Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs ACY Securities, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Comparing online brokers Trading 212 and ACY Securities, it's clear that both companies offer their own advantages. Trading 212, established in 2004, holds a Trust Score of 80, making it a trusted choice according to ForexBrokers.com. It also boasts three Tier-1 licenses, emphasizing its credibility in the financial world. Although not listed on a stock exchange or functioning as a bank, Trading 212 has secured its position as a reliable broker with a long-standing history in the industry.
On the other hand, ACY Securities, founded in 2011, holds a Trust Score of 75, indicating an average risk level. Despite having a shorter history, ACY Securities operates with one Tier-1 license, which reflects a reasonable degree of trustworthiness. Similar to Trading 212, it is not publicly traded or a bank. Both brokers offer distinct advantages for investors, but their trust scores and licensing highlight key differences in perceived security and reliability.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, ACY Securities generally delivers lower trading costs than Trading 212 for CFDs and forex thanks to tighter spreads on its commission-based accounts. Trading 212 advertises zero-commission trades but relies on wider spreads, which can increase your all-in cost. Verdict at a glance: Trading 212 earns 4.0 out of 5 stars and ranks #50 out of 63 for commissions and fees, while ACY Securities scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #22 out of 63.
Trading 212 has two accounts: Invest (shares) with a €1 minimum and CFD with a €10 minimum. This comparison focuses on the CFD account. While there’s no added commission on CFD trades, you pay the spread. Trading 212 now publishes average spread data; in April 2025, the EUR/USD average spread was 2.7 pips—well above the industry average—making it pricier for frequent forex and CFD traders despite the zero-commission label.
ACY Securities offers three account types. The Standard account is commission-free with a $50 minimum deposit and had average EUR/USD spreads of 1.2 pips in September 2021—higher than ACY’s commission-based options. ProZero (from $200) and Bespoke (from $10,000) posted average spreads around 0.25 pips during the same period, with commissions of $6 and $5 per round turn, respectively. Active traders can cut costs further via a 10-tier program (up to 0.5 pips per lot after 50+ lots monthly). Residents of Australia benefit from a reduced $3 per round turn commission on ProZero, bringing effective spreads to about 0.55 pips (September 2021), which is competitive with top low-cost brokers.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 2.7 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | 0.85 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Trading 212 offers a wider range of investments than ACY Securities. You can trade 7,868 symbols on Trading 212 versus 2,200 on ACY. Forex traders get 146 currency pairs at Trading 212 compared with 66 at ACY, and both brokers support forex trading (CFD or spot). A key difference is access to real shares: Trading 212 lets you buy and sell exchange-traded stocks on U.S. and international markets (e.g., Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London), while ACY Securities does not offer real share dealing and focuses on CFDs.
Feature-wise, ACY Securities supports copy trading, whereas Trading 212 does not. Neither broker offers delivered cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency derivatives. According to ForexBrokers.com, Trading 212 is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 16th out of 63 brokers, while ACY Securities is rated 4 stars and ranks 31st. Choose Trading 212 if you want the broadest selection and access to real shares; pick ACY Securities if copy trading is a priority.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 2200 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 66 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Trading 212 and ACY Securities both make it easy to get started with a free demo account for paper trading, and each offers its own in-house trading platform alongside a web-based platform. A key difference is desktop access: Trading 212 does not provide a Windows download platform, while ACY Securities does. Copy trading is another separator—Trading 212 does not support it, but ACY Securities does. Platform integrations also diverge: Trading 212 does not support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), whereas ACY Securities offers both. Both brokers let you place trades directly from charts, which can speed up execution.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, both brokers earn 4 stars. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks Trading 212 higher at #20 out of 63 brokers, compared with ACY Securities at #42. If you want MT4/MT5 and copy trading, ACY Securities is the better fit. If you prefer a simple, proprietary web experience without desktop downloads, Trading 212 stands out. Either way, both let you practice risk-free with a demo account and trade from charts online.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
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Trading 212 and ACY Securities both offer iPhone and Android trading apps. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts, lets you draw trendlines on charts, and automatically saves your chart drawings. Both earned 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading; however, ForexBrokers.com ranks Trading 212 higher (#17 of 63) than ACY Securities (#41 of 63).
Feature depth differs. Trading 212 includes 104 technical studies for charting, while ACY Securities offers 30. Trading 212 also syncs your watchlist symbols between the mobile app and your online account, so changes carry over across devices; ACY Securities does not sync watchlists. If you want broader charting tools and cross-device watchlists, Trading 212 has an edge; if you just need a straightforward app with alerts and basic charting, ACY Securities can work.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing market research, Trading 212 and ACY Securities take different angles. ACY Securities provides daily market commentary, while Trading 212 does not. On the flip side, Trading 212 offers forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, which ACY Securities lacks. Trading 212 also adds a sentiment tool to see long/short ratios, something ACY doesn’t include. Both brokers offer an economic calendar, and neither provides research tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
For research quality, both brokers earn 3.5 out of 5 stars. In the ForexBrokers.com rankings, Trading 212 sits at #45 out of 63 brokers, just ahead of ACY Securities at #46. Choose ACY if you want daily commentary, or pick Trading 212 if real-time premium news and sentiment data matter more to you.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners comparing Trading 212 and ACY Securities, both brokers offer plenty of starter-friendly video lessons, with at least 10 beginner videos each. ACY Securities stands out for live learning thanks to monthly educational webinars, while Trading 212 does not host monthly webinars. Trading 212 offers more room to grow with at least 10 advanced videos, whereas ACY Securities falls short on advanced video depth. Both are rated 3.5 out of 5 for Education by ForexBrokers.com, though Trading 212 ranks higher overall (#21 of 63) than ACY Securities (#43 of 63).
If you prefer live, interactive guidance, ACY Securities is appealing for its regular webinars. If you want a larger on-demand video path that includes advanced topics as you progress, Trading 212 is the better fit. Details about whether either broker provides a searchable webinar archive, a large investor dictionary, or a confirmed minimum of 10 forex/CFD-specific educational pieces were not specified.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Trading 212 is better than ACY Securities. Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31, while ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #41.
Best known for its mobile trading app, Trading 212 offers an easy-to-use trading platform suite for CFD and share trading, as well as a large variety of forex pairs. However, despite its well-designed platform and wide range of symbols, its lack of advanced trading tools and flat research offerings hamper Trading 212’s bid to be considered a top broker.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 75 |
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While neither Trading 212 nor ACY Securities offers the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrency, both platforms provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives, allowing investors to speculate on digital asset price movements without owning the underlying coins.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal options, Trading 212 and ACY Securities both support ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers; Trading 212 supports PayPal while ACY Securities does not, ACY Securities supports Skrill while Trading 212 does not, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | ACY Securities Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
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| Regulation | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 2200 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 66 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 2.7 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | 0.85 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | ACY Securities Review |
| Overall | Trading 212 | ACY Securities | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | ACY Securities Review |
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