Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 vs Trade Nation, 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.
When comparing online brokers Plus500 and Trade Nation, it's clear that Plus500 is the more established of the two, having been founded in 2008, six years before Trade Nation in 2014. Plus500 stands out as a publicly traded company, while Trade Nation is not listed on a stock exchange. Both brokers operate without banking services, maintaining their focus on financial trading. In terms of trust and security, Plus500 shines with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, while Trade Nation holds a respectable but lower score of 85.
Plus500 offers impressive regulatory oversight with six Tier-1 licenses, deemed highly trusted, and three Tier-2 licenses, which are considered trusted. On the other hand, Trade Nation holds two highly trusted Tier-1 licenses and one trusted Tier-2 license. These licenses reflect each broker's commitment to providing secure trading environments, but Plus500 demonstrates a higher degree of regulatory assurance, aligning with its superior Trust Score.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing Plus500 and Trade Nation on commissions and fees, it's clear that each broker offers distinct pricing models. Plus500's pricing is slightly above industry average, which affects its attractiveness to active traders compared to top forex brokers like IG or Saxo. The broker doesn't provide discounts for retail clients, but Professional clients may receive cash rebates, similar to an active trader program. For example, in April 2024, the EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips at Plus500, higher than the industry norm. Overall, Plus500 scores a respectable 4.0 stars for commissions and fees and ranks at #23 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
Trade Nation, on the other hand, maintains competitive fixed-spread pricing across its platforms. This offers a straightforward cost structure, as most brokers typically have variable pricing. On Trade Nation's proprietary platform, the EUR/USD spread is consistently listed at 0.6 pips, though it may temporarily widen to 1.4 pips during the daily rollover period, averaging out to approximately 1 pip. Trade Nation provides three account types, including a commission-based Raw Spread account and a commission-free option on its MetaTrader platform. Despite the occasional spread widening, Trade Nation excels by keeping costs predictable, earning it a perfect 5-star rating for commissions and fees and a #7 ranking on ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the investment options available through Plus500 and Trade Nation, several differences stand out for potential investors. Plus500 provides a wider array of choices with 5,500 tradeable symbols compared to Trade Nation's 1,000. Forex traders can access 65 tradeable forex pairs on Plus500, whereas Trade Nation offers 46 pairs. Additionally, Plus500 allows clients to invest in both U.S. and international exchange-traded securities, such as Apple and Vodafone shares, whereas Trade Nation does not provide access to exchange-traded securities on any stock exchange.
Both Plus500 and Trade Nation support trading forex as a CFD, and offer cryptocurrency derivatives, though neither provides the option to buy actual cryptocurrencies. While Plus500 does not offer copy trading services, Trade Nation does, which might be appealing to those interested in social trading. In the category of Range of Investments, Plus500 ranks higher, with a rating of 4.5 stars and a position of #21 among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, whereas Trade Nation holds a 3.5-star rating, coming in at #38. Overall, Plus500 presents a broader spectrum of investment opportunities compared to Trade Nation.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 46 |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 the trading platforms and tools of Plus500 and Trade Nation, there are several key differences to consider. Both brokers offer the benefit of simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice without financial risk. Plus500 and Trade Nation each have their proprietary platforms, ensuring a tailored trading experience. However, Trade Nation offers a Windows-based desktop platform, which Plus500 lacks, giving more flexibility to desktop users. On the web, both platforms offer browser-based trading options, but Trade Nation provides additional features like copy trading and support for MetaTrader 4, broadening the array of tools for advanced traders, which Plus500 does not support.
In terms of charting capabilities, Plus500 offers 36 drawing tools, while Trade Nation exceeds this with 39. Neither platform supports trading directly from a stock chart, which might limit some traders' preferences. For watch lists, Trade Nation has a slight edge, providing 14 columns compared to Plus500’s 10. Despite these differences, Plus500 ranks higher than Trade Nation in the Trading Platforms and Tools category, with a 4.5-star rating compared to Trade Nation's 4 stars, and ranks 14th from 63 brokers, versus Trade Nation’s 44th. This indicates a broadly stronger offering for those prioritizing platform quality and tool diversity when selecting an online broker.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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) | 115 | 115 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 36 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 10 | 14 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of Plus500 and Trade Nation, both offer compatibility for iPhone and Android devices. They provide features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability for watchlists to sync with the client’s online account, ensuring up-to-date access to market data across all platforms. Plus500 shines in technical analysis options by offering 115 technical studies for charting, whereas Trade Nation is close behind with 99. Both apps allow users to draw trendlines and view charts across multiple time frames, such as daily, weekly, or intraday. However, Trade Nation has an edge when it comes to auto-saving chart drawings, a feature not present in the Plus500 app. Both apps enable the creation of real-time watchlists, allowing users to keep track of markets efficiently.
In terms of user ratings and rankings, Plus500 generally receives better feedback. It boasts a 4.5-star rating for its mobile trading apps, while Trade Nation sits at 4 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 ranks #14 out of 63 brokers, highlighting its strong performance in the mobile trading app category. In contrast, Trade Nation holds a ranking of #45, suggesting a decent, yet slightly less competitive offering compared to Plus500. Overall, traders looking for a more comprehensive set of features in a mobile app might find Plus500's offerings more compelling, especially if advanced charting options are a priority.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 99 |
| 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 it comes to market research, both Plus500 and Trade Nation provide daily market commentary for their users. However, Trade Nation stands out by offering forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, which Plus500 does not. On the flip side, Plus500 gives users access to Trading Central's technical analytics tools, surpassing Trade Nation in this area. Both brokers offer sentiment-based trading tools that help traders gauge market positions, but only Plus500 includes an economic calendar to keep investors informed of global events, whereas Trade Nation relies on Acuity Trading's research tools like Signal Centre for similar benefits.
In terms of user ratings, Plus500 edges ahead with a 4.0-star rating for research, compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. Additionally, in a ranking of 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 holds the 19th spot for its research offerings, significantly ahead of Trade Nation, which ranks 42nd. These differences highlight Plus500's stronger emphasis on providing comprehensive research tools and resources compared to Trade Nation's offerings.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available from Plus500 and Trade Nation, beginners will find both online brokers offer a solid foundation for learning forex and CFDs with more than 10 educational pieces each, including articles and videos. However, Plus500 outshines Trade Nation by offering monthly online educational webinars, along with an archive of recorded webinars that traders can access. Both brokers provide a selection of at least 10 beginner videos, ensuring newcomers have ample content at their fingertips. For more experienced traders, Plus500 and Trade Nation each offer over 10 advanced videos, catering to those looking to deepen their trading knowledge.
Trade Nation stands out with its comprehensive investor dictionary, offering definitions for more than 50 investing terms, a feature Plus500 lacks. However, Plus500 still edges ahead with a higher education rating of 4.0 stars compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars, reflecting the overall quality and accessibility of their educational resources. On a larger scale, Plus500 is ranked 31st, while Trade Nation is 41st out of 63 brokers for educational offerings according to ForexBrokers.com. This suggests that while both brokers provide valuable resources for beginners, Plus500 offers slightly more comprehensive educational support.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Plus500 is better than Trade Nation. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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Both Plus500 and Trade Nation do not allow users to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, but they both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Plus500 and Trade Nation both support Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, while neither offers ACH or SEPA transfers; however, Plus500 uniquely supports PayPal, distinguishing it from Trade Nation, which does not offer this option.
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 | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 46 | |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.3 | 0.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 0.6 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 10 | 14 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 115 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 36 | 39 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 115 | 99 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Plus500 Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Trade Nation Review |
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