Best ETF Savings Plan in Switzerland: Top Providers Comparison April 2025

📖 Overview

1. The most important facts about ETF savings plans at a glance

2. Overview of ETF savings plan providers in Switzerland

3. How we tested

4. How does an ETF savings plan work in practice?

5. Buying whole units vs. fractional trading

6. Savings plan investments

7. How to find ETFs for your savings plan and build your ETF portfolio

8. Security

9. FAQ

The most important facts about ETF savings plans at a glance

Investors can build up assets automatically with low-cost ETFs. Here you can find out how it works, which ETF savings plans are suitable and what you need to look out for when choosing the best ETF savings plan offer.

• How an ETF savings plan works: An ETF savings plan is like a standing order for your investment. You decide how much you want to invest on a regular basis. The money is then continuously and automatically invested in selected ETFs. In this way, you gradually build up broadly diversified assets.

• ETF simply explained: An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of an index. It enables a broad diversification of the money invested, as it contains many shares at once. So instead of buying individual shares, you invest in a whole basket of companies. ETFs are inexpensive, transparent and can be traded flexibly on the stock exchange.

• ETF savings plans in Switzerland: While ETF savings plans have long been established in many countries, they are still considered a novelty in Switzerland. ETF savings plans are an exciting opportunity for investors to invest cost-effectively and automatically.

• ETF savings plans vs. actively managed index fund savings plans: ETF savings plans allow you to invest in various markets in a broadly diversified and cost-effective manner. Compared to actively managed index funds, which are still sold by many traditional banks, ETFs are generally much more flexible and cheaper.

• What you should look out for when choosing a savings plan: You should opt for an ETF savings plan that invests as broadly diversified as possible and has the lowest possible costs. This applies to both the broker (trading fees, custody fees) and the ETF itself (TER). Broad diversification prevents the performance of individual shares or economies from having too negative an impact on the value of your investment. Nobody can predict market developments, but excessive fees will certainly reduce your return.

• That's why an ETF savings plan is worthwhile: An ETF savings plan makes sense because it allows you to build up assets automatically over the long term. On the one hand, you benefit from the compound interest effect and the so-called cost-average effect. The latter means that you regularly buy at the current market price - sometimes cheaper, sometimes more expensive. In this way, you smooth out the fluctuations on the stock market and reduce your average purchase price in the long term. You could also invest manually in the ETFs of your choice every month, but there is a high risk that you will lose motivation and discipline after a few months.

Overview of ETF savings plan providers in Switzerland

Both traditional banks and brokers and modern smartphone banks and financial apps now offer ETF savings plans. However, the range in Switzerland is still limited.

In this ETF savings plan comparison, we have examined the following Swiss ETF savings plan providers – all regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA:

• The online broker Saxo offers favourable conditions and a large selection of ETFs – ideal for cost-conscious investors.

• The finance apps neon and Yuh combine ETF savings plans, trading and banking in a modern app. They are therefore particularly suitable for beginners who want everything from a single source.

• The online bank Swissquote combines ETF savings plans, banking, trading and retirement planning in a single platform – ideal for anyone who wants to manage their finances centrally. With millions of tradable products, Swissquote also offers the largest investment universe compared to the other providers in the test.

• Traditional banks such as PostFinance and Zuger Kantonalbank also offer ETF savings plans, often with higher fees – but with a branch structure.

The provider that is best for you depends on what is most important to you: low fees, ease of use, a wide range of products or traditional banking services? In our comparison, we present the individual providers in detail so that you can make the right choice for your ETF savings plan in Switzerland.

How we tested

To calculate the rating, we rely on objective methods so as not to influence the result with subjective criteria. For this purpose, we focus solely on the fees (purchase fees for savings plan execution, sales fees, custody account fees). There is a simple reason for this: the costs are the only objective and comparable factor. Fees have a direct impact on returns and are therefore of central importance to the majority of investors.

