnglishDanishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishDutchPolishCzechSwedish+4
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts	Monday to Friday, local office hours across 16 service locations; trading desks cover market hours

Strengths and weaknesses side by side

Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.

Cornèrtrader

A genuine Swiss bank behind a genuine multi-asset terminal — priced for portfolios, not for pocket money.

3,8

Pros

Cornèr Bank Ltd is a FINMA-supervised Swiss bank founded in 1952 and ranked second in Switzerland for capital strength in The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks 2026
A genuine multi-asset platform: shares, ETFs, ETPs, ETNs, ETCs, bonds, mutual funds, FX spot, FX options, futures and micro futures, listed stock options and CFDs on indices, single stocks, commodities, bonds and forex
More than 40,000 tradable instruments and over 10,000 pieces of research covering technical, fundamental and momentum analysis, included rather than sold as a subscription
Trading and banking in one relationship: multi-currency account, free Visa debit card, no separate cash transfer needed to move between investing and spending
Free demo platform available without opening an account — rare among Swiss bank-owned brokers and the best way to test the terminal first
Commissions fall sharply with portfolio size: SIX drops from 0.12% to 0.07% and US shares from 0.15% to 0.08% across the four tiers
Securities lending is offered as an optional way to generate income from an existing equity portfolio

Cons

The most expensive tier applies by default — Cornèrtrader states explicitly that if no other agreement is in place, the highest price category in the table applies
The entry CONSISTENCY tier is limited to a single account currency, so a CHF-based client buying US or German shares is forced into a currency conversion on every trade
Every conversion for a foreign-currency trade carries a 0.5% mark-up over the FX spot mid-price — more than the 0.15% commission on a US share order at the entry tier
Incoming securities transfers require a minimum accepted amount of CHF 30,000 at every tier except ENERGY, which blocks smaller portfolios from consolidating here
No spot cryptocurrency — only Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs and ETPs
Cornèr Bank is privately held and not listed, so there is no share price or continuous market scrutiny of the counterparty, only periodic published accounts

Best for

Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Saxo

A Danish bank that trades like a professional platform — broad, polished, and no longer expensive.

4,4

Pros

Full Danish banking licence (Finanstilsynet licence 1149) and SIFI designation — a stronger structural safeguard than a broker-only permission
US stocks and ETFs at 0.08% with a USD 1 minimum on the entry-level Classic tier, and 0.05%/0.03% at higher tiers
Roughly 71,000 instruments including 23,000 stocks, 7,400 ETFs, 5,200 bonds, 3,100 listed options and 250 futures across 50-plus exchanges
SaxoTraderGO and the mobile app are the best-designed retail trading interfaces in Europe, and the app is not a cut-down version of the web platform
Mutual funds carry no transaction commission, no custody fee and no platform fee
One of very few retail platforms with a genuinely usable bond offering — 5,200 government and corporate issues with live prices
No inactivity fee, no minimum deposit on Classic, and free withdrawals
Majority-owned by J. Safra Sarasin since 2026, adding a large private-banking group behind the balance sheet

Cons

Currency conversion costs 0.25% over mid-market for EU and Swiss clients, and up to 0.60% at the UK entity's Classic tier — the single largest hidden cost for cross-currency investors
A holding fee of up to 0.15% a year on shares, ETFs and bonds still applies at several booking entities; coverage varies by country and is easy to overlook
No spot cryptocurrency trading — exposure is limited to exchange-traded products
No fractional shares on ordinary orders, so building small positions in high-priced US stocks is awkward
Bank transfer is the only funding route since card deposits were withdrawn in April 2025
Trustpilot sentiment sits around 3.8 with responsiveness of support the recurring complaint, despite good published coverage

Best for

Multi-asset portfoliosBond investorsOptions and futures tradersPlatform quality seekersEuropean investors wanting a bank

Open an account with either

A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.

Visit broker: Cornèrtrader Visit broker: Saxo

More comparisons

Alternatives people weigh up alongside these two.

Cornèrtrader vs Saxo — which broker is better?

Cornèrtrader or Saxo? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Cornèrtrader · Saxo
Criterion	Cornèrtrader 3,8 Visit broker	Saxo 4,4 Visit broker

Overall score	3.8	4.4 — Better
Group index	80 of 100	96 of 100
Best for	Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place	Multi-asset portfoliosBond investorsOptions and futures tradersPlatform quality seekersEuropean investors wanting a bank

Regulation	FINMA	DFSAFCAFINMAMASJFSA
Top-tier licences	1	5 — Better
Investor protection	CHF 100,000	CHF 100,000
Listed group	No	No
Banking licence	Yes	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	No	Yes
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	None
Founded	1952	1992
Headquarters	Lugano, CH	Copenhagen, DK

Fees	3.2	4.2 — Better
Safety & regulation	4.4	4.7 — Better
Trading platform	4.2	4.7 — Better
Product range	4.4	4.8 — Better
Mobile app	3.6	4.6 — Better
Research	3.8	4.5 — Better
Customer support	3.6	3.8 — Better
Deposit & withdrawal	3.2	4.0 — Better
Account opening	3.2	4.2 — Better
Education	3.4	4.0 — Better

