Rating of the best brokers in Russia 2022 for investments in the stock market

BKS

Brokercreditservice - this is what the abbreviation stands for. The company has been operating since 1995 and is a veteran in the brokerage services market. 600,000+ clients are registered on the site, and the growth is 15 thousand people per month.

You can open an account online in 5 minutes. There are 2 tariffs to choose from:

• Investor. It has a relatively high commission - 0.1% of trading volume, but there is no subscription fee, as well as fees for depository services.
• Trader. Commission - 0.01-0.03% (the higher the turnover, the lower the percentage). This is a low bar among Russian brokers. The picture is spoiled by the monthly fee of 299 rubles.

It is worth reading the terms and conditions for working with trading terminals. There is only one free one here - the BCS Investments application. To freely use the rest, you must comply with the conditions for the size of the deposit. In order not to spend 300 rubles on WebQUIK. per month, you need to keep more than 30,000 in your account. You can trade through mobile QUIK and MetaTrader.

The brokerage company works with the following platforms: St. Petersburg Exchange, Moscow Exchange, NYSE, Xetra, NASDAQ, NYSE Arca, LSE IOB, NYSE MKT.

The company’s website has a lot of educational content: paid courses, articles, and webinars available to everyone. There is a lifetime demo account and an FAQ section.

Alor

Official website: www.alorbroker.ru

The brokerage company is also one of the oldest brokers, but is not very popular among traders, despite favorable trading conditions and accessibility to the foreign market. Perhaps the reason is marketing, or perhaps something else.

Alor became one of the first brokers in Russia to offer trading in securities via the Internet. Alor broker was once in the top five, but now other players dominate the market.

Advantages:

• Favorable conditions for beginners (it is noteworthy that for the starting tariff the commission is higher if trading turnover increases - a big plus for new clients);
• High reliability rating;
• Access to the foreign stock market;
• Free access to your own trading terminal.

Flaws:

• Low quality of support;
• Inconvenient site interface.

Tinkoff Investments

This intermediary does not have physical offices. If you need to sign documents or receive a card, a representative will come to your address. The history of the parent company dates back to 1994, but Tinkoff began working as a stock market operator in March 2018.

The intermediary has more than 1.5 million clients - this is a record figure, which competitors are still far from achieving.

Tinkoff offers 3 tariffs:

• Investor. Set by default to an open account. Commission - 0.3%. This is a large percentage in the ranking, which does not do the company any credit. While the account can still be used for long-term strategies, medium-term and speculative operations will eat up a significant part of the profit.
• Trader. 0.05% of the transaction amount is charged. The commission is considered low, but you need to order a premium card from the company (service costs approximately 1990 rubles per month), have high trading turnover or an asset portfolio of 2 million. Otherwise you will have to pay 299 rubles.
• Premium The commission is 0.025%, but you can only connect with a Tinkoff Premium subscription, the service for which comes with a monthly payment of 1990 rubles. Tariff for qualified investors only - foreign exchanges and over-the-counter instruments available.

This is the best brokerage company in Russia in terms of convenience: Tinkoff’s services and support are integrated into the Internet.

The company's application is considered the most functional in terms of interface.

Among the shortcomings are user complaints about platform failures and the high commission of the basic tariff.

TOP 20 largest stock exchanges by capitalization

Opening

A large investment company operating since 1995. In 2019, the broker was recognized by the Moscow Exchange as the best in terms of conditions for beginners. Against the backdrop of popularity in 2022, Otkrytie’s management decided that it needed to meet demand and increased account servicing fees. The company soon reconsidered its position and created more favorable conditions.

There are 4 offers in the tariff line:

• All inclusive. For transactions with shares and bonds on Russian exchanges they charge 0.05%, on foreign exchanges an exchange fee is added to the amount (USA - $0.0005 for each security, Europe - another 0.04%).
• Investment. Not suitable for small volume operations. The commission is 0.025%, but at least 50 rubles are withdrawn. Conditions for foreign exchanges are the same as for “All Inclusive”.
• Premium. The fees depend on the trading turnover - 0.005-0.05% of the transaction + exchange 0.01%. It is profitable to work here in large sums, and it is worth considering that 150 rubles are charged monthly for account maintenance.
• Speculative. Like the previous tariff, it is beneficial for working with large volumes. The commission for the transaction is from 0.005 to 0.05%, but the exchange fee is already taken into account, except for foreign platforms. Costs 250 rubles per month.

