# Erste vs Lightyear

Neobroker or NetBroker?

Capital at risk.

Thinking of switching from Erste to Lightyear? Compare fees, currency conversion costs and more – so you can decide which better suits your investing and saving goals.

## Key takeaways

Lightyear gives you access to global markets at significantly lower fees than Erste. Erste charges about twice as much as Lightyear for currency conversion, and up to seven times as much for buying stocks. What’s more, the TBSZ is free on Lightyear, while at Erste you pay a 350 Ft monthly fee for it plus a further 350 Ft monthly fee for the securities account.

- Currency conversion (FX)

- Monthly fee

- ETFs: execution fee

- Multi-currency

- US stocks: per order

- EUR-denominated stocks: per order

- HU market (BSE) stocks: per order

- TBSZ opening fee

- TBSZ holding fee

*Minimum fees per order for other European stocks (non-EUR-denominated) for Lightyear: Hungarian min 200 HUF, Swiss min 1.5 CHF, Danish min 10 DKK, Swedish min 10 SEK, Norwegian min 10 NOK, Polish min 5 PLN.<br>Erste: Information shown is based on Erste Befektetési Zrt.’s [fee schedule](https://www.erstemarket.hu/fajl/19efcc4098f1e0574505405cbf72d3d8bd184072-6a85d7e8b0facD459574B-70A3-44A9-A6FF-38381A2013F1).<br>Provider pricing compared as of 14 September 2026, assuming a portfolio of 300,000 HUF.

## Erste vs Lightyear: FAQs

### Does Lightyear or Erste have lower fees?

Lightyear’s fees are lower than Erste’s. With us, you can buy ETFs with no execution fee, whereas Erste charges 0.45% per order (min. 7 EUR). Stocks cost 1 EUR or max. 1 USD per order on Lightyear, compared with 0.45% per order (min. 7 EUR/USD) at Erste. A TBSZ account is free on Lightyear, while at Erste you pay a monthly account fee of 350 Ft plus a monthly fee of 350 Ft for the securities account. 

This shows that Lightyear’s pricing is more favourable than Erste’s. It’s well worth bearing in mind when choosing a broker, as higher costs can significantly reduce your investment returns over the long term.

### Is an S&P 500 ETF cheaper on Lightyear or at Erste?

You can buy ETFs (such as the S&P 500) more cheaply on Lightyear than at Erste, because ETF execution is free with us, while Erste charges an execution fee of 0.45% per order (min. 7 EUR).
For example, if you use dollar-cost averaging (DCA) and buy a particular ETF at regular intervals, cost differences like these can make a big difference to your returns over the long term.

### Does Erste offer a multi-currency account?

No, Erste doesn’t offer a multi-currency account, so each account can only ever be opened in a single currency. This means that if you deposit in a different currency (for example, you’re paid in forints but want to invest in euros), or want to spend your money in a currency other than the account’s when you withdraw (for example, you invest in euros but pay your expenses in forints), you’ll have to pay a currency conversion fee.

With Lightyear, on the other hand, you can open a multi-currency account and hold money in several currencies at once, such as EUR, USD and HUF. As long as you deposit or withdraw in the same currency you invest in, there’s no conversion fee to pay. It’s another way we help you invest at the lowest possible cost, so fees don’t eat into your returns.

## Disclaimer

This comparison is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Capital at risk. Seek guidance if needed.

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Canonical: https://lightyear.com/en-hu/comparison/erste-vs-lightyear