VAULT RANKING
6 providers compared on 17 criteria taken from their public terms, price lists and product pages. Model holding: EUR 10,000 in gold, bought once and held for one year. The order follows a fixed points formula; commercial relationships play no part.
Public documents as of 30 September 2026; price basis and apps as of 1 October 2026; customer inspection right as of 11 October 2026 · How the points are calculated
Positions result solely from a fixed scoring formula (methodology v1.3). Main parameters and their weight in points: Ownership and insolvency protection 30, Independent audit 20, Insurance 10, Costs 30, Access and handling 10 (100 in total); the individual criteria are shown in the table and in the methodology. The basis is the providers' publicly available documents (as of 30 September 2026; price basis and apps as of 1 October 2026; customer inspection right as of 11 October 2026). Information not found there scores 0; providers are asked to supplement it, and confirmed information is included in the monthly update. Positions cannot be bought: offbnk's business relationships with providers are labelled and are not part of the scoring. The ranking is not investment advice or a recommendation of a provider. * Links marked with an asterisk lead to providers that pay offbnk an affiliate commission if you become a customer through the link or with an offbnk voucher code. This has no effect on inclusion, points or order.
| Provider6 providers | 1 SOLITSOLIT EdelmetalldepotProvider website* | 2 Silver BullionS.T.A.R. GramsProvider website | 3 philoro SchweizEdelmetall-AboProvider website | 4 pro aurumpro aurum TresorgoldProvider website | 5 Geiger EdelmetalleEdelmetalldepotProvider website | 6 BullionStarBullion Savings Program (BSP) GramsProvider website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total score | Good72 of 100
| Good65 of 100
| Satisfactory55 of 100 | Adequate46 of 100 | Adequate42 of 100 | Adequate37 of 100 |
| 30/30 | 22/30 | 26/30 | 22/30 | 26/30 | 4/30 | |
| Holdings segregated from company assets 12 | 12/12YesConflicting sourcesyes (v1.2: legally separable in insolvency). A: Product information (Stand 01.01.2026): "dem Kunden im Falle der Insolvenz der Anbieterin ein Aussonderungsrecht zusteht (vgl. § 47 InsO)" B: Terms S6 § 3(1): metal kept "zusammen mit dem in seinem Besitz befindlichen Edelmetallbestand in einem Sammelbestand" (physically pooled with SOLIT's own metal) (rule 3.4.14 (v1.2)) | 12/12Yes | 12/12Yes | 12/12Yes | 12/12Yes | 0/12No |
| Legal structure of the claim 10 | 10/10Fractional co-ownership with a trusteeiTrustee: TRESTA Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, named Treuhänderin in the terms; keeps the depot accounts and controls the use of client funds (Verwendungskontrolle), commissioned by SOLIT Management GmbH | 6/10Fractional co-ownership | 10/10Fractional co-ownership with a direct claim | 6/10Fractional co-ownership | 10/10Fractional co-ownership with a direct claim | 0/10Pooled unallocated claimConflicting sourcespooled unallocated claim (T&C). A: T&C s. 15: "BSP Grams are backed by physical bullion in BullionStar's non-customer owned inventory stock." (bullionstar.com/help/tnc) B: Help page: "save and trade in physically allocated Gold, Silver and Platinum" (bullionstar.com/help/vault-gram2) (rule 3.4.11(a)) |
| Title document named 4 | 4/4deposit confirmation per purchase plus statements twice a year | 4/4online gram balance and public real-time backing tracker | 4/4purchase invoice per email for each purchase plus online account | 4/4regular report by e-mail (holdings plus buy-back value) and online access | 4/4a document for the client's records (type not specified) | 4/4online BSP gram balance and daily backing report |
| Allocation to bars documented 4 | 4/4Yes | 0/4Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/4No | 0/4No | 0/4Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/4No |
| 12/20 | 3/20 | 0/20 | 4/20 | 0/20 | 3/20 | |
| Named independent auditor 8 | 8/8Gooßen & Heuermann GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (named by SOLIT as the auditor of its investment products); TRESTA Treuhandgesellschaft mbH performs use-of-funds control | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) |
| Audit at least once a year 4 | 4/44× a year | 0/4Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/4Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 4/41× a year | 0/4Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/4Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) |
