Lightyear review
Updated September 29, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 29, 2026
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Our verdict
Lightyear suits you if you want stocks, ETFs, crypto, bonds and funds alongside easy access cash in a low-fees model. You pay stock trade fees of $1 with account fees of €0 and inactivity fees of €0 while keeping transfers simple.
Key facts
- Best for
- Low fee share and fund investing with easy access cash on the side
- Minimum deposit
- €1↗
- Stock trade fee
- $1↗
- Account fee
- €0↗
- Inactivity fee
- €0↗
- Markets
- Stocks, ETFs, Crypto, Bonds, Funds↗
- Regulators
- Estonian Financial Supervision Authority, Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA)↗
- Investor protection
- EU ICS up to EUR 20,000↗
- Currency conversion fee
- 0.35%↗
- Deposit and withdrawal fees
- Free bank transfers in and out↗
- Account types
- Corporate↗
- Interest on cash
- 2.42%↗
- Features
- Crypto, Fractional shares
- Pricing model
- Low fees
- Official website
- lightyear.com
Savings
Robo-advisors
Facts checked September 29, 2026, 6 sources
Pros and cons
Pros
- Account fees of €0 and monthly fees of €0 keep ongoing holding costs low
- Inactivity fees of €0 suit buy and hold investors who trade at intervals
- Markets of stocks, ETFs and crypto give broad choice across shares, ETFs, bonds, funds and crypto
- Cash interest of 2.42% with headline rate of 2.42% rewards idle cash on variable terms of variable
- Transfers are Free bank transfers in and out, which keeps moving cash in and out simple
Cons
- Stock trade fees of $1 look pricey next to ActivTrades at $0 and XTB at €0
- Currency conversion is 0.35%, which adds cost when you deal across currencies
- Support runs on email and help centre only, which limits how you can get help
Who it suits
- You invest at intervals across shares and funds and prefer Lightyear over DKB for lower per trade dealing costs
- You hold spare cash alongside shares and prefer Lightyear over ActivTrades for Vault interest paired with broking
- You start modestly and prefer Lightyear over XTB for low entry balances with broad market access
Who should look elsewhere
- You want commission free share dealing on every trade, so XTB may suit better given stock trade fees of €0 against Lightyear at $1
- You want phone based help, so DKB may suit better as Lightyear support runs on email and help centre only
Regulation and registers
Lightyear operates under Estonian oversight, with Estonian Financial Supervision Authority shown as regulator in the licences. The stated licence is MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54, which places the business inside the European supervisory framework that applies to investment and crypto asset services. For you as a reader, that regulatory anchor matters because it defines which authority sets conduct expectations, handles authorisation, and maintains public registers where you can confirm permissions. When you compare brokers across the UK and Europe, the home state regulator shapes reporting duties, client asset handling standards, and complaint routes. You should still read the current terms and disclosures before you invest, since permissions and coverage can vary by product and by client location, and marketing summaries never replace register entries and legal documents.
Rates and terms
Cash held in Vaults earns at a headline rate of 2.42%, with cash interest shown as 2.42%. The rate type is variable, which means the return can move higher or lower over time rather than staying fixed for a set term. In practice, variable cash returns follow market conditions and provider policy, so the amount you receive across months can change even when your balance stays steady. Interest accrues and is paid at intervals, with access under easy access terms and withdrawal after a waiting period, which suits cash you may need at short notice while still seeking a return. You should view Vault cash as a flexible complement to your invested portfolio rather than as guaranteed growth, since variable rates offer no promise about future payouts and investing itself carries risk to capital.
Who runs it
The provider is Lightyear Europe AS, shown as legal entity Lightyear Europe AS, based in Estonia. It was founded in 2020, which places it among the newer digital brokers serving investors across Europe with an app led service. Support is provided through email and help centre, covering email and help centre resources for account, trading, and Vault queries. That written support structure suits investors who prefer to resolve matters through messages and guides, though it offers less immediacy than phone or live chat routes found elsewhere. Oversight is framed by licence MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54, linking the company to Estonian supervision. As with any broker, you should confirm current permissions, terms, and coverage before you fund an account.
How Lightyear compares
8.9 vs 9.4
8.9 vs 8.7
8.9 vs 8.3
8.9 vs 8.5
8.9 vs 9.4ActivTrades charges stock trade fees of $0 while Lightyear charges stock trade fees of $1, which may appeal if commission free dealing matters to you.
8.9 vs 9.3XTB charges stock trade fees of €0 while Lightyear charges stock trade fees of $1, which may suit frequent share buyers watching per trade costs.
8.9 vs 8.7
Lightyear vs eToro8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 8.7
8.9 vs 8.6
8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 9.1
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 8.8
Where Lightyear is available
- Available
- Everywhere except United States
- Licence in Estonia
- Estonian Financial Supervision Authority, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Estonia
- Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA) (MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54), checked September 26, 2026, also valid in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia
Frequently asked questions
What does Lightyear charge for investing?+
Stock trade fees are $1 per execution. Account fees are €0 and inactivity fees are €0, while monthly fees are €0. Currency conversion is 0.35%, so cross currency dealing adds a separate charge to weigh.
How is Lightyear regulated and protected?+
Lightyear holds licence MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54 and names Estonian Financial Supervision Authority as regulator. Investor protection is EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 and deposit protection is FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Cover applies within stated limits and eligibility rules.
How do deposits, withdrawals and Vault interest work?+
Transfers are Free bank transfers in and out. Interest accrues and is paid at intervals, with withdrawal after a waiting period under easy access terms. Cash interest is 2.42% and the headline rate is 2.42% on a variable basis of variable.
What can you invest in with Lightyear?+
Markets are stocks, ETFs and crypto, covering stocks, ETFs, crypto, bonds and funds. Features include crypto and fractional shares, with fractional shares and crypto alongside core share and fund dealing. Minimum investment is €1, which keeps small starting balances accessible for you.
What minimums and account types apply?+
Minimum deposit is €1, so you can start with a modest balance. Portfolio types include ETF, cash and crypto across ETF, cash and crypto styles. Account types include corporate, with a corporate route alongside personal investing use.
How do you get help from Lightyear?+
Support runs on email and help centre, namely email and help centre guidance. There is no live chat or phone route in the listed channels. You manage queries in writing, which suits readers comfortable with email based help and self serve articles.
Who runs Lightyear and what model does it follow?+
Lightyear Europe AS is based in Estonia and was founded in 2020 under legal entity Lightyear Europe AS. The model is low fees, focused on low fees rather than bundled advice. It suits self directed investors who prefer digital management.
Sources
- lightyear.com/en-eu/pricing checked September 29, 2026
Backs: Inactivity fee, Account fee, Account types, Interest on cash, Deposit and withdrawal fees, Currency conversion fee, Markets, Pricing model, Stock trade fee
“Account fee - We don't charge you for leaving your money to grow.”
- lightyear.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Minimum investment, Portfolio types
“No minimum. From 1 EUR to infinity. We do not limit the amount you can add to the vaults.”
- lightyear.com/en-eu/help checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Investor protection, Regulators
- lightyear.com/en/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Monthly fee
“Konta maksas: Bez maksas”
- lightyear.com/en/vaults checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Access terms, Account kind, Headline rate, Minimum deposit, Rate type
“ienesīgums uzkrājas katru dienu, izmaksa reizi mēnesī; iznemšanas laiks nepārsniedz divas dienas”
- lightyear.com/lv-lv checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Features
“From stocks to funds, bonds and more - fractional shares”
- register.fca.org.uk/s/firm checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Deposit protection
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 29, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Retail accounts that lose money.