Child savings account comparison 02/2026: the best kids accounts

Number of brokers: 12

Number of brokers: 12

We have tested the most important youth account offers for you.

Preliminary information:

We have reviewed the youth account offers of selected online brokers based on clearly defined criteria. Only providers that already have a youth account offering (i.e. no waiting list) and are intended for DIY-investors were included in the comparison. Brokers with a strong focus on CFD trading, unclear or missing government regulation, or headquarters outside the EU were excluded. We regularly review this assessment.
This comparison is for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation. Despite careful research, we do not guarantee the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of the information provided. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Investments in securities involve risks, including total loss. Please check whether the products are suitable for your personal situation before making an investment decision.
Important note: We are part of the Scalable Group since 2021 and are a wholly owned subsidiary of Scalable GmbH. This means that we are economically connected, but operate with editorial independence. Conflicts of interest are avoided because brokers — including Scalable — are evaluated according to uniform, objective criteria. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how and with whom you want to invest.

Our evaluation process:

For each offer, we have examined the costs of an ETF savings plan, the scope of the ETF savings plan offer as well as service and extras. In each category, we compared the offers of the online brokers with regard to different aspects and assessed them with points. In total, a maximum of 100 points could be attained. We then converted the number of points into a rating from 0 to 5, with 5.0 representing the best rating possible. The conversion is based on the formula: points achieved/20 (rounded to one decimal place).

This results in the following rating scheme:

Points achieved	Evaluation	Test result
89 - 100	4.5 - 5.0	Outstanding
79 - 88	4.0 - 4.4	Very good
59 - 78	3.0 - 3.9	Good
39 - 58	2.0 - 2.9	Satisfactory
19 - 38	1.0 - 1.9	Adequate
0 - 18	0 - 0.9	Poor

In the three categories mentioned above, we rated the broker offers as follows:

Savings plan costs (max. 30 points)

Fee per 100 € savings instalment (standard conditions)	Points
0 €	20
0 € - 1 €	17
1 € - 2 €	14
2 € - 3 €	10
3 € - 5 €	5
> 5 €	0

Account fee	Points
Free of charge (without conditions)	10
Free of charge (with conditions)	5
Account fee > 0 €	0

Scope of ETF savings plan offer (max. 30 points)

ETF savings plans	Points
min. 2,500	15
1,750 - 2,500	13
1,000 - 1,750	11
500 - 1,000	9
250 - 500	6
1 - 250	3
0	0

Free of charge ETF savings plans	Points
min. 2,500	15
1,750 - 2,500	13
1,000 - 1,750	11
500 - 1,000	9
250 - 500	6
1 - 250	3
0	0

Service & extras (max. 40 points)

Automated increase of savings rate can be selected	Points
yes	4
no	0

Automatic reinvestment of dividends	Points
yes	4
no	0

Direct debit from third-party accounts possible	Points
yes	4
no	0

Number of possible savings plan intervals	Points
min. 4	3
3	2
2	1
1	0

Number of possible execution days	Points
min. 4	3
3	2
2	1
1	0

Minimum savings amount	Points
1 € - 10 €	3
11 € - 25 €	2
26 € - 50 €	1
> 50 €	0

Maximum savings amount	Points
min. 5,000 €	3
2,500 € - 5,000 €	2
1,000 € - 2,500 €	1
< 1,000 €	0

Own banking licence	Points
yes	8
no	0

Types of customer support (phone, mail, chat)	Points
3	4
2	3
1	2
0	0

Sub-accounts possible	Points
yes	4
no	0

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 0.00 €

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans (all free): 3,043

Scalable Pocket Money: hundreds of ETFs from iShares and Xtrackers without ongoing product costs (TER)
Fully digital and fast account opening
All savings plans free of charge

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

0.00 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 0.00 €

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans (all free): 1,555

All ETF savings plans are completely free of charge
For the first five years, you benefit from a flat rate of €0.95 per trade on Tradegate exchange
Single purchases are expensive, with a minimum fee of €9.95 per order.

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

0.00 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 0.00 €

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans (all free): 1,229

All ETF savings plans are permanently free
Not a fully digital opening process

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

0.00 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 0.00 €

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans (all free): 1,816

All fees plus standard market spreads, allowances and product costs. Account fee excl. storage fee for Xetra-Gold, ADR's, GDR's.

