Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs ATFX, 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 Trading 212 and ATFX, both online brokers offer secure trading experiences, but they differ in some regulatory aspects. Trading 212, established in 2004, holds 3 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a high level of trust, although it doesn't hold any Tier-2 licenses. Trading 212 is not listed on any stock exchange and is not a bank. It carries a Trust Score rating of 80 according to ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as a trusted broker with some level of confidence for users.
On the other hand, ATFX, founded in 2017, garners a slightly higher Trust Score of 85, indicating a trusted status. It boasts 4 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, offering a wider range of regulatory approvals. Like Trading 212, ATFX is neither publicly traded nor a bank, but its acquired licenses contribute to building trust among its clientele. Overall, both brokers present viable options, with ATFX holding a slight edge in terms of regulatory confidence due to its additional licenses.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Trading 212 edges ATFX on transparency and overall score. Trading 212 is rated 4/5 stars and ranks #50 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while ATFX is rated 3/5 stars and ranks #61 out of 63.
Trading 212 offers two accounts: Invest (shares) with a 1 euro minimum deposit and CFD with a 10 euro minimum. Its CFD and forex trades are advertised as zero-commission, but you still pay the spread. Trading 212 now publishes average spread data; in April 2025 its EUR/USD average was 2.7 pips, which is higher than the industry average and makes it less competitive than top low-cost CFD and forex brokers.
ATFX does not have average spread data available here, making its typical trading costs harder to evaluate side by side. Given its 3/5 star rating and #61 ranking for Commissions and Fees, cost-focused traders may want to check live spreads and any other charges directly before deciding.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $500 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing their range of investments, Trading 212 offers far more choice than ATFX. Trading 212 lists 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, and it lets clients buy real exchange‑traded securities on both U.S. markets (such as Apple) and international exchanges (such as Vodafone). ATFX provides 150 symbols and 44 forex pairs, and it does not offer real, exchange‑traded stocks. Both brokers support forex trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, and neither offers delivered cryptocurrency. For social features, ATFX includes copy trading, while Trading 212 does not.
Reflecting these differences, ForexBrokers.com rates Trading 212 at 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #16 of 63), compared with ATFX at 3.5 stars (ranked #58 of 63). In short, Trading 212 suits investors who want a large catalog and direct stock investing, while ATFX may appeal to traders who prefer CFDs with the option to copy trade.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 44 |
| 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 ATFX both provide free demo (paper) trading and let you place trades straight from charts. The platforms they offer differ: Trading 212 uses its own proprietary, browser-based platform and does not offer a Windows desktop download or support MetaTrader. ATFX does not have an in-house platform, but it does offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), including a Windows desktop download, along with a web-based option.
Feature-wise, ATFX adds copy trading, while Trading 212 does not. According to ForexBrokers.com, Trading 212 earns 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #20 of 63 brokers, whereas ATFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #63. In short: choose Trading 212 if you want a streamlined, proprietary web platform with chart trading; pick ATFX if you need MT4/MT5, a Windows desktop platform, and copy trading.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Trading 212 and ATFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with key essentials like price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of chart annotations. A notable difference is watchlists: Trading 212 syncs your watchlist between the mobile app and your online account, while ATFX does not.
For charting, Trading 212 provides 104 technical studies compared with 7 on ATFX, giving far more options for analysis on your phone. Trading 212 is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, while ATFX holds 3.5 out of 5. ForexBrokers.com ranks Trading 212 17th and ATFX 64th in the Mobile Trading Apps category. If you want more indicators and synced watchlists, Trading 212 is the stronger choice; if you only need the basics, ATFX covers them.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 7 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing Trading 212 vs ATFX for market research, the two brokers take different approaches. ATFX provides daily market commentary, which can help you stay on top of trends, while Trading 212 does not. On the other hand, Trading 212 includes forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, whereas ATFX does not. Both brokers offer an economic calendar to track key events around the world.
In terms of tools, ATFX supports Autochartist and Trading Central for technical and fundamental insights, which Trading 212 does not. Trading 212 counters with a sentiment tool showing the ratio of long and short positions; ATFX does not offer this feature. Trading 212 does not include TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools, and availability for these at ATFX is not specified. Overall, Trading 212 is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks 45th out of 63 brokers, while ATFX earns 3 out of 5 stars and ranks 55th.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Trading 212 and ATFX both cater to beginners with plenty of on-demand learning, including at least 10 starter videos that explain key trading concepts in plain language. Neither broker runs monthly live educational webinars, so most of the learning is self-paced. Where they differ is in progression: Trading 212 also offers at least 10 advanced videos to help you level up once you’ve mastered the basics, while ATFX doesn’t match that depth on video content for experienced traders.
For overall education quality, Trading 212 earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #21 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with ATFX at 3 stars and #28. If you want a stronger video path from beginner to more advanced topics, Trading 212 has the edge. If you only need beginner-friendly videos and are fine without recurring webinars, both platforms can work.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No |
| 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 ATFX. Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.
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
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 |
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When comparing Trading 212 vs ATFX, neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, while both allow cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing online brokers Trading 212 and ATFX: Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals but not Skrill, while ATFX does not support ACH/SEPA and its availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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 | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2017 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 44 | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 7 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | Trading 212 | ATFX | |
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| Education |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review |
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