Scalable Capital Review: I Tested it! +4% Is it Good & Safe? - Revenue.Land (2024)

At the end of this review of Scalable Capital you will know everything you need about this new broker.

Come with me: I will analyse convenience, commissions and ease of use: the results of my personal test with Scalable Capital broker.

TL;DR Scalable Capital Review in short:

Scalable Capital offers a highly competitive range of investment options, including stocks, ETFs, and bonds, with low fees starting at just €0.99 per trade. 4% interest is guaranteed to new users on paid plans. Trustpilot reviews are not all positive about the customer service.

What is Scalable Capital?

Scalable Capital is an online investment platform where an investor can create his or her own savings plan or trade stocks, funds, cryptocurrencies ETPs and ETFs.

Scalable is also known for being:

• a very cheap broker
• an investment platform for creating savings plans

In short, by investing with Scalable Capital I can do two important things at the same time:

• invest for the long term
• trade stocks

All at a low and transparent cost.

On this investment platform I find shares, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, funds and above all savings plans starting from 20€.

Scalable Capital GmbH was founded in 2014 in Germany, but now also operates in most European countries.

Here is all you need to know about Scalable Capital GmbH:

• When was it created? ➡️ In 2014
• Where was it founded? ➡️ In Germany
• How can I contact them? ➡️ By email, chat or phone
• Who regulates it? ➡️ BaFin In Germany & Deutsche Bundesbank
• What products do Scalable Capital offer? ➡️ ETFs, Stocks, crypto ETPs
• How many people use it? ➡️ Currently >600,000 investors across Europe
• Who designed it? ➡️ Erik Podzuweit, Florian Prucker, Adam French, Stefan Mittnik

Based on the information I have gathered and my direct experience, this is one of the best broker in Europe to invest at the moment.

How does Scalable Capital work?

This website is one of the most user-friendly I’ve ever come across, but don’t trust me, let’s see it live.

Here’s how it works in 4 steps:

1. I register for free on the official website (just enter your email)
2. I confirm my email
3. I enter my details
4. I choose one of the 3 plans (Free / Prime Broker / Prime Broker +)
5. I authorise a transfer of 1€ from my bank account to my new Scalable Capital account

Done.

But which of the 3 plans is the best?

In short, everything is intuitive and the interest is paid to me from day one, even if I do nothing.

Scalable Capital Europe Review: Pros & Cons

Let’s start with the negative side.

Disadvantages of Scalable Capital

I think it is a good broker, in fact I would say that it is finally the ‘right tool’ for both beginners and those already experienced in investing, but be careful, it is only a tool.

If I use it unscrupulously and invest in risky securities, I can still hurt myself.

Can the “ease of use” be a problem?

I mean that this website, along with the best brokers in Europe like Trade Republic and even eToro, have an excellent smartphone interface (including apps).

This is nice, but how does ease of use become a potential problem?

My personal opinion on this subject is quite strong:

I believe that having trading apps on your phone can lead to making too many trades, perhaps dictated by instinct rather than reason and calculation. That is why, although these mobile investment platforms are brilliant, I prefer to trade and invest from my computer and do banking from my smartphone.

This distinction was necessary to avoid misleading those who think that an algorithm can solve the risk problem of investing in the capital markets.

Cons of Scalable Capital:

• I get 4% interest only by using the “Prime Broker +” plan
• Beside Germany and Austria, at the moment asset allocation is up to the investor
• The account is only in euros
• They do not offer leverage
• No ‘demo’ account

A big innovation that this tool introduces is the dynamic risk management and their fantastic “Alladin” feature, I like to use it even though I mostly follow my judgment instead.

Investors in Scalable Capital include names such as:

• Blackrock (iShares, the global leader in investment management services)
• HV Capital
• Tencent (leader in communications, social, FinTech)

This means that we are dealing with a broker that has big investors behind.

🇪🇺 In which countries is Scalable Capital Available?

You can use this broker if you live in:

• 🇩🇪 Germany
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands
• 🇫🇷 France
• 🇮🇹 Italy
• 🇦🇹 Austria
• 🇪🇸 Spain

More countries will soon be available.

What do I like about Scalable Capital?

