Buying the S&P 500 on Revolut is one of the questions I am asked most, because millions of Europeans already keep money in the app and want their index fund in the same place. The good news is that it works, and the route is usually SPYL — the ultra-cheap SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF. The catch is that Revolut is an on-ramp rather than a full brokerage. This guide walks through the exact steps, the costs, and the honest limits. Revolut’s product and fees change often, so verify the current terms in-app before you act.
Can you buy the S&P 500 on Revolut?
Yes. Revolut offers investing to EEA customers through Revolut Securities UAB, a Lithuanian investment firm supervised by the Bank of Lithuania. Inside the app you get a curated range of stocks and UCITS ETFs. That range is far narrower than a dedicated broker’s, but it does include S&P 500 exposure — and in practice, SPYL is the fund most European Revolut users buy for it.
One thing worth clearing up first. If you have searched for CSPX on Revolut and come up empty, that is the ETF-range limitation at work. Revolut’s UCITS shelf is thin, so a specific ticker you read about elsewhere may not be listed. For the S&P 500, however, SPYL gives you the same index at an even lower fee than CSPX. I rated the whole product in my full Revolut Investing ETF review, so this article stays focused on the how-to. For more detail, see our guide: Revolut Robo-Advisor Review.
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SPYL is the SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF (Acc), ISIN IE000XZSV718. It holds the roughly 500 large US companies in the S&P 500 — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon and the rest — through physical replication, meaning it owns the actual shares. It is domiciled in Ireland, which cuts US dividend withholding tax from 30% to 15% under the US–Ireland treaty. It is accumulating, so dividends are reinvested automatically. And its TER of roughly 0.03% makes it one of the very cheapest UCITS ETFs in existence. My SPYL factsheet covers the structure, risks and comparisons in depth; the short version is that for pure, low-cost US large-cap exposure, SPYL is essentially the cost floor.
How does it compare with the other S&P 500 UCITS? The table below sets them side by side. Figures are approximate — confirm live numbers on the issuer factsheet — and availability on Revolut varies, so check the in-app search first.
| Fund | TER (approx.) | Distribution | Notes for Revolut users |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPYL (SPDR) | ~0.03% | Accumulating | The usual S&P 500 route in the app; cheapest physical option |
| CSPX (iShares) | ~0.07% | Accumulating | Huge and liquid, but often absent from Revolut’s shelf |
| VUAA (Vanguard) | ~0.07% | Accumulating | Vanguard brand; check in-app availability |
| VUSA (Vanguard) | ~0.07% | Distributing | Pays dividends out — only useful if you want income |
The differences between these funds are small. All track the same index, all are Irish-domiciled, and all have tracked well historically. If SPYL is what Revolut offers, you are not settling for second best — you are getting the cheapest of the lot. The full head-to-head lives in my guide to the cheapest S&P 500 UCITS ETF.
Step 1: activate investing in the app
Open Revolut, go to the Invest (or Wealth) section and follow the activation flow. Because Revolut Securities is a regulated investment firm, you will complete a short appropriateness questionnaire about your experience, income and objectives. Answer honestly; it exists to protect you. You will also confirm your tax residency and accept the brokerage terms, which sit with the Lithuanian entity.
Activation typically takes a few minutes. Once approved, fund the investing section from your main Revolut balance. This is the genuine advantage of the app: there is no separate account to open, no IBAN to set up, and no waiting for a transfer to clear. If your salary already lands in Revolut, you can be invested the same day.
Step 2: find SPYL
Inside the Invest tab, use the search bar and type “SPYL” or “S&P 500”. Check three things before you tap buy. First, the full fund name: SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF (Acc). Second, the ISIN: IE000XZSV718 — the one detail that cannot be confused with a lookalike product. Third, that it is listed as an ETF, not a derivative or thematic product with a similar name.
If SPYL does not appear in your country’s version of the app, search for the alternatives from the table above, checking each ISIN on justETF. Whatever you find, insist on an Irish-domiciled UCITS fund tracking the S&P 500 — that combination delivers the favourable dividend tax treatment and EU investor protections.
Step 3: choose a one-off or recurring buy
Revolut supports both single purchases and recurring buys, and it allows fractional investing. That means you do not need the full share price; you can invest a fixed euro amount, even a small one, and receive a fraction of a share. For beginners this is genuinely useful, because it removes the excuse of waiting until you have “enough”.
For a one-off purchase, enter the amount, review the order screen — including any commission and the exchange rate — and confirm. For long-term investing, though, set up a recurring buy instead. Choose a monthly amount you can sustain, schedule it just after payday, and let it run. Automation is the best behavioural trick in investing: it removes the monthly decision, and with it the temptation to time the market. If this is your first ever purchase, my step-by-step guide to your first ETF investment walks through the whole process in more detail.
Fees for the S&P 500 on Revolut: the free-trade allowance
Revolut’s investing costs depend on your subscription tier. Each plan — Standard up through Premium, Metal and Ultra — includes a monthly allowance of commission-free trades; a Standard user might get one free trade a month, paid tiers more. Beyond the allowance, a per-trade commission applies, typically a small percentage with a minimum fee. I am deliberately keeping these figures loose, because Revolut changes them repeatedly — treat everything here as illustrative and verify the current schedule in-app.
