eToro vs Boursorama: Comparison and Review

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Boursorama is a leading online bank in the French market and a pioneer in online financial information and brokerage. The Cypriot broker eToro is a global leader in social trading. Which one should you open an account with? Find out in this eToro vs Boursorama match-up.

eToro vs Boursorama: Our Review

Boursorama and eToro aren’t aimed at the same types of savers:

  • The French online bank is ideal for stock market beginners and those who want to invest in Europe. It suits savers who want to open a PEA (French equity savings plan) and benefit from tax breaks, as well as those who want to open a securities account to invest abroad. It also suits those who want a bank account, a PEA and a securities account in one place.
  • The Cypriot broker suits those who want to focus on foreign investments or invest in more complex instruments. By building its business model around social trading, it particularly targets stock market beginners.

If this topic interests you, also see “AxiTrader vs Pepperstone” and “Trade Republic vs eToro”.

Boursorama vs eToro: Key Information

We’ll start this eToro vs Boursorama comparison by introducing both providers:

Boursorama Banque

This online bank and stockbroker is a subsidiary of Société Générale, based in France. When it started in 1995, it specialised in stock market information. Today, its online offering is one of the most comprehensive, with traditional banking services, financing solutions, savings products, financial information and investment solutions. It currently has more than 2.1 million clients in France and is supervised by the AMF, the French financial markets authority.

eToro

Founded in 2007, eToro is an online broker headquartered in Cyprus, with offices in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has chosen to focus its offering on forex, ETFs, stocks, cryptocurrencies and CFDs. To date, it has more than 20,000,000 users in more than 140 countries. Several financial authorities, including CySEC in Cyprus, ASIC in Australia, the FSAS in the Seychelles and the FCA in the United Kingdom, oversee its activities.

eToro vs Boursorama: Awards

Both providers are reliable. In this eToro vs Boursorama match-up, we found that each has received several awards and prizes recognising its work.

  • Boursorama has won several awards for its banking services, as well as for its investment solutions.
  • Although eToro is more discreet about it, it has also won several awards, some for its in-house platform.

Boursorama vs eToro: Security Measures

The measures brokers put in place are among the criteria for their reliability, which is why we compared them in this Boursorama vs eToro comparison:

  • Boursorama’s clients are covered by the FGDR (Fonds de Garantie des Dépôts et de Résolution). If the online bank were to go bankrupt, this body provides cover of up to €100,000 per client. eToro has chosen to take out free insurance of up to 1 million euros.
  • The French provider is supervised by the AMF for its investment services. The Cypriot broker is supervised by the FCA in the United Kingdom, ASIC in Australia, CySEC in Cyprus and the FSAS in the Seychelles, and is also recognised by the AMF.
  • At eToro, traders benefit from negative balance protection, and the broker holds their funds in segregated accounts.

eToro vs Boursorama: Available Assets

The financial assets on offer can vary from broker to broker, so this is something you must compare before choosing a broker, especially if you want to diversify your portfolio. In this Boursorama vs eToro comparison, we noted that the two providers have opted for very different models.

Financial Assets Available at Boursorama

The French fintech offers a wide choice of investments, including:

  • Stocks,
  • Bonds,
  • ETFs,
  • Derivatives such as warrants and turbos,
  • UCITS funds,
  • SICAVs,
  • FIPs (local investment funds),
  • FCPIs (innovation funds).

It also offers access to several exchanges, including:

  • 9 European exchanges (Madrid, Zurich, London, Milan, Brussels, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt),
  • 2 US exchanges (NASDAQ and NYSE).

Financial Assets Available at eToro

The Cypriot broker offers access to a large number of financial assets via CFDs, including:

  • 49 currency pairs,
  • 2,000 stocks,
  • 15 cryptocurrencies,
  • 31 commodities,
  • 13 stock indices,
  • 249 ETFs.

These financial products are available on several exchanges, including:

  • 10 European exchanges (Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Stockholm, Madrid, Oslo, Milan and Zurich),
  • 2 US exchanges (NASDAQ and NYSE),
  • 1 Asian exchange (Hong Kong).