Sberbank

A well-known financial group, which in 2022 entered the top 30 largest banks in the world. The company received a license from the Central Bank for brokerage activities at the end of 2000. In terms of the number of registered clients, Sber ranks second after Tinkoff.

Previously, the application was a minus - it constantly froze even during minor operations. In addition, clients were offered only one trading platform - Moscow Exchange. Before 2020, there were no shares of foreign companies on MOEX. But the year turned out to be a turning point both for the Russian platform and for the broker.

After rebranding, Sber began to pay more attention to the technical side of its services. Foreign shares also appeared. The Moscow Exchange began introducing them, and Sber’s business immediately took off.

There are only 2 tariffs:

• Investment. It is connected by default, the commission here is high - for any trading volume you will have to pay 0.3% of each transaction. The only privileges are analytical ideas from the broker’s team.
• Independent. Fees depend on volumes. Order up to 1 million rubles. costs 0.06%, from 1 million - 0.035% and 0.018% for transactions above 50 million.

You can switch to the second tariff in your Personal Account in the “Account Management” section.

The largest number of companies

Useful articles

Overview of the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange (SPB): what stocks are traded there and how to access them?

Step-by-step instructions: how can an investor fill out a 3-NDFL declaration and pay taxes?

25 Habits That Separate Rich People From Poor People +12 Things That Are Keeping You From Getting Rich

Who is a qualified investor, what does this status give, how to get it and is it needed at all?

No surprises here either. Where the population density is greatest, there are the largest number of traded companies. Let me introduce you to the Bombay Stock Exchange. More than 5.7 thousand different organizations are registered on it. At the same time, the volume of capitalization lags noticeably behind - the average for the company is less than $300 million.

VTB Investments

Systemically important bank founded in 1990. The company has been developing intermediary services since 2003. The conditions are considered the most balanced - from a convenient platform to low commissions. VTB occupies high positions in ratings and advertises its services with the involvement of show business stars. In addition to Russian exchanges, there is access to NASDAQ, NYSE, LSE, HKSE and XETRA.

For new investors, there is no headache about switching to another plan - VTB immediately connects the client to the most favorable conditions. There are 7 tariffs: 3 basic, 2 privileged and 2 prime.

Basic:

• Mine is online. 0.05% of daily turnover is charged. Only here is free account maintenance.
• Investor standard. Commission - 0.413% of transactions per trading day. For maintaining the account - from 30 to 150 rubles. per month. The amount depends on the number of VTB shares the client has. This condition is the same for all tariffs except the first.
• Professional standard . Suitable for large speculators - the daily fee is 0.0295% if the turnover exceeds 1 million rubles. If the condition is not met - 0.0472%. The smallest commission is 0.015% (daily volume - 100 million).

For other tariffs, 0.012 to 0.037% is charged.

Finam

A Russian investment holding that grew out of an information and analytical firm founded in 1994. He became the pioneer of electronic trading in Russia. Finam established the Association of Forex Dealers, which is still the only one in the register of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

Transaction insurance, auto trading, multi-account for all markets, offers for corporate clients - the broker has all this and much more. The number of services provided by Finam is greater than that of any Russian intermediary.

The company's disadvantage is its confusing tariff schedule, although the organization is trying to correct this.

Here are the 2 main plans that Finam offers:

• Strategist. Will appeal to clients who use long-term entries. The commission is 0.05% of turnover, but not less than 50 rubles. Transactions on foreign exchanges will cost 0.08%. Trading on the St. Petersburg platform will cost the most - 0.1% of the volume.
• Investor. Tariff for speculators. Fee - 0.025%, no minimum. Prices for foreign exchanges are 10 times lower, and in St. Petersburg they charge from 0.025% for volume. There is also a monthly subscription fee - 200 rubles.

Alfa Investments

The ranking, which is headed by the best trusted brokers for investments in Russia, also includes this intermediary. The company received a license from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation for brokerage, depository and dealer activities in 2000. But the service became popular with the beginning of the investment boom in the Russian Federation. In a couple of years, an application was developed, a clear tariff schedule was developed, and an advertising campaign was launched.

