Trade Republic vs Carbon.
Trade Republic (T81/100) and Carbon (C50/100), 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 Carbon 8-0.
| C Carbon №80 · CBN 50 /100 | T Trade Republic №05 · BaFin 81 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 50 /100 | 81 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | 3.00% | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Payment inst. CBN | Full bank BaFin |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded NG.NDIC | €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 4.3 · And 4.4 | 4.4 ★ iOS 4.8 · And 4.1 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick Carbon if…
Nigerian credit-led digital bank (formerly Paylater). CBN microfinance bank charter — same regulatory tier as Kuda/OPay (₦2M NDIC microfinance ceiling, not ₦5M DMB full-bank). Credit-line access is the structural differentiator vs. spending-account-led Kuda.
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 Trade Republic won 1 of 4
- Best for protection Trade Republic won 2 of 2
- Best for reach Trade Republic won 2 of 3
- Best for ux Trade Republic won 2 of 2
Trade Republic vs Carbon — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Carbon better than Trade Republic?
Under our v3 methodology, Trade Republic leads Carbon 8–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Carbon 50/100 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 Carbon or Trade Republic cheaper?
Monthly fee — Carbon: €0; Trade Republic: €0. Card FX markup — Carbon: 3.00%; Trade Republic: Interbank. Trade Republic wins more fee rows (1 of 4). See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Carbon or Trade Republic?
Carbon holds a Payment inst. licence under CBN; 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 Carbon and Trade Republic?
Carbon 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.