The practical takeaway is simple. If you make one monthly recurring buy of SPYL and your plan’s allowance covers it, your ongoing cost is close to zero, plus the fund’s tiny 0.03% TER. That is a genuinely excellent deal. The maths worsens if you trade more often than your allowance covers, or if you pay currency conversion on top — Revolut applies FX fees in certain conditions, such as weekend conversions or beyond your plan’s exchange allowance. Fewer, larger, scheduled purchases in your account currency keep most of that friction away.
One more cost deserves a mention. A paid tier bought purely for the extra free trades rarely pays for itself: if you already hold Metal for the travel perks, the investing allowance is a free bonus, but upgrading solely to invest usually costs more per year than the commissions saved.
The honest limits of Revolut for ETF investors
I use and like Revolut, but it is not a specialist brokerage, and pretending otherwise would do you a disservice. Three limits matter. First, the ETF shelf is thin: you get a curated list, not the thousands of UCITS funds a dedicated broker carries, so your preferred all-world or bond fund may be missing. Second, reporting is light. Dedicated brokers produce statements built for tax season; Revolut’s reporting has historically been more basic, and that gap grows with your portfolio. Third, the fee model rewards small, occasional buying — frequent investing beyond the allowance gets expensive relative to low-cost specialists.
None of this makes Revolut a bad place to start. It makes it exactly what I called it in my review: an on-ramp, not a destination.
When a dedicated broker wins
The crossover point arrives sooner than most people expect. Once your monthly contribution is substantial, or you want funds Revolut does not list, a dedicated broker wins on every axis except convenience. Specialists offer free or near-free recurring ETF purchases, a far wider UCITS range, and tax reporting designed for long-term investors. Meanwhile the convenience gap shrinks to nothing once a standing order is set up — automation feels identical everywhere.
My honest recommendation: start on Revolut if that gets you investing this month rather than someday. Then, once the habit is automatic and the balance justifies it, open a proper account and route new contributions there. My comparison of the best European ETF brokers is the place to choose your graduation destination.
Common mistakes
The first mistake is buying a lookalike product instead of the plain index fund — always confirm the ISIN. The second is trading past your free allowance out of impatience; a dozen impulsive buys can cost more than one scheduled purchase. The third is upgrading to a paid tier purely for free trades without doing the annual maths. The fourth is treating the S&P 500 as a diversified portfolio — it is a single-country, dollar-denominated bet on 500 American companies. The fifth is staying on Revolut out of inertia long after a dedicated broker would serve you better.
Key takeaways
- You can buy the S&P 500 on Revolut, and SPYL — the SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF at ~0.03% TER — is the usual route.
- SPYL is Irish-domiciled, physically replicated and accumulating: the cheapest serious way to own US large caps.
- Activate investing, verify the fund by ISIN (IE000XZSV718), and prefer a recurring buy over ad-hoc purchases.
- Each Revolut plan includes some commission-free trades monthly; fees apply beyond the allowance — verify current terms in-app.
- Fractional buying means you can start with small amounts immediately.
- Revolut’s ETF shelf is thin and its reporting light; it is an on-ramp, not a lifetime brokerage.
- Graduate to a dedicated low-cost broker once your contributions and balance grow.
Buying the S&P 500 on Revolut: FAQ
Q: Can I buy the S&P 500 on Revolut?
A: Yes. EEA customers can buy S&P 500 UCITS ETFs through Revolut’s investing section, and SPYL is the fund most commonly available for it.
Q: Is CSPX available on Revolut?
A: Often not — Revolut’s UCITS shelf is limited, and CSPX is frequently missing. SPYL tracks the same index at a lower TER, so nothing meaningful is lost.
Q: Is SPYL a good ETF?
A: For pure S&P 500 exposure, yes. It is one of the cheapest UCITS ETFs anywhere, physically replicated and Irish-domiciled. The bigger question is whether a US-only fund suits your overall plan.
Q: How much money do I need to start?
A: Very little. Revolut supports fractional investing, so you can buy a fixed euro amount of SPYL rather than a whole share.
Q: Does Revolut charge fees for buying ETFs?
A: Each subscription tier includes a monthly allowance of commission-free trades; beyond it, a per-trade fee applies. Currency conversion charges can also apply in some situations. Verify the current schedule in-app.
Q: Is my money safe with Revolut Invest?
A: Brokerage is provided by Revolut Securities UAB, a Lithuanian firm supervised by the Bank of Lithuania, with EU investor-protection rules applying. Market risk — the ETF’s value — is always yours.
Q: Is SPYL accumulating or distributing?
A: Accumulating. Dividends are reinvested inside the fund automatically, which suits long-term compounding and is tax-convenient in many EU countries.
Q: Can I set up a monthly investment plan on Revolut?
A: Yes. Recurring buys let you invest a fixed amount on a schedule, which is exactly how I would use the app for the S&P 500.
Q: Should I use Revolut or a dedicated broker for the S&P 500?
A: Start wherever gets you investing soonest — often Revolut. Move to a dedicated broker once your contributions grow, since specialists offer wider fund ranges, cheaper scaling and better tax reporting.
Q: Does buying on Revolut remove currency risk?
A: No. SPYL holds dollar-priced US shares, so you carry US dollar exposure regardless of the currency you pay in. That is normal for the index, not a Revolut quirk.
Cited sources: justETF and Morningstar. Fees and rules change — verify current terms with each broker.
European UCITS/ETF investor with 11+ years building a global dividend and index portfolio, and founder of Financial Expert Class. I write every guide here from first-hand experience investing across EU brokers and tax regimes — not theory. More about me →