Trade Republic vs Valr: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Trade Republic and Valr This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on September 3, 2025

Trade Republic

Valr

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Trade Republic is ideal if:

Perfect for mobile-first, long-term investors, offering automated savings plans and a clean, intuitive app for easy investing across stocks, ETFs, bonds, and crypto.
Well-suited for cost-conscious beginners, thanks to its ultra-transparent pricing—low flat fees or commission-free ETFs—and interest on idle cash for more consistent value preservation.
Reliable and secure choice, operating under strong German regulation with a full banking license and EU deposit protection, making it a trustworthy platform for building your portfolio gradually.

Valr is ideal if:

Ideal for mobile-first traders Offers both a streamlined “Simple Buy/Sell” interface for quick trades and a robust exchange terminal with TradingView charts—perfect whether you're on the go or want advanced control.
Great for institutions and high-frequency traders Comes with institutional-grade APIs, subaccounts, and deep liquidity options tailored to algorithmic and corporate trading strategies.
Strong choice if you value security and regulation Backed by reputable investors and regulated across South Africa, Europe, and Dubai, offering peace of mind for users in jurisdictions where it's licensed.

Trade Republic isn’t ideal if:

Not suited for active or technical traders — lacks advanced charting tools, desktop platform, algorithmic functions, and sophisticated order types.
Mobile-only design can be limiting — web interface is simplified, and recent app updates have frustrated users with reduced intuitiveness.
Customer support has known weaknesses — historical delays and limited responsiveness during critical market moments can disappoint when you need help quickly.

Valr isn’t ideal if:

Not ideal if you're seeking global fiat flexibility Limited to a handful of fiat currencies, it doesn't support many global financial methods like PayPal or cards beyond ZAR.
Not ideal for complete beginners needing guidance Lacks educational tools, tutorials, and demo trading—so newcomers must learn by doing.
Not ideal if you need broad crypto variety or margin options Offers a narrower selection of assets and more restricted leverage choices than many mainstream exchanges.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Trade Republic applies a flat fee per crypto trade rather than calculating traditional maker or taker fees by volume, and there are currently no discounts tied to a native token.

VALR uses a tiered structure where increased 30-day trading volume leads to lower or even negative maker fees and reduced taker fees on both fiat and crypto spot trades.

Futures/Derivatives

Trade Republic currently focuses on spot instruments and does not support futures or derivatives trading, so these fee categories aren’t applicable.

Perpetual futures follow the same volume-tiered schedule—makers may pay zero or negative fees, while takers benefit from progressively lower percentages as volume rises; funding occurs regularly based on market conditions (but specific rates fluctuate over time).

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Trade Republic incorporates a modest spread built into the quoted prices for crypto trades, meaning the market’s buy/sell difference serves as an implicit cost rather than a separately disclosed spread.

Spreads are generally tight, aligning with industry norms for highly liquid pairs, ensuring minimal difference between buy and sell prices.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat deposits and withdrawals are generally routed through bank transfers or debit/credit options, with minimal or no platform fees, and typically process within a couple of business days depending on your region.

Fiat deposits (wire, SEPA, card, EFT depending on the currency) are free of platform fees and usually post within two days; bank withdrawals follow standard local banking hours and policies, with occasional small charges and speed options.

On-chain Withdrawals

Trade Republic does not allow direct blockchain withdrawals of crypto—meaning there is no mechanism to withdraw on-chain and no associated network fees.

Crypto withdrawals incur variable, network-based fees that depend on blockchain congestion—no fixed flat rates from the platform itself.

Hidden Costs

Trade Republic maintains transparency, with no inactivity charges or surprise costs; currency conversion may apply if trading in a different base currency, and express KYC options aren’t separately priced.

There are generally no surprise or maintenance fees—no inactivity charges, no hidden conversion costs, and premium KYC (if offered) doesn’t carry extra fees unless noted at the point of use.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you place a €500 crypto order, you’ll incur the flat execution fee and a small built-in price gap from the spread; since crypto cannot be withdrawn on-chain, there’s no actual withdrawal cost, keeping the transaction clear of extra recurring charges.

If you were to purchase €500 of BTC, your total would include a modest trading fee (based on your tier), a minimal spread typical of liquid markets, and your withdrawal cost would depend on the chosen network’s fee at that time.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Trade Republic offers over 50 cryptocurrencies for direct trading, including all major assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Solana, and others; the top 20 by volume approximate include these leading names plus others like XRP, TRX, LINK, DOT, and LTC.

