Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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.
Plus500 vs Trading 212: Plus500 was founded in 2008 and is publicly traded, while Trading 212 started in 2004 and is not listed. Neither company is a bank. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, below 59 not trusted), Plus500 scores 99/99, placing it in the highly trusted bracket, and Trading 212 scores 82/99, placing it in the trusted bracket.
Regulation is a key difference. Plus500 holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, whereas Trading 212 holds 3 Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses. Tier-1 regulators are viewed as highly trusted and Tier-2 as trusted by ForexBrokers.com, which suggests Plus500 operates under a wider set of top-tier and mid-tier authorities than Trading 212.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Plus500 is slightly more expensive than the industry average, but it still ranks ahead of Trading 212 in this category. Plus500 does not offer retail trading discounts, though eligible Professional clients may receive cash rebates. For costs on EUR/USD, Plus500 reported an average spread of 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the cheapest brokers but still lower than Trading 212’s figure.
Trading 212 promotes zero-commission trading, but that mainly applies to account structure rather than total trading cost, since CFDs and forex still come with spreads. For its CFD account, Trading 212’s average EUR/USD spread was 2.7 pips in April 2025, which is well above the industry average and less competitive for active traders. Plus500 is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars and ranked #26 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees, while Trading 212 is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars and ranked #29 out of 36.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | €1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | 2.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Plus500 and Trading 212 for range of investments, both online brokers give traders access to forex as CFDs or spot contracts, plus exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international markets. Neither platform offers copy trading. Both also support cryptocurrency CFDs, but only Trading 212 lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, while Plus500 does not.
Trading 212 has the wider overall selection, with 13,000 tradeable symbols and 180 forex pairs, compared with 5,500 symbols and 65 forex pairs at Plus500. This broader choice is reflected in its higher Range of Investments rating of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #14 out of 36 brokers, ahead of Plus500’s 4.5 stars and #16 ranking.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 13000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 180 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| 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). 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.
Plus500 and Trading 212 both offer a free demo account, so beginners can practice trading without risking real money. Each broker also provides a web-based platform, but Plus500 stands out for its own in-house platform, while Trading 212 does not use a proprietary platform. Neither broker offers a Windows desktop download, copy trading, or MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, so traders looking for those tools will need to look elsewhere.
When it comes to platform features, Trading 212 has a small edge because it lets users place trades directly from a stock chart, while Plus500 does not. Still, Plus500 earns a slightly higher rating for Trading Platforms and Tools at 4.5 out of 5 stars, compared with 4 stars for Trading 212. That difference is reflected in their ForexBrokers.com rankings as well, with Plus500 placing #14 out of 36 brokers and Trading 212 coming in at #19.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 102 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and Trading 212 both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, watchlist symbol syncing, and trendline drawing on charts. This means users can monitor markets, keep track of favorite symbols, and make chart-based decisions from their phones with either broker. In these core mobile features, the two apps are very similar and both cover the basics well for everyday traders.
Where Plus500 pulls ahead is in charting depth and overall app ratings. Its mobile app includes 115 technical studies, compared with 104 at Trading 212, and it also earns a higher Mobile Trading Apps score at 4.5 stars versus 4 stars. Plus500 is ranked #14 out of 36 brokers in this category by ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 is ranked #17. One area where Trading 212 has an edge is that it auto-saves chart drawings, while Plus500 does not.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Plus500 has the edge over Trading 212. Plus500 offers daily market commentary, Trading Central tools, a sentiment indicator, and an economic calendar, which can help traders track market moves and plan trades. It does not provide forex news from top sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, and it does not include Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. Trading 212 also includes a sentiment tool and an economic calendar, and it stands out for offering forex news from leading sources, but it does not provide daily market commentary or Trading Central research tools.
Overall, Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for research and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com research category, while Trading 212 is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #31. If you want more built-in market commentary and technical research, Plus500 is the stronger choice. If up-to-date forex news from major wire services matters more, Trading 212 has that advantage.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, both Plus500 and Trading 212 offer a solid range of learning materials, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos for more experienced users. Where Plus500 stands out is in forex and CFDs education, since it offers at least 10 learning pieces focused on those topics, and it also runs online client webinars at least once a month. Trading 212, by comparison, does not appear to offer monthly educational webinars, and it does not meet the same forex or CFDs education threshold.
In overall education ratings, Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked #27 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #23. Even though Trading 212 places slightly higher in the ranking, Plus500 looks stronger for beginners who want more direct support through webinars and more focused forex and CFDs learning content.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | 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 Trading 212. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #11, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #25.
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
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 82 |
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In the Plus500 vs Trading 212 comparison for cryptocurrency, Trading 212 lets you buy actual (delivered) crypto and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while Plus500 does not support buying delivered crypto and only offers cryptocurrency CFDs.
When comparing Plus500 vs Trading 212 for funding options, Plus500 supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers but does not offer ACH or SEPA transfers, while Trading 212 offers bank wires but does not support PayPal or Skrill, and neither broker appears to offer ACH, SEPA, or Visa/Mastercard 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 | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 13000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 180 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| 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). 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 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | 2.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | €1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 102 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Plus500 Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Trading 212 Review |
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