Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Admirals vs Trading 212, 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.
When comparing online brokers Admirals and Trading 212, it's clear that both have their unique strengths. Admirals, founded in 2001, holds a significant advantage with four Tier-1 licenses and a Trust Score rating of 93 out of 99, categorizing it as highly trusted. In comparison, Trading 212, established in 2004, boasts two Tier-1 licenses but has a Trust Score of 79, indicating an average risk level. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank, contributing to their independent profiles in the financial market landscape.
The regulatory landscape further distinguishes Admirals and Trading 212. While Admirals holds three Tier-2 licenses, offering an additional layer of trustworthiness, Trading 212 does not currently hold any Tier-2 licenses. This difference in regulatory credentials can be a crucial factor for investors considering the safety and reliability of their chosen trading platform. Overall, both brokers serve their clients effectively, but Admirals presents itself as a more trusted option based on regulatory standing and trust ratings.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Admirals stands out with its competitive pricing. Their Trade account offers typical spreads of 0.8, and similar pricing is available for the Zero account type. This favorable pricing structure has earned Admirals a commendable rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 in the commissions and fees category, securing the 17th spot out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, Trading 212 offers two types of accounts, Invest and CFD, with a focus here on the CFD account. While Trading 212 advertises zero-commission trading, traders still encounter spreads, especially when trading CFDs and forex. The average spread for the EUR/USD pair was noted at 1.9 pips in January 2024, which is higher than the industry average. Despite this disadvantage, Trading 212 maintains a solid 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ranking 43rd out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | €10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Admirals and Trading 212 both offer a comprehensive range of investment options, but the specifics can vary. Admirals provides an impressive 8,702 tradeable symbols, slightly edging out Trading 212, which offers 8,025 symbols. For investors focused on forex trading, Trading 212 offers a broader choice with 146 tradeable forex pairs, compared to Admirals' 82 pairs. Both platforms allow trading forex as a CFD or spot contract, ensuring flexibility for traders with different strategies. Furthermore, both Admirals and Trading 212 provide access to U.S. and international exchange-traded securities, making it possible for investors to purchase well-known stocks like Apple and Vodafone directly.
For those interested in diversifying their portfolios with cryptocurrency derivatives, both platforms have this option, although neither allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. Admirals stands out with its copy trading feature, which Trading 212 lacks, potentially offering a plus for beginners wanting to mirror the strategies of experienced traders. Based on the Range of Investments category, Trading 212 receives a higher rating of five stars and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Admirals earns 4.5 stars and is ranked #19. This suggests that while both platforms have extensive offerings, Trading 212 slightly overtakes Admirals in the overall variety of investment options available.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 8025 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 146 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
Admirals and Trading 212 both cater to traders who are looking for versatile trading platforms and tools. Admirals stands out by offering both a proprietary platform and popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 options, providing traders with numerous choices, including a Windows-based desktop version. While both Admirals and Trading 212 offer web-based platforms and free virtual demo accounts for simulated trading, only Admirals supports MetaTrader software and the option to engage in copy trading. Moreover, Admirals excels in providing advanced charting capabilities with 106 drawing tools, significantly more than Trading 212's 20, as well as the functionality to trade directly from stock charts.
Both brokers are rated four stars for their trading platforms and tools, reflecting their broad appeal and functionality. However, the functionalities available on Admirals may offer more diverse options for experienced traders, demonstrated by its higher rank of 19 out of 63 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com rankings, just ahead of Trading 212, which is ranked 20th. Admirals also provides a wider array of watch list columns with seven fields compared to Trading 212's five, which can enhance the monitoring and organization of market data for traders. While each broker brings something unique to the table, Admirals might be more appealing to those who prioritize a feature-rich environment and advanced trading tools.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 5 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Admirals and Trading 212 both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, complete with essential features like stock and forex price alerts. Users of both platforms can enjoy drawing trendlines on charts, viewing multiple time frames, and setting up watchlists with real-time quotes—features that cater to both new and seasoned traders. One key difference lies in the charting tools: Trading 212 offers 104 technical studies, significantly more than the 30 available on Admirals, potentially providing more options for traders who rely heavily on technical analysis.
When it comes to syncing watchlist symbols between the mobile app and online account, Trading 212 offers this functionality, while Admirals does not. This could be a crucial feature for those who frequently switch between devices. Both platforms auto-save chart drawings, ensuring your technical analyses remain intact. Admirals and Trading 212 each received a four-star rating for their mobile trading apps. However, in ForexBrokers.com's rankings, Trading 212 edges out slightly, securing the 17th spot compared to Admirals' 23rd out of 63 brokers, highlighting a marginal edge in satisfaction or feature set.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing Admirals and Trading 212 for market research features, Admirals stands out with its comprehensive offerings. Admirals provides daily market commentary that Trading 212 lacks, giving traders a more frequently updated perspective on market movements. Both platforms offer forex news from premium sources, but Admirals takes the lead with additional research tools from Trading Central and sentiment-based trading capabilities that match those of Trading 212. Furthermore, Admirals includes access to market insights from TipRanks and research tools from Acuity Trading like Signal Centre, which are not available on Trading 212. Both platforms feature an economic calendar to keep traders informed about global economic events.
In terms of research quality, Admirals receives a 4-star rating compared to Trading 212's 3.5 stars, securing a higher performance status. According to ForexBrokers.com, Admirals is ranked 15th out of 63 brokers in the Research category, while Trading 212 sits lower at 46th place. For traders prioritizing market analysis and research tools, Admirals offers a more enriching experience with a broader range of features and better industry rankings.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both Admirals and Trading 212 provide substantial educational resources to assist beginners in their trading journey. Admirals boasts a comprehensive suite of forex and CFDs educational materials, including articles, videos, and webinars, ensuring at least ten insightful pieces are available. They offer monthly online webinars, a beneficial resource for live learning, coupled with a searchable archive of these sessions for convenient review. Admirals also caters to novices with more than ten beginner-focused trading videos, while advanced traders can benefit from their specialized content. Their educational offerings are complemented by an investor dictionary, detailing over 50 investing terms to strengthen your financial vocabulary. Admirals has received a 4-star rating for education and ranks at #12 among 63 brokers assessed by ForexBrokers.com, emphasizing their commitment to trader education.
Trading 212 similarly equips beginners with ample educational content, matching Admirals in providing over ten forex and CFDs learning resources. Their regular monthly webinars are also supported by a searchable archive, allowing users to revisit past sessions at their convenience. Like Admirals, Trading 212 offers more than ten beginner-focused videos and extends their educational support with advanced trading topics. Their investor dictionary also demystifies over 50 investing terms. However, Trading 212 is rated slightly lower at 3.5 stars for education and holds the #20 spot in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking, indicating room for growth in their educational offerings compared to Admirals.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Admirals is better than Trading 212. Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
Traders choose Admirals for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features – such as the Supreme add-ons – alongside an extensive range of shares, forex and CFD markets, and premium research content.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 79 |
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Both Admirals and Trading 212 allow investors to purchase cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform offers the option to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies.
Admirals and Trading 212 both offer ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires for deposit and withdrawal options, but only Admirals offers Skrill as a payment method.
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 | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 79 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes | No |
| Investments | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 8025 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 1.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.9 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | €10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 5 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 54 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 20 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Admirals Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Admirals | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review | Trading 212 Review |
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