VALR lists over 75 cryptocurrencies across roughly 60–71 trading pairs; top volume pairs typically include BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, and BTC/ZAR.

Product Range

Trade Republic supports only straightforward spot trading of real crypto assets, with automated investment plans (DCA-style) available—margin, perpetuals, options, lending, copy trading, grid bots, staking, and crypto ETFs aren’t offered.

VALR offers spot trading, spot margin with up to 5× leverage, and perpetual futures with leverage up to 60×. It also supports staking/earn programs and lending, but lacks options, crypto ETFs, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA products.

Liquidity

Liquidity on Trade Republic is moderate—enough for retail-sized crypto purchases in BTC and ETH—but it doesn’t cater to high-volume trading or offer transparent order book depth like institutional-grade exchanges.

The exchange typically handles over US$30 million in daily trading volume, with deep liquidity on major BTC and ETH pairs facilitating tighter order book depth.

Tools

The platform supports basic order types such as market, limit, and stop, along with price alerts, but lacks advanced charting, API/WebSocket access, or native TradingView integration for algorithmic or technical-heavy traders.

You can place limit, market, and stop-limit orders (including OCO equivalents). VALR offers advanced charting integrated with TradingView, configurable alerts, and both API and WebSocket access for real-time trading and data needs.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto trading is available only in certain European markets and is limited to spot; derivatives and advanced instruments are simply unavailable in most regions, and there are no special terrains where alternative products are accessible.

Some jurisdictions are restricted from offering certain features—derivatives, for example, are only available in qualifying regions, meaning not every user can access margin or futures products depending on local compliances.

Innovation

While Trade Republic brings ease and innovation through automated savings plans and a clean mobile interface, it doesn’t offer features like launchpads, launchpools, or staking/earn programs—whether flexible or locked—so innovation remains focused on usability rather than asset-side experimentation.

While VALR doesn’t offer launchpads or launchpools, it does provide both flexible staking and lending options alongside traditional locked products, giving users varied approaches to earning on their assets.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Trade Republic operates under Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a German company founded in 2015 with headquarters in Berlin, fully integrated as a banking institution.

VALR operates through several legal entities including VALR Proprietary Ltd (established 2018, headquartered in South Africa), VALR EU in Poland, and regional branches in India and Dubai—demonstrating a multi-jurisdictional operational structure.

Licenses/Registration

The platform holds full banking licenses in Germany and has obtained a MiCA crypto-assets license via BaFin, enabling compliant crypto custody and trading across the entire EEA.

VALR holds multiple regulatory approvals

Custody

Crypto assets are securely held by BitGo Europe GmbH in cold storage under BaFin regulation, ensuring that client holdings remain separated and fully owned by the user.

VALR maintains a fully reserved custodial model, where all user funds are held 100% backed and are never lent out. Transfers of crypto assets require multi-signature approvals across secure locations, with funds stored in both cold and hot wallets using multi-sig technology.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Fiat deposits are safeguarded via the German deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per client, while crypto assets are kept segregated in custody, though not formally insured by an additional fund.

There’s no publicly stated insurance or user protection fund offered—VALR emphasizes full reserves and strong internal safeguards rather than insured coverage.

Incident History

Trade Republic has maintained a clean incident record with no reported hacks, account freezes, or regulatory penalties tied to its operations or crypto services.

There are no publicly documented major security incidents, hacks, suspensions, or regulatory fines affecting VALR to date, reflecting a clean track record.

Risk Controls

Security measures focus on core protections like two-factor authentication and awareness of phishing threats; advanced features such as whitelisting, subaccounts, and sophisticated API permissioning are not offered.

VALR implements robust user protections

Transparency

While Trade Republic delivers clear regulatory disclosures and maintains user ownership clarity, it does not publish monthly proofs of reserves, operate public wallets, or provide service-level agreements in crypto.

VALR does not publicly publish monthly financial or reserve reports, nor does it offer a public wallet or explicit service-level agreements (SLAs); transparency is delivered through regulatory registration and communication rather than open-ended disclosures.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Trade Republic accepts fiat deposits via bank transfer only—no card or e-wallet options—which ensures security and simplicity; there’s no minimum deposit requirement, processing typically takes a few business days, and there are no platform fees.

