Best investing platforms for EU solopreneurs (2026)
Where a one-person business actually invests its surplus in Europe — Lightyear, Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, Trading 212, Interactive Brokers and InvestEngine compared for low-cost ETFs, auto-invest and parking the cash buffer. Honest, not advice.
Solopreneur (20 years) · marketer & investor · 23 June 2026 · updated 23 June 2026 · 4 min read
Once your one-person business throws off more than the tax set-aside and buffer need, the surplus has to go somewhere — and for a time-poor solo that somewhere is usually a low-cost broker holding diversified ETFs you can leave alone. The catch in Europe: the platform, the costs and the available tax wrapper differ by country. Here are the ones that actually fit a business of one, and who each is for.
How I evaluated these. From a solo’s chair: low, transparent costs; broad ETF access; a way to auto-invest consistently; interest or money-market funds for the idle cash buffer; and clean EU access and regulation. Active trading bells and whistles are not the point. Pricing and features are indicative for 2026 — confirm on each provider’s page.
The shortlist at a glance
| Platform | Best for | Cash interest / MMF | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightyear | EU all-rounder for ETFs + cash | Yes (MMFs, multi-currency) | EU/Estonian, simple, low cost |
| Trade Republic | Mobile-first ETF savings plans | Yes (cash interest) | Germany-based, €1 trades |
| Scalable Capital | German savings plans + robo | Partial (plan-dependent) | Broker + robo-advisor |
| Interactive Brokers | Advanced / global, lowest at scale | Yes (on cash) | Pro-grade, steeper UI |
| Trading 212 | Beginner auto-invest (“Pies”) | Yes (cash interest) | Popular; ignore the CFD side |
| InvestEngine | UK ETF investing + ISA | Yes (on cash) | UK-focused (ISA) |
Lightyear
Lightyear is the one I point most EU solos to first: an Estonian-built, EU-regulated app that keeps it simple — stocks and ETFs at low cost, plus money-market funds so the idle tax-and-buffer cash can earn interest in the same place without entering the market. Multi-currency accounts suit anyone invoicing clients abroad. It’s not the tool for active traders or exotic instruments — which is exactly why it fits a business of one that wants to invest the surplus and get back to work.
Trade Republic
Trade Republic is the mainstream German mobile broker: cheap flat-fee trades, free recurring ETF savings plans (the easiest way to automate “invest the surplus consistently”), and interest on uninvested cash. The app-only, deliberately minimal design is a feature for a solo who doesn’t want a trading cockpit. Available across much of the EU — check it covers your country.
Scalable Capital
Scalable Capital is a strong pick if you’re in its core markets (Germany/Austria and parts of the EU): a broker with free or flat-fee trading and extensive ETF savings plans, plus an optional robo-advisor if you’d rather hand the allocation off entirely. The robo side is the “I genuinely don’t want to think about it” option — convenient, at a management fee you should weigh against doing it yourself.
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is the professional’s choice: the widest global market access, genuinely low costs that matter as your portfolio grows, multi-currency, and interest on cash. The trade-off is a steeper, busier interface than the app-first options. Overkill for a first €2,000 — the right tool once you’re investing larger sums or want markets the simple apps don’t reach.
Trading 212
Trading 212 is the beginner-friendly entry: commission-free stock and ETF investing, interest on cash, and “Pies” — auto-investing baskets that make consistent, hands-off contributions genuinely easy. One caveat: it also offers a CFD product, which is high-risk leveraged trading and a different game entirely — stay on the plain Invest side and you have a clean, simple platform.
InvestEngine
InvestEngine is worth knowing if you’re UK-based: ETF-only, commission-free DIY or a low-cost managed option, and crucially it supports the ISA wrapper — the tax shelter that often matters more over decades than the platform itself. EU-resident solos won’t get the ISA benefit, which is the whole point of it — so this one is for the UK corner of the audience.
How to choose, as a solo
- Want one simple app for ETFs and idle cash? Lightyear or Trade Republic.
- Want to automate “invest every month” and forget it? Trade Republic or Scalable savings plans, or Trading 212 Pies.
- Want someone else to manage the allocation? Scalable’s robo side.
- Investing larger sums or need global/niche markets? Interactive Brokers.
- UK-based and want the ISA? InvestEngine.
Whatever you pick, the platform is the last decision, not the first. Get the order right — tax set-aside, buffer, then surplus — and confirm your country’s tax wrapper with a local accountant before you open anything. The app is easy; the order and the wrapper are what actually move the number.