Here is what I like about this broker after my personal test:

• I like that it is safe and fully regulated in Germany and thus in all Europe.
• I feel safe knowing that my cash is protected up to 100.000€.
• Their savings plans are just what I (and most people) want.

But I also like:

• Getting 4% interest from day 1 is a great plus.
• I enjoy the modern look and the ease of use.
• Very transparent pricing is something I love.

What about you?

Please leave your opinion in the comments below!

I know some investors get lost in choosing the right plan for them.

Here is what I think:

Let’s be honest: if I plan to invest small amounts and make few movements, then ❌ there is NO need to choose the paid plans, the FREE Broker plan, which is really free, is just fine.

Now that we’ve clarified what Scalable Capital is and how it works, it’s time to see what it’s for, and more importantly, the pros and cons.

Visit the official website:

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Revenueland is NOT an investment advisor. Readers should not consider this publication as an offer of personal investment advice. All investments involve risk, so you should seek advice or information from the appropriate sources. Past performance is never a guarantee of future results.

Is Scalable Capital safe?

How safe is Scalable Capital?

The most burning question we ask ourselves before opening an investment account is always this: Is it safe to invest with Scalable Capital?

My opinion on the safety of Scalable Capital is clear: this is a safe platform.

The security I am talking about comes not only from government guarantees, but also from within.

Let’s see why.

This broker has never been hit by hackers and uses state-of-the-art technology to protect its users’ data and money.

To sum up:

By opening an account and investing, I have 3 guarantees:

• The money invested is completely segregated and not available to the broker.
• Uninvested money is protected up to €100,000 by financial services compensation scheme
• If Scalable were to close down, I would not lose my investments, I would simply ask for them to be transferred to another broker or bank.

Is Scalable Capital a scam or a fraud?

No, Scalable Europe is neither a scam nor a fraud.

I have had the site analysed by a scam detector and the result is 100% safe.

What happens if Scalable Capital goes bankrupt?

If Scalable Capital goes bust, I will not lose my cash because of the insurance offered by Germany on deposits up to €100,000.

And if everything goes wrong, what guarantees or protection do they offer?

The money I deposit and invest is held in a German bank, Baader Bank AG.

We have found that it is a good idea to spread your money across several banks, even better if they are from different countries.

Scalable Capital does NOT own my money, it can only manage it for me so that I can invest.

Baader Bank AG was founded in 1983 and has EUR 1,800 million under management. It has a core capital ratio (CET 1) of 21.1%, one of the highest in the world.

If this broker were to fail, my money and securities would be safe and would be returned to me by Baader Bank itself.

If, absurdly, Baader Bank AG were also to fail, the European Deposit Guarantee Scheme (DGS), financial services compensation scheme would intervene and I would be guaranteed up to a maximum of EUR 100,000.

Where is Scalable Capital Regulated?

Is Scalable Capital regulated by any European authority?

Yes, Scalable Capital is authorised and regulated by BaFin, the largest authority of its kind in Europe.

This means that Scalable Capital is approved by a body working for the German Ministry of Finance and the Deutsche Bundesbank.

Is this broker right for you?

I don’t know your needs but I can tell what most people want from a broker.

Basically, there are two types of users that Scalable Capital addresses for investing:

• Investors who want to create a flexible and cost-free savings plan.
• Traders who want to buy and sell securities to realise capital gains or collect dividends.

What products do Scalable Capital offer?

In short: Pretty much the usual asset classes from all brokers, minus CFDs and real cryptocurrencies.

In short, I find here mostly traditional products, the ones a normal person needs to make investments, not dangerous 30x leveraged products or very thin volume stocks.

Here is an explanatory table of the products I can trade on Scalable Capital:

What markets does Scalable Capital offers?

This broker will send your orders to the market through 2 popular Stock exchanges:

• Gettex (Munich Stock Exchange)
• Xetra (Frankfurt Stock Exchange)

Please note: I always tend to prefer to use Gettex and not Xetra.

The reason is that (with any plan) I would pay €3.99 commission to trade on Xetra.

It is easy to find out which exchange we are trading on (Gettex Munich Exchange or Xetra) and avoid the trading fees.

