Stock trading fees for each broker 2026 - A guide to choosing according to your investment style

New investors often overlook one factor that significantly impacts profits: stock trading fees. Simple yet powerful, these fees can eat into your gains. Compared to general costs, high fees reduce the profit allocated to each trade. Conversely, each broker offers different rates, leading to substantial differences in overall costs. This article will help you understand how to choose a broker that suits your investment style.

Why Stock Trading Fees Are Important to Your Profits

In the past, investors couldn’t trade stocks directly because finding trading partners, negotiating prices, and verifying trustworthiness were too complex. Regulatory agencies like the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) mandated that securities firms or “brokers” act as intermediaries. They handle order collection, coordination, and facilitate investor transactions.

Fees are the main income for brokers, meaning each broker has its own strategy for calculating stock trading fees. Some focus on retail investors, others on experienced traders. Choosing the right provider can cut costs by up to 50%, a figure not to be overlooked.

How to Choose a Broker Based on Trading Fees

Selecting a broker isn’t just about finding the lowest rate. Consider multiple factors:

• Investment amount: If you have limited capital, look for brokers with no or very low minimum fees.
• Trading frequency: Active traders may benefit from lower standard rates even if there’s a minimum fee.
• Account type: Switching between Cash Balance and Cash Account affects rates by about 0.05%.
• Additional services: Analysis tables, market insights, and robust trading platforms can offset higher fees.

Comparison of Stock Trading Fees — 10 Popular Thai Brokers

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Understanding the Difference in Fees by Account Type

Cash Balance Account requires full payment before buying, limiting trading to available cash. It’s safer but offers less leverage. Brokers typically charge around 0.15% for online orders. Investors with over 10,000 THB in cash are suitable for this.

Cash Account offers more flexibility, allowing trading on margin like a credit card, with the ability to pay the difference later. If you want higher trading power than your cash, this is the choice. However, brokers usually charge about 0.20% for online orders.

For example, buying 5,000 THB worth of stock costs 10 THB with a Cash Account, but some brokers (like Kasikorn) have a minimum fee of 50 THB, which is over 1% of the transaction value. This difference is significant for retail investors.

Liberator — The Cost-Effective Choice for Most Investors

Liberator Securities proudly advertises “0% commission” for stock trading via their app and self-placed orders. They do not charge tiered fees or minimum daily fees.

This means investors only pay the stock exchange’s trading fee, about 0.007%, plus other fees and 7% VAT. Compared to most brokers charging 0.15% or more, this can save 20-50 times in trading costs.

Trading Opportunities with Stock CFDs — An Alternative with Fixed Costs

CFD (Contracts for Difference) are derivatives allowing profit from stock price movements without owning the actual stock. Most CFDs don’t charge trading fees but earn from the bid-ask spread.

CFDs are useful for traders with limited capital seeking leverage to boost profits, but leverage also increases risk of losses.

The Truth About Broker Fees — Do You Want to Know?

Broker fees don’t represent the total amount investors pay. Actual costs include several components:

1. Broker commission: charged by the securities firm (generally 0.006% to 0.20%)
2. Stock exchange fees: trading fees, settlement fees, regulatory fees (~0.007%)
3. VAT: 7% of total fees
4. Other fees: e.g., ATS fee for Cash Account

For example, buying 100,000 THB worth of stock with Bualuang using a Cash Balance account incurs:

• Broker fee at 0.15%: 150 THB
• Market and service fees: ~7 THB
• VAT 7%: ~11 THB

Total approximately 168 THB (0.168%)

In contrast, Liberator’s 0.006% fee plus VAT totals about 10 THB, a 95% difference.

Final Tips — How to Choose the Right Broker

1. For small investments (less than 25,000 THB per trade): Liberator or SBI Thai are ideal due to low/no minimums.
2. For long-term investors (less frequent trading): Bualuang, Innovest X, or Krungthai X Spring offer additional services and stability.
3. For active traders (frequent trading): Even with small minimum fees, low rates can accumulate savings. Consider Phillip Capital with a 30 THB minimum.
4. For flexible options: Compare Cash Balance vs. Cash Account, and consider CFDs for higher risk appetite.

Stock trading fees are just one factor among many. Understanding the differences among brokers and aligning them with your investment style can give you a significant advantage in maximizing net profits.