Possible for children living abroad
Opening process is done trough mail

Investments in securities are associated with risks 1

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

0.00 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 0.00 €

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans (all free): 2,636

Trade Republic "Kindergeld" refunds TER for 3 Vanguard ETFs
Opening of the account is done entirely digitally
Savings patrons can deposit money by direct debit

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

0.00 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 0.00 €

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans (all free): 2,021

Fully digital and fast account opening
The account can only be opened for children up to the age of 16

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

0.00 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans (all free): 1,870

Child access with own watchlist (with consent of legal guardian)(+) Fully digital and fast account opening
Fully digital and fast account opening

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

0.00 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 1.50 %

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans: 2,209

Free savings plans: 602

Account is just free with conditions
Not a fully digital opening process
High savings plan execution fee (1.5%)

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

1.50 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 1.25 %

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans: 2,423

Free savings plans: 1,014

Good selection of free promotional ETFs
Not a fully digital opening process
Percentage-based fee for savings plans (1.25%)

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

1.25 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 1.50 €

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans: 1,965

Free savings plans: 469

Advanced parental control features
u18 current account needs to be opened before
Not a fully digital opening process

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

1.50 €

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 1.25 %

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans: 359

Free savings plans: 338

Small selection of ETFs for savings plans
Not a fully digital opening process
High fees for savings plans above 250 € (1.25%)

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

1.25 €

Only directly at the broker

tested by justETF

Savings plan fee: 1.50 %

Account fee: 0.00 €

Savings plans: 1,161

Free savings plans: 186

Good selection of free promotional ETFs
Not a fully digital opening process

Fee for 100 € ETF savings plan

1.50 €

— The data was last updated on 26 February 2026
— The sorting by test result is done in the following order: 1. test result (points) 2. fee per savings rate 3. number of ETF savings plans.
— In addition to the fees charged by online brokers, additional costs may apply. The stated fees are thus exclusive of standard market spreads, commissions, product costs and third-party fees.
— Please note: No guarantee can be given for the completeness, correctness and accuracy of the content listed. The information on the online brokers' homepages is decisive. Investments in securities involve risks.

* You want to open a securities account? If you use one of the affiliate links marked with an asterisk or the broker logos as a starting point, we will receive a commission. This is how we finance much of our free information offering. If you like our work, we appreciate your support!
** Important note: We are part of the Scalable Group since 2021 and are a wholly owned subsidiary of Scalable GmbH. This means that we are economically connected, but operate with editorial independence. Conflicts of interest are avoided because brokers — including Scalable — are evaluated according to uniform, objective criteria. You can view these in our . Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how and with whom you want to invest.

Save for your children with a junior brokerage account and ETFs

With cash earning next to nothing in the bank, the best way to give your children or grandchildren a helping hand financially may well be by investing on their behalf. Thankfully, it’s never been easier to pick investments that can snowball into a substantial sum years down the line.

On this page, we compare the current offers for a junior brokerage account and examine why ETFs are the ideal investment for this purpose.

ETF investing for children

Investing for children makes financial sense because you can invest for them over the long-term, taking advantage of the magic of compound interest.

Having time on your side is a massive advantage because you can use the simple but powerful buy and hold strategy, safe in the knowledge that you and your child can wait out any market turbulence along the way. That classic strategy works even better for children than for adults because they don’t tend to worry about how their portfolio is doing! Children can’t access a junior brokerage account until age 18, so your investments will have years to grow.

ETFs are the ideal product to use because they are low-maintenance and low-cost, yet effectively capture the long-term growth of the stock market like a solar panel harnesses the energy of the sun.

The advantages of ETFs at a glance

ETFs are easy to understand and do not require detailed market knowledge.
ETFs are highly diversified: they spread risk across hundreds and even thousands of companies across global markets – they don’t rely on a few big bets to pay off.
ETFs charge very low investment fees which are a fraction of traditional fund costs.
ETFs are flexible: you can trade them through your broker whenever the London Stock Exchange is open.
ETFs are regulated by the financial authorities and are suitable for small investors.
ETF portfolios are simple to set up and control on behalf of a child.
You can pound-cost average into a junior account and leave the ETF to grow without constant monitoring.

Junior investment accounts

Many brokers offer junior brokerage account. These accounts are quite similar to their adult counterparts, but some differences apply. Most brokers charge the same fees for junior accounts as for adult accounts. However, some brokers reduce fees or provide special offers, like a reimbursement of the TER for certain ETFs. You can find out more about the details of each offer in the table above.

Checklist: investing in ETFs for children

Open a junior investment account with your stockbroker or platform.
Select a portfolio of broadly diversified ETFs (e.g. an MSCI World ETF).
Set up your monthly investment amount on the platform using direct debit. Grandparents and other contributors can contribute money by direct debit too.
Make use of tax advantages and brokers' specific offers for children.
Review the portfolio annually and rebalance if necessary.
Considering increasing the portfolio’s asset allocation to bond ETFs relative to equity ETFs no later than five years before the money is needed.