What are Scalable Capital’s fees?

Let’s take a quick look at the commissions you’ll pay with this tool.

This is one of the cheapest investment websites in Europe.

Those who want to activate a savings plan and invest in shares at the same time can join the ‘Prime Broker +’ plan and know exactly how much they will pay in commissions with no surprises, which is €4.99 per month. Period. All inclusive.

On the other hand, if I just want to use this broker to set up an investment plan, I can opt for the ‘FREE Broker’ plan for €0 per month.

Let’s take a closer look at how much Scalable Capital costs:

In addition to the Gettex Munich Stock Exchange, Scalable Capital offers securities listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Xetra.

The cost of trading in real-time on Xetra is less convenient regardless of the plan chosen, but it is “nice to have”.

All trades on Xetra cost €3.99 + 0.01%.

Of course, it is easy to avoid the Xetra market and save commissions as everything you need is available on Gettex (Munich Stock Exchange).

Let’s see what other costs (if any) we face:

These are all Scalable Capital fees and, as you may have noticed, they are quite simple.

What is Scalable Capital’s investment strategy?

Is Scalable Capital a robo advisor or not?

This website works as a real Robo Advisor in Germany and Austria.

In the other countries it will soon be available.

Even without the Robo advisor service, anyone can easily build its own saving plans using common sense.

To build an savings plan you have to choose your exchange traded funds by yourself.

The list below is not financial advice. Since I had to pick the securities myself, here is the short list of the ETFs I have used to build my savings plans.

For my plans, I always prefer large, liquid and cheap ETFs, such as these:

• MSCI All Country World Index (MSCI ACWI)
• iShares MSCI World SRI UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)
• iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF USD (Acc)

• Xtrackers II Global Government Bond UCITS ETF 1C EUR Hedged
• Xtrackers II EUR Corporate Bond Hedged UCITS ETF 1C
• Amundi Index Euro Corporate SRI UCITS ETF DR (C)

Smart move: Should I use only 1 ETF that would be VNGA80.

According to the platform, most clients who use Scalable Capital robo advisor do so by automatically buying €100 of global ETFs (such as ACWI, SWDA, VNGA80 or SUSW) using the savings plan” function. Asset allocation is up to the investors here. In Germany there is also a wealth management available.

I could even build a savings plan made of the best dividend stocks in Europe, beside a world exchange traded funds plan. It may also be used to buy the European Dividend Aristocrats Stocks or the best SP500 ETF for EU citizens or even the most popular AI ETFs.

Starting a savings plan step-by-step

Scalable Capital Savings Plans explained.

Now I’m going to show you how to start a monthly investment plan on Scalable Capital, step by step.

Investment plans are really free on this site.

I only pay exchange traded funds fees, which on average are negligible (around 0.19% or less).

Let’s get started.

1. I register on the official site to open a free brokerage account.

It’s better to do this from my smartphone because I need my camera to identify myself.

2. I transfer some money from my bank account to my new personal account with Scalable Capital.

In this step, I remind myself that I am NOT transferring money to Scalable Capital’s bank account, but now I have my own investment account and I am transferring money to it.

So I am transferring money from MY bank account to MY new Scalable account that I have just opened.

3. I choose which ETFs to include in my monthly savings plan.

This step seems difficult (asset allocation).

“Which ETFs should I use for a savings plan on Scalable Capital?

Note: The content of RevenueLand and all its communications are for information purposes only and in no way constitute an invitation to invest.

If I had to invest in only one ETF, I would choose the Lifestrategy 80 ETF by Vanguard (VNGA80).

Why VNGA80 and not others?

This is just an example of my personal preference. When I invest in an ETF like this, I become a shareholder of thousands of listed companies around the world plus some safer bonds.

So just by investing in one exchange traded fund like this, I am diversifying my portfolio very well.

How do I set it up so that the plan buys me the equivalent of (say) €50 per month?

It’s simple:

1. I search for VNGA80 in the search box and enter €50 as the value to buy.
2. I set the frequency to 1 month.
3. Done!

I have just started a perpetual accumulation plan on Scalable Capital.

Okay, but what’s the point? What’s in it for me?

What can I expect now?

