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 |
When comparing Trading 212 and IronFX regarding commissions and fees, both brokers offer different packages catering to specific trading needs. Trading 212 provides two account types: Invest, primarily for trading shares, and CFD for CFD trading. For the CFD account, Trading 212 stands out with its low minimum deposit of 10 euros and its promise of zero-commission trading. However, traders should be aware that spreads still apply, especially when trading CFDs and forex. For example, in April 2025, the average spread for the EUR/USD pair was 2.7 pips, which is notably higher than the industry norm. In assessments, Trading 212 is rated 4 stars and is ranked 49th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for commissions and fees.
IronFX, on the other hand, presents pricing as an area with room for improvement. It offers various account types, such as the Standard variable spread account with a typical spread of 1.8 pips. However, exact date specifics are absent, and spreads may differ depending on the account type. Notably, the zero fixed-spread account starts at zero pips but includes an $18 per lot commission, with overnight spreads extending to 3 pips. For commissions and fees, IronFX is also rated 4 stars and ranks slightly higher than Trading 212 at 46th among 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 2.7 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Trading 212 and IronFX both offer forex trading through contracts for differences (CFDs), making them viable options for those interested in currency trading. However, Trading 212 leads the way with an extensive selection of 7,868 tradeable symbols, including 146 forex pairs. In comparison, IronFX offers a more limited selection with 340 tradeable symbols and 83 forex pairs. Additionally, Trading 212 provides clients the unique opportunity to invest in exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, allowing users to directly purchase shares of companies like Apple and Vodafone. In contrast, IronFX does not offer this service.
For those interested in diversified investment opportunities, Trading 212 stands out with a 5-star rating for Range of Investments and a strong #15 rank among 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. It also allows trading of cryptocurrency derivatives, though not actual cryptocurrencies. IronFX also offers cryptocurrency derivatives but lacks the opportunity for direct securities investment and falls short with a 3.5-star rating, ranking #51 in the same brokerage evaluation. While IronFX does offer copy trading, users who prioritize a broader range of investments and direct securities purchases may prefer Trading 212.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 83 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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 Trading 212 and IronFX, both brokers offer simulated (paper) trading with free virtual demo accounts, ideal for beginners wanting to practice without financial risk. Trading 212 stands out with its proprietary trading platform, a unique feature since it was developed in-house specifically for their users. Meanwhile, IronFX relies on popular MetaTrader platforms, namely MT4, offering more familiarity for those accustomed to these systems. IronFX provides a Windows-based desktop trading platform, while Trading 212 offers a seamless web-based experience without the need for downloads.
For traders keen on analysis, Trading 212 offers a variety of 20 drawing tools for charting needs, surpassing the 15 available with IronFX. Both brokers support direct trading from stock charts, making swift decisions a breeze. While Trading 212 curates watchlists with 5 fields, IronFX accommodates 7 fields for a more detailed view. Copy trading enthusiasts may prefer IronFX, given that they offer this feature, whereas Trading 212 does not. In terms of ratings, Trading 212 earns higher marks with 4 stars and a ranking of #20 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, compared to IronFX's 3.5 stars and ranking of #61.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of Trading 212 and IronFX, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps that allow users to stay connected while on the move. They both provide essential features like stock or forex price alerts and real-time watchlists. However, Trading 212 takes a significant lead with its 104 technical studies for charting in contrast to IronFX's 30. This richer set of tools may appeal to traders seeking detailed analysis. A standout feature of Trading 212 is watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring changes made either on the app or online account are reflected seamlessly, a feature not available with IronFX.
For users interested in drawing capabilities and time frame viewing, both platforms provide similar functions, with the ability to draw trendlines and view various time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday. Both apps also auto-save chart drawings, adding ease of use. In terms of ratings, Trading 212 receives a solid 4-star rating for its mobile app, ranked 17th among 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, whereas IronFX is rated 3.5 stars and is ranked 62nd, showing a clear preference for Trading 212 in the mobile trading sphere.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| 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.
When it comes to market research offerings, Trading 212 and IronFX each have their own strengths and limitations. IronFX holds a slight edge with its daily market commentary, giving traders timely insights into market trends, while Trading 212 does not offer this feature. Both brokers provide forex news sourced from top-tier outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring access to relevant news for informed trading. However, when it comes to technical and fundamental analysis tools, both brokers have different offerings. Only IronFX collaborates with Trading Central for technical analytics, while both lack tools from Autochartist. Interestingly, Trading 212 includes a sentiment-based trading tool that shows the ratio of long or short positions, which IronFX lacks.
Both Trading 212 and IronFX provide economic calendars to keep traders updated on global news events, an essential feature for gauging economic impacts. Despite these similarities, IronFX holds a higher rating for research, with 4 out of 5 stars, compared to Trading 212's 3.5 stars. Additionally, IronFX is ranked #28 among 63 brokers for research by ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 trails behind at #44. Therefore, for traders who prioritize comprehensive research offerings, IronFX may offer a more complete solution, though Trading 212 holds unique tools that cater to sentiment-based trading enthusiasts.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both Trading 212 and IronFX provide a solid foundation to help new traders get started in the world of forex and CFDs. Each platform offers over ten educational materials, such as articles, videos, and archived webinars that focus primarily on these markets. Although neither offers live monthly webinars, both maintain searchable archives of past webinars, allowing newcomers to learn at their own pace. For those who prefer video content, each broker presents more than ten videos tailored specifically for beginners covering various trading topics. However, Trading 212 stands out with additional educational content, offering more than ten advanced videos for traders looking to deepen their understanding.
Both platforms include an investor dictionary with over fifty investing terms for easy reference, which can be particularly helpful for newcomers navigating the jargon-heavy world of trading. Despite Trading 212 having a broader educational library, it receives a slightly lower rating of 3.5 stars compared to IronFX’s 4-star rating for education. Conversely, Trading 212 ranks higher at #20 among 63 brokers in the Education category according to ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX is placed at #44, suggesting that Trading 212 might offer a more comprehensive educational experience for those interested in advancing their trading knowledge.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 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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Both Trading 212 and IronFX do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide options to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers, Trading 212 provides more diverse and convenient funding options than IronFX, with support for ACH, SEPA, and PayPal transactions, while both platforms accept Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, and only IronFX supports Skrill.
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 | |
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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) | No | No | |
| 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) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 2.7 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 | |
| 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 Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| 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 | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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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