Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs Alpari, 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 the online brokers Trading 212 and Alpari, several notable differences emerge, particularly in regulatory credentials and trust scores. Trading 212, established in 2004, holds three Tier-1 licenses, a testament to its higher level of credibility and reliability. Alpari, founded in 1998, does not hold any Tier-1 licenses, impacting its perceived trustworthiness. In terms of trust score ratings provided by ForexBrokers.com, Trading 212 scores an 80, deeming it a trusted broker, whereas Alpari has a trust score of 68, placing it in the high-risk category.
Neither Trading 212 nor Alpari is publicly traded or operates as a bank, highlighting their focus as specialized online brokerage firms rather than traditional financial institutions. The difference in trust levels based on their licensing and ForexBrokers.com ratings indicates that Trading 212 may provide a more reliable trading experience for users looking for stronger regulatory assurance, while Alpari may involve higher risk considerations.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Trading 212 promotes zero-commission trading on CFDs and forex, but you still pay the spread. In April 2025, Trading 212 reported an average EUR/USD spread of 2.7 pips, which is higher than the industry average and could make it pricier than many top competitors. Alpari does not publish average spread data, so direct cost comparisons are limited.
For context, Trading 212 has two accounts: Invest (shares) with a €1 minimum and CFD (derivatives) with a €10 minimum. This comparison focuses on the CFD account, where spreads are the primary trading cost rather than per-trade commissions. Alpari’s average spread figures are not available, so its typical trading costs cannot be confirmed from published data.
Ratings and rankings: Trading 212 earns 4 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #50 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Alpari also earns 4 stars but ranks higher at #42 out of 63. In short, Trading 212 offers published average spreads but currently shows higher pricing on key pairs, while Alpari ranks better in this category despite not providing average spread data.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $20 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 2.7 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Trading 212 vs Alpari: for range of investments, Trading 212 offers far more choice. Trading 212 lists 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, compared with Alpari’s 105 symbols and 46 forex pairs. Both support forex trading via CFDs and/or spot contracts. Trading 212 also lets clients buy exchange-traded securities (not CFDs) on both U.S. and international exchanges, while Alpari offers exchange-traded securities only on international exchanges, not U.S. markets. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates Trading 212 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks it #16 out of 63 brokers; Alpari earns 3 stars and ranks #64.
In other products, neither broker sells actual cryptocurrency, but both provide crypto derivatives. Copy trading is available at Alpari but not at Trading 212. If you want the widest market selection and access to U.S. and global shares, Trading 212 is the stronger pick; if copy trading matters more than a large list of instruments, Alpari may suit you.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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.
Trading 212 and Alpari both provide free demo (paper) accounts and their own in-house platforms you can use in a browser. If you need a downloadable Windows desktop platform or plan to use MetaTrader, Alpari fits better: it offers a Windows platform plus MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), along with copy trading. Trading 212 skips desktop software, MT4/MT5, and copy trading, focusing instead on its proprietary web experience.
For charting and tools, both brokers let you place trades directly from charts. Trading 212 includes 20 drawing tools versus 15 at Alpari, while Alpari shows more watchlist columns (7 vs 5). Indicator totals weren’t specified for either broker. According to ForexBrokers.com, both earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, but Trading 212 ranks higher in the category (#20 of 63) than Alpari (#56 of 63).
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Trading 212 and Alpari both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts, real-time watchlists, trendline drawing, and multiple chart time frames. The bigger differences show up in charting and convenience features. Trading 212 includes 104 built-in technical studies versus Alpari’s 30, and it auto-saves your chart drawings so lines and notes are there next time you open the app. Trading 212 also syncs watchlists between mobile and the web platform, so symbols you add or remove carry over automatically; Alpari does not offer watchlist syncing.
Both brokers earned 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, yet their standings diverge in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings: Trading 212 is 17th out of 63 brokers, while Alpari is 57th. If you want more chart tools and cross-device organization, Trading 212 is the stronger pick; if you only need core alerts and charting on iPhone or Android, Alpari covers the basics.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Trading 212 vs Alpari: Both brokers skip daily market commentary but deliver premium forex news from top-tier sources and include an economic calendar. Tool-wise, Alpari stands out with Autochartist, while Trading 212 does not offer it. Neither broker integrates Trading Central. Trading 212 does provide a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions; Alpari does not. Trading 212 does not integrate TipRanks or Acuity Trading; Alpari’s availability of TipRanks and Acuity Trading is not clearly stated.
For overall research, Trading 212 earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 45th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari scores 3 stars and ranks 58th. Traders who value an in-platform sentiment gauge may prefer Trading 212; those who lean on Autochartist’s scanning tools may favor Alpari. Both are solid for news and calendars but lack daily commentary and Trading Central.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both Trading 212 and Alpari provide forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, plus a sizable investor glossary with 50+ terms—useful for learning the basics. Each offers 10+ beginner-friendly videos. Where they differ is depth and access: Trading 212 adds 10+ advanced videos and hosts a searchable archive of past webinars, even though it doesn’t run monthly live sessions. Alpari also skips monthly webinars and doesn’t offer a searchable archive, and it falls short on advanced video content.
If you want a clearer path from beginner to more advanced topics, Trading 212 has the edge. ForexBrokers.com rates Trading 212 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks it 21st out of 63 brokers, while Alpari earns 3 stars and ranks 48th. In short, both can help you start learning, but Trading 212 provides more room to grow as your skills improve.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 Trading 212 is better than Alpari. Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.
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
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
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| Trust Score | 80 | 68 |
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Both Trading 212 and Alpari do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency but provide options to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing online brokers, Trading 212 offers versatile deposit and withdrawal options including ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, while Alpari supports Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, lacking ACH/SEPA and PayPal facilities.
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 | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 2004 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 2.7 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Trading 212 | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review |
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