Each month, the system will withdraw €50 from my bank account and transfer it to my new investment account with Scalable Capital. This money will be immediately and automatically invested in the VNGA80 ETF.

This process will continue every month until I stop it.

The results I can expect are extremely attractive. The historical average return for those who invest in this way is close to 10% per annum in the long-term. Also stock savings plans are possible and any other investment decision.

What is the difference between Scalable Capital and Trade Republic?

I have written a complete article about it:

Scalable Capital Performance

This investing platform is giving 4% return on idling cash to all investors.

Most of the ETFs World I use with Scalable Broker have returned an average up to 10% per annum since inception (Source: yahoo finance)

This is NOT a guarantee of future performance and is NOT investment advice.

If you find better investments, please share them in the comments below, thank you!

Note: The content of RevenueLand and all its communications are for information purposes only and in no way constitute an invitation to invest. RevenueLand does not provide financial advice nor investment strategy and asset allocation indications. You should seek the advice of an experienced advisor before making any investments.

Automated Portfolio Management

When will it be possible to use the digital wealth management service in Germany?

“Scalable Wealth, which is an integrated robo advisor and wealth manager, is already available in Germany and Austria. It will soon be available in other countries as well.

How to join Scalable step-by-step

How do you open an account and start investing with Scalable Capital?

Here is how I personally registered with Scalable step by step.

1️⃣ I head to the official website

2️⃣ After clicking on “Open an account”, I enter my best email address

3️⃣ I confirm my email by checking my inbox and return to the site to complete.

I can choose any plan as I can just change my mind any time.

So I don’t think too much and move on.

4️⃣ After entering my details correctly, I am asked for my IBAN number.

Not too much to think about, this platform does not steal money from people’s accounts.

The IBAN is used to verify that the person opening the account is the same person who entered the data.

You will be charged €1 in either case, so there is not too much to think about, just enter the IBAN from which we will then transfer the money to invest and move on.

5️⃣ Now I have to tick two boxes.

The first is “I give a SEPA direct debit mandate for my deposits”.

This is normal and should be accepted so that Scalable can verify my account by depositing exactly €1.

As soon as the Euro arrives on my Scalable account (Baader Bank) the process is complete and you are verified.

The second box to tick is “I would like to open a brokerage and clearing account with Baader Bank. These accounts are free when opened in combination with Scalable Broker”.

This should also be accepted and is normal.

6️⃣ The next step and identification is done via smartphone.

The 5 minutes I spend registering saves me from physically going to identify myself or scanning documents and faxing or emailing them. In short, it’s convenient for me.

I can choose to continue by framing the QR code or simply entering the phone number to receive the text message with instructions:

7️⃣ From here I follow the instructions on my phone and in a few minutes I am done.

I am asked to scan my documents with the phone’s camera, then frame myself with the phone’s camera, turn my head to the right and then to the left.

NOTE: The data and images will only be used for verification purposes and will not be stored or distributed in any way. Fourthline is the company Scalable Capital uses for this process and is a secure and specialised company.

What happens next.

After a few days my account will be opened and verified.
If I want, I can deposit and invest money.
Done!

⚠️ Warning: Everything is reversible!

I can close the newly opened account at any time without penalty.

If I set up to invest every month, but one month I don’t want to or can’t, nothing happens, I can suspend it indefinitely without penalty.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. RevenueLand is NOT an investment advisor. Readers should not consider this publication as an offer of personalised investment advice. Any investment involves risk, so please do your research or seek advice from the appropriate sources. Past performance is never a guarantee of future results.

Go to the specific website for your country (select the language later)

Smart Predict feature and Alladin

The most surprising features offered by this broker are the “Smart Predict” feature and Alladin by Blackrock.

These innovative feature is automatic and is only activated at the moment we are about to place an order. All it does is tell us the probability that a limit or stop order will be filled within the next hour.

This feature therefore makes it easier for investors to set limit or stop prices and allows them to optimise their trading.

The probabilities displayed when entering limit and stop orders are automatically updated when the target price is changed or the price of the security fluctuates.

The technology behind Smart Predict is based on historical data and machine learning. It takes into account volatility, distance to market, spread, security type, time of day and other factors.