Other features and aspects (e.g. fractional trading, web access or number of ETFs) may vary in importance depending on personal preference and investment objective. Some investors favour a broad range of ETFs, while others value the ability to invest in fractions of ETFs. However, these factors are subjective and difficult to compare, as they are not equally important for every investor. That's why we show such characteristics clearly in our comparison so that you can get a quick and easy overview. However, these ‘soft criteria’ are not included in the evaluation, as they depend heavily on individual preferences and are therefore difficult to compare.

Our approach ensures that the test score remains objective and is based on a standardised benchmark. At the same time, by presenting the additional functions and product features, we offer you the opportunity to choose the best provider for you personally. In this way, we create transparency without subjective factors distorting the evaluation. In the detailed comparison report, we not only scrutinise the ETF savings plan offering, but also show you in detail which strengths and weaknesses of the tested providers you should be aware of.

The specific test criteria

We base the investment volume on the figures from the Federal Statistical Office, according to which private households have a savings amount of around CHF 1,500 at their disposal. Based on this savings amount, we assume for the calculation that three ETFs of CHF 500 each are saved each month and that the trading orders are executed via a Swiss stock exchange (SIX or BX). The average custody account volume for the calculation of custody account fees is CHF 100,000.

In addition to the purchase costs (savings plan execution), we also take into account the sales costs, as these influence the return on the investment over the entire investment period. As the increase in value of an investment is only realised when it is sold, the selling costs are decisive for the net income. In order to present these effects transparently, we assume an investment horizon of 10 years and simulate the complete sale of the three ETFs held (without taking into account price gains or losses). This method enables a realistic assessment of the total costs and shows how the sales costs affect the final result in the long term. In addition, not all providers allow securities to be transferred to another custody account, which means that they can only be redeemed by selling them.

The calculation bases are summarised as follows:

• Custody account assets: CHF 100,000

• Purchase of ETF A via savings plan (SIX / BX stock exchange): 12x per year at CHF 500 each

• Purchase ETF B via savings plan (SIX / BX exchange): 12x per year at CHF 500 each

• Purchase ETF C via savings plan (SIX / BX exchange): 12x per year at CHF 500 each

• Sell ETF A (SIX / BX stock exchange): 1x after 10 years at CHF 60,000

• Sale of ETF B (SIX / BX stock exchange): 1x after 10 years at CHF 60,000

• Sale of ETF C (SIX / BX stock exchange): 1x after 10 years at CHF 60,000 each

  
  

Why three ETFs? Broad diversification can be achieved with just three ETFs. Different markets, regions or asset classes can be covered with three ETFs. For example, a portfolio consisting of an ETF for global equities, an ETF for bonds and an ETF for property. Or a portfolio consisting of one ETF for global equities, one for Swiss equities and one ETF for emerging markets.

How does an ETF savings plan work in practice?

Setting up, editing and cancelling a savings plan

1. To buy ETFs, you need to open a custody account with an online broker or bank. Your purchased securities will then be held there.

2. Define your optimal investment strategy. For example, you could opt for a global strategy or focus on Swiss investments.

3. Select the right ETFs for your strategy and decide how often and how much you want to invest. For long-term wealth accumulation, we recommend ETFs that are as broadly diversified as possible and have low ongoing charges (TER).

4. Set up a standing order from your salary account to your custody account so that enough money is available for your savings plans. These will not be executed without sufficient funds.

5. You can adjust your savings plans flexibly, e.g. to invest more in the event of a salary increase or to take a break during a career break.

With an ETF savings plan, you can build up long-term assets while remaining flexible. You can adjust the savings plan at any time, stop it or withdraw the money you have saved by selling ETF units.

Buying whole units vs. fractional trading

Let's assume you want to invest 500 francs in a world ETF every month using a savings plan. We also assume that the world ETF is currently trading at CHF 120. A distinction must be made between providers that only allow you to buy whole ETF shares via a savings plan and those that also allow you to buy fractions:

1. Buying whole ETFs: As many units as possible are bought. In our example, 4 whole ETFs could be purchased for a total of CHF 480. The remaining amount of CHF 20 is therefore not invested and is available for investment in the following month.

