Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs Exness, 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.
Trading 212 and Exness are both well-established online brokers, with Trading 212 founded in 2004 and Exness in 2008. Neither company is publicly traded, nor do they operate as banks. When it comes to regulatory licenses, Trading 212 holds three Tier-1 licenses, considered highly trusted, while Exness holds two. On the other hand, Exness has three Tier-2 licenses, regarded as trusted, whereas Trading 212 holds none.
In terms of safety and reliability, Trading 212 has a Trust Score of 80 from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the "trusted" category. Exness scores slightly higher with a Trust Score of 81, also falling under the "trusted" category. Both brokers offer solid trading options, but their regulatory standings and trust ratings provide potential investors with important factors to consider when choosing between them.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
Trading 212’s CFD account advertises zero-commission trading, but your total cost still includes the spread. The broker now publishes average spreads; in April 2025 its EUR/USD average was 2.7 pips—well above the industry average—so forex and CFD trades can be pricier than many peers despite the no-commission tagline. Minimum deposit is €10 for the CFD account. Trading 212’s Commissions and Fees rating is 4/5 stars and it ranks #50 out of 63 brokers (ForexBrokers.com).
Exness ties pricing to account type. Its commission-free accounts (Standard Cent, Standard, and Pro) use wider spreads, with Pro offering the best spreads among them and the option for instant or market execution. For lower spreads, the commission-based accounts are the draw: the Zero Spread account charges a $0.05 per-trade commission, while the Raw account charges up to $7 per round-turn lot ($3.5 per side), both using market execution and a 30% margin-call trigger. Exness earns 4/5 stars for Commissions and Fees and ranks #36 out of 63 brokers (ForexBrokers.com).
Bottom line: Trading 212 keeps pricing simple but, with an average 2.7-pip EUR/USD spread in April 2025, it may cost more per trade than many alternatives. Exness offers more ways to tune costs—its commission-based accounts can deliver tighter spreads that may beat Trading 212’s all-in pricing, even after commissions. Both are rated 4 stars, but Exness holds the higher category ranking (#36 vs. #50).
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing the range of investments, Trading 212 offers a much wider selection than Exness. Trading 212 lists 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, while Exness provides 209 symbols and 96 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts. A key difference is stock access: Trading 212 lets you buy exchange-traded shares on both U.S. markets (like Apple on NASDAQ) and international exchanges (such as Vodafone in London); Exness does not offer real, exchange-traded stocks.
For crypto, neither broker supports buying actual coins, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs. Copy trading is available at Exness, while Trading 212 does not provide it. Reflecting the broader choice, Trading 212 earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 16th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas Exness scores 3.5 stars and ranks 56th. In short, Trading 212 suits investors who want a large menu including real stocks, while Exness fits traders focused on forex and crypto CFDs with copy trading.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 209 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 96 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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.
Comparing Trading 212 vs Exness for trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide free demo (paper) accounts, in-house proprietary platforms, and easy web-based trading. Each also lets you place trades directly from charts. The key differences are on desktop and third‑party tools. Exness offers a Windows desktop platform, supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and includes copy trading. Trading 212 does not offer a Windows desktop platform, MT4/MT5, or copy trading.
Both brokers earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, Trading 212 places #20 while Exness ranks #26. Choose Trading 212 if you want a straightforward web and app experience with a proprietary platform and paper trading. Choose Exness if you need a Windows desktop option, MetaTrader (MT4/MT5) compatibility, or built‑in copy trading alongside a free demo account.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 107 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both the Trading 212 mobile app and the Exness mobile app are available on iPhone and Android, and both support price alerts for stocks and forex. A key difference is watchlists: Trading 212 syncs your watchlist between the mobile app and your online account, while Exness does not, so changes made in one place won’t carry over in the other with Exness.
For charting, Trading 212 provides 104 technical studies (indicators) compared with 35 on Exness. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only Trading 212 auto-saves your drawings. Both apps are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, and on ForexBrokers.com Trading 212 ranks 17th out of 63 brokers, while Exness ranks 26th.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both Trading 212 and Exness deliver the basics: real-time forex news from top sources like Bloomberg/Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows long vs. short positioning, and an economic calendar. Exness goes a step further with daily market commentary, which Trading 212 does not provide. Neither broker integrates Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. The key difference is that Exness offers Trading Central tools for added technical and fundamental analysis, while Trading 212 lacks this extra layer.
Both brokers earn 3.5 out of 5 stars for Research. In ForexBrokers.com’s 2024 rankings, Exness places #42 of 63 for Research, while Trading 212 sits at #45. Choose Exness if you want daily commentary plus Trading Central insights. Pick Trading 212 if you’re content with core news, sentiment data, and an economic calendar without additional third‑party research suites.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner traders comparing Trading 212 vs Exness on education, both brokers offer a sizable library of videos to get you started. Each provides at least 10 beginner-friendly videos that explain trading basics in plain language, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. A key difference: Exness hosts ongoing educational webinars (at least one per month), which can be great for learning in real time and asking questions, while Trading 212 does not run monthly client webinars.
Both brokers are rated 3.5 out of 5 for Education by ForexBrokers.com. However, Trading 212 ranks higher overall in the Education category (#21 out of 63) compared with Exness (#47 out of 63). If live webinars are a priority, Exness has the edge. If you want a higher-ranked education offering built around a large video library, Trading 212 may suit you better.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes |
| 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 Trading 212 is better than Exness. Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #43.
Best known for its mobile trading app, Trading 212 offers an easy-to-use trading platform suite for CFD and share trading, as well as a large variety of forex pairs. However, despite its well-designed platform and wide range of symbols, its lack of advanced trading tools and flat research offerings hamper Trading 212’s bid to be considered a top broker.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 81 |
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In the Trading 212 vs Exness comparison for cryptocurrency trading, neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) crypto, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for speculative trading.
Trading 212 vs Exness: For deposits and withdrawals, Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires (but not Skrill), while Exness supports Skrill and bank wires but does not offer ACH/SEPA or PayPal.
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 | Trading 212 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Exness | |
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| Regulation | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 209 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 96 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 107 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | Trading 212 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Exness Review |
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