Conditions for 4 plans:

• Investor. For large investments and speculation, the tariff is not suitable - a commission of 0.3% will hit the deposit hard.
• Trader. Here the fee is from 0.049 to 0.014% depending on the daily volume. The highest percentage is for transactions up to RUB 100,000. per trading day. There is also a subscription fee - 199 RUB per month.
• Advisor. This is a type of managed account with the exception that the client opens transactions himself, but takes ideas from the broker. In addition to the 0.1% volume commission, the tariff requires an annual payment of 0.5% of the amount.
• Personal broker. Trading under the supervision of a professional is an option for large investors. There is no service charge and fees range from 0.14% to 0.24%.

conclusions

There is no clear answer to the question of which broker is better. It all depends on the needs of the trader himself . Above we have discussed companies that meet the requirements of most traders and investors. Among them there are options for active Forex trading, and there are also brokers for passive investing.

If you do not agree with this list of TOP brokers, suggest your options in the comments. If you have any questions about the trading conditions of the listed companies or just need advice, do not hesitate - write, together we will find a solution .

This concludes the review of the best brokers, all the best and see you soon. Don’t forget to subscribe to blog updates so you don’t miss the latest articles on current topics.

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Criteria for inclusion in the rating of Russian brokers 2022

The register of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation contains more than 400 intermediary companies in the securities market. Of these, less than 10 are rumored. But the top investment brokers in Russia 2022 on the stock market are compiled not by the frequency of the company’s appearance in advertising, but on the basis of more precise parameters.

License

A dishonest company will not be able to get on the list of brokers of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation - the company must obtain a license. Without this, it will not be possible to work legally on Russian exchanges. The exception is foreign stock operators. They operate on the basis of permits issued in the country of registration of the company.

Register of brokers of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

Volume of transactions

The increase in cash turnover indicates that the company has begun to attract more investors. This means things are going well and clients are happy with everything. If a broker begins to be greedy with commissions and creates intricate schemes, then account activity and turnover will decrease.

Turnover data should be taken into account in comparison with other companies. If everyone’s volumes are falling, it means something is wrong with the economy, not with the intermediary.

Number of active clients

The higher this indicator, the fewer “dead” accounts the broker has. To calculate it, the accounts on which at least 1 transaction was carried out per month are calculated from the entire mass. If activity remains low while accounts are opened in the tens of thousands, this is a bad sign. Quantitative indicators for the rating should only be considered together.

Commission amount

The intermediary works without thanks. This is also a business whose profit comes from fees. The first thing an experienced investor pays attention to is the costs of operations with a particular broker. Plus, if it has several options for conditions for different strategies, for long-term, medium-term investors, scalpers and intraday traders, special offers for working on the derivatives market.

Commissions include regular payments:

• Exchange fee.
• Trading costs.
• Spreads.
• For inactivity on the account.

The first places are occupied by companies with transparent, understandable plans and low commissions. To make a comparison of the best brokers 2022 for trading and investing, these indicators are taken into account first.

Fixed payments

In addition to constant fees for transactions, which may vary depending on volumes, instruments and the size of the deposit, brokers have a subscription fee. It is established for the use of various privileges on the account. For example, if an intermediary offers clients 2 tariffs, one of which has a 50% lower commission, most likely you will have to spend extra monthly for favorable conditions.

Among the regular fixed payments there are the following:

• Account maintenance.
• Depository commission.
• Subscription payment.
• For using the terminal.

Even if trading costs are low, such costs can significantly reduce investment returns.

Convenience of the site and application

Bugs, crashes and freezes reduce a broker's rating, even if all other conditions are in order. It is important for investors that the services work without interruptions, information is received promptly, and the application is pleasant and convenient to use.

The technical side can often ruin the whole picture. For example, Sberbank received negative feedback for a long time about the mobile version of its Personal Account - it often stopped working when using the search tool.

Sber app on Google Play

Remote account opening

In 2022, almost all intermediaries switched to electronic service format. People don't like going to offices. But there are stock operators who register accounts only for clients of their banks, and to become one, you need to come to the branch. Although the card is now brought home, the procedure can be time-consuming. This is especially important for citizens from remote settlements where there are no branches of brokerage banks - such people will look for a simpler option.

Trading platform

There are universal terminals for electronic trading - QUIK, MetaTrader 5. This is the main third-party software used by Russian companies. To attract and retain customers, you need to have a competitive offer. Popular brokers compete in this too. In terms of software technology for transactions, the best broker in Russia, according to reviews, is Tinkoff. Investors especially like the recently added stock screener.