| Audit report or certificate public 3 | 0/3Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 29 Sep 2026) | 3/3Yes | 0/3Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/3Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/3Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 3/3Yes |
| Customer inspection right 5 | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 11 Oct 2026) | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 11 Oct 2026) | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 11 Oct 2026) | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 11 Oct 2026) | 0/5Not provided for, per the documents reviewed (as of 11 Oct 2026)iPer the provider's comparison of storage forms, the Edelmetalldepot offers no physical access; an inspection by the customer or a third party is not described (accessed 2026-10-11) | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 11 Oct 2026) |
| 10/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 0/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | |
| Insurer named 5 | 5/5AXA (legal entity not specified) | 5/5various syndicates at Lloyd's of London (not named); broker Marsh Ltd | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 5/5Lloyd's of London syndicates, placed by Marsh (policy covers BullionStar's inventory) |
| Insurance coverage 5 | 5/5Full value | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 5/5Full value | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 5/5Full value | 0/5Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) |
| 10/30 | 25/30 | 18/30 | 12/30 | 5/30 | 17/30 | |
| Annual storage cost for the model holding 15 | 1/151.6 % · incl. VATi0.40% per quarter "(inkl. etwaiger Umsatzsteuer)" x 4 = 1.60% p.a.; no minimum fee. | 12/150.35 % · VAT treatment not found in the documents reviewediAnnual storage fee 0.35%; minimum 0.1 g not binding. The Grams pages do not state GST. | 8/150.6 % · incl. VATi"Pro Quartal vorschüssig inkl. gesetzl. MwSt. Gold 0,15 %" x 4 = 0.60% p.a.; no minimum fee. | 8/150.75 % · VAT treatment not found in the documents reviewedi"0,75 % des Warenwerts" p.a.; the minimum EUR 5.90/quarter is "inklusive MwSt.", the percentage fee has no VAT statement (rule 3.4.1: published figure). Minimum not binding. | 1/151.5 % · incl. VATi0.70% of EUR 10,000 = EUR 70 is below the minimum EUR 150 p.a. "inklusive gesetzlicher MwSt." -> 1.50%. | 12/150.48 % · VAT treatment not found in the documents reviewedi0.09% p.a. = EUR 9.00; daily minimum SGD 0.19 x 365 = SGD 69.35 = EUR 47.82 binds (ECB 2026-09-30 SGD 1.4503). GST not stated. |
| Purchase cost above spot or fixing 8 | 2/88.42 %iRule 3.4.7: EUR 10,000 purchase + 5% Aufgeld = EUR 10,500 cash; metal at LBMA fixing + 4% = EUR 9,615.38 fixing value; (10,500 - 9,615.38) / 10,500 = 8.42%. | 6/82.44 %Conflicting sourcesPremium 2.5% over spot (silverbullion.com.sg/STAR-Grams) = 2.44% of cash paid (rule 3.4.7); stargrams.app/sg/pricing states 2.00% (1.96% of cash). Higher cost used (rule 3.4.11 d). Premiums apply to SGD/USD; EUR premium not published. 2.5% premium = 2.44% of cash (higher cost). A: silverbullion.com.sg/STAR-Grams: "Gold Grams are priced at 2.5% in SGD and USD over spot" B: stargrams.app/sg/pricing: "Buy premium | 2.00%" (rule 3.4.11(d)) | 3/84.76 %iRule 3.4.7: purchase at LBMA AM fixing + 5% trading surcharge; EUR 10,000 cash buys EUR 9,523.81 fixing value; 476.19 / 10,000 = 4.76%. | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/8Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) |
| Price basis: reference price and fixed rates 4 | 4/4LBMA Gold Price · fixed buy and sell ratesiBuy: LBMA Gold Price in EUR plus 4% for gold (terms § 5(2)), plus a one-off 5% Aufgeld (§ 10(1)). Sell: LBMA Gold Price in EUR minus 1.5% for gold (§ 9(4)). | 4/4Spot price · fixed buy and sell ratesiBuy: spot plus 2.5% for gold in SGD and USD (product page; stargrams.app/sg/pricing shows 2.0%, the higher rate is used per rule 3.4.11(d)). Sell: at spot, no sell-back fee. | 4/4LBMA Gold Price · fixed buy and sell ratesiBuy: LBMA AM fixing in EUR plus 5% Handelsaufschlag for gold (price list § 2(4)). Sell: LBMA fixing on the next bank working day minus 2% Handelsabschlag (price list § 7(3); FAQ edelmetallabo.ch). | 1/4Per the documents reviewed: own dealer prices; no link to LBMA or spot found (as of 1 Oct 2026)iBuy and sell at pro aurum's current prices; no reference price or fixed premium or discount published. | 1/4Per the documents reviewed: own dealer prices; no link to LBMA or spot found (as of 1 Oct 2026)iBuy and sell at Geiger's daily shop prices; the price pages do not state a reference price; no fixed premium or discount published. | 2/4Spot price · no fixed rates found in the documents reviewed (as of 1 Oct 2026)iBSP buy and sell prices are quoted against spot; premium and spread are shown live, not as a fixed rate. |
