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 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of AvaTrade and Trading 212, AvaTrade notably stands out with spreads close to the industry average, sitting just under one pip at 0.9 pips. However, this figure is slightly higher than those offered by entry-level accounts at brokers such as CMC Markets and Tickmill. For professional traders, AvaTrade provides competitive spreads of 0.6 pips on its Professional account, aligning it with other reputable options like FP Markets. Overall, AvaTrade earns a commendable 4.5-star rating and ranks 12th out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, Trading 212 offers two primary account types: the Invest account for share trading and the CFD account for Contract for Difference trades. Notably, the Invest account requires just a 1 euro minimum deposit, whereas the CFD account necessitates a 10 euro minimum. While Trading 212 promotes a zero-commission model, traders should remain aware of the spreads involved in CFD and forex transactions. As of April 2025, Trading 212's average spread for the EUR/USD pair was notably high at 2.7 pips, which is considerably above the industry average and positions Trading 212 on the lower end among leading CFD and forex brokers.
Although AvaTrade and Trading 212 both offer unique features tailored to different trading preferences, AvaTrade’s more competitive spread and higher rankings make it a stronger contender in terms of commissions and fees. Trading 212, while advantageous for its low account deposit requirements and transparent intentions in publishing spread data, has a rating of 4 stars and ranks 49th out of 63 according to ForexBrokers.com.
| 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.
When choosing between AvaTrade and Trading 212 as an online broker, potential investors are likely to be impressed by the extensive range of investment options offered by Trading 212. With 7868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, Trading 212 significantly outshines AvaTrade, which offers 1260 symbols and 53 forex pairs. Trading 212 allows clients to purchase exchange-traded securities like Apple shares on U.S. exchanges and Vodafone shares on international exchanges. AvaTrade lacks this capability but compensates with the option of copy trading, a feature not available on Trading 212. Both platforms allow for cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer the ability to buy actual cryptocurrencies directly.
In terms of rankings, AvaTrade and Trading 212 show a notable difference. Trading 212 boasts a 5-star rating for its range of investments from ForexBrokers.com and ranks #15 among 63 brokers in this category. In contrast, AvaTrade receives a 4-star rating and is ranked #32. For those seeking extensive investment options and access to a wide array of markets, Trading 212 appears to be the more appealing choice, though AvaTrade offers unique features like copy trading that might attract investors with specific interests.
| 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) | 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.
When exploring market research offerings between AvaTrade and Trading 212, both brokers provide forex news from prestigious outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters, but they differ in other areas. AvaTrade steps ahead with its access to Trading Central's technical analytics and an insightful sentiment-based trading tool. However, both platforms lack daily market commentary, resources from Autochartist, and insights from Acuity Trading or TipRanks. Additionally, each broker keeps users updated with an economic calendar showcasing worldwide news events, ensuring traders are always informed about critical economic updates.
In terms of research quality, AvaTrade is rated slightly higher at 4 stars, compared to Trading 212's 3.5 stars, reflecting its broader range of tools and resources. AvaTrade is positioned at #34 in the ForexBrokers.com research rankings, while Trading 212 holds the #44 spot. This difference highlights AvaTrade's stronger market research support, offering a more comprehensive set of resources for traders seeking depth and variety in their trading analysis.
| 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 provide valuable educational content tailored for beginners interested in forex and CFDs. Each offers a selection of over 10 educational pieces, including articles and videos, to help newcomers get started in trading. Notably, AvaTrade stands out by hosting monthly online educational webinars, which Trading 212 does not offer. Both platforms, however, allow users to access a searchable archive of recorded webinars for additional learning.
When it comes to video content, both AvaTrade and Trading 212 provide ample resources, offering at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced educational videos to accommodate different skill levels. Additionally, they both include an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 trading terms to assist in building foundational knowledge. In terms of overall education quality, AvaTrade receives a higher rating with 4 stars, ranking #2 among 63 brokers as reviewed by ForexBrokers.com, in contrast to Trading 212, which holds 3.5 stars and is ranked #20. This suggests AvaTrade may be a more appealing choice for those prioritizing educational resources.
| 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) | No | No | |
| 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) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| 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) | 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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