With CFDs, investors bet on a product’s price. They can also actually buy shares, in which case eToro holds them and then passes on the dividends.

eToro vs Boursorama: Trading

The trading offering itself varies between brokers, which is why it’s essential to compare this important detail. We noted several points in this Boursorama vs eToro match-up.

Boursorama’s Model

  • Both providers offer leverage. Boursorama offers a deferred settlement service (SRD) that lets clients invest on credit on the Paris stock market, with leverage of up to 1:5. They can also short sell.
  • To optimise their management, the French bank’s investors have a wide choice of stock market orders, such as trailing orders, triple orders, alternative orders, sequential orders and prepared orders.

eToro’s Model

  • At eToro, traders can access leverage of 1:30,
  • They can set several orders, including take profit, limit orders and stop loss.
  • They can also copy other traders’ strategies and trades; the Cypriot broker is known internationally for its social trading offering.
  • Clients can also automate their trades,
  • The broker doesn’t allow scalping.

Boursorama vs eToro: Deposits and Withdrawals

In this eToro vs Boursorama match-up, we noted several differences between the two in terms of deposits and withdrawals:

  • The online bank limits the payment methods allowed: investors can choose between a transfer from a Boursorama current account or an external account, and a card deposit. eToro gives traders more choice, with traditional methods as well as all kinds of mobile payments.
  • Both require a minimum deposit: €1,000 at Boursorama and $50 at its competitor.
  • The French provider’s account currency is EUR, while eToro only accepts USD, so conversions may be necessary.
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eToro vs Boursorama: Fees

The fees brokers charge can have a real impact on returns, so it makes sense to check and compare pricing before opening an account. This eToro vs Boursorama match-up showed that investing with either isn’t free, but they have opted for two different fee structures:

  • Boursorama mainly charges brokerage fees, which vary according to the investment and the profile chosen. It also charges fees on the deferred settlement service. Depending on the profile, the ProRealTime platform may be included or paid. Custody fees, the monthly subscription, account opening, withdrawals and inactivity are free.
  • eToro earns its money mainly from the spreads it charges, which are the same for all clients but vary by financial asset. It also charges withdrawal, conversion and inactivity fees. However, deposits and opening and maintaining an account are free, and the broker charges no commission on stock investments, whatever the trading volume.

eToro vs Boursorama: Trading Accounts

The accounts available are one of the biggest differences between the two providers. In this eToro vs Boursorama match-up, we noted several distinguishing features:

Accounts Available at Boursorama

Boursorama offers several accounts:

  • The PEA (plan d’épargne en actions), which comes with several tax advantages and gives access to a portfolio of European collective investment funds and stocks,
  • The PEA-PME, which offers the same tax advantages as the PEA while investing in the local economy. Although the ceiling is higher, fewer stocks are eligible.
  • The PEA 18-25 for young people aged 18 to 25.
  • The ordinary securities account (CTO), which lets you hold financial assets on European markets and the rest of the world.
  • The managed financial savings account, whose management is entrusted to the specialist firm ODDO Asset Management.
  • A free virtual portfolio lets users get familiar with building and tracking a portfolio of securities.

Accounts Available at eToro

Unlike its competitor, eToro offers neither a CTO nor a PEA; its model, based on trading CFDs and foreign stocks, doesn’t allow these types of account. Instead, the broker offers a standard eToro account that is quicker to open. Users don’t hold the securities themselves.

The Cypriot broker also offers a free demo account to get familiar with its tools and refine strategies, and an Islamic account is available for Muslim traders.

