Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG 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.
Comparing online brokers IG and Trading 212: IG was founded in 1974, while Trading 212 started in 2004. IG is publicly traded and operates as a bank; Trading 212 is privately held and is not a bank.
Regulation and trust differ notably. On the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted), IG scores 99 and holds 8 Tier-1 licenses plus 2 Tier-2 licenses. Trading 212 scores 82 and holds 3 Tier-1 licenses with no Tier-2 licenses, placing it in the trusted category.
| Feature |
IG
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
IG earns a 5-star rating and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. It is not a discount broker, but it does offer competitive pricing for active traders, especially through its Forex Direct DMA account and volume-based rebates. On its main Forex Direct account, the EUR/USD average spread was 0.62 pips in July 2023, which came to an all-in cost of about 0.82 pips after commission. IG’s CFD pricing was also fairly strong, with average spreads of 0.69 pips during main market hours, though costs can rise outside of the busiest trading times.
Trading 212 has a 4-star rating and ranks #29 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. It advertises zero-commission trading, but that does not mean trading is free, since spreads still apply on CFDs and forex. Trading 212 has started sharing average spread data, which helps with transparency, but its EUR/USD average spread was 2.7 pips in April 2025, noticeably higher than the industry average and much less competitive than IG for cost-conscious traders.
In simple terms, IG is the better choice if low trading costs matter most, especially for active or high-volume traders. Trading 212 may appeal to beginners because of its simple fee structure, but its wider spreads can make it more expensive for CFD and forex trading.
| Feature |
IG
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | €1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.91 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.82 | 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.
IG and Trading 212 both give investors access to a wide mix of markets, including forex, U.S. and international shares, and both actual and CFD cryptocurrency trading. Each broker also lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and overseas exchanges, while neither offers copy trading. In terms of ratings, both are awarded 5 out of 5 stars for range of investments, which shows that each platform offers plenty of choice for everyday investors.
There are some clear differences in size and market coverage. IG lists 19,537 tradeable symbols, compared with 13,000 at Trading 212, so IG offers the larger overall selection. Trading 212, however, has more forex pairs available, with 180 versus IG’s 97. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for range of investments, IG places higher at #4 out of 36 brokers, while Trading 212 ranks #14, making IG the stronger pick for overall variety and Trading 212 a good option for forex pair selection.
| Feature |
IG
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 13000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 180 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
IG and Trading 212 both give traders a free demo account for paper trading and a web-based platform that works in a browser. Each also lets you place trades straight from a chart, which is helpful if you like to act on price moves quickly. Neither broker offers copy trading, so if you want to follow and mirror other traders, you will need to look elsewhere.
Where IG stands out is in platform choice and trading tools. IG offers its own in-house platform, plus a Windows desktop download and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, giving active traders more ways to trade and analyze markets. Trading 212 does not offer a desktop app or MetaTrader, and it does not have a proprietary platform. That gap is reflected in independent reviews too: IG earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while Trading 212 scores 4 stars and ranks #19.
| Feature |
IG
|
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) | 33 | 102 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IG and Trading 212 both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each app includes helpful tools like stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing between mobile and online accounts, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. This means traders can keep track of markets and make chart updates from either device without losing their work. In day-to-day use, both apps cover the basics well and make it easy to monitor trades on the go.
Where they differ most is in charting depth and overall app ratings. Trading 212 offers more technical studies in its mobile app, with 104 compared with IG’s 33, which may appeal to traders who want more chart analysis tools. However, IG comes out ahead in independent mobile app reviews, earning a 5-star rating and the #1 rank out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 holds a 4-star rating and ranks #17. For mobile trading apps overall, IG has the stronger reputation, while Trading 212 offers the wider set of technical indicators.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 | 33 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, IG has a clear edge over Trading 212. IG offers daily market commentary, Autochartist tools, TipRanks research, and Acuity Trading signals, giving traders more ways to follow trends and find ideas. It also provides forex news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, plus a sentiment tool and an economic calendar. By contrast, Trading 212 also includes top-tier forex news, a sentiment indicator, and an economic calendar, but it does not offer daily commentary, Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research.
This wider range of research tools helps explain why IG is rated 5 stars for Research and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212 earns 3.5 stars and ranks #31, which suggests a more limited research offering overall. For traders who rely on market analysis and timely insights, IG is the stronger choice, while Trading 212 covers only the basics well.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing IG and Trading 212 for beginner education, IG comes out ahead overall. IG offers forex and CFD learning content, monthly live educational webinars, and plenty of beginner and advanced trading videos, making it a strong choice for new traders who want more ways to learn. ForexBrokers.com gives IG a 5-star Education rating and ranks it #7 out of 36 brokers in the Education category.
Trading 212 also provides at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so it does give users useful learning material. However, it does not offer monthly educational webinars, and its Education score is lower at 3.5 stars, with a ranking of #23 out of 36 brokers. For beginners looking for more structured support and more forex or CFD-focused education, IG is the better pick.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 IG is better than Trading 212. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #25.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
IG
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
In the IG vs Trading 212 comparison, both brokers let you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and also trade cryptocurrency CFDs, giving investors flexible options for real coin ownership or leveraged crypto exposure.
When comparing IG vs Trading 212 for funding options, IG supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires, while Trading 212 supports bank wires but does not offer PayPal, Skrill, or clearly listed ACH/SEPA or Visa/Mastercard transfer options.
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 | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 13000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 180 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.91 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.82 | 2.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | €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 | IG | 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 | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 102 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | 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 | 33 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | IG Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | IG | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Trading 212 Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
Capital.com
AvaTrade
XM
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill
HFM Markets