OnVista Bank has been a brand of Comdirect Bank since 2017. The financial services provider has existed since 1997, was originally founded under the name Fimatex and only in 2008 changed its name to OnVista. Since the takeover by Comdirect, OnVista Bank intensively pursues business with private investors, who are offered various custody account models at favorable conditions. Due to the brokerage offer of the BaFin-regulated bank, trading on German and international stock exchanges is also possible. Those who want to test the bank’s offers can do so with the OnVista sample securities account for securities trading.
- Free OnVista sample depot for up to 15 depots at the same time
- Free Watchlist
- Demo for the proprietary trading software
OnVista Musterdepot: Check for yourself what the bank has to offer
Just a few years ago, the preferences of German savers were definitely for conventional investment products, the savings or time deposit account. Securities or derivatives only became interesting for private investors thanks to the continuing low interest rates. In addition, the increasing number of online brokerage offers makes such products more accessible. A demo account or sample account takes especially beginners the shyness of access to trading stocks or forex. Many online brokers and more and more direct banks know this and therefore provide demo accesses, flanked by sometimes very high-quality educational offers. The benefits are obvious: Brokers may gain loyal customers through such entry aids, investors in turn can become fundamentally familiar with the function of financial instruments and trading platforms, often guided by proven experts. However, the quality of the practice offers varies greatly. Some accounts designated as sample accounts are not much more than a watchlist, while others offer almost the full scope of the live account. How do users benefit from OnVista demo account? More about this in our test report.
What can you do with the demo account?
Demos like the OnVista Musterdepot are simulations of actual trading. The best of them offer a real trading environment up to real-time quotes. The financial instruments also behave as they do later when trading with the live account. The only difference is that the demo is equipped with virtual credit. Positions can be opened and closed without having to invest your own capital. Conversely, winnings in the demo are only “play money” that cannot be cashed out. But that is not the point. The purpose of a demo account is complex.
- Test trading software
- Check customer support and contact options
- Learn the handling of the financial instruments
- Identify risk propensity and create strategies
Traders get to know the trading platform(s) offered by a broker through such a practice account. The user interface, the range of functions and additional tools can be tested at leisure before the decision is made for real money access.
The performance of the broker can be tested at the same time: because already with the demo you should contact the customer support and make sure that it is easily accessible, helpful and competent.
Also, the training options are often already available with the demo access. Traders can therefore try out how good the educational offers are and whether one really learns something that can be implemented well in the demo.
But also the own behavior is put to the test by dealing with a sample account. Especially beginners get a feel for the handling of financial instruments – and for their own risk appetite. This prevents from making the typical beginner mistakes with real money, especially those based on overconfidence.
A good demo is a pleasure to keep
A demo account such as the OnVista Demo Depot is not only reserved for beginners. Because even advanced traders like to keep a good demo account. Among other things, the practice account allows to test new strategies first. Only when they are “knocked off” from all sides and optimized, they are then used with real money.
In addition, the demo is, of course, the obvious way to get to know a new broker, especially if it offers trading software that the trader is not yet familiar with. Not all brokers offer, in addition to the in-house software, well-known trading platforms such as the popular MetaTrader 4. Therefore, it is obvious to first test whether a completely new software actually corresponds to what you want in terms of speed and range of functions.
And last but not least, a sample account is a good option if you are not quite sure about a provider. Because sometimes brokers with quite good trading offers and conditions receive subjectively bad user ratings in forums. A test with a demo account then decides whether you want to give the broker a chance or not.
The demo does not cost any time or money!
Who initially uses, for example, the OnVista demo account, forgives himself nothing. Because a sample account is quickly set up and costs nothing. The interested trader does not even have to provide extensive personal information – in most cases, an e-mail address, which can be chosen at will, and a self-chosen password are sufficient. When setting up a real money account, on the other hand, the new customer must show their colors, answer questions about their income and trading experience, and finally upload an identification document to verify themselves. In addition, an initial minimum deposit is usually required for a live account, but not with the demo. Those who are not satisfied with the demo account do not even have to close it – staying away is enough. With a real trading account, on the other hand, even the closure of the account and the withdrawal of the balance is associated with effort. Not infrequently, costs are incurred in the process, which ensure that the remaining balance flows into the broker’s coffers. All this is not necessary when using a sample account – only when you are sure that all factors are right, you can switch to real money trading.
OnVista sample depot: Here no wishes remain open
At OnVista, customers have the opportunity to get to know securities trading with the OnVista Bank sample account. This test access is free of charge and unlimited in time. Registration only requires entering the e-mail address and a password. Afterwards, users of the sample account can use the full functionality of a real account. Both beginners and experienced traders can test the trading platform and the services at OnVista in this way. Experienced traders will appreciate that up to 15 parallel accounts can be used in the demo. This allows you to test 15 different strategies at the same time – hardly any other broker offers that.
In addition, with trial access, you can also use a watchlist, which does exactly what the name suggests: the tool can be used to keep an eye on securities. Values that are included in the watchlist can be provided with signals. Thus, the user receives a notification when a certain price is reached.
Conditions in securities trading: the FreeBuy model at Onvista
With its pricing, OnVista Bank stands quite alone. Because the financial service provider offers customers a so-called “FreeBuy” model. Traders have the opportunity to trade securities without any order fees at all. The FreeBuys are based on the balance on the trading account and the trading volume and are credited for the following month. Currently, the OnVista Bank again offers an ETF FreeBuy action.
FreeBuy Cash and FreeBuy Trade.
