Big Danish bank, big platform energy

Saxo is one of those brokers that does almost everything on paper: a fully regulated Danish bank, 70k+ instruments, award-winning platforms, nice research. In practice, it can feel brilliant and maddening – especially if you ever need support or don’t enjoy being buried in fee tables and KYC requests.

Who Saxo is actually good for

• Traders who want one big-bank account with products across the globe.
• Active investors who’ll use SaxoTraderGO / PRO and appreciate deep tools.
• People who like bank-level safety and don’t mind some paperwork and complexity.

Quick facts

• Platforms: SaxoInvestor (simple), SaxoTraderGO (active), SaxoTraderPRO (multi-screen pro).
• Products: 71,000+ instruments across stocks, ETFs, bonds, FX, options, futures, CFDs and more.
• Fees: low stock & FX commissions, but custody fees & higher derivatives costs to watch.
• Bank: fully licensed Danish bank with top-tier regulation and long track record.

What Saxo actually does well

Platform quality. Saxo’s platforms are genuinely strong. SaxoInvestor is a clean investing app for stocks, ETFs and funds. SaxoTraderGO is the “do it all” platform for active traders, and SaxoTraderPRO lets you spread charts and order tickets over multiple screens like a mini-hedge fund desk.

Product range. You can hit pretty much everything: US and European stocks, global ETFs, bonds, FX, options, futures, CFDs, even some niche stuff. If your strategy needs lots of instruments under one roof, Saxo is hard to beat.

Research & content. There’s a steady stream of market commentary, themes, screeners, webinars and tools baked into the platform. For idea generation and context, it’s genuinely useful – especially if you like having everything in one environment instead of jumping between sites.

Regulation & bank status. Under the hood you’re with a long-standing Danish bank, not a back-alley CFD shop. For some people the peace of mind of a regulated bank matters more than saving a tiny bit in commission elsewhere.

Where Saxo will drive you mad

Fee complexity & custody charges. Stock and FX commissions are competitive, but the pricing grid is long and fiddly. Custody fees on securities, higher futures/options costs and funding charges can eat into returns if you’re not paying attention. It’s not a simple “$0 commission” story.

Customer service is hit-and-miss. There are loads of glowing reviews naming specific support agents… and a big chunk of 1-star reviews from people who waited weeks for replies, had tickets bounce around, or felt completely ghosted. When Saxo works, it’s great. When it doesn’t, it can feel like shouting into the void.

Endless KYC and bureaucracy. Being a bank means lots of compliance. Expect periodic requests for updated documents, income information, tax data and so on. Sometimes the requests are sensible; sometimes they feel like the system hasn’t looked at your situation at all.

Not beginner friendly. SaxoInvestor is simple enough, but once you step into GO/PRO you’re in serious-trader territory. That’s good if you know what you’re doing; overwhelming if you’re just learning the basics.

What it’s like to use day-to-day

On web and desktop, SaxoTraderGO / PRO feel like proper trading terminals: solid charting, order types, risk tools, news and watchlists all in one dashboard. Once you’ve built your layout, it’s fast and efficient – easily “institutional-lite”.

The mobile apps are decent for checking positions and managing orders, but you really feel the power of Saxo when you’re on a laptop or multi-screen desktop. It’s not the prettiest UX in the world, but it is capable.

So… should you bother with Saxo?

If you want hand-holding, minimal paperwork and ultra-simple pricing, Saxo will probably annoy you. There are easier, friendlier brokers out there.

But if you’re a more serious trader or investor who cares about product range, platform power and the comfort of a real bank, Saxo still makes sense – as long as you accept the trade-offs on fees and service.