Trade Republic or Revolut: which one to save with?

Two apps that come up the moment you want to make your money work, two opposite logics. Trade Republic is first a securities account that remunerates idle cash; Revolut is an everyday account that added savings. To park your cash in Belgium, the real question isn't "which is best", but which one pays more once the tax is paid. Here's how I tell them apart.

Trade Republic or Revolut: which one to save with?

To grow spare money, Trade Republic leads on the gross rate: around 3% a year up to €50,000 in early 2026, paid monthly. Revolut pays its interest daily, but at a lower rate (1.50% to 2.50% depending on the plan). The point to remember: Trade Republic isn't a current account, it's a securities account with remunerated cash.

The distinction matters, because these two accounts don't play the same role. Trade Republic does one thing very well: keep your uninvested cash at a high rate, alongside your stock-market holdings. Revolut casts a wider net: free card, sub-accounts, daily savings and a Belgian IBAN since May 2025. I've opened and used both — to park a reserve while waiting for a project, I go for Trade Republic; for a flexible account I run day to day, it's Revolut that stays on my phone.

Trade Republic or Revolut: what are the differences for savings?

The gap comes down to four points: the gross rate, the interest payment rhythm, the country of the licence (hence of the guarantee fund) and the purpose of the account. The rest — mobile app, security, fully online management — is very similar.

Here are the entry-level terms, current as of summer 2026. Pricing changes often, because rates follow the European Central Bank: always check the current offer before opening an account.

In practice, for everyday use: if you want the best net return on a large cash balance sitting idle, Trade Republic is built for it. If you want a flexible account that pays a bit while serving day to day, Revolut is the more obvious pick.

Trade Republic or Revolut: which offers the better rate?

On the gross rate, Trade Republic wins clearly. In early 2026 it pays around 3% a year on uninvested cash, capped at €50,000, with interest paid monthly. It's one of the best rates on the Belgian market for available funds, and it sits next to a securities account if you ever want to invest part of that reserve.

Revolut pays its interest daily — real flexibility — but at a more modest rate: from 1.50% gross on the free Standard plan up to 2.50% on the Ultra plan, the most expensive one. I left a few thousand euros on each account to compare: at Revolut, seeing interest land every morning is pleasant, but over a year the return gap clearly tilts towards Trade Republic on larger amounts. For small sums you want to move at any time, Revolut's daily flexibility can be enough; for capital that stays put, every tenth of a point counts, and Trade Republic takes the lead.

How much does each account really earn you after tax?

This is where many go wrong: the rate shown in big letters on the homepage is a gross rate. Both accounts are unregulated, so their interest is subject to 30% withholding tax from the first euro, without the exemption reserved for Belgian regulated accounts. On Trade Republic's 3% gross, that leaves about 2.1% net; on Revolut Standard's 1.50%, about 1.05% net.

And since the IBAN is foreign, the withholding tax is not deducted at source: you must declare the interest received in your tax return, and report the account to the Central Contact Point of the National Bank. The first year, I forgot that box for a German account — the slip can be fixed, but it's still an obligation. So always compare on the net return: on €20,000 parked for a year, around 3% gross at Trade Republic earns close to €420 net, versus about €210 at 1.50% gross on Revolut Standard. The gap isn't trivial as soon as the capital grows.

Are your deposits guaranteed with Trade Republic and Revolut?

Good news: both are licensed banks, so your deposits are protected up to €100,000 per depositor. The nuance is the country of the guarantee fund. Trade Republic falls under the German scheme (German banking licence); Revolut under the Lithuanian one, via its Revolut Bank UAB entity. The €100,000 cap is the same across the European Union — it's a harmonised rule — but if something goes wrong, it's the home-country fund that pays out, in its language and on its timeline.

What does it change in practice? For the vast majority of savers, nothing: the guarantee works the same way. It's mainly a reason to check the status before depositing large sums — a mere payment institution wouldn't offer this protection, unlike these two banks. The licence and country can be checked with the FSMA and the National Bank of Belgium. And as a precaution, I never concentrate more than €100,000 with a single provider, whatever its country.

Trade Republic or Revolut: which as an everyday account?

To live in Belgium day to day, Revolut is the only one of the two that fits. It issues a Belgian IBAN (BE) to new accounts since May 2025, offers a free card, sub-accounts and contactless payments: it works as a full secondary current account. Trade Republic stays above all a securities account with remunerated cash and a card, but its IBAN is German and it isn't meant to replace a current account.

The IBAN nuance is worth a pause. A foreign IBAN still runs into direct-debit refusals here: I've seen a payment rejected because the IBAN started with a non-Belgian prefix — technically banned by the SEPA regulation, but still common practice. Revolut's Belgian IBAN makes that friction disappear for salary and direct debits. And above all: neither Trade Republic nor Revolut supports Bancontact, the network behind about 85% of in-store card payments in Belgium. Their cards run on Mastercard or Visa, accepted almost everywhere, but some Belgian parking machines, terminals and sites still require Bancontact. So neither fully replaces a Belgian bank.

Trade Republic or Revolut for which profile?

Start from your actual use rather than a one-size verdict:

For a reserve of several tens of thousands of euros awaiting a project, I switch to Trade Republic without hesitation: the net rate makes the difference over time. For a flexible second account that serves day to day and pays a little along the way, Revolut ticks more boxes. Many people I know keep both: Trade Republic for the return, Revolut for the everyday wallet. Our quiz suggests a recommendation in two minutes based on your profile, and the comparator puts both offers side by side.

In short

Between Trade Republic and Revolut, there's no universal winner, but two jobs. Trade Republic is the benchmark for return on cash: around 3% gross up to €50,000, backed by a securities account, but with a German IBAN and no current-account role. Revolut is the versatile everyday account, with a Belgian IBAN, a free card and daily interest, at the price of a lower rate. Both are licensed banks with a €100,000 guarantee, both tax at 30% to declare yourself, and neither supports Bancontact. For small amounts, a regulated Belgian savings account often still wins. To go further, compare every offer line by line in our comparator, or read our guide to the best neobank for savings if saving is your priority.

Sources: National Bank of Belgium (deposit guarantee, Central Contact Point), FPS Finance and Wikifin (withholding tax, exemption for regulated savings accounts), FSMA (register of licensed institutions), Trade Republic and Revolut pricing terms consulted in July 2026.