Company DetailsTrading PlatformHow To Place A TradeAssets & MarketsSpreads & FeesRecommended Alternatives To Trading212NadexForex.comNinjaTraderLeverage ReviewMobile AppTrading 212 Payment MethodsDepositsWithdrawalsDemo AccountDeals & PromotionsRegulation & LicensingAdditional FeaturesAccount Types At Trading212CFD AccountISA AccountInvest AccountBenefitsDrawbacksTrading HoursCustomer ServiceSecurity & SafetyTrading 212 VerdictAccepted CountriesCompare Trading 212Trading 212 Comparison TableCompare Trading InstrumentsTrading 212 vs Other BrokersFAQIs Trading 212 Regulated?Does Trading 212 Offer A Demo Profile?What Trading Platforms Does Trading 212 Offer?Does Trading 212 Offer Free Deposits & Withdrawals?What Is The Minimum Deposit Requirement For A Trading 212 Account?
Trading 212 is a European brokerage and fintech company that enables investors to trade several asset classes on a straightforward mobile platform. The app has been downloaded more than 14,000,000 times, making it one of the most recognized trading platforms in the investing world.
This Trading 212 service review will cover platform features, trading fees, account types including the demo profile, minimum deposit requirements and accepted payment methods. We also review the mobile app in detail and flag any concerns investors should know before signing up with Trading 212.
Company Details
Trading 212 operates across three trading entities; Trading 212 UK Ltd, Trading 212 Markets Ltd, and Trading 212 Ltd. With this, it is regulated across Europe to provide services internationally.
The broker was founded in Bulgaria as a company called Avus Capital before being incorporated in 2013 and is now headquartered in London, UK. Clients can trade several asset classes including CFDs on forex pairs, stocks and indices, plus day traders can access real stocks and ETFs.
Over the last five years, Trading 212 has rapidly grown its user base with 1.5 million active customers today. The broker has processed £3 billion in customer assets since it launched, making it one of the most well-known trading brokers in the world. It has also ranked as the UK’s #1 trading app since 2016 and reached the #1 title in Germany in 2017.
Trading Platform
Trading 212 offers a proprietary trading terminal. Optimized for the mobile user’s experience, our experts were pleased that the platform is simple to navigate, yet offers a decent range of features, charts and analysis tools without feeling clunky or overburdened. The intuitive design is one of the key advantages, with fully customizable tiles and viewpoints. Additionally, when using the Trading 212 platform, traders benefit from alerts, notifications, and portfolio and fee reports giving you direct access to your investment performance.
One strong feature when using the Trading 212 platform is the ability to place trades in multiple ways and perform several operations on the same trading pair simultaneously. Some investors may prefer more complex or feature-rich platforms, often found on MT4 – but equally, many will appreciate the custom-built, bespoke feel of the Trading 212 app.
It is worth noting that the WebTrader has been disabled to ‘increase our focus and efforts focussing on the main mobile and web app’. Nonetheless, it is quick and simple to register for the web app, with compatibility across all major web browsers including Google Chrome and Safari. Investors can also switch between two ‘views’ based on trading experience.
How To Place A Trade
Once you have registered for a Trading 212 account, verified your identity and added funds, you can begin trading. To make a trade:
Find an asset using the navigational search bar or browse ‘top winners’ ‘top losers’, ‘popular’ for inspiration
Select the ‘buy’ icon
An order window will appear
Complete new order details including volume, order type and relevant risk management tools
While using the proprietary trading platform, our experts found the software relatively easy to make trades through. However, experienced investors may want to consider switching to ‘advanced view’ to access better trading tools and analysis features.
Assets & Markets
Trading 212 offers over 1800 tradable assets, though this varies by account type. Nonetheless, investors can access 1500+ stock CFDs, 170+ currency pairs, 35 stock index CFDs, 25 ETF CFDs, and 28 commodities. Trading 212 retail clients can also invest in real stocks and ETFs. This includes access to more than 8500 stocks. You can also trade fractional shares with as little as £1, which is ideal for beginners or those with limited capital.
In 2021, Trading 212 restricted its offering of cryptocurrency trading, following the prohibition of the sale of the asset to retail clients set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This included removing opportunities to trade Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple. At the moment the brokerage still does not offer access to any form of crypto investments.
