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City Index vs Trading 212 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Trading 212, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

City Index
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £100.00
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
Trading 212
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: €1
  • Trust Score: 80
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 7868

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.

Regulation

When considering online brokers, City Index and Trading 212 are two notable platforms worth comparing, especially in terms of trust and regulatory backing. City Index, established in 1983, is publicly traded and stands out with an impressive Trust Score of 99 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. It boasts 7 Tier-1 licenses, which are highly regarded within the industry, and 1 Tier-2 license. On the other hand, Trading 212, founded in 2004, is not publicly traded. It holds a Trust Score of 80, reflecting a trusted status, and possesses 3 Tier-1 licenses.

Neither City Index nor Trading 212 operate as banks, but their regulatory approvals make a significant difference. City Index's exemplary Trust Score and greater number of Tier-1 licenses highlight its strong regulatory compliance, offering peace of mind to its users. Meanwhile, Trading 212, while still trusted, may appeal to those seeking a straightforward platform with basic regulatory assurance. Both brokers aim to provide secure trading experiences, though City Index's longstanding presence and extensive regulation may be preferable for those prioritizing trust and transparency.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Year Founded info 1983 2004
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 3
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 0

Fees

City Index vs. Trading 212 on commissions and fees: City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #16 of 63 for pricing, while Trading 212 scores 4/5 stars and ranks #27 of 63. The headline difference is spreads. City Index’s average EUR/USD spread was 0.74 pips (July 2023), close to the industry average, whereas Trading 212’s average EUR/USD spread was 2.7 pips in April 2025—well above the norm. That gap can make Trading 212 more expensive for frequent forex and CFD traders despite its “zero-commission” message.

City Index pricing is most competitive on its proprietary platforms and MetaTrader. The broker offers a Premium Trader account for deposits over £10,000, with exclusive pricing and dedicated support. High-volume traders may also qualify for rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million traded above £25M monthly, rising to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, rebates range from AUD $4.5 to AUD $14.5 per million depending on tier. Overall, City Index sits near the industry average for costs and trails only the very cheapest specialist brokers.

Trading 212 offers Invest (shares) and CFD accounts, with minimum deposits of €1 and €10, respectively; this comparison focuses on the CFD account. While Trading 212 advertises zero commissions, you still pay the spread, and its published average EUR/USD spread of 2.7 pips (April 2025) is notably higher than the industry average. Publishing spread data is a plus for transparency, but in practical terms it means Trading 212’s day-to-day trading costs tend to be higher than City Index and many top low-cost forex/CFD brokers.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 €1
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 2.7 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.9 info 2.7 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

City Index and Trading 212 both support forex trading and let you speculate on cryptocurrencies via CFDs (neither offers delivered crypto). City Index lists about 13,500 tradeable symbols versus 7,868 at Trading 212. If forex pair count matters, Trading 212 leads with 146 pairs against City Index’s 66. For traditional, exchange-traded shares, Trading 212 lets you buy U.S. and international stocks outright, while City Index does not offer exchange-traded securities. City Index includes copy trading; Trading 212 does not.

Both earn 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments, but City Index ranks #8 of 63 and Trading 212 ranks #15 in this category, according to ForexBrokers.com. Choose City Index if you want the widest overall market list and copy trading; choose Trading 212 if you want to own real stocks on U.S. and international exchanges and access a larger selection of forex pairs.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 7868
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 146
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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 platforms and tools

City Index vs Trading 212: both brokers offer a free demo account for paper trading, their own in-house platforms, and web-based trading with the ability to place orders straight from charts. Key differences: City Index provides a downloadable Windows desktop platform, supports copy trading, and works with MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Trading 212 does not offer a Windows desktop platform, copy trading, or MT4. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5).

For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates City Index at 4.5 stars (ranked #11 out of 63 brokers) and Trading 212 at 4 stars (ranked #19). If you want MT4, copy trading, or a Windows desktop app, City Index is the better fit. If you prefer a streamlined, browser-based experience with an in-house platform, Trading 212 also covers the basics, including chart trading and a free demo.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 54
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

City Index and Trading 212 both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing with your online account, and hands-on charting with trendline tools that auto-save your drawings—so your work carries over seamlessly between devices.

For charting indicators, Trading 212 offers 104 technical studies compared with 88 on City Index, giving it a slight edge for indicator variety. That said, City Index earns stronger third-party marks: 4.5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and a #9 ranking out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, versus 4 stars and a #17 ranking for Trading 212. If you want a higher-rated mobile experience, City Index stands out; if you prize the most built-in indicators, Trading 212 is appealing.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Comparing City Index vs Trading 212 for market research, City Index comes out ahead for traders who want more frequent insights. City Index provides daily market commentary, integrates Trading Central’s analytics, and includes a sentiment tool that shows the long/short split across instruments. Both brokers stream forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters and offer an economic calendar, while neither includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.

Ratings back up the feature gap: City Index is rated 4.5/5 and ranked #10 out of 63 brokers for Research by ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 holds a 3.5/5 rating and ranks #32. If you value daily commentary and advanced research tools such as Trading Central alongside premium news and sentiment data, City Index is the stronger choice. Trading 212 covers the basics with quality news, sentiment, and a calendar but lacks daily commentary and Trading Central.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No No
Acuity Trading info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

City Index vs Trading 212 for beginners: City Index edges ahead thanks to its ongoing schedule of client webinars (at least one per month), giving newcomers a chance to ask questions and learn live. Both brokers offer plenty of on‑demand learning, including at least 10 beginner videos each, plus advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper into forex and CFD trading topics.

Quality-wise, City Index is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers for Education at ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 holds 3.5/5 stars and ranks #20. If you value live sessions and a more guided path, City Index is the better pick; if you prefer self-paced video lessons only, Trading 212 can still fit the bill.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Webinars info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that City Index is better than Trading 212. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #25.

Backed by StoneX Group, City Index is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 80
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or Trading 212?

City Index and Trading 212 do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFD trading to speculate on price movements.

What funding options does each broker offer?

In a quick funding-methods comparison, online brokers City Index and Trading 212 both allow ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, do not support Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.

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Overall Rating City Index Trading 212
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 80
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review Trading 212 Review
Broker Screenshots City Index Trading 212
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
City Index MetaTrader 4 mobile trading app City Index web platform trading. City Index web platform research Trading Central City Index educational course advanced.
Trading 212 mobile trading app sentiment Trading 212 web platform Trading 212 mobile trading app economic calendar Trading212 community forum.
Regulation City Index Trading 212
Trust Score info 99 80
Year Founded info 1983 2004
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 3
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) City Index Trading 212
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) City Index Trading 212
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments City Index Trading 212
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 7868
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 146
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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 City Index Trading 212
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 2.7 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.9 info 2.7 info
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Order execution: Agency info No Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding City Index Trading 212
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 €1
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms City Index Trading 212
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools City Index Trading 212
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 54
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading City Index Trading 212
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research City Index Trading 212
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education City Index Trading 212
Webinars info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs City Index Trading 212
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review City Index Review Trading 212 Review
Overall City Index Trading 212
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 80
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review Trading 212 Review
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