The platform is not the decisive factor for an intermediary to get a good place in the ranking, but it is also taken into account.

Depository fee

The broker stores the securities with a professional market participant, who keeps records of rights to them. The intermediary enters into an agreement with him, and there are costs associated with it. This is where the commission for depositary services appears on the tariffs. As of October 2022, the majority of stock exchange operators cooperate with members of their banks. Because of this, they do not include this fee.

The monthly fee is up to 200 rubles. An insignificant amount, but it is not profitable for an investor with a small deposit to give it away. The presence of a depository fee affects the rating much like trading fees.

Convenient replenishment and withdrawal of funds

Most Russian brokers are bank brokers. They sometimes make the mistake of making free transactions available only within their accounts. This is a big disadvantage for the company, since many investors use the services of different banks. This does not greatly affect the rating of brokerage companies in terms of reliability, but together with other factors it can put pressure.

Minimum budget for opening an individual investment account

To receive tax deductions on profits from trading operations or storing funds and assets, use an individual investment account. This is a purely Russian version of the tariff, which was developed by the government. IIS is beneficial for those who do not plan to withdraw money for more than 3 years.

Sometimes brokers set their own entry threshold for such accounts. It can be 10 rubles or 10,000 - at the discretion of the operator. Not everyone is ready to invest a lot right away, so companies without restrictions on the minimum contribution amount have a slight advantage.

Withdrawal of dividends and coupons to the card

You cannot withdraw money from an IIS without closing it. But the law does not prohibit receiving passive payments not to the account, but transferring them using the specified details. Some intermediaries do not have this option. If an investor has formed a large dividend portfolio on an IIS, this will not be entirely convenient for him. The opinions of lovers of passive income are also taken into account when compiling a review of top investment brokers.

General information on Individual investment accounts

Selection of securities

The principle works here: the more, the better. Brokers give clients access to assets on certain platforms. The main ones for Russian investors are the Moscow and St. Petersburg exchanges. If the intermediary is connected only to Moscow Exchange trading, then the set of instruments will be limited to this platform: as of October 2022, the list includes 3149 items. Of these, 2,083 are 3rd tier securities (low-liquidity). An operator with such an offer is not very attractive to an active investor.

On the second Russian platform there are few shares of domestic companies, but more than 1,600 liquid foreign securities. This does not include ETFs and other instruments. Many top brokers allow you to invest on foreign exchanges: NYSE, NASDAQ, LSE and others (qualified status required). A large assortment attracts customers and gives a plus to the rating.

Foreign securities

Until 2022, foreign instruments were not traded on the Moscow Exchange. For this reason, platform-only brokers were not popular. As of October 2022, 269 foreign shares are traded here. By the end of 2022, the exchange plans to include another 1,100 on the list. This will blur the difference between St. Petersburg and the Moscow Exchange. In the meantime, most foreign securities can only be purchased from St. Petersburg intermediaries.

Futures and options

These are high risk and reward instruments. They have their own audience, and it is not small. All brokers have access to the derivatives market - the only difference is the number of contracts and the origin of the underlying asset. Separate lists are compiled for futures and options based on trading volume, and companies that start in first place usually become leaders in them as well.

Support

The most reliable stock broker in the Russian Federation is the one who promptly solves customer problems. When a chat message hangs unattended all day, or employees cannot answer a simple question, this is a big minus for the company.

Fast response, accurate information, polite communication and multiple communication channels are an important set for evaluating service. Without these characteristics it is difficult to get to the first place.

Comparative table of stock operators from the review

How to choose a broker for trading the stock market

One of the main indicators when choosing a broker is reliability. The company should not encounter any problems in the course of its work, and it must have the appropriate licenses to provide brokerage services, issued by the financial regulators of the region in which the company operates.

The broker must provide all the necessary tools for trading and have a simple and intuitive interface. Many brokers provide up-to-date information from the world of investments - this is also an important criterion. The client should not have problems finding the necessary information.

The next important criterion will be the terms of trade. Pay attention to what stocks are available from a particular broker, how many trading pairs there are, and what restrictions there are. For example, not all brokers provide access to foreign markets. Therefore, you need to look at which stock exchanges you have access to.

Note. The Central Bank decided to tighten the rules for access of unqualified investors to purchase shares on foreign markets. New amendments to the law “On the Securities Market” have so far been adopted only in the first reading.

