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 | 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.
Trading 212 and Exness both support forex trading, whether as CFDs or spot. Trading 212 offers a much wider selection overall with 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, compared with Exness’s 209 symbols and 96 forex pairs. Trading 212 also lets clients buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international exchanges (for example, Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London), while Exness does not offer real, exchange-traded shares. Neither broker sells actual cryptocurrency, though both provide crypto derivatives. Copy trading is available at Exness but not at Trading 212.
For range of investments, Trading 212 is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Exness earns 3.5 stars and ranks #56. Choose Trading 212 if you want a wider choice of markets and access to listed shares; pick Exness if copy trading is a priority and you’re focused on forex and CFDs.
| 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.
Trading 212 vs Exness: both brokers offer free demo (paper) accounts and in-house trading platforms you can use in a web browser. Platform access differs on desktop, though—Trading 212 does not provide a Windows download, while Exness does. Both let you place trades directly from charts. If you want copy trading, Exness includes it, whereas Trading 212 does not.
Platform integrations also set them apart: Exness supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5); Trading 212 supports neither. According to ForexBrokers.com, each earns 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, with Trading 212 ranked #20 of 63 brokers and Exness ranked #26. Details about third‑party copy services (like DupliTrade or ZuluTrade), specific chart indicators, drawing tools, and watchlist columns were not provided.
| 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 Trading 212 and Exness offer iPhone and Android apps, with built-in price alerts to help you stay on top of market moves. A key difference is watchlists: the Trading 212 mobile app syncs your watchlist with your online account, so symbols you add or remove carry over across devices; Exness does not sync watchlists between mobile and web.
For charting, Trading 212 includes 104 technical indicators compared with 35 on Exness. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only Trading 212 auto-saves your drawings, which can save time when you revisit a chart. According to ForexBrokers.com, both apps earn 4 out of 5 stars for mobile, with Trading 212 ranked 17th out of 63 brokers and Exness ranked 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 |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] |
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.
Trading 212 vs Exness for beginner education: both brokers offer at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, which gives new traders plenty of bite-size lessons and room to grow. Exness also runs monthly live webinars, which can be helpful if you like interactive learning, while Trading 212 does not offer monthly client webinars. The availability of a searchable webinar archive, an investor dictionary, and dedicated forex/CFD education is not specified in the data provided.
For overall education, both are rated 3.5 out of 5 stars. However, Trading 212 ranks higher (#21 of 63) than Exness (#47 of 63) in the Education category at ForexBrokers.com. If live webinars are a priority, Exness is the better fit. If you want a higher-ranked education library and plenty of videos to get started, Trading 212 has the edge.
| 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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Both Trading 212 and Exness do not provide the option to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do offer opportunities to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives.
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 (SFC 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 | 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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