Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com 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 it comes to choosing a reliable online broker, regulatory oversight is crucial, and both FOREX.com and Trading 212 offer notable credentials in this area. FOREX.com, founded in 1999, holds an impressive Trust Score of 99 out of 99, indicating a high level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com. It is publicly traded and holds seven Tier-1 licenses, making it a trustworthy option for traders. Despite not being a bank, its strong regulatory framework sets it apart as a secure choice.
On the other hand, Trading 212, established in 2004, has a Trust Score of 80, reflecting a solid level of trust. While it is not publicly traded and holds no Tier-2 licenses, Trading 212 does maintain three Tier-1 licenses. Both brokers ensure users that they operate under strict guidelines, offering peace of mind for both new and seasoned investors. Nonetheless, the higher Trust Score and number of licenses give FOREX.com a competitive edge in terms of perceived security and regulation.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 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 |
Comparing commissions and fees, FOREX.com is generally the cheaper choice for forex traders, especially if you use its commission-based RAW account. FOREX.com earns 4.5/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #14 of 63 on ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 earns 4/5 stars and ranks #50 of 63. Both advertise competitive pricing in different ways, but the actual spreads tell a clearer story.
FOREX.com’s Standard account shows typical EUR/USD spreads of about 1.4 pips in the U.S. (July 2023), and about 0.74 pips outside the U.S. (time-weighted average, July 2023). The RAW account posts typical EUR/USD spreads of 0.13 pips (February 2024) plus a $7 per standard lot commission ($3.50 per side), which adds roughly 0.7 pips—putting the all-in cost near 0.83 pips before any rebates. Active-trader rebates range from $2 to $9 per million, and very high-volume traders (over $2 billion per month) can see pricing on par with top low-cost rivals. For most U.S. traders who don’t exceed $50 million per month, the RAW account’s all-in costs are similar to the Standard account; the key differences are execution method and eligible platforms.
Trading 212’s CFD account advertises zero-commission trading, but you still pay the spread. In April 2025, its average EUR/USD spread was 2.7 pips, which is much higher than industry averages and notably above FOREX.com’s typical costs on both the Standard and RAW accounts. Bottom line: if your priority is lower forex trading costs (especially on EUR/USD), FOREX.com tends to be the more cost-effective option, while Trading 212’s pricing is less competitive on spreads despite the no-commission headline.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | €1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 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.
FOREX.com vs Trading 212: both support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts and both offer cryptocurrency derivatives (but not actual crypto). Neither platform offers copy trading. A key difference is stock access. Trading 212 lets you buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international markets, while FOREX.com does not offer real, exchange-listed stocks.
Trading 212 lists 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, compared with FOREX.com’s 5,500 symbols and 80 forex pairs. Despite these contrasts, both earn 5 stars for Range of Investments. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, FOREX.com places #7 out of 63 brokers for this category, while Trading 212 ranks #16. If owning real stocks across U.S. and global exchanges matters to you, Trading 212 stands out; if you focus on forex and CFDs with a wide selection, FOREX.com is compelling.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 7868 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 146 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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.
When comparing FOREX.com and Trading 212 for their trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, providing an excellent way for users to practice without risking real money. Both platforms have developed their proprietary trading technologies, but FOREX.com takes the lead with more options. It offers a desktop download for Windows users, which Trading 212 does not. Additionally, FOREX.com supports MetaTrader 4 and 5, popular among experienced traders, while Trading 212 does not support these platforms.
Charting capabilities are another area where FOREX.com stands out, offering significantly more drawing tools—239 compared to Trading 212's 20. Both platforms allow trading directly from charts, but FOREX.com provides a more detailed watchlist experience with 20 columns compared to Trading 212's 5. This may explain ForexBrokers.com's rating of 5 stars for FOREX.com, which ranks 7th out of 63 brokers, whereas Trading 212 has 4 stars and ranks 20th. If having a broad suite of tools matters to you, FOREX.com clearly offers a more comprehensive trading experience.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | 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 | 20 | 5 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When choosing between the mobile trading apps of FOREX.com and Trading 212, both offer seamless experiences for iPhone and Android users. They support essential features such as price alerts, trendline drawing, and the ability to view various time frames on stock or forex charts. One standout feature both platforms provide is watchlist symbol syncing, allowing users to keep their preferences consistent across devices. For traders seeking real-time market insights, both apps support watchlists with up-to-the-minute quotes.
Technical analysis fans might lean towards Trading 212, which offers 104 technical studies for chart analysis compared to the 88 available on FOREX.com. Despite this, FOREX.com takes the lead in overall rankings and user satisfaction. It is rated 5 stars, securing the #3 spot out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212, while still a strong choice, garners a 4-star rating and ranks #17. Choosing between these apps ultimately depends on whether you prioritize higher technical study options or overall app performance and rating.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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.
For market research, FOREX.com offers more depth. It provides daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), Trading Central tools for technical analysis, a sentiment indicator showing long vs. short positioning, and an economic calendar. Trading 212 delivers key essentials—forex news from leading outlets, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar—but it does not publish daily commentary and does not include Trading Central. Neither broker offers Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
Ratings back up the gap: FOREX.com scores 4.5/5 stars for Research and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212 earns 3.5/5 stars and ranks 45th out of 63. In short, choose FOREX.com if you want daily insights and added third-party analysis; pick Trading 212 if headlines, sentiment, and a calendar cover your needs.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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.
Comparing FOREX.com vs Trading 212 for beginner education, both brokers deliver plenty of forex and CFDs learning materials. Each offers at least 10 beginner videos, 10 advanced videos, a searchable archive of recorded webinars, and an investor dictionary with 50+ terms. That means you can start with basics, build up to more advanced topics, and look up key terms as you learn.
The key difference is live instruction. FOREX.com hosts online educational webinars at least once a month, while Trading 212 does not. This extra live guidance helps FOREX.com earn a higher education rating (4.5/5) and a stronger placement (#4 out of 63) compared with Trading 212’s 3.5/5 rating and #21 ranking. If you value live sessions alongside videos and articles, FOREX.com is the better fit. If you’re fine learning from recorded content and glossaries, Trading 212 still covers the essentials.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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 FOREX.com is better than Trading 212. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #5, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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Both FOREX.com and Trading 212 do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency; however, they both offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives instead.
Both FOREX.com and Trading 212 offer multiple options for depositing or withdrawing funds, including ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but neither provides support for 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 | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 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) | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | 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 |
| Investments | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 7868 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 2.7 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | €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 | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 20 | 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 | FOREX.com | 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 | FOREX.com | 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 | FOREX.com | 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 | FOREX.com | 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 | FOREX.com Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Trading 212 Review |
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