According to the new conditions, investors must meet the following criteria:

• The amount in the investor’s accounts is at least 10 million rubles;
• The investment amount is at least 1.4 million rubles, but provided that within six months the investor makes transactions worth at least 6 million rubles;
• Obtaining a certificate of a self-regulatory organization (SRO).

In other cases, the maximum amount for investing through Russian brokers will be 50 thousand rubles per year.

Beginners may have difficulty choosing brokers, since all the conditions are very scattered and presented in the form of large lists on various pages of the site - it is easy to get confused in this jungle. In order to facilitate the process of finding the necessary information about brokers, we have collected all the necessary information that will simplify the selection of the right company to invest in the stock market.

Tips for choosing a broker

For first-time participants, this is an important step. If you compare companies and choose incorrectly, you may be disappointed in trading on the stock exchange due to poor quality service. The mediator must be reliable, honest and give everything for the job - that's what they exist for.

There are things to consider: license, qualified employees, experience. But some parameters are individual, so it is better to first evaluate the investor himself.

It is worth understanding the level of knowledge and strategy. The first will help you figure out what tools a person can use. If this is just a basic understanding of the market, limit yourself to liquid stocks and high-rated bonds.

For work, it is better to choose someone who loves to teach: the site publishes articles, seminars, webinars, and educational courses.

More advanced participants need a broker who has rates suitable for their purposes:

• Conservative investments. Refers to work for the future: increase in pension, passive income, purchase of real estate, stable capital growth. Transactions are opened for years, so tariffs even with high commissions per order, but without regular monthly depository fees, are suitable.
• Aggressive. People who cannot wait use risky instruments and make several trades in a week or even a day. For them, fixed payments are not scary, especially at high turnover. You need to choose low trading fees. If the derivatives market is more preferable, then be sure to pay attention to the conditions for futures and options.
• Moderate. There are investors who build a portfolio so as to have a stable income like a salary. They don’t like to get involved in the derivatives market, but they can’t wait for years for profit. For such people, standard tariffs without premium markups are suitable. Although if the volumes are large, then for a reduction in the interest on the transaction 500 rubles. It’s not a shame to give it a month.

In this case, it is better to pay attention to the list of Russian brokers for trading and investment, which is compiled according to the parameters given in the article.

Common mistakes made by newbies

What mistakes do novice investors fall into the most when they select an intermediary? Here are 3 common pitfalls:

• Open an account without studying the conditions. It may come as a surprise to the client that he is charged a larger commission than expected because he missed the preposition “from” in the tariff description. Instead of 0.02% per transaction, you have to pay 0.08% due to the reluctance to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the formation of fees.
• Consider the broker an ally. Yes, it is important for the intermediary that traders and investors work and increase capital as long as possible - the volume of his profit depends on this. But it also depends on the number of transactions.
• Completely trust the company. Despite assurances that the staff's analysis is thorough and that trading recommendations are reliable, you should not build a portfolio solely on the advice of a broker. He also has people working for him who make mistakes. But they will not be held responsible for unfulfilled forecasts.

FAQ

Which broker is the most reliable on the Russian market?

Summarizing all of the above, VTB Investments becomes the most suitable broker for a private investor. It has competitive rates, an easy-to-use app, and an expanded range of financial instruments, making it a well-balanced broker with no major drawbacks.

Which broker is the most profitable to work with?

VTB, Sberbank, BCS Investments. For newcomers to the market, Tinkoff is as convenient as possible.

Which broker has the most convenient trading application?

VTB, Tinkoff.

How to open a brokerage account

If the investor is a client of the bank to which the company is linked for trading on the exchange, the process will take a few minutes. There is no need to upload copies of documents - the intermediary will use the information from the database. The procedure is standard for everyone, but some points and sequence may differ:

1. Go to the official website or app.
2. Click the “Open account” or “Become a client” button.
3. Fill out the forms.
4. Confirm your phone number and sign the documents.

For non-banking companies, a step is added where you need to upload your ID. The data is usually checked throughout the day. Company employees sometimes call to confirm.

Summary

There was a time when intermediaries in the CIS countries almost did not compete with each other. People agreed to unfavorable conditions in order to invest. But everything has changed - now even the largest brokers send representatives to the home of a potential client so that he does not leave for another.

The companies discussed in this section are not the final version. In September 2022, there were 492 trading participants on the Moscow Exchange, most of whom provide brokerage services. So top companies have someone to compete with for clients, and investors can always choose.