Spreads & Fees
Trading 212 offers relatively tight spreads, although not the best in the market. Other brokers offer cheaper trading. Nonetheless, the broker offers commission-free stock and ETF trading, and it is good to see there are no fees for deposits and withdrawals or charges for dormant accounts.
The minimum deposit requirement is £1 or equivalent currency for the Invest account and £10 for the CFD account, meaning it is accessible for beginners. The broker uses a spread-based pricing structure for currency pair trading and announced 50% tighter spreads on forex CFDs at the end of 2021. The GBP/USD currency pair, for example, is offered at an average spread of 0.00028 pips.
The fees applied to trade global exchanges should be considered. This includes a $0.0000207 transaction charge on all NYSE stocks set by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These exchange costs are presented in the order screen before confirming a position.
Note, when investing in an instrument in a currency other than you account denomination, a conversion fee will be applied. This is calculated at the spot exchange rate + a 0.15% FX fee (varies between accounts). International day traders should bear this in mind when it comes to global exchange trading. Overnight swap fees also apply.
In late 2020, the brand suddenly raised margin requirements to 50%. This kind of change, completely out of the blue, left traders with considerable uncertainty over their capital requirements.
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Leverage Review
As Trading 212 is regulated in the EU, retail investors will be impacted by ESMA’s leverage capping restrictions. This means a maximum leverage of 1:30 is available, though this varies by asset class. Note, the maximum leverage does not need to be used for every trade and this can be removed completely if desired.
Leverage increases the risk of losses, as well as profits, so traders must use it wisely. Utilize appropriate risk management tools.
Mobile App
The Trading 212 mobile application is the flagship product of the fintech company. The app is available for free download to iOS and Android (APK) devices, and offers the full functionality found on the web app. The bespoke mobile app has been designed with small screens in mind, with zoom and scroll functionality enabled.
When using the Trading 212 app, day traders get a stable user experience, with clear navigation and data visualizations. It is ranked the #1 trading app in the UK and rated 4.5/5 on the Apple app store. When we used the app, we liked the simplicity and custom portfolio views, including the ability to create and copy pie chart libraries.
Mobile Trading
Trading 212 Payment Methods
Deposits
Trading 212 offers various payment options, though these may vary depending on your country of residency and account type. The broker does not charge any fees, though third-party costs may apply.
Funding your account via credit/debit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay, iDeal, DotPay GiroPay and Sofort is fee-free only until £2,000 has been funded in total. A 0.7% fee will apply thereafter.
Processing times vary by deposit method, with credit/debit card payments and e-wallets often providing almost instant funding.
It is worth enabling mobile app notifications as alerts can be released once funds are available within your account.
Accepted methods include:
Blik
Skrill
iDEAL
PayPal
Dotpay
Giropay
Carte Bleue
Direct eBanking
Credit/debit cards
Bank wire transfers
Apple / Google Pay
How To Deposit Funds
To make a payment on the mobile app:
Click on the account menu at the bottom right corner of your mobile app screen (the logo is three horizontal lines)
Select ‘Deposit Funds’
Choose your payment method from the screen
Enter the funding amount
Based on your selected deposit method, complete all relevant details and press ‘next’
Complete your funding and wait for money to clear into your live trading account
Withdrawals
Fund withdrawals must be made back to the same payment method used to add money to an account. As with deposits, Trading 212 does not charge for fund removals.
It can take up to three working days for Trading 212 to process a withdrawal, though the time taken for funds to clear will vary depending on the payment method.
There is a minimum withdrawal limit of £1 or equivalent currency for Invest and ISA accounts or a £10 minimum limit for a CFD profile.
How To Withdraw Funds
Click on the account menu at the bottom right corner of your mobile app screen
Select ‘Manage Funds’ and then ‘Withdraw Funds’
Confirm your password
Confirm the amount of money to be withdrawn
Choose the payment method
Approve the withdrawal
Demo Account
Trading 212 offers unlimited free access to a demo account. New clients can practice trading risk-free with £50,000 virtual funds. When using the demo account, users can easily toggle between ‘real’ and ‘practice’ accounts, removing the hassle of setting up two separate profiles. This means you can have continued access to a simulated environment to finesse strategies or confirm a trade plan before committing personal capital.
