Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade 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.
Founded in 2006, AvaTrade is a well-established online broker with a Trust Score of 94 out of 99, indicating a high level of trust. It is not publicly traded, nor is it a bank, but it is recognized for its regulatory credentials with four Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses. These licenses contribute to its strong reputation in the industry, signifying a high degree of reliability and security for its users.
On the other hand, Trading 212, which was founded in 2004, holds a Trust Score of 80 out of 99, categorized as trusted. Like AvaTrade, Trading 212 is neither publicly listed nor operates as a bank. It holds three Tier-1 licenses but lacks Tier-2 licenses, which can affect the perception of security and trust compared to AvaTrade. Both brokers offer distinct regulatory advantages, but AvaTrade edges ahead with its higher number of licenses and superior Trust Score.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
If you’re comparing commissions and fees, AvaTrade earns 4.5/5 stars (ranked #13 of 63 by ForexBrokers.com), while Trading 212 earns 4/5 stars (ranked #50 of 63). In practice, AvaTrade’s lower average spreads generally make it the cheaper choice for forex and CFD trading.
AvaTrade’s typical EUR/USD spread is about 0.9 pips as of June 2024—around the industry average and slightly higher than some entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as a professional client, AvaTrade’s Professional account offers about 0.6 pips, comparable to cost-focused brokers like FP Markets.
Trading 212 advertises zero-commission trading, but you still pay the spread on CFDs and forex. The broker’s published average EUR/USD spread for April 2025 was 2.7 pips—well above the industry average—so costs can add up for active traders. Trading 212 offers two accounts (Invest for shares with a 1 euro minimum deposit, and CFD with a 10 euro minimum), but for CFD trading the spread is the main cost driver.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | €1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.93 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 2.7 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | 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.
AvaTrade vs Trading 212: for range of investments, Trading 212 offers far more choice. It lists 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, while AvaTrade provides 1,260 symbols and 53 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading and let you trade cryptocurrency via derivatives, but neither lets you buy actual crypto.
Trading 212 also lets clients buy real, exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges; AvaTrade does not offer real shares. On the flip side, AvaTrade supports copy trading, while Trading 212 does not. Reflecting these differences, Trading 212 earns 5/5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63 for Range of Investments, whereas AvaTrade scores 4/5 stars and ranks #33.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 7868 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 146 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of AvaTrade and Trading 212, both brokers offer simulated trading accounts, allowing beginners to practice without financial risk. They each provide their own proprietary platform, but AvaTrade goes further by supporting popular third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, as well as additional services like DupliTrade and ZuluTrade. However, Trading 212 lacks these third-party integrations. Desktop enthusiasts will appreciate AvaTrade’s Windows-based download option, which Trading 212 does not offer.
For charting capabilities, AvaTrade and Trading 212 both enable trading directly from stock charts, but they differ in the number of drawing tools available, with Trading 212 offering more at 20 compared to AvaTrade's 13. Meanwhile, in managing trading watchlists, AvaTrade provides more extensive options, offering 7 columns to Trading 212's 5. According to ForexBrokers.com, AvaTrade is rated higher, receiving 4.5 stars and a rank of #13 out of 63 brokers for trading platforms and tools, whereas Trading 212 scored 4 stars and is ranked #20.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
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 | Yes | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] | 13 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 5 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of AvaTrade and Trading 212, both platforms excel in accessibility by offering iPhone and Android apps complete with essential features. Both apps provide users with stock and forex price alerts and ensure seamless experience by enabling watchlist symbol syncing between mobile and online accounts. While AvaTrade offers 73 technical studies for charting, Trading 212 surpasses with 104, giving traders more in-depth analysis tools. Both platforms support drawing trendlines and viewing different time frames on charts, although Trading 212 stands out by auto-saving these drawings, a convenience AvaTrade doesn't offer.
For those keen on organizing their trades, both apps allow the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes. Despite these similarities, AvaTrade's mobile app edges ahead in user satisfaction, with a 4.5-star rating compared to Trading 212's 4 stars. As per ForexBrokers.com rankings of 63 brokers, AvaTrade is positioned at #13 in the mobile trading apps category, slightly outperforming Trading 212, which holds the #17 spot. This comparison highlights AvaTrade's slight advantage in user experience and industry recognition, while Trading 212 provides a wider range of technical tools.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing AvaTrade vs Trading 212 for market research, both brokers deliver forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and both include an economic calendar and a sentiment tool that shows the share of long vs short positions. Neither broker offers daily market commentary, Autochartist tools, TipRanks research, or Acuity Trading features. The key difference is that AvaTrade provides Trading Central analytics, while Trading 212 does not.
For research quality, AvaTrade is rated 4 stars and ranks #35 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 earns 3.5 stars and ranks #45 out of 63. If you want Trading Central’s added insights, AvaTrade has the edge; otherwise, both are fairly similar for core news and calendar features.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
AvaTrade and Trading 212 both deliver forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, including beginner and advanced videos. Each also offers a searchable archive of recorded webinars and an investor dictionary with 50+ terms. A key difference: AvaTrade runs ongoing client webinars at least once per month, while Trading 212 does not currently host monthly live sessions.
For quality scores, AvaTrade earns 4 stars for Education and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Trading 212’s 3.5 stars and #21 ranking. If live, regular coaching via webinars matters to you, AvaTrade has the edge. If you prefer self-paced learning through videos, articles, and definitions, Trading 212 still provides a solid path for beginners.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 AvaTrade is better than Trading 212. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, as well as exceptional educational content that helped it nab Best in Class honors for Beginners in the ForexBrokers.com 2025 Annual Awards.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 80 |
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Both AvaTrade and Trading 212 provide the opportunity to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither offers the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
When comparing online brokers, AvaTrade supports PayPal, Skrill, and Visa or Mastercard for deposits and withdrawals, but lacks ACH or SEPA transfer options, while Trading 212 offers ACH or SEPA transfers, uses PayPal and Visa or Mastercard like AvaTrade, but does not support Skrill for fund transactions.
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 | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 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 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | 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) | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 7868 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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 | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.93 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 2.7 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | €1 | |
| 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 | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | AvaTrade | 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 | Yes | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 5 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 54 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] | 13 | 20 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| 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 | AvaTrade | 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 | AvaTrade Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | Trading 212 Review |
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