| Exit and delivery costs published 3 | 3/3Yes | 3/3Yes | 3/3Yes | 3/3Yes | 3/3Yes | 3/3Yes |
| 10/10 | 10/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
| Delivery possible 4 | 4/4Yes | 4/4Yes | 0/4Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 4/4Yes | 4/4Yes | 4/4Yes |
| Account opening 4 | 4/4Online | 4/4Online | 4/4Online | 4/4Online | 2/4By post | 4/4Online |
| Residence rules published 2 | 2/2Yes | 2/2Yes | 2/2Yes | 0/2Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/2Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) | 0/2Not found in the documents reviewed (as of 30 Sep 2026) |
| App Shown for information, no points. | iOS · Android: prices, view holdings, buy, sell, savings plan | Web app: view holdings, buy, sell, savings plan | No app found in the App Store or on Google Play (as of 1 Oct 2026) | No app found in the App Store or on Google Play (as of 1 Oct 2026) | No app found in the App Store or on Google Play (as of 1 Oct 2026) | No app found in the App Store or on Google Play (as of 1 Oct 2026) |
| Last verified | 29 Sept 2026 | 30 Sept 2026 | 30 Sept 2026 | 30 Sept 2026 | 30 Sept 2026 | 30 Sept 2026 |
| Further storage locations | – | – | Switzerland | Germany | – | – |
| Provider website | Provider website* | Provider website | Provider website | Provider website | Provider website | Provider website |
| Profile | View provider profile → | View provider profile → | View provider profile → | View provider profile → | View provider profile → | View provider profile → |
A provider is ranked with one storage option per category. These options are left out; the provider may still be ranked with another one.
PRECIOUS-METAL DEPOTS IN DETAIL
A precious-metal depot lets you buy in small amounts and through a savings plan. Instead of specific bars, you acquire a share of a holding. What matters is which rights that share gives you.
You buy an amount or a number of grams, once or regularly through a savings plan. The provider buys the metal for the common holding and credits your share, often to a fraction of a gram. You see your balance online and receive regular statements.
You can usually sell at any time at the provider's buy price. Delivery is mostly possible from a certain quantity; you then receive bars of the corresponding amount, not a specific piece. Costs consist of a purchase premium, an ongoing storage fee and often a discount when you sell.
The most important difference between depots is the legal structure. With fractional co-ownership you are a co-owner of the pooled holding. It does not belong to the provider, and depending on the terms your share can be separated out if the provider becomes insolvent.
With an unallocated holding you only have a contractual claim against the provider for delivery or payment. If the provider becomes insolvent, you are a creditor. The ranking scores this difference in the group Ownership and insolvency protection.
How the three options with the most points in this ranking handle the precious-metal depot.
Clients acquire fractional co-ownership of a pooled holding in the customs-free warehouse of Zürcher Freilager AG in Embrach; TRESTA Treuhandgesellschaft acts as trustee for the use of funds. Under the terms, SOLIT's own metal is held in the same pool. A savings plan from EUR 25 a month or single purchases from EUR 2,000 are possible; storage costs 0.40% a quarter, collected in metal.
According to the provider, clients hold fractional ownership of allocated, insured bars in Singapore. A public tracker shows in real time which bars back the holding; Bureau Veritas audits quarterly. The premium for gold is 2.5% over spot, storage costs 0.35% a year, and selling back at spot is free of charge.
Savings plan from CHF 25 a month with co-ownership of a pooled holding in Switzerland. The purchase premium is 5% for gold and 10% for silver, storage for gold costs 0.15% a quarter, and 2% is deducted when you sell. For gold, buying and selling together therefore cost about 7% plus the ongoing storage fee.
Based on the providers' public documents as of 30 September 2026. The examples are the three best-placed options in this ranking and not a recommendation.