Our experts found the setup to be quick and simple, requiring just basic personal information.
Deals & Promotions
At the time of writing, Trading 212 isn’t running any active bonus or promo codes. This includes no deposit bonuses and welcome funds.
Regulation & Licensing
Trading 212 operates across three trading entities; Trading 212 UK Ltd, Trading 212 Markets Ltd, and Trading 212 Ltd. With this, it holds licensing from several financial bodies:
Trading 212 Ltd is regulated by the Financial Supervision Commission in Bulgaria under company number 8590005
Trading 212 UK Ltd is regulated and authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 609146
Trading 212 Markets Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission under license number 398/21
Trading 212 is fully compliant with the latest EU regulations including those sanctioned by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Our experts confirm that the company has suitable financial controls and measures in place to ensure it remains fully compliant with the latest regulations.
Day traders also receive negative balance protection, segregated client funds and access to investor compensation schemes.
Additional Features
Trading212 offers several auxiliary features to support its core trading app. These include a detailed economic calendar, daily financial news updates, an in-depth education section with detailed explanations and tutorials on how various elements of trading work, summaries of key industry concepts and terms, and guides on how to use charts to conduct analysis.
The ‘watch and learn’ YouTube channel means you can learn how to trade and use platform features in real-time. Users can also browse comprehensive forums for further advice, and the FAQ section is extensive.
Other features include:
212 Hotlist – View stock leaderboards including risers and fallers based on how many retail traders have invested. Track ownerships from other like-minded traders to support your investment decisions
Social Communities – Access a social feed and community forum with trade ideas, insights and questions from retail investors. You can customize feeds based on your interests or join ‘communities’ based on key topics that you want to follow. Popular channels include ‘Penny Stocks’, ‘Dividends’ and ‘Tesla’
Pies & Autoinvest – Build a diverse portfolio and customize it to your unique financial goals and budget. The Autoinvest function does all the hard work for you and recommends the best way to invest your money based on your aspirations. Add additional funds at any time without interfering with your ongoing investment plan. You can also copy other ‘pro’ traders pies and apply it to your own portfolio.
Social Trading
Account Types At Trading212
Trading 212 offers three account types; the ‘Invest’ account, the ‘CFD’ profile and the ‘ISA’ account. The majority of features are similar which fits in with the company ethos of ‘democratizing trading’. It is simple to switch between ‘demo mode’ and real mode.
CFD Account
No commission fees
Overnight swap fees apply
0.5% currency conversion charge
Minimum deposit amount of £10 or equivalent currency
ISA Account
No commission charges
£1 minimum buy/sell order
0.15% currency conversion charge
Minimum deposit amount of £1 or equivalent currency
Invest Account
No commission charges
No overnight rollover fees
£1 minimum buy/sell order
0.15% currency conversion charge
Minimum deposit amount of £1 or equivalent currency
Benefits
Demo account with virtual funds
Portfolio copy trading functionality
Various payment methods accepted
Low minimum deposit requirement
Comprehensive educational resources
Award-winning mobile app with #1 rankings
Commission-free trading across a range of assets
Drawbacks
No access to MT4 or MT5
Concerns over changes to margin requirements
Execution-only brokerage with no managed account option
Some products such as options, bonds or cryptocurrency are not offered
Trading Hours
The platform is available 24/7. However, markets for different asset classes are open at a variety of times, so there is a knock-on effect on users’ ability to trade some financial instruments during particular periods.
Use the broker’s economic calendar and published trading calendar for details of upcoming market closures and public holidays.
Customer Service
Trading 212 has a responsive customer service team with an average response time of just 29 seconds. Contact methods are accessible 24/7 and include live chat and an online contact form.
You can reach the broker’s multilingual customer support team directly through the platform with help available in 16 different languages and support centers spread all over the globe.
