Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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.
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
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
When comparing the online brokers City Index and Trading 212 in terms of commissions and fees, City Index emerges as a competitive choice with an average spread of 0.74 pips on the EUR/USD pair, aligning with the industry average. Traders who deposit more than £10,000 might benefit from the Premium Trader account, which offers exclusive pricing and other perks. Additionally, for U.K.-based professional traders, City Index offers rebates starting at £4 per million, increasing to £7.5 for higher volumes. These factors contribute to its rating of 4.5 stars and a commendable ranking of #14 out of 63 brokers in this category.
Trading 212, on the other hand, offers zero-commission trading for its CFD account but charges a spread on CFD and forex trades. Although the broker has made strides in publishing its average spread data to ensure transparency, its average spread of 2.7 pips on the EUR/USD pair is significantly higher than the industry standard and not as favorable as City Index. Despite this, Trading 212 is user-friendly, with a low minimum deposit of just 10 euros for its CFD account. However, its commission and fees structure earn it a rating of 4 stars and a ranking of #49 out of 63 brokers.
Overall, City Index provides more favorable pricing for avid traders, especially those able to take advantage of its premium offerings and active trader rebates. In contrast, Trading 212's zero-commission model does not offset its higher spreads, making it less competitive in terms of overall trading costs, though it remains accessible to newcomers due to its low entry barriers.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | €1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 2.7 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index and Trading 212 both offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, but the scope of available trading instruments differs. City Index provides access to a vast range of 13,500 tradeable symbols, whereas Trading 212 offers 7,868 symbols. Interestingly, Trading 212 surpasses City Index in tradeable forex pairs, offering 146 compared to City Index’s 66. When it comes to exchange-traded securities, Trading 212 stands out by allowing clients to purchase real stocks from both U.S. and international exchanges, a feature City Index lacks.
In addition to their individual offerings, both brokers provide cryptocurrency derivatives, catering to enthusiasts without selling actual cryptocurrencies. City Index supports copy trading, adding a social dimension that Trading 212 does not offer. Despite slight differences in their range of investments, both platforms earn a stellar five-star rating in this category. Rankings by ForexBrokers.com place City Index at #8 and Trading 212 at #15 out of 63 brokers, reflecting their competitive stature in the investment arena.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 7868 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 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.
City Index and Trading 212 both cater to traders who value simulated trading options, offering free virtual demo accounts to help investors get a feel for their platforms. City Index and Trading 212 provide proprietary platforms, ensuring a tailored user experience. However, when it comes to desktop versatility, City Index holds an edge with a Windows-based desktop platform, which Trading 212 lacks. Both brokers feature web-based trading platforms accessible via any browser, expanding accessibility for users across different devices.
City Index further enhances trading opportunities with copy trading abilities, a feature absent in Trading 212. Additionally, City Index provides MetaTrader 4 compatibility, unlike Trading 212, which doesn't support either MetaTrader versions. In terms of charting tools, City Index leads with 239 drawing tools, far outpacing Trading 212, which offers only 20. Both platforms allow trading directly from stock charts, but City Index supports more detailed watch lists with 11 columns compared to Trading 212's 5. Overall, City Index stands out with a 4.5-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, ranked 11th out of 63 brokers, while Trading 212 scores 4 stars, ranked 20th in the same category.
| Feature |
City Index
|
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) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 5 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of City Index and Trading 212, both platforms offer accessible experiences for iPhone and Android users, complete with stock and forex price alerts, and seamless watchlist syncing between devices and online accounts. City Index presents 88 technical studies for chart analysis, whereas Trading 212 offers a slightly larger selection with 104 studies. Both apps allow traders to draw trendlines on charts, view various time frames like daily or intraday, and automatically save chart drawings, ensuring a smooth trading process.
While both City Index and Trading 212 allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, City Index edges ahead in user ratings, receiving a 4.5-star rating compared to Trading 212’s 4-star rating. Additionally, City Index is ranked 9th by ForexBrokers.com for mobile trading apps among 63 brokers, demonstrating its strong performance in the category, while Trading 212 is ranked 17th. Both platforms are equipped to cater to mobile traders, though City Index garners slightly higher accolades in terms of reviews and rankings.
| Feature |
City Index
|
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 | 88 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of City Index and Trading 212, City Index stands out with its comprehensive suite of features. City Index provides daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, similar to Trading 212. However, City Index goes a step further by offering tools such as Technical Analytics from Trading Central and a sentiment-based trading tool that compares long and short positions across various instruments. Both brokers offer economic calendars to keep traders informed about global news events.
In terms of ratings, City Index boasts a higher score with 4.5 out of 5 stars for research, compared to Trading 212's 3.5 stars. Additionally, City Index ranks 10th out of 63 brokers for research according to ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 is positioned at 44th. For traders seeking a more in-depth and diverse range of research tools, City Index appears to provide a more substantial experience than Trading 212.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | 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.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both City Index and Trading 212 provide a strong foundation for newcomers to the trading world. City Index offers an extensive range of educational content focused on forex and CFDs, with over ten pieces that include articles, videos, and archived webinars. In addition, they host monthly online educational webinars and maintain a searchable archive of past sessions. Beginners can also benefit from at least ten dedicated educational videos tailored specifically for new traders. Avaliable resources also include over ten advanced trading videos for experienced traders and an investor dictionary featuring definitions for more than 50 crucial terms. This comprehensive educational offering earns City Index an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars and a ranking of 9th out of 63 brokers for education by ForexBrokers.com.
Trading 212 matches City Index in providing a variety of educational resources, including educational content focused on forex and CFDs, featuring more than ten pieces such as articles and videos. They also provide a similar searchable archive of previously recorded webinars and a collection of at least ten beginner-focused educational videos. Furthermore, Trading 212 offers advanced educational videos and a well-stocked investor dictionary. However, Trading 212 does not hold monthly educational webinars, which might impact users looking for real-time, interactive learning sessions. Trading 212's overall education quality is rated at 3.5 out of 5 stars, placing it 20th out of 63 brokers for the education category according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
City Index
|
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 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 #31.
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
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Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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Both City Index and Trading 212 do not provide the option to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both City Index and Trading 212 provide versatile funding options, allowing deposits and withdrawals via ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but neither supports Skrill 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 | City Index | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 7868 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 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 | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 2.7 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | €1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | 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) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 5 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 54 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 20 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | 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 | 88 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | 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 | City Index | 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 | City Index | 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 | City Index Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | City Index | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Trading 212 Review |
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