Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers - Fees Review included
Which broker is better Trading 212 or Interactive Brokers? Our expert assessment conducted according to TU’s own methodology showed that Trading 212 is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 6.46 out of 10. Interactive Brokers is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 7.45 out of 10. Find out more about TU Overall Score.
| Feature | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
3.9 |
4.9 |
4.5 |
5 |
|
3.5 |
4.9 |
|
4.7 |
5 |
|
Investment Instruments |
1 |
4.2 |
Platforms and Charting Tools |
2.8 |
5 |
Deposit and Withdrawal |
4.1 |
4.1 |
Research |
3.7 |
4.7 |
Education |
3.8 |
4.5 |
Support |
3.9 |
4.2 |
Bonuses |
1 |
3.1 |
|
|
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Pros and Cons
The Trading 212 brokerage company (trading212.com) is registered to do business in London in 2006. Its specialization is the provision of services for investment and active trading in the foreign exchange and stock markets. The company is regulated and licensed by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and by CySEC in Europe. The broker does not provide data on awards received during the work.
The biggest international broker
| Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Pros | low level of the minimum deposit | Access to 135 markets in 33 countries |
| a large selection of trading assets | 30.000+ trading instruments | |
| Big choice of Stocks and ETFs | Regulated in the US, UK and 8 other countries | |
| UK and EU regulated broker | Advanced trading platform | |
| Free stocks for registration | ||
| Low fees | ||
| Low margin rates | ||
| Nasdaq Listed company | ||
| 25 supported account currencies | ||
| Overall Cons | lack of investment programs | long and complex registration procedure |
| a small number of ways to contact support | ||
| the company does not hold contests for traders |
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Safety and Regulation
| Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|
Max. Regulation Level |
Tier-1 |
Tier-1 |
Investor protection |
€20,000 £85,000 |
$500,000 £85,000 |
FCA UK Regulation |
Yes |
Yes |
FINRA (U.S) |
No |
Yes |
BaFin (Germany) |
No |
No |
ASIC (Australia) |
Yes |
Yes |
CFTC (U.S) |
No |
Yes |
MAS |
No |
Yes |
FSCA SA |
No |
No |
BVI FSC |
No |
No |
VFSC |
No |
No |
FSA (Seychelles) |
No |
No |
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Trading Conditions
| Trading Conditions | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit |
£1, €1 |
$0 |
Trading Platforms |
Web platform, a mobile app for iOS and Android |
IB Trader Workstation, IBKR GlobalTrader, Client Portal |
Max Leverage (Futures) |
1:30 (retail clients), 1:500 (Pro clients) |
1-50 |
Supported Markets |
Currency pairs, CFDs on stocks, indices, futures, commodities, ETFs |
Stocks, Forex, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Stock options, Commodity Futures, Currency futures, Cryptocurrencies, Robo-portfolios, hedge funds |
Trading assets |
over 12,000 stocks and ETFs available in the Invest/ISA accounts and over 5,000 leveraged instruments in the CFD account |
30000+ |
Trading Accounts |
Trading 212 Invest, Trading 212 CFD, ISA (available for UK clients) |
Cash account, margin account |
Base Account Currencies |
GBP, EUR |
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CZK, DKK, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MXN, NZD, NOK, PLN, SGD, SEK, CHF, CNH |
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Fees
| Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, min pips |
0,2 |
0,2 |
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, max pips |
0,5 |
0,8 |
ECN Commission |
1,5 |
2 |
ECN Spread EUR/USD |
0,1 |
0,2 |
Deposit fee, % |
No |
No |
Withdrawal fee, % |
No |
Yes |
Withdrawal fee, USD |
No |
Yes |
Inactivity fee, $ |
No |
No |
A conversion fee may be applied as withdrawals and deposits are conducted in USD. Any other currency will have to be converted.
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Trading Assets
| Asset Name | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
over 12000+ |
30000+ |
Forex |
Yes |
Yes |
Stocks |
Yes |
Yes |
Metals |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes |
Cryptocurrencies |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes |
Energy |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes |
Indices |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes |
ETFs |
Yes |
Yes |
Bonds |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes |
Mutual funds |
No |
Yes |
Stock options |
No |
Yes |
Futures Trading |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes |
Binary Options |
No |
No |
Trading 212 or Interactive Brokers: Investment Programs
| Asset Name | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
Copy Trading |
No |
No |
MAM/PAMM |
No |
No |
Managed Accounts |
No |
No |
Other |
No |
Robo-portfolios, hedge funds, Bonds |
Trading Platforms: Interactive Brokers or Trading 212
| Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|
MT4 |
No |
No |
MT5 |
No |
No |
cTrader |
No |
No |
Appropriate platform |
Trading 212 |
IB Trader Workstation, IBKR GlobalTrader, Client Portal |
Others |
No |
No |
|
|
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
| Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|
Bank Wire |
Yes |
Yes |
Bank Card |
Yes |
Yes |
Neteller |
No |
No |
BTC |
No |
No |
Wise |
No |
No |
Payoneer |
No |
No |
USDT |
No |
No |
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Research
| Research Type | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
News Feed |
No |
Yes |
Fundamental Data |
No |
Yes |
Chart Analysis |
Yes |
Yes |
Trading Ideas |
No |
No |
E-Mail Reports |
No |
Yes |
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Education
| Education Type | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
Demo-account/Paper Trading |
Yes |
Yes |
Webinars |
No |
Yes |
Articles |
No |
Yes |
Videos |
Yes |
Yes |
Cent account |
No |
No |
Interactive Brokers vs Trading 212: Support
| Support Features | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
Working Days |
24/7 |
24/5 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Phone |
No |
Yes |
Online chat |
No |
Yes |
Other |
feedback form |
Community forum, Software bug reports |
Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: Forex Bonuses and Promo
| Promo | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
Forex Bonus |
No |
No |
Affiliate Program |
Promo offer. It works according to the principle of a standard referral program. A client of the company becomes a partner of a broker, receives an individual referral link and attracts new users to the company. The referrer gets a bonus for each new active trader. Trading 212 provides a tiered referral program that rewards every client and friend they refer with a free share (or a share of the whole share) up to €100/GBP. |
