Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Pepperstone 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.
Pepperstone, established in 2010, and Trading 212, founded in 2004, are both online brokers catering to traders globally. Although neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank, Pepperstone stands out in terms of regulatory credentials. Pepperstone holds three Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, underpinning its ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 95, which signifies a level of high trust. In comparison, Trading 212 holds two Tier-1 licenses but doesn't possess any Tier-2 licenses, resulting in a Trust Score of 79, indicating an average risk level.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
Pepperstone and Trading 212 cater to traders with different preferences in terms of their fee structures. Pepperstone excels in delivering competitive pricing largely due to its Razor account, which operates on a commission-based model across multiple platforms such as TradingView and MetaTrader. An average spread of 0.10 pips for the EUR/USD pair, paired with a commission-equivalent of 0.70 pips, results in an overall cost of 0.80 pips—aligning closely with the industry average. Traders prioritizing lower spreads may find the Standard account less appealing, given its commission-free structure and higher average spread of 1.1 pips for the same currency pair.
In contrast, Trading 212 promotes a zero-commission model, though traders are still subject to spreads. For the EUR/USD pair in January 2024, Trading 212's average spread was 1.9 pips, notably above the industry average. This higher spread puts Trading 212 at a competitive disadvantage when compared to leading CFD and forex brokers. Despite these challenges, Trading 212's transparent approach to publishing its average spread data benefits traders seeking clearer pricing insights.
Pepperstone stands out with a 4.5-star rating from ForexBrokers.com, ranking it #10 among 62 brokers for commissions and fees. Meanwhile, Trading 212 receives a 4-star rating and is ranked #43 in the same category. This difference highlights Pepperstone's effectiveness in providing attractive pricing for high-volume traders through its Active Trader program, which offers rebates and spread reductions based on trading volume and professional client status in regions like the UK, EU, and Australia.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 1.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | 1.9 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the variety of investment options, Pepperstone and Trading 212 cater to different trader preferences. Pepperstone provides access to a substantial 1,726 tradeable symbols, including 65 forex pairs. It allows forex trading as both a CFD and spot contract and supports copy trading for those looking to replicate the strategies of successful traders. However, Pepperstone doesn’t offer direct trading of exchange-traded securities on major U.S. or international exchanges, nor does it provide the option to directly purchase cryptocurrencies, although cryptocurrency derivatives are available for trading.
In contrast, Trading 212 shines with a wider selection of 8,025 tradeable symbols and a remarkable 146 forex pairs, also offered as CFDs or spot contracts. Unique to Trading 212 is its ability to provide direct access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, allowing users to invest in stocks like those of Apple or Vodafone. Despite lacking a copy trading feature, Trading 212 still enables trading of cryptocurrency derivatives. Rated five stars for its range of investments, Trading 212 holds the 15th position out of 62 brokers in this category, surpassing Pepperstone’s four-star rating and 26th place ranking.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 8025 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 146 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
Pepperstone and Trading 212 both offer traders access to a range of platforms and tools, ensuring a smooth trading experience. Both brokers provide free virtual demo accounts for practice. However, while Pepperstone boasts a proprietary platform with both MetaTrader 4 and 5 support, as well as DupliTrade capabilities, Trading 212 opts exclusively for its proprietary platform without MetaTrader options. Both brokers provide web-based trading, but only Pepperstone offers a Windows-based desktop platform. While Trading 212 does not feature copy trading, Pepperstone supports it, giving users more ways to engage with strategies. Chart enthusiasts may find Pepperstone's 30 drawing tools and direct trading from stock charts appealing, whereas Trading 212 offers 20 drawing tools with similar chart trading capabilities.
Pepperstone features seven fields for watch lists compared to Trading 212’s five, which might be beneficial for traders who like detailed tracking. Despite their differences, both brokers score equally with a four-star rating for their platforms and tools. When ranked by ForexBrokers.com, Trading 212 takes a slight lead at #20, while Pepperstone follows closely at #22 among 62 brokers. Each broker provides distinct advantages, so the choice between them will largely depend on specific trading platform preferences and needs.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 5 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone and Trading 212 both offer comprehensive mobile trading apps available on iOS and Android devices, making trading accessible for users on the go. Both platforms provide essential features such as stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines, along with viewing multiple time frames on charts. Their apps also auto-save drawings and allow the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, ensuring a seamless trading experience. However, there’s a notable difference in the number of technical studies available for charting, with Pepperstone offering 30 and Trading 212 providing a more extensive selection of 104.
When it comes to user ratings, both Pepperstone and Trading 212 receive a solid rating of 4 out of 5 stars for their mobile trading apps. According to ForexBrokers.com, within a competitive field of 62 brokers, Pepperstone ranks at #21, whereas Trading 212 is slightly ahead at #17, suggesting a marginally higher user satisfaction. Overall, whether you choose Pepperstone or Trading 212, you’ll have access to powerful mobile tools that will support your trading journey effectively.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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 | 30 | 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.
Pepperstone and Trading 212 offer distinct features when it comes to market research tools, catering to different trader needs. Pepperstone stands out by providing daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. It also includes advanced technical analysis and fundamental research tools from Autochartist, alongside a sentiment-based trading tool that gives insights into the trading positions on various currency pairs. This depth of resources makes it a valuable choice for traders seeking comprehensive market analysis. Additionally, Pepperstone features an economic calendar that keeps users informed about global news events, which adds to its robust market overview and research offerings.
Trading 212, on the other hand, shares some similarities with Pepperstone by offering forex news access and a sentiment-based trading tool. However, it lacks daily market commentary and advanced technical analysis tools like Autochartist. Although it provides an economic calendar to track global economic events, its overall research features are comparatively limited. These differences influence their ratings and rankings, with Pepperstone achieving a higher research rating of 4.5 stars and a ranking of 12th out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Trading 212, rated 3.5 stars, is ranked 46th, indicating fewer options for in-depth market research. For traders focused on comprehensive insights and detailed analysis, Pepperstone appears to be the more equipped option.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | 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.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner traders, both Pepperstone and Trading 212 offer comprehensive materials to help new investors get started in forex and CFD trading. Each platform provides more than ten educational pieces such as articles, videos, and archived webinars focusing on these subjects. They also both host regular online educational webinars at least once per month, as well as maintaining a searchable archive for those who want to revisit these sessions. In terms of video content, both brokers cater to beginners with over ten videos dedicated to foundational trading topics while also offering advanced content for more experienced traders. Additionally, they each feature an investor dictionary with over 50 key investing terms to boost user knowledge.
Although both Pepperstone and Trading 212 have strong educational offerings, Pepperstone slightly edges out Trading 212 in terms of educational quality. Pepperstone receives a 4.5-star rating for its educational services, compared to Trading 212’s 3.5-star rating. According to ForexBrokers.com, Pepperstone ranks 17th out of 62 brokers for educational resources, placing a few steps ahead of Trading 212, which ranks 20th. This difference may be worth considering for beginners who prioritize high-quality educational materials when selecting an online broker.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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 Pepperstone is better than Trading 212. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #16, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 79 |
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Both Pepperstone and Trading 212 do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide options to purchase cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both Pepperstone and Trading 212 provide numerous deposit and withdrawal methods, allowing users to transact via ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but unlike Trading 212, Pepperstone also 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 | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 79 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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) | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | 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 | No |
| Investments | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 8025 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 1.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | 1.9 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | Yes | No | |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 5 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 54 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 20 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Pepperstone | 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 | 30 | 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 | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Pepperstone | 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 | Pepperstone | 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 | Pepperstone Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Pepperstone | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Trading 212 Review |
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