Comdirect
comdirect is an established German bank-backed brokerage, a brand of Commerzbank AG supervised by BaFin, with extensive access to German and international securities markets and a well-regarded mobile trading experience. Its futures offering is much narrower than its overall investment range, because the supplied broker information identifies Eurex as its only futures market, which suits traders focused on German and European derivatives more than active traders seeking U.S. equity-index, energy, metals and agricultural futures. Relatively high commissions, including a €9.90 minimum per execution, a primarily German-language environment and a more complicated account opening for international applicants further reduce its appeal for frequent trading and smaller positions.
Category Scores
Available Regions
Trading Costs
Asset Coverage
comdirect offers extensive access to stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds and selected derivatives, but its direct futures coverage is limited to Eurex. That covers supported European equity-index, fixed-income and volatility futures, including MiniDAX, MicroDAX and VSTOXX, plus options on supported Eurex products. Traders who need U.S. equity-index, energy, agricultural or wider global commodity futures will find it restrictive, and this narrow exchange coverage is the main reason for the low score.
Focus: Eurex-listed futures and futures options within a broader securities brokerage
Market categories
- Equity indices
- Supported European index futures, including DAX-related contracts
- Smaller index contracts
- MiniDAX and MicroDAX futures
- Volatility
- VSTOXX futures
- Fixed income
- Supported European government-bond and interest-rate futures
- Other listed derivatives
- Selected additional contracts, subject to comdirect's product availability
International exchanges
- Eurex
Product support
- Options on futuresYes
- Micro contractsYes
- Stocks & ETFsYes
Highlights
- Direct futures trading through Eurex
- Access to selected European equity-index and fixed-income derivatives
- MiniDAX, MicroDAX, and VSTOXX contracts appear in the published pricing schedule
- Broad overall securities and investment-product range
- Limited international futures access relative to specialist brokers
- Specific contract eligibility must be checked separately
The direct futures offering is limited to Eurex, and the availability of a product on Eurex does not prove that comdirect offers that contract to every customer.
The exact range available for trading should be confirmed in comdirect's live contract search and account permissions, and the separate CFD service is not the same as exchange-traded futures.
Trading Conditions & Tools
Trading conditions
- Score
- 7.2
- Minimum Deposit Usd
- 0
- Minimum Deposit Note
- A €0 minimum deposit is advertised for the standard brokerage account, but futures require initial margin and enough equity to meet changing requirements and potential losses.
- Margin Note
- Initial and maintenance margin depend on the product, market conditions and applicable exchange and broker rules, and displayed margin figures are not fixed guarantees.
- Maintenance Margin Requirement
- Traders must maintain enough equity to meet contract-specific initial and maintenance margin requirements.
- Forced Liquidation
- Yes
- Summary
- comdirect provides a conventional exchange-traded futures environment through Eurex, with margin calculations and position monitoring in the O&F-Trader. Margin is contract specific and can change, positions can be reduced or closed if equity falls below requirements, and traders may not receive enough time to transfer funds before liquidation. Eurex contracts have specific expiry and settlement rules, so traders must know whether a contract is cash-settled or deliverable, its last trading day and how to roll positions.
- Highlights
- Direct access to supported Eurex futuresDedicated margin calculations and position monitoringContract-specific margin and expiry requirementsLeverage creates substantial potential lossesTraders need to monitor settlement dates and close-out obligationsOrder execution remains subject to market conditions
Support & Account Opening
Customer support
- Score
- 7.2
- Channels
- PhoneLive ChatSpecialist Options and Futures Team
- Public Feedback
- Positive
- Established banking service structure and advertised specialist support for options and futures
- Negative
- Slow phone support, inconsistent assistance and difficulties with account administration and transfers, described as anecdotal and not verified response times
- Summary
- comdirect benefits from an established banking service structure and advertises specialist support from a team for options and futures trading, in a German-language service environment. Public feedback identifies slow phone support, inconsistent assistance and some account-administration and transfer difficulties, which are anecdotal rather than verified response times. Traders should confirm the support channels and hours for futures and establish a clear escalation procedure for urgent order or margin problems.
- Highlights
- Established customer-support structureSpecialist assistance advertised for options and futuresGerman-language service environmentPublic feedback includes complaints about slow telephone supportLive human chat availability for urgent futures issues should be confirmedTraders need a clear escalation procedure for account and execution problems
Account opening
- Score
- 5.6
- Minimum Deposit Usd
- 0
- Minimum Deposit Note
- A €0 minimum deposit is advertised for the standard brokerage account, and futures margin is a separate requirement.