- With the FreeBuy Cash model, the free orders are calculated based on the trader’s average balance. To give an example: who 25.000 euros on the trading account, receives 5 FreeBuys per month.
- With FreeBuy Trade, the free buys are determined by the trading volume and increase exponentially with the number of transactions. From 10 trades there is already a FreeBuy.
- Traders can use the FreeBuys for trading on all German trading venues. However, the fees of the trading center and third-party fees also apply to the FreeBuys.
Traders who do not have the balance or the minimum trading volume in between still trade at low order fees of 5.99 euros per transaction, plus the fees for the trading venue and any third-party fees, with FreeBuy Cash 0.25% of the transaction amount, but a maximum of 49 euros. Who wants to change the model, this can always do at the beginning of the calendar month.
Fixed-price securities account at OnVista
In addition, OnVista allows customers to open a volume-independent fixed-price securities account, with which trading is generally carried out at an order fee of 5 euros on German stock exchanges, and 10 euros on US stock exchanges. For the start the bank gives 10 free orders. In addition, the flat-rate trading venue fee does not apply when trading funds via the investment company, so that here, too, the order costs only 5 euros. In all other cases, a flat-rate trading venue fee of 2 euros is added.
- No negative interest
- No negative interest
- Free foreign dividend payment
- Set up, change and cancel limits online free of charge
- Free GTS trading software in the basic version and convenient web trading
- No calculation of issue surcharges for over 18.000 funds
Use web platform or GTS trading software at OnVista
Those who trade with OnVista can easily access their account from the browser. In addition, web trading is also optimized for mobile devices in an adapted design. Mobile functions include the usual order functions for securities, viewing the order book and an overview of one’s own portfolio and finances. Watchlist can also be accessed on mobile.
Those who want to use a professional trading platform can use the Global Trading System, OnVista’s in-house stationary software. GTS can be tested in a demo version for four weeks and is free of charge in the basic version for customers of OnVista. The premium version is available against monthly subscription fees.
GTS trading software Basic and Premium
In the GTS basic version, users receive real-time price information without automatic price updates for the German cash markets and EUREX. The course supply happens in the pull mode. 1.000 pulls are credited to the user once upon account opening, each quote request consumes one pull. If the credit of pulls is used up, new pulls can be purchased at a unit price of 0.015 euros and a minimum purchase of 1.000 pulls can be bought. Free of charge, price data is displayed time-delayed with intervals of 15 minutes.
The premium version offers real-time quotes for German cash markets, the EUREX and trading with the US exchanges in streaming quality. This is subject to monthly license fees, which depend on the trading volume of the previous month. Additional costs may be incurred when purchasing tools for quotes, market news and chart modules.
One of the advantages of the software is that more trading instruments are available than via the Webtrader. Access to the trading venues is also much better and more direct, real-time trading is faster and trouble-free. However, so far GTS is only available in a version for Windows-based devices, those who use a Mac must install an additional application to use GTS.
Educational resources: unfortunately, not worth mentioning
The purpose of a demo is, among other things, also that traders first use the educational offer of a broker and then implement the learned content in the sample portfolio or demo account. Many brokers explicitly ask to learn the basics of trading and to understand financial instruments as well as risk management and strategies with the help of provided, often very good explanations. Particularly good educational resources are presented in a staggered manner for beginners, advanced and even professionals, and are taught by real experts through various media.
At OnVista, unfortunately, there is no such possibility to learn to trade. Customers and interested parties can use the OnVista sample portfolio, but that’s about it. The FAQ answers in different categories only some of the arising questions. So there is still need for action, because at most other brokers customers can access tutorials, videos, stock market encyclopedias and webinars. If customers are satisfied with the offer, it is likely that a permanent customer loyalty will be established.
Contact the OnVista customer service
The accessibility of the support is especially important for beginners – already during the “test drive” with the demo account you should contact support. It’s nice when this can be done without fuss and free of charge, preferably around the clock. With OnVista one must make some cutbacks. To get information about the support, you have to open the service point on the website of OnVista Bank. This leads to a page where existing and prospective customers are each given their own contact options. Both, however, can only reach the support by phone and e-mail, which is staffed on weekdays between 8:00 and 19:00 hours. Traders can contact the bank by phone at a Frankfurt number. There is no chat module. The working hours of the customer support are not very accommodating to traders who are active after hours and on weekends – they can contact the customer support by email or even by mail, but this does not promise a quick remedy.
OnVista’s FAQ section, which is quite helpful, could be better placed. If you look around long enough, you will eventually find the link to the FAQ in the footer of the page.
Conclusion: Great OnVista Demo Account, some weaknesses elsewhere
It can be stated without concern that the OnVista Bank sample account meets pretty much all the wishes that beginners or experienced traders might have. The access is simple and quick to set up, then the sample account is available free of charge and indefinitely. Up to 15 parallel sample accounts can be used, so a variety of strategies can be tested and optimized at the same time.
In some other areas, however, users have to make concessions. This starts with the portal’s website, which is definitely overloaded, while you have to search for some content on the bank’s website – for example, the FAQ, which has a very hidden existence. Contact to the support is also only possible to a limited extent. The customer service can be reached by telephone or by e-mail. by mail. However, calls can only be made on weekdays until 19:00 hrs. Working people will not be happy. Also the educational offer of OnVista can only be described as non-existent. OnVista offers good conditions, but if you want to get theoretically fit for the entry into securities trading, you will have to fall back on external offers.
- Mobile trading via app
- Unlimited usable demo account
- Favorable conditions
Test the broker now with free demo account! 77% of the accounts of small investors lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should weigh whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.