Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets 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.
CMC Markets and Trading 212 are well-known online brokers with different profiles. CMC Markets, founded in 1989, is publicly traded, while Trading 212, founded in 2004, is privately held. According to ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets earns a 99/99 Trust Score (highly trusted), whereas Trading 212 scores 82/99 (trusted).
On regulation, CMC Markets holds 6 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, compared to Trading 212’s 3 Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses. ForexBrokers.com considers Tier-1 licenses highly trusted and Tier-2 trusted. Neither broker is a bank. If you want the widest regulatory coverage and the highest trust rating, CMC Markets stands out; Trading 212 remains a trusted choice with fewer top-tier licenses.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, CMC Markets comes out ahead of Trading 212. CMC Markets earns a 5-star rating and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees, while Trading 212 has a 4-star rating and ranks #29 out of 36. CMC’s standard account can be pricier than some rivals, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips, but its pricing is fairly consistent and its FX Active pricing can lower costs further for active traders.
Trading 212 also promotes commission-free trading, but traders still pay the spread on CFDs and forex. Its published average EUR/USD spread was 2.7 pips in April 2025, which is notably higher than CMC Markets’ average. That makes Trading 212 less competitive on everyday trading costs, especially for forex and CFD traders who trade often or in larger sizes.
CMC Markets also stands out with lower-cost options for active users, including FX Active, volume-based rebates, and no minimum deposit. Trading 212 has a low minimum deposit, but its wider spreads can offset the appeal of zero commissions. For traders focused on fees, CMC Markets is the stronger pick overall.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | 2.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing CMC Markets vs Trading 212 for range of investments, both online brokers give traders access to forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, plus exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges. Neither broker offers copy trading, and both provide cryptocurrency CFDs for those who want to trade crypto price movements without owning the asset itself. Each broker also earns a 5-star rating for range of investments, showing that both have a wide selection overall.
CMC Markets stands out with a larger product list, offering 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, compared with Trading 212’s 13,000 symbols and 180 forex pairs. Trading 212 does have one clear advantage: it lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, while CMC Markets does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s range of investments rankings, CMC Markets places higher at #9 out of 36 brokers, ahead of Trading 212 at #14.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 13000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 180 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| 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.
CMC Markets has a wider range of trading platforms and tools than Trading 212. It offers a proprietary platform built in-house, a Windows desktop app, and a web platform, plus support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Trading 212 also gives traders a web platform and a free demo account, but it does not have a desktop download option or support for MT4 and MT5, and it does not offer a proprietary platform. Neither broker provides copy trading, and both let you trade directly from a stock chart.
For charting and everyday use, both brokers include paper trading and chart-based order entry, but CMC Markets stands out overall for platform choice and advanced trading access. That stronger setup is reflected in its 5-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools and its #6 ranking out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Trading 212’s 4-star rating and #19 ranking. If you want more platform variety and more tools for active trading, CMC Markets is the stronger pick; if you prefer a simpler web-based experience, Trading 212 still covers the basics well.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 102 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each app includes price alerts, watchlist symbol syncing, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of chart drawings. That means you can track stock or forex markets, make chart updates, and have those changes carry over between your mobile app and online account on either platform.
The biggest difference is in charting tools and overall mobile app ratings. Trading 212 offers 104 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 30 for CMC Markets, which may appeal to traders who want more chart options on the go. Even so, CMC Markets comes out ahead in app quality ratings, earning 5 stars and ranking #5 out of 36 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Trading 212 is rated 4 stars and ranked #17.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | 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.
CMC Markets comes out ahead of Trading 212 for market research, thanks to daily market commentary and access to Autochartist tools, which can help traders spot possible setups more easily. Both brokers provide forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, along with a sentiment tool showing long and short positioning and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research tools.
Overall, CMC Markets has the stronger research offering, with a 5-star Research rating and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212 still covers the basics well, but it lacks daily commentary and Autochartist, and its Research rating is lower at 3.5 stars with a #31 ranking. For traders who rely more on market analysis and extra research features, CMC Markets is the better choice.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing CMC Markets vs Trading 212 for beginner education, CMC Markets comes out ahead overall. CMC Markets offers forex and CFD learning content, runs online educational client webinars at least once a month, and provides at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders. It also earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers for education on ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212 also offers at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, plus forex and CFD education content, but it does not host monthly educational webinars. Its Education score is 3.5 stars, and it ranks #23 out of 36 brokers.
For beginners who want more regular guidance and a wider mix of learning formats, CMC Markets may be the better choice. Trading 212 still gives new traders useful video-based lessons, but CMC Markets stands out for offering more structured educational support, especially through live webinars and a higher overall education rating.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | 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 CMC Markets is better than Trading 212. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #25.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its 21,710 tradeable instruments and 303 forex pairs, the largest currency lineup in the industry.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
CMC Markets vs Trading 212: Trading 212 lets you buy real (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade crypto CFDs, while CMC Markets offers crypto CFDs only and does not provide access to actual delivered coins.
When comparing CMC Markets vs Trading 212 for funding options, CMC Markets stands out with ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires, while Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wires but does not offer PayPal; neither broker supports Skrill, and Visa or 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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 13000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 180 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | 2.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 102 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Trading 212 Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
Capital.com
AvaTrade
XM
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill
HFM Markets