- Verification Required
- Yes
- Possible Delays
- Additional identity-verification procedures and postal documentation in some cases for applicants outside Germany and AustriaSeparate permissions for futures and options
- Additional Steps Before Trading
- Provide personal details and pass the verification and suitability proceduresObtain derivatives permissions for futures and optionsConfirm the account supports the required Eurex productsFund the account to meet margin requirements
- Accessibility
- Low
- Summary
- comdirect advertises a €0 minimum deposit for its standard brokerage account, but eligibility, identity verification and language requirements make opening an account harder for applicants outside Germany and Austria. Eligible German and Austrian residents can use an online process with digital identity verification, while other applicants may face additional verification and postal documentation. A standard securities account does not necessarily allow futures trading immediately, so derivatives permissions, available Eurex products, margin requirements and tariffs should be confirmed first.
- Highlights
- €0 minimum deposit advertised for the standard brokerage accountDigital account opening is available for eligible German and Austrian residentsInternational eligibility and verification procedures may be more restrictiveGerman-language documentation can present difficulties for some applicantsFutures permissions may need separate approvalCurrent account tariffs should be checked before registration
User Experience
comdirect's experience is a mixed proposition. It combines accessible mobile tools, a dedicated Eurex futures interface and established banking services with a primarily German-language environment, comparatively high trading fees and a more complicated experience for international applicants. Funding runs through bank transfers with no ordinary withdrawal fee, but traders should plan funding in advance, and the high minimum commission can make each order frustrating for small or frequent trades.
Dedicated Eurex futures interface alongside mobile and general web tools within a primarily German-language banking environment
Funding timing
- Withdrawal arrival
- Transfer timing depends on the banking process and the account involved, and international transfers may take several business days.
Things to manage separately
- Futures and options permissions
- Contract-specific margin requirements
- Eurex contract expiry and settlement
- German-language documentation
Highlights
- Dedicated interface for Eurex futures
- Established banking and securities account infrastructure
- Useful mobile tools for routine account administration
- German-language service can be a barrier for international clients
- Funding may require advance planning
- Minimum futures commissions can be frustrating for small or frequent trades
Trader Compatibility
Who It's For
Best for
- German-speaking investors focused on Eurex: comdirect is most suitable for customers who want to trade eligible European futures while maintaining a broader German banking and investment relationship
- Investors who prioritize banking credentials: Its established banking background and German deposit-protection framework are attractive to customers who value a traditional financial institution
- Occasional futures traders: Investors who place relatively few futures trades and value account integration more than low per-contract costs may find the service adequate
- Multi-asset investors with European portfolios: comdirect's stocks, ETFs, bonds, and funds can be useful alongside selected European derivatives, although the trading costs of each product category should be assessed separately
Not recommended for
- Active scalpers: The €9.90 minimum per execution can have a significant impact on short-term trading strategies
- Traders who need U.S. and global futures markets: The direct futures service is centered on Eurex rather than an extensive multi-exchange offering
- Advanced algorithmic traders: Traders requiring extensive futures APIs, multi-exchange automation, or highly specialized execution tools should evaluate dedicated futures platforms
- Non-German-speaking international applicants: The language and account-opening requirements can make comdirect unnecessarily difficult to use
Final Review
comdirect is a reasonable bank-backed choice for German-speaking investors who want selected Eurex futures alongside a broader securities portfolio. Its appeal lies in its established financial-services background and European-market focus, not in being the most competitive or comprehensive futures specialist, and it is not a leading option for active global futures traders, scalpers or traders who prioritize low all-in trading costs.
comdirect receives a low-to-moderate TraderZone rating for its futures offering because its banking and regulatory strengths are offset by narrow Eurex-only futures coverage and a €9.90 minimum per execution that makes small and frequent trades expensive. The platform suits straightforward manual access to supported Eurex contracts, but it does not stand out for advanced automation, multi-exchange execution or globally diversified derivatives trading, and the German-language environment and extra account-opening steps can be obstacles for international customers. Before opening an account, traders should verify country eligibility, current Eurex commissions and minimums, margin requirements, available contracts and tariff terms.
Trading carries risk. Review the broker’s current terms directly before opening an account. This page is informational and not financial advice.