Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs IronFX, 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, established in 2004, and IronFX, which came on the scene in 2010, stand as notable names in the online brokerage world. Both are privately owned companies and neither functions as a bank. Each broker holds three Tier-1 licenses, an indicator of high trust according to ForexBrokers.com, ensuring a measure of confidence for their users. They do not possess any Tier-2 licenses, which are deemed simply trusted. For a user looking to choose between these two brokers, the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score offers some insight. Trading 212 holds a respectable Trust Score of 80, placing it in the "trusted" category, while IronFX scores an 83, indicating a slightly higher trust rating.
Both brokers show commitment to regulatory compliance with their Tier-1 licenses, crucial for establishing trust among traders. Although neither Trading 212 nor IronFX is a bank or publicly traded, they maintain their relevance through added layers of credibility from their respective trust scores. Potential users may consider these factors in deciding which broker aligns better with their trading needs, especially with IronFX scoring marginally higher in the trust department.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Trading 212’s CFD account advertises zero-commission trading, but you still pay the spread on each trade. The broker now publishes average spread data; in April 2025 its average EUR/USD spread was 2.7 pips—above the industry average, which can make frequent trading more costly. Commissions and Fees rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Category ranking: #50 out of 63 brokers (ForexBrokers.com).
IronFX’s pricing also trends higher than the industry average, though its Standard variable account lists a typical 1.8-pip spread (no date range provided). Its Zero fixed-spread account starts at 0.0 pips but charges a $18 per lot commission, and spreads widen to 3 pips overnight—costs that active traders should factor in. Commissions and Fees rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Category ranking: #47 out of 63 brokers (ForexBrokers.com).
Bottom line: Trading 212 offers clear, published average spreads but showed 2.7 pips on EUR/USD in April 2025. IronFX posts a lower typical 1.8 pips on its Standard account, yet the lack of a date range and extra costs on its Zero account (commission plus overnight widening) can add up. Both earn 4 stars, with IronFX ranked slightly higher (#47) than Trading 212 (#50) for commissions and fees.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Trading 212 and IronFX both support forex trading (CFD/spot), but their product lineups differ in size. Trading 212 lists 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, while IronFX offers 340 symbols and 83 forex pairs. Both brokers provide cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual crypto.
If you want exchange-traded securities, Trading 212 allows real share dealing on U.S. and international exchanges (for example, Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London). IronFX does not offer exchange-traded shares. For social features, IronFX includes copy trading, whereas Trading 212 does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments ratings, Trading 212 scores 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers; IronFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #52.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 83 |
| 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 and IronFX both offer free demo accounts and web-based platforms where you can trade directly from charts. Trading 212 uses its own in-house platform and does not provide a Windows desktop app. IronFX does not have a proprietary platform, but it does offer a Windows desktop platform and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Neither broker offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5).
For extra features, IronFX includes copy trading, while Trading 212 does not. In our ratings for trading platforms and tools, Trading 212 scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 20th out of 63 brokers, whereas IronFX scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 62nd. Choose Trading 212 if you want a higher-rated, browser-based in-house platform, or IronFX if you prefer a Windows desktop setup with MT4 and copy trading.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Trading 212 and IronFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, drawing trendlines on charts, and auto-saving those drawings. A key difference is watchlist syncing: Trading 212 syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while IronFX does not, which can matter if you switch devices often.
For charting, Trading 212 includes 104 technical studies compared with 30 on IronFX. In ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps ratings, Trading 212 earns 4 stars and ranks #17 out of 63 brokers, while IronFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #63. If you want more technical tools and cross-device watchlist syncing, the Trading 212 app may fit better; if you just need core features on iPhone or Android, IronFX still covers the essentials.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing market research, IronFX edges ahead with daily market commentary and access to Trading Central’s technical analysis, while Trading 212 skips daily commentary and doesn’t offer Trading Central. Both brokers deliver forex news from top-tier sources and include an economic calendar. Neither broker uses Autochartist. Trading 212 adds a helpful sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions, which IronFX lacks. Trading 212 does not integrate TipRanks or Acuity Trading; IronFX’s use of TipRanks or Acuity is not specified.
Overall, IronFX earns 4 stars for research and ranks #29 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, making it a solid pick if you want daily insights and Trading Central signals. Trading 212 scores 3.5 stars and ranks #45 out of 63, and may suit traders who prefer sentiment data paired with high-quality news coverage.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners, both Trading 212 and IronFX offer at least 10 introductory videos that cover trading basics, making it easy to get started with forex and CFD concepts. Neither broker runs ongoing client education webinars (at least one per month), so live learning options are limited.
If you plan to grow beyond the basics, Trading 212 adds depth with at least 10 advanced videos, while IronFX does not. Trading 212 holds a 3.5 out of 5 Education rating and ranks #21 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. IronFX is rated 4 out of 5 for Education and ranks #44 out of 63. Choose Trading 212 if you want beginner content with a clearer path to advanced topics; pick IronFX if a higher-rated beginner video library is your priority, and you don’t need monthly webinars.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
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 IronFX. Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
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
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 83 |
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Online brokers Trading 212 and IronFX both do not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but each offers cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Trading 212 vs IronFX: Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers (no Skrill; Visa/Mastercard not disclosed), whereas IronFX does not support ACH/SEPA and does not disclose whether it supports PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, or bank wire transfers.
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 | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 83 | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | 1.2 | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review |
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