2. Buying fractions of ETFs: Fractional trading can be particularly interesting for expensive ETFs. In our example, 4.16 units could be purchased. The exact structure of fractional trading varies from provider to provider.

What is the legal framework for fractional trading?

It is not possible to buy fractions of shares (e.g. 0.5 Roche shares) directly on the stock exchange. Therefore, the broker acquires a whole share (e.g. 1 Roche share), holds it in trust for you and grants you a pro rata right of use in accordance with the fraction you have acquired (so-called fiduciary share). You are the beneficial owner of the acquired fraction.

What happens in the event of bankruptcy?

Securities held in trust at a FINMA-regulated bank are segregated from the bankruptcy estate in the event of bankruptcy and therefore constitute special assets. However, only the transfer of entire securities can be requested. Fractions may therefore have to be sold. There is also a risk if the shares are held with a sub-custodian that goes bankrupt - other legal provisions of other countries may apply here, which complicates the surrender. Both the General Terms and Conditions of Yuh and Swissquote contain corresponding limitations of liability.

Savings plan investments

Many providers offer savings plans not only for ETFs, but also for shares, cryptocurrencies or theme certificates:

ETF - the best investment for wealth accumulation

ETFs are the best and most cost-effective choice for building a diversified portfolio over the long term. A single global ETF, such as the Vanguard FTSE All-World (ISIN: IE00B3RBWM25), invests in over 3,600 shares.

Equities - individual opportunities with companies

Adding equities to a diversified global portfolio leads to a targeted weighting of certain companies. This moves away from a pure market mapping approach, usually in the hope of potential excess returns. In other words, you expect your investment to outperform the market as a whole or you value particular characteristics of an individual share that appear attractive in the long term.

Cryptocurrencies - opportunities and risks

Cryptocurrencies are an asset class with potentially high potential returns, but also high risks and volatility. Many investors see diversification potential in crypto investments.

Theme certificates - investing in trends & themes

With themed certificates, you can invest in future trends such as AI, for example. Here, too, the focus is on the belief in growth in a specific area and thus the hope of achieving above-average returns. These investments are also so-called tracker certificates where, unlike an ETF, you bear the issuer risk (i.e. the risk that the issuer can no longer fulfil its obligations to investors).

How to find ETFs for your savings plan and build your ETF portfolio

There is a large selection of ETFs. Over 1,800 ETFs are tradable on the Swiss stock exchange alone. So that you don't get lost in the jungle of products, we show you the most important criteria for finding suitable ETFs here. There are differences in:

• Replication: Physical means that the ETF actually buys the shares it contains. Synthetic means that it replicates the performance with the help of financial instruments.

• Distribution: Accumulating ETFs reinvest dividends automatically. Distributing ETFs pay out dividends to you on a regular basis.

• TER (Total Expense Ratio): This annual fee is automatically deducted from the fund's assets. The lower, the better.

Many beginners feel overwhelmed by the huge selection of ETFs.

Here you will find a selection of interesting ETFs. However, this is not an investment recommendation or advice:

Security

A distinction must be made between the credit balance in your account and the ETFs. The credit balance is subject to deposit protection and is protected up to an amount of CHF 100,000 in the event of bankruptcy. Your ETFs are securities that constitute special assets and do not fall into the bankruptcy estate in the event of bankruptcy.

• Custodian bank bankruptcy: Your securities in the custody account remain your property even in the event of insolvency. The securities would be transferred to a new custodian bank of your choice, with the only annoyance being that this process can take several weeks to months. The liquid assets you hold in your investment account, on the other hand, are only protected by the deposit guarantee up to CHF 100,000.

• Bankruptcy of fund providers: Even if the ETF issuer becomes insolvent, your ETFs and index funds are protected as special assets and are therefore excluded from the bankruptcy estate. The securities remain your property. Your ETFs would be transferred to another fund company, which can also take time.

FAQ