Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, is a highly trusted online broker with a top-tier reputation. It holds an exceptional Trust Score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, ensuring client confidence and peace of mind. The company is publicly traded, further underscoring its transparency and reliability. With 9 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, Interactive Brokers is well-regulated, demonstrating its commitment to providing a secure trading environment, although it is not classified as a bank.
Founded in 2004, Trading 212 operates as a noteworthy player in the online brokerage landscape. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 79, it is categorized as having an average level of risk. While it is not publicly traded, Trading 212 holds 2 Tier-1 licenses, signifying its adherence to high standards in financial regulation. However, it doesn't possess any Tier-2 licenses, and similar to Interactive Brokers, Trading 212 is not recognized as a banking institution.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of Interactive Brokers with Trading 212, Interactive Brokers stands out due to its highly competitive pricing structure, particularly for active forex traders. Although the broker does not publish its average forex spread, data from Q3 2024 reveals an average spread for the EUR/USD of 0.19 pips, resulting in an all-in spread of 0.59 pips after considering commissions. With a dynamic commission model, fees can start as low as 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value, accompanied by a minimum of $2 per order. This comprehensive pricing offers significant advantages to high-volume traders, providing potential discounts for monthly trading volumes that surpass $1 billion, further benefiting users who reach $5 billion per month.
In contrast, Trading 212 is known for its straightforward offering of zero-commission trading on its CFD accounts, but this benefit is offset by relatively high average spreads. As of January 2024, the average spread for the EUR/USD pair was 1.9 pips, substantially higher than industry averages. This places Trading 212 at a disadvantage in terms of costs in comparison to other leading forex and CFD brokers. Despite these higher spreads, Trading 212 provides a low-entry barrier with a minimum deposit requirement of just 10 euros for its CFD account, making it an accessible option for beginner traders, albeit potentially more expensive in terms of spread costs.
In summary, Interactive Brokers receives a 5-star rating for its commissions and fees, ranking #2 out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. This reflects its finely structured pricing suitable for large-scale traders. On the other hand, Trading 212, with a 4-star rating and a #43 ranking, offers zero-commission trades but higher spreads, making it a more costly option for traders concerned with spread differences.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 1.9 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the available range of investments, both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 cater to a wide variety of trader preferences, but with some notable differences. Offering 8,500 tradeable symbols, Interactive Brokers slightly surpasses Trading 212's 8,025 symbols. Both platforms provide access to forex trading, either as CFDs or spot contracts. However, Trading 212 leads with 146 tradeable forex pairs, compared to Interactive Brokers' 90 pairs. Additionally, clients can buy exchange-traded securities from U.S. and international exchanges through both brokers, enabling investments in major companies like Apple and Vodafone. While neither broker offers copy trading, Interactive Brokers provides the option to buy actual cryptocurrency, unlike Trading 212, which only offers cryptocurrency derivatives.
In terms of ratings, both platforms receive a five-star rating for their range of investments, reflecting their versatile offerings. Nonetheless, Interactive Brokers holds the number one rank out of 62 brokers in the Range of Investments category according to ForexBrokers.com, indicating a broader investment scope and potentially more diverse opportunities. Trading 212, although commendable, ranks 15th in this category. This distinction may influence traders seeking specific investment capabilities or a greater number of tradeable symbols across different asset classes.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 8025 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 146 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | 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.
Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 both offer compelling trading platforms, but they cater to different user needs. Interactive Brokers provides a comprehensive set of features, including a downloadable Windows-based platform, while Trading 212 focuses on simplicity with a web-based platform only. Both brokers offer proprietary platforms developed in-house, and neither supports popular third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Users can engage in simulated paper trading across both platforms, allowing for practice trading in a safe, risk-free environment. However, for charting tools, Interactive Brokers offers a significant edge, providing 85 drawing tools compared to Trading 212's 20. Additionally, Interactive Brokers allows more customization with an impressive 659 columns for watch lists, vastly surpassing Trading 212's five. Both platforms allow trades directly from stock charts, a feature appreciated by active traders.
