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City Index vs Trading 212 2026

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: ÂŁ100.00
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
Trading 212
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: €1
  • Trust Score: 82
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13000

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

City Index (founded 1983) and Trading 212 (founded 2004) are online brokers with different corporate profiles: City Index is publicly traded, while Trading 212 is not; neither broker is a bank.

For regulation, City Index holds 7 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 1 Tier-2 license (trusted), earning a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 (highly trusted). Trading 212 holds 3 Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses, with a Trust Score of 82 (trusted). In short, City Index has broader top-tier licensing and a higher trust rating than Trading 212.

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 ÂŁ10,000, with exclusive pricing and dedicated support. High-volume traders may also qualify for rebates: in the U.K., ÂŁ4 per million traded above ÂŁ25M monthly, rising to ÂŁ7.5 per million above ÂŁ300M; 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 No
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 vs Trading 212: For overall variety, City Index lists about 13,500 tradeable symbols versus roughly 13,000 on Trading 212. If your focus is forex, Trading 212 offers more pairs (180) compared to City Index (66), and both support forex trading as CFDs or spot. City Index also includes copy trading, which Trading 212 does not.

When it comes to real share dealing, Trading 212 lets you buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while City Index doesn’t offer this. For crypto, Trading 212 supports buying actual cryptocurrency and trading crypto CFDs; City Index limits crypto to CFDs. Both earn 5 stars for Range of Investments; in ForexBrokers.com’s list of 63 brokers, City Index ranks #8 and Trading 212 ranks #15.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 13000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 180
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 Yes
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 provide free demo (paper) accounts and let you place trades straight from charts. City Index offers its own in-house platform plus a Windows desktop download and a web platform. Trading 212 runs in the browser but does not have a Windows desktop app or a proprietary platform.

Tool availability also differs. City Index supports copy trading and MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Trading 212 offers neither; MT5 isn’t available at either broker. In ForexBrokers.com’s ratings for Trading Platforms and Tools, City Index scores 4.5/5 and ranks 11th out of 63 brokers, compared with Trading 212 at 4/5 and 19th. If you need desktop software, MT4, or copy trading, City Index is the better fit; if you just want a simple web platform with chart trading and a demo mode, Trading 212 covers the basics.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes No
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 88 102
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 82
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 vs Trading 212: Trading 212 lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas City Index offers cryptocurrency CFDs only and does not support buying delivered crypto.

What funding options does each broker offer?

In a payment-methods comparison of online brokers City Index and Trading 212, both support ACH/SEPA and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, neither supports Skrill, and only City Index offers PayPal (Trading 212 does not).

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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 82
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 82
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 CMA 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 13000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 180
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 Yes
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 No
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 No
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 88 102
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 82
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review Trading 212 Review
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