Security & Safety
The Trading 212 app has been downloaded several million times, with huge numbers of transactions being processed every day. The core systems underpinning the broker’s service are relatively secure. The broker uses external security firms to perform regular penetration tests of the trading applications and infrastructure. Additionally, a 24/7 security operations team monitors and analyzes suspicious app traffic and alerts customers in real-time of any risk.
You can increase the security of your trading account by adding a passcode lock to your mobile device or enabling face ID recognition. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an optional layer of security offered to all Trading 212 clients, meaning you will need to provide a six-digit authentication code to access your account or make major changes.
Note, the firm did stop onboarding new clients during the Gamestop / Reddit volatility, and with this, some customers question the sincerity of the brokerage.
Trading 212 Verdict
Trading 212 is an online brokerage with a popular mobile app, commission-free trading, a simple account structure and a host of additional educational features. Trading 212 also offers decent customer support and easy withdrawal of funds. On the flip side, some potential investors may prefer a more browser-based broker or advanced features such as algorithmic trading or the option of managed accounts. In addition, concerns over the broker’s behavior in terms of changing margin requirements is a serious red flag.
Accepted Countries
Trading 212 accepts traders from Australia, Thailand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar and most other countries.
Traders can not use Trading 212 from United States, Canada.
Compare Trading 212
Compare Trading 212 with similar brokers that accept traders from your location. Among available brokers these are the most similar to Trading 212:
eToro – eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs. Crypto Trading is offered via eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.
IG Group – IG-US offer spread betting, CFD and Forex trading across a range of markets. They are FCA regulated, boast a great trading app and have over 47 year track record of excellence.
InstaForex – InstaForex is a CFD broker providing access to forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, and energy, as well as stock indices. With competitive fees and a huge range of available assets, the brand offers safe and reliable trading.
Forex.com – Forex.com boast a global reputation. Regulated in the UK, EU, US and Canada they offer a huge range of markets, not just forex, and offer tight spreads on a cutting edge platform.
Trading 212 Comparison Table
| 3 | 4.7 | 4.4 | – | 4.5 |
| Forex, Stocks, Commodities | Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Crypto | Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Crypto | Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Crypto | Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Crypto |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| €/£/$1 | $10 | £250 | $/€1 | $100 |
| 0.01 Lots | $10 | 0.1 lots | 0.01 Lots | $1 |
| FCA, CySEC, FSC | FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSA | FCA, ASIC, MAS, FSCA, JFSA, FMA, CFTC, NFA, BMA, DFSA, FINMA, BaFin | BVI FSC | CySEC, IIROC, NFA, CFTC, FCA, CIMA |
| – | – | – | 30% – 100% Welcome Bonus | No |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| – | – | MT4 | MT4, MT5 | MT4 |
| 1:30 | 1:30 EU | 1:30 | 1:1000 | 1:200 |
| 12 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 8 |
| – | Trading 212 vs eToro | Trading 212 vs IG Group | Trading 212 vs InstaForex | Trading 212 vs Forex.com |
| – | ||||
| Trading 212 Review |
eToro Review |
IG Group Review |
InstaForex Review |
Forex.com Review |
Compare Trading Instruments
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
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| Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| No | No | Yes | No | No |
| No | No | No | No | No |
| No | No | Yes | No | No |
| No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
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FAQ
Is Trading 212 Regulated?
Yes – Trading 212 is regulated by several European financial bodies including the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
Does Trading 212 Offer A Demo Profile?
Yes – Trading 212 offers a practice profile with £50,000 in virtual funds. You can also toggle between a ‘real’ and ‘demo’ account, removing the hassle of setting up two separate profiles.
What Trading Platforms Does Trading 212 Offer?
Trading 212 offers retail clients the opportunity to trade on a proprietary web or mobile app. These can be accessed via all major web browsers or downloaded to iOS or Android devices.
Does Trading 212 Offer Free Deposits & Withdrawals?
Yes – Trading 212 offers free deposits and withdrawals, though third-party charges may apply. However, a 0.7% fee applies for some payment methods after £2,000 has been deposited. This includes deposits via credit/debit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay and Sofort.
What Is The Minimum Deposit Requirement For A Trading 212 Account?
Trading 212 minimum deposit requirements vary by account type. The lowest is just £1 or equivalent currency for the standard ‘Invest’ profile.