Reference order EUR 5,000	€9.36	€4.00 — Better
Minimum deposit	CHF 1,000	None — Better
Stocks (per order)	0.12 %	0.08 % — Better
US stocks	0.15 %	0.08 % — Better
ETFs	0.12 %	0.08 % — Better
Options	€4	US$2 — Better
Futures	€4	US$3 — Better
Crypto	Not offered	n/a
Bonds (order)	n/a	0.2 %
Funds (order)	n/a	Free
EUR/USD spread	n/a	0.7 pips
Index CFD spread	1.38 points	n/a
FX conversion	0.5 %	0.25 % — Better
Inactivity fee	n/a	None
Custody fee	n/a	0.15 % p.a.
Withdrawal fee	n/a	free
Deposit fee	n/a	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY +7	Inactivity fee: None Minimum deposit: EUR 0 on the Classic tier Currency conversion: 0.25% over mid-market for EU and Swiss entities; UK is tiered from 0.60% (Classic) to 0.20% (VIP) Transfer out of securities: Around EUR 50 per ISIN, capped per transfer request Card funding: Withdrawn as a deposit method in April 2025 — bank transfer only

Asset classes (of 14)	10	11 — Better
Exchanges	n/a	50
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	Yes	Yes
CFDs	Yes	Yes
Crypto	No	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	Yes	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	No	Yes
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform	SaxoTraderGOSaxoTraderPROSaxoInvestorSaxo mobile appSaxo OpenAPITradingView integration
Demo account	Yes	Yes
Fractional shares	No	No
Maximum leverage	Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.	1:30 · Pro 1:200
Account opening	Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account	Fully online with electronic ID in most markets; often same day, otherwise 1–3 business days
Account types	CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY	ClassicPlatinumVIP

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPA	Bank transferSEPA
Account currencies	CHFEURUSD	EURUSDGBPCHFDKKSEKNOKAUDCADJPY+9
Deposit time	SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days	SEPA same day to 2 business days; international wire 1–3 business days
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days by bank transfer	Usually 1 business day to the registered bank account
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish	EnglishDanishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishDutchPolishCzechSwedish+4
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts	Monday to Friday, local office hours across 16 service locations; trading desks cover market hours

Criterion

3,8

4,4

Overall score

3.8

4.4

Group index

80 of 100

96 of 100

Best for

Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Multi-asset portfoliosBond investorsOptions and futures tradersPlatform quality seekersEuropean investors wanting a bank

Regulation

FINMA

DFSAFCAFINMAMASJFSA

Top-tier licences

Investor protection

CHF 100,000

Listed group

Banking licence

Segregated client accounts

Negative balance protection

Audited financials

Disclosed regulatory actions

None

Founded

1952

1992

Headquarters

Lugano, CH

Copenhagen, DK

Fees

3.2

4.2

Safety & regulation

4.4

4.7

Trading platform

4.2

4.7

Product range

4.4

4.8

Mobile app

3.6

4.6

Research

3.8

4.5

Customer support

3.6

3.8

Deposit & withdrawal

3.2

4.0

Account opening

3.2

4.2

Education

3.4

4.0

Reference order EUR 5,000

€9.36

€4.00

Minimum deposit

CHF 1,000

None

Stocks (per order)

0.12 %

0.08 %

US stocks

0.15 %

0.08 %

ETFs

0.12 %

0.08 %

Options

€4

US$2

Futures

€4

US$3

Crypto

Not offered

n/a

Bonds (order)

n/a

0.2 %

Funds (order)

n/a

Free

EUR/USD spread

n/a

0.7 pips

Index CFD spread

1.38 points

n/a

FX conversion

0.5 %

0.25 %

Inactivity fee

n/a

None

Custody fee

n/a

0.15 % p.a.

Withdrawal fee

n/a

free

Deposit fee

n/a

free

Overnight financing

n/a

Other fees

Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers
Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited
FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz
Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points
Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers
Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY
+7

Inactivity fee: None
Minimum deposit: EUR 0 on the Classic tier
Currency conversion: 0.25% over mid-market for EU and Swiss entities; UK is tiered from 0.60% (Classic) to 0.20% (VIP)
Transfer out of securities: Around EUR 50 per ISIN, capped per transfer request
Card funding: Withdrawn as a deposit method in April 2025 — bank transfer only

Asset classes (of 14)

Exchanges

n/a

Stocks

ETFs

Options

Futures

Forex

CFDs

Crypto

Bonds

Funds

Commodities

Indices

Warrants

Spread betting

Social trading

Platforms

Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform

SaxoTraderGOSaxoTraderPROSaxoInvestorSaxo mobile appSaxo OpenAPITradingView integration

Demo account

Fractional shares

Maximum leverage

Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.

1:30 · Pro 1:200

Account opening

Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account

Fully online with electronic ID in most markets; often same day, otherwise 1–3 business days

Account types

CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY

ClassicPlatinumVIP

Payment methods

Bank transferSEPA

Account currencies

CHFEURUSD

EURUSDGBPCHFDKKSEKNOKAUDCADJPY+9

Deposit time

SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days

SEPA same day to 2 business days; international wire 1–3 business days

Withdrawal time

1–3 business days by bank transfer

Usually 1 business day to the registered bank account

Free withdrawals

n/a

Languages

ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish

EnglishDanishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishDutchPolishCzechSwedish+4

Channels

PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system

Availability

Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts

Monday to Friday, local office hours across 16 service locations; trading desks cover market hours