Trade Republic vs Rakuten Bank.
Trade Republic (T81/100) and Rakuten Bank (R70/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Trade Republic leads Rakuten Bank 6-0.
| R Rakuten Bank №33 · JFSA 70 /100 | T Trade Republic №05 · BaFin 81 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 70 /100 | 81 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | Interbank | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Full bank JFSA | Full bank BaFin |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded No DGS | €100,000 EU.DGS.DE |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 17 countries |
| Crypto Coins available | No | 50 coins |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | Yes | Yes |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | 3.3 ★ 28k reviews |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.3 ★ iOS 4.4 · And 4.2 | 4.4 ★ iOS 4.8 · And 4.1 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick Rakuten Bank if…
Largest Japanese internet-only bank by customer count (~14M+) and the only TSE Prime-listed pure-play net bank (TYO: 5838, IPO 21 April 2023 — the largest Japanese IPO in five years at the time). Originally chartered as eBank in 2001; acquired by Rakuten Group (TYO: 4755) in 2009. Structural moat is the Rakuten Points + Rakuten Card + Rakuten Securities + Rakuten Mobile + Rakuten Ichiba ecosystem — points cross-pollinate across the entire surface area. Full FSA Banking Act licence; statutory DICJ member at the JPY 10,000,000 ceiling.
Pick Trade Republic if…
Pick if you want the cheapest brokerage in Europe (€1/trade) and the highest interest on idle cash. Not a primary current account.
- Best for fees Tied
- Best for protection Trade Republic won 1 of 2
- Best for reach Trade Republic won 2 of 3
- Best for ux Trade Republic won 2 of 2
Trade Republic vs Rakuten Bank — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Rakuten Bank better than Trade Republic?
Under our v3 methodology, Trade Republic leads Rakuten Bank 6–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Rakuten Bank 70/100 vs Trade Republic 81/100. Trade Republic is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.
Is Rakuten Bank or Trade Republic cheaper?
Monthly fee — Rakuten Bank: €0; Trade Republic: €0. Card FX markup — Rakuten Bank: Interbank; Trade Republic: Interbank. Tied across fee rows. See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Rakuten Bank or Trade Republic?
Rakuten Bank holds a Full bank licence under JFSA; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Trade Republic holds a Full bank licence under BaFin; deposit guarantee per depositor: €100,000. Trade Republic is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Rakuten Bank and Trade Republic?
Rakuten Bank operates in 1 country; Trade Republic operates in 17 countries. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.
Want a 3- or 4-way comparison?
The dynamic compare picker handles up to four banks. Add this pair plus one or two more and we'll resolve every row.