Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Capital.com 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.
Capital.com and Trading 212 are popular online brokers, each with unique strengths in the financial market. Founded in 2016, Capital.com holds three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 87 out of 99, which places it in the trusted category. Although not a public company or a bank, Capital.com is regarded favorably due to its strong regulatory standing and commitment to security.
Trading 212, established in 2004, also holds three Tier-1 licenses, but no Tier-2 licenses, resulting in a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 80. This score still categorizes it as a trusted broker. Like Capital.com, Trading 212 is privately owned and not a banking institution. Both platforms offer clients a secure trading environment, though Capital.com's additional licensing could offer a slightly higher sense of assurance in risk management for users.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
Capital.com vs Trading 212 on commissions and fees: Capital.com comes out cheaper for most forex and CFD traders. Capital.com earns 5 out of 5 stars for pricing and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category at ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #50 out of 63.
Capital.com’s pricing centers on tight spreads. Its dynamic spread on EUR/USD averaged 0.6712 pips in April 2024—lower than the industry average—making it attractive for low-cost forex trading. Capital.com offers a single, universal account for retail traders and a separate elective professional account (note: professional clients do not receive the same regulatory protection as retail clients).
Trading 212 advertises zero-commission trading, but you still pay the spread on CFDs and forex. For April 2025, Trading 212’s published average spread on EUR/USD was 2.7 pips, which is higher than the industry average and less competitive than Capital.com for active FX traders. Trading 212 offers two accounts: Invest (shares) with a €1 minimum and CFD with a €10 minimum; this comparison focuses on the CFD account.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | €1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.64 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 2.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Capital.com vs Trading 212: Trading 212 offers a broader lineup with 7,868 tradeable symbols compared with Capital.com’s 5,585. Both support forex trading via contracts (CFD/spot), with Trading 212 listing 146 currency pairs and Capital.com offering 125. Each provides cryptocurrency CFDs but not actual coins, and neither supports copy trading.
For direct share dealing, Capital.com does not offer exchange-traded stocks on U.S. or international markets, while Trading 212 lets you buy listed shares in both regions (think Apple on Nasdaq and Vodafone in London). According to ForexBrokers.com, Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #23 of 63), while Trading 212 scores 5 out of 5 (ranked #16 of 63).
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 7868 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 146 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| 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.
Both Capital.com and Trading 212 offer free demo (paper) accounts and their own in-house trading platforms, plus web-based trading and the ability to place orders directly from charts. Capital.com stands out if you want a Windows desktop download and MetaTrader 4 (MT4) support, while Trading 212 does not offer a Windows app or MT4. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5) or copy trading.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Capital.com 4.5/5 stars and ranks it #10 out of 63 brokers, while Trading 212 earns 4/5 stars and ranks #20. If you need MT4 and a downloadable Windows platform, Capital.com is the stronger choice; if you prefer a simple browser-based setup with a demo account, Trading 212 fits the bill.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 54 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Capital.com and Trading 212 both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, drawing trend lines on charts, and auto-saving your drawings. In third-party evaluations, Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #17.
For charting depth, Trading 212 stands out with 104 technical studies versus Capital.com’s 30. Trading 212 also syncs your watchlist symbols between the app and your online account, while Capital.com does not. Choose Trading 212 if you want more indicators and seamless watchlist syncing across devices; pick Capital.com if you prefer a higher-rated app with streamlined tools and features.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing market research tools, Capital.com offers daily market commentary while Trading 212 does not. Both brokers stream forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg or Reuters and provide a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions. Capital.com adds market research from TipRanks, which Trading 212 lacks. Both platforms include an economic calendar. Neither broker offers tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, or Acuity Trading.
For research quality, Capital.com is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212 holds a 3.5-star research rating and ranks #45. If daily commentary and TipRanks insights matter to you, Capital.com delivers more, while both platforms cover the basics like news, sentiment, and calendars.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner-friendly trading education, both Capital.com and Trading 212 offer plenty of video lessons: each has at least 10 beginner videos, plus at least 10 advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. Neither broker runs monthly client webinars. It’s not specified whether either broker meets a 10-piece threshold dedicated specifically to forex or CFD education.
Based on independent evaluations, Capital.com scores higher for education overall, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranking 8th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212 earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 21st. If you want stronger all-around learning support, Capital.com is the better pick, while Trading 212 still delivers a solid library for getting started.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Capital.com is better than Trading 212. Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
Capital.com stands out for its quality research, strong educational content, and innovative web platform. Capital.com holds fewer regulatory licenses and offers a narrower range of markets than some of the best brokers, but still significantly outperforms the industry average.
| Feature |
Capital.com
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Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 87 | 80 |
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Capital.com vs Trading 212: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
Capital.com vs Trading 212: For deposits and withdrawals, Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA while Capital.com does not; both brokers accept PayPal and bank wire transfers, only Capital.com offers Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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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| Trust Score | 87 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Capital.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
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