Boursorama vs eToro: Trading Platforms

Both providers rely on their platforms to attract investors. Here, we noted several differences between eToro and Boursorama:

Boursorama’s Platforms

Boursorama offers several platform options:

  • Its own intuitive trading interface: a personal space for tracking and viewing all positions in one place. Boursorama users can use this trading board to place orders quickly.
  • ProRealTime, a professional trading platform: users get real-time technical analysis and advanced features such as customisable alerts.
  • Direct Emetteurs, a platform specific to Boursorama: it lets you place orders directly with partners such as Société Générale and BNP Paribas. It is reserved for turbos, warrants and certificates.

eToro’s Platforms

eToro has developed its own trading platform and app, known for being user-friendly, intuitive and easy to use, so even the least experienced traders can understand them. They also come with two innovative social trading features: CopyTrader and CopyPortfolios. The first lets you replicate other traders’ actions in real time; the second gives access to ready-made investment strategies.

eToro vs Boursorama: Trading Tools

In this eToro vs Boursorama comparison, we also compared the trading tools available to investors, which help them understand the market better, improve their performance, refine their strategies and increase their chances of better returns.

  • At Boursorama, users have access to many tools and services:
    • An advisory service called Day by Day Trading,
    • Real-time information with Morning Meeting,
    • Streaming for real-time access to all Euronext Paris quotes,
    • Real-time US quotes to manage investments in US markets effectively.
  • At eToro, traders have access to trading tools such as a trading calculator, an economic calendar, mobile alerts, historical prices and market analysis. Social trading fans can use the innovative CopyPortfolios and CopyTrader features.

Boursorama vs eToro: Education

To attract investors of all levels, many brokers rely on education. In this Boursorama vs eToro match-up, we noted several differences between the two:

  • Boursorama doesn’t really offer trading or stock market investment education. The French fintech focuses instead on financial information and support. As well as real-time news, its very active forums let its community advise one another. The online bank also offers a virtual portfolio for those who want to learn before investing for real.
  • eToro’s traders have access to a trading academy with several learning tools (videos, webinars, online courses). A free demo account with virtual funds also lets you learn to trade.

eToro vs Boursorama: Customer Support

Customer support has become essential for supporting clients, and both eToro and Boursorama have made it a strength.

  • New Boursorama clients can contact advisers via chat or by requesting a callback; these channels are generally only available during sign-up. Existing clients need to request assistance from their client area or call the specialist savings advisers directly, who are available Monday to Friday from 8 am to 10 pm and on Saturdays from 8:45 am to 4:30 pm.
  • eToro’s traders can also reach dedicated advisers through the usual channels (mail, phone, live chat). Like its competitor’s, its website is available in French and its advisers speak French. However, they are only available 5 days a week.

Boursorama vs eToro: Pros and Cons

To wrap up this eToro vs Boursorama match-up, we’ve listed the positives and negatives of both.

Boursorama

Boursorama is a leading online bank in the French market, so investors needn’t worry about its reliability. Its stock market offers are particularly aimed at savers and investors who are tax residents in France, who must hold a current account with it. This requirement can be an advantage, as fees and transaction times are attractive and the procedures are less restrictive. However, it can be a drawback for those who don’t necessarily want to open another bank account. Its fees are attractive compared with traditional banks, although for some profiles certain services and platforms are paid.

eToro

eToro is known worldwide and has built its reputation on social trading. It is strongly regulated, and this Cypriot broker attracts many traders with its easy-to-use platform and quality tools. Commission-free stock trading is one of its strengths. However, although it has invested in the quality of its education, it is mainly aimed at beginners, and its fees are among the highest on the market.

Boursorama vs eToro: Our Verdict

At the end of this eToro vs Boursorama match-up, here is our verdict:

  • There’s no doubt about the reliability of these two online brokers. One is French, and the other holds all the authorisations needed to offer its services in France. However, they don’t offer the same products, so each is aimed at different types of savers.
  • Boursorama suits more cautious savers who want access to less risky products. It is aimed at investors who are new to the stock market, want to invest in Europe and want to benefit from tax advantages.
  • eToro is better suited to informed investors who want access to a wide choice of financial assets through CFDs and want to invest in complex, riskier but more rewarding products such as currency pairs and cryptocurrencies. The broker is ideal for traders taking their first steps in the financial markets who want to copy the trades and strategies of more seasoned investors. It also suits those who want to invest abroad.

Read also: Boursorama Stock

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