When it comes to accolades, Interactive Brokers receives a higher praise, earning five stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, and is ranked third out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Trading 212 garners four stars and holds the 20th rank. Neither broker supports copy trading or platforms like DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, which might affect users seeking social trading capabilities. Ultimately, traders seeking extensive tools, high customization, and desktop trading might prefer Interactive Brokers, whereas those seeking a straightforward, web-based platform might opt for Trading 212. Despite the differences, both platforms offer solid experiences geared towards different trading styles and preferences.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 5 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 both offer excellent mobile trading experiences on iPhone and Android devices. Both apps feature stock and forex price alerts as well as watchlist synchronization, ensuring a seamless transition between your mobile and online accounts. Each platform provides the ability to utilize multiple time frames for stock and forex charts and to create watchlists with real-time quotes. Additionally, users can draw trendlines on charts within both apps. However, while Trading 212 automatically saves these annotations, Interactive Brokers does not. When it comes to charting tools, Trading 212 edges slightly ahead with 104 technical studies compared to Interactive Brokers' 97.
Both platforms have been recognized for their mobile app offerings, yet they have been rated differently. Interactive Brokers boasts a five-star rating and ranks fourth out of 62 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Trading 212 holds a four-star rating and sits at 17th place in the same category. These rankings reflect the advanced features and positive user experiences reported by Interactive Brokers users, making it a preferred choice for those seeking comprehensive mobile trading capabilities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 | 97 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of Interactive Brokers and Trading 212, several key distinctions emerge. Interactive Brokers stands out with its daily market commentary, providing investors with regular insights into market trends. They also offer news updates from renowned sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, paired with a variety of research tools from companies such as Trading Central and Acuity Trading. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers provides a comprehensive economic calendar and employs sentiment-based trading tools, which inform traders about the balance of long and short positions in the market. These features contribute to their impressive research rating of five stars, earning them a ranking of third out of 62 brokers in the Research category at ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, Trading 212 offers forex news from top-tier sources and a sentiment-based trading tool, similar to Interactive Brokers. However, they lack daily market commentary and advanced research tools from companies like Trading Central and Acuity Trading. While they do provide an economic calendar, the absence of market research from TipRanks and limited analytical tools may contribute to their lower research rating of 3.5 stars. Consequently, Trading 212 is ranked 46th in the Research category by ForexBrokers.com, highlighting the areas where Interactive Brokers provides more comprehensive support for informed trading decisions.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 both provide extensive educational resources for those new to trading forex and CFDs. Each broker offers more than 10 detailed educational materials, including articles, videos, and webinars targeted at forex and CFDs beginners. Furthermore, they both host at least one online teaching webinar monthly, making learning accessible and consistent. Additionally, users can benefit from a searchable archive of past webinars. For beginners, both platforms offer a range of over 10 video tutorials focused specifically on foundational trading topics. They also provide a comprehensive dictionary with definitions of more than 50 investing terms, helping to demystify complex financial language.
While both brokers offer a wealth of educational materials, there are key differences in their educational offerings. Interactive Brokers is highly rated with 5 stars for its educational resources and ranks #3 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. This suggests a broader depth and quality in their educational initiatives. In comparison, Trading 212 holds a 3.5-star rating in the same category and is ranked #20 by ForexBrokers.com, indicating its educational content, while still robust, may not be as comprehensive as that of Interactive Brokers. Both platforms offer more than 10 videos tailored for advanced traders, but Interactive Brokers seems to lead in terms of user ratings and perceived educational value.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| 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 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 |
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Interactive Brokers allows customers to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, while Trading 212 provides access only to cryptocurrency derivatives but not to actual delivered cryptocurrency.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 for depositing or withdrawing account funds, both offer ACH and SEPA transfers and bank wires, but only Trading 212 provides the convenience of using PayPal, Skrill, Visa, and Mastercard, while Interactive Brokers does not.
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 | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 8025 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | 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 | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 1.9 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 5 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 54 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 20 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | 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 | 97 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Trading 212 Review |
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