Users can deposit ZAR via EFT or South African-issued Visa/Mastercard (3D Secure), while USD and EUR can be sent via SWIFT or SEPA transfers (converted to stablecoins). ZAR card deposits incur around a 3.9% fee; EFT is free. USD deposits require a minimum of $5, while EUR has a €1 minimum. Processing times vary—from instant for cards to up to 48 hours for bank transfers.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

You must complete full KYC upon registration—there are no tiered or anonymous levels; the app handles identity verification through ID and photo checks, enabling full trading access without low-volume restrictions.

VALR employs a tiered KYC system with different levels (standard and Fully-Verified Plus). Higher levels, enabled by features like 2FA, unlock significantly higher withdrawal limits—ranging from fractions of a BTC up to 100 BTC daily.

Withdrawals

Fiat withdrawals are executed via SEPA bank transfer—fees are zero and funds typically arrive within one to two business days; crypto withdrawals to external networks are not permitted at all.

Daily crypto withdrawal limits depend on KYC status (up to 100 BTC). Users can choose networks like ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, and more; fees are dynamically quoted. Fiat (ZAR) withdrawals follow local banking hours, with free standard or paid fast transfers depending on the bank.

Customer Support

Support is available through in-app chat and email, with response times generally ranging from one to two business days, complemented by a self-help knowledge base—no telephone hotlines or 24/7 live chat available.

VALR offers 24/7 support through a chatbot, email/ticket system, and a searchable knowledge base. Response via live chat or phone is limited, but the help center is comprehensive.

Languages & Localization

The app supports Spanish (among other languages) depending on your device settings, displays all fees in euros, and operates under local compliance frameworks—offering a well-localized experience for Spanish-speaking EU users.

The platform operates primarily in English (with limited additional language support), displays prices in local currencies like USD, EUR, or ZAR based on region, and reflects applicable regulatory contexts transparently.

App Quality & Stability

The mobile app is highly rated for stability and ease of use, with a smooth interface and regular updates; user-reported crash instances are rare and generally tied to extreme market conditions.

VALR offers both web and mobile interfaces. Mobile apps are regularly updated, delivering smooth charting and trading experiences. While exact crash rates aren’t disclosed, user feedback suggests the app is generally stable, with no major performance complaints in recent updates. (No explicit crash rate data available.)

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Trade Republic offers a clean, intuitive mobile-first interface ideal for newcomers, with no separate Lite or Pro modes—every user sees the same simple layout, making it easy to start investing quickly.

The platform offers a dual-interface approach—with a beginner-friendly “Simple Buy/Sell” mode for quick swaps and a more advanced trading terminal for experienced users, creating a smooth progression as your familiarity grows.

Performance

Orders execute swiftly under normal conditions, though there have been occasional glitches during high-volatility periods; the streamlined mobile app keeps the user flow smooth, and KYC queues remain minimal—even during bull markets, new users typically onboard quickly.

VALR delivers generally low-latency execution and stable performance even during busy periods, with no widely reported system outages or KYC bottlenecks—even in volatile market conditions.

Education

While the platform includes helpful in-app guides and tooltips, it lacks a formal academy, demo account, or simulator; however, many UI elements and descriptions are available in Spanish to assist native speakers.

There’s no formal academy, demo account, or Spanish-language content on VALR; educational guidance is minimal, placing the learning responsibility primarily on the user.

Community

Trade Republic doesn’t maintain its own public forums or chat channels, but offers a user-friendly referral program within the app, encouraging word-of-mouth growth over open community engagement.

VALR supports a referral program and maintains communication channels through its support portal and social media, but doesn’t feature official forums or active Discord/Telegram communities.

Integrations

The platform doesn’t support external integrations—no TradingView, bots, tax tools, or accounting systems—so all activity is contained within the app’s native ecosystem.

The exchange integrates TradingView natively for charting and supports external trading bots through its API, yet it lacks built-in tax reporting or bookkeeping tools.

Who Each One Is Best For

This tool shines for cost-conscious, long-term investors who value simplicity and automation—especially beginners or casual users looking for a fuss-free, mobile-first way to build a diversified portfolio over time.

VALR shines for mobile-first traders and corporate users seeking advanced tools and clean interfaces, but may feel limited for beginners needing educational support or for users seeking tax and community integration.