Smart Predict was developed in-house by finance and technology experts.

My opinion: It is an interesting feature, but not essential for every investment strategy.

Scalable Capital Reviews Reddit

What do people say about Scalable Broker?

In this section I have collected all the Scalable Capital reviews I found online.

I have added my Scalable Capital review as a satisfied user.

I expect the average opinion of this broker to be quite positive.

The aspects they like most are:

• the ease of use
• risk management
• the low commissions
• the low minimum investment (1€)
• the possibility of serious and long-term investment

Let’s have a look at the Scalable Capital reviews on the main opinion sites in Europe.

Scalable Capital reviews on Trustpilot in short:

55% of people who left a review for Scalable Capital on Trustpilot rated it 4 or 5 stars. This means that the average user is satisfied with this service.

This is a good average rating, but I immediately went to read the negative comments about this broker and here is what I found.

Scalable Capital App users’ opinion on the App Store:

Apple users consider scalable capital a good smartphone app with a punctuation of 4,6/5.

Negative Scalable Capital Reviews

The majority of negative reviews on Scalable Capital are from users who have failed to register.

I’ll make it short: those who use it are enthusiastic, but those who failed to register are disappointed.

I have noticed that this company responds to all negative comments and offers solutions, so it is easy to deduce that many of these poorly rated reviews are now obsolete.

Personally, I have not had any problems signing up.

One more issue that investors point out that Scalable Capital offers a slow customer service but, in general bad reviews of Scalable Broker come from Germany in 90% of cases.

German investors report slow Depot transfer, that is something other countries don’t have.

Positive Reviews of Scalable Capital

The majority of users who have left their opinion on Scalable Capital are satisfied.

Considering that most of those who write a review do so because something went wrong, we can conclude that Scalable Capital is fine.

In conclusion, of the 2263 users who have left a review on Scalable Capital, the most are satisfied with the service and recommend it.

Also Reddit users are very positive on this broker.

Contact Scalable Capital Support and data

To request customer support or ask questions, I can write a message via instant chat or email.

There is also a telephone number for customer support:

• Phone: +49 8938038067
• Email: [email protected]

Scalable Capital’s focus is all on customer service.

Here is some useful information about Scalable:

• Company name: Scalable Capital GmbH
• Physical address: Seitzstrasse 8e, 80538 Munich.

It also has offices in Berlin and London.

It is registered in the Commercial Register of the Munich Local Court, HRB 217778 under the name “Scalable Capital GmbH”.

Scalable Broker App and trading platform

Scalable Broker’s trading platform is fully integrated with the deposit account and possible savings plan.

It may not be the most sophisticated platform in the world, but it lacks nothing and is easy to use.

The key is to be able to manage everything in one place and intuitively.

Tax with Scalable capital

The custodian bank only automatically deducts taxes for investors who are taxable in Germany. If you are subject to tax in any other European country, you will receive a document from the platform to forward to your tax office once per year in order to carry out the correct taxation of all securities.

Scalable statistics

• 90% of users invest in ETFs
• Less than 20% invest in individual stocks
• The average age of investors is between 25 and 50
• On average, investors on Scalable invest around €470 per month in their plans
• The most popular investments among savers are ETFs that track a broad index such as the MSCI World (VNGA80, SUSW ETFs and similar).

Beyond these, Scalable Broker is also one of the high yield savings platforms in Europe with its 4% return on cash.

Who founded Scalable Capital?

Here is a picture of the founders:

To sum up: is Scalable Capital Wort it?

This is a good service in my opinion, but this is nothing new.

Scalable has been very popular for years with those who use it in Germany and other European countries.

You can choose the FREE plan and still invest in savings plans without paying anything other than the implicit costs of all ETFs.

Starting a savings plan is a very good idea in my opinion and this tool makes it easy with a minimum investment, plus besides it also offers me traditional trading and crypto.

I like using Scalable Capital and I think most people would like to switch to it for convenience.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Revenueland is NOT an investment advisor. Readers should not consider this publication as an offer of personal investment advice. All investments involve risk, so you should seek advice or information from the appropriate sources. Past performance is never a guarantee of future results with any broker including those of this Scalable Capital review.