As Referrer you can earn up to USD 1000 of IBKR stock. The Refer a Friend program allows eligible IBKR clients to refer people to IBKR for a flat fee payment. Residents of Japan, Spain and Israel are not eligible to participate in the program. |
Other Promos |
||
|
|
Top 5 Reviews on Interactive Brokers
-
Comment
What stands out for me with Interactive Brokers is their mobile app. I use the IBKR Mobile app a lot when I’m not at my desk, and it offers pretty much the same experience as the desktop version. The ability to trade everything from stocks to options while on the go is a huge plus. It also has features for international trading, which makes it easy for me to handle trades across multiple markets. The app’s interface is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing me to monitor my portfolio, execute trades, and even access research tools seamlessly. While it might lack some advanced charting features, it’s still one of the most versatile apps I’ve used, especially for global traders like me
-
Comment
I am a client of interactivebrokers and I have never faced any problems during the whole time. I am completely satisfied with the service: the staff is always friendly, responsive and ready to help, which really leaves a good impression. Special thanks to the operators - their attentive attitude to people creates a feeling of care and support. It is a pleasure to work with a company that values its customers and does everything for comfortable service!
-
Comment
As far as my experience is concerned with Interactive Brokers, the thing I love most is the sheer variety of markets available. The GlobalTrader app lets me trade in over 90 different markets, which is super convenient for someone like me who likes to diversify. The interface might feel overwhelming at first, especially on Trader Workstation, but once you get the hang of it, it’s extremely powerful. I also appreciate the competitive pricing and order options that help keep my trading costs low.
-
Comment
Interactive brokers offer a huge variety of trading instruments, which is certainly pleasing. The opportunities for trading and diversification here are excellent. However, there is one minus - the website interface is only partially translated into other languages, and it is a bit disappointing. It would be more convenient if the whole platform was available in different languages, especially for traders who do not speak English.
-
Comment
Interactive Brokers provides access to 135 markets from 33 countries, which is a huge advantage. This allows traders to easily diversify their portfolios and find opportunities around the world. I am very pleased with this broad coverage and the ability to trade in a multitude of international markets.
Top 5 Reviews on Trading 212
-
Comment
The multilingual interface of Pacific Union's website indicates that the company is oriented towards clients from all over the world, which is a big plus for the international audience. However, one nuance can be noted: currently the company does not hold contests for traders, which could be an additional incentive for active participation of users. This is, of course, a minor drawback that does not reduce the overall attractiveness of the broker.
-
Comment
Trading 212 offers a really wide range of trading assets, so everyone can choose something to his taste or even try everything at once. The trading conditions are also fine, trades are executed as they should be. The only disadvantage is the limited ways of communication with support. Sometimes you really need advice, and the options for communication are not always convenient or fast. It would be great if they added more communication channels for prompt help.
-
Comment
Trading 212 provides a convenient and intuitive trading platform, which makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced traders. A pleasant bonus is the absence of commissions for trading stocks and ETFs, which allows you to maximize the use of your investments. However, it's worth noting that the asset selection for trading cryptocurrencies and other more specific instruments can be limited. Overall, Trading 212 is a good choice for those looking for a simple and affordable trading platform, but those looking to trade more specialized assets may need to consider other options.
-
Comment
I work with Trading 212 and I have a neutral impression. I like the fact that the company has a low minimum deposit. This makes trading accessible for many people and allows you to start with small investments. However, there is a disadvantage - the lack of investment programs. For those looking for passive income opportunities, this can be inconvenient. Overall, Trading 212 offers good conditions for active traders, but I would like to see more investment options.
-
Comment
Trading 212 is a good broker! Withdrawals are fine here, as well as the execution speed. I felt the quality immediately once I started trading here. I believe that Trading 212 is a high-quality broker that can provide fast order execution speed.
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FAQs
What should I start Forex trading with?
It is desirable for novice traders to explore trading using a demo account to learn the market and how to work on the trading platform without the risk of suffering losses. At the same time, it is advisable to review the educational materials of the broker, learn trading basics. Then you can deposit the minimum required amount to perform a small number of transactions. If you manage to close several months in a row in the black, without substantial drawdowns on the account, then you can try increasing your deposit. Also trying to copy trades automatically is a good option for a start.
What amount should I start trading with?
The minimum deposit of $10 may be enough to trade on the cent account. However, for trading on Standard/ECT accounts, experts recommend starting with at least $200-500. With this amount, you can use not a very big leverage. Remember, getting carried away with the margin is the main cause of losses among beginners.
What should I take into consideration when choosing a broker?
Experts recommend looking at the broker’s reliability first and foremost. The other important features include basic trading conditions, commissions and fees, customer reviews. If brokers are approximately the same in terms of basic criteria, you need to choose based on your experience and tasks. One broker may be good for professionals and another – for novice traders.
Is it possible to be scammed by a broker with a license from a reputable regulator?
In theory, yes. But in practice, it takes so much time and money to comply with the requirements of reputable regulators that it is not worth it for scammers to bother obtaining a legitimate license.
Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.