Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo 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.
When assessing online brokers, Saxo and Trading 212 stand out due to their regulatory strength, but they differ significantly in their trust ratings and credentials. Saxo, established in 1992, is not publicly traded but operates as a bank, which adds a layer of security for clients. It boasts a top Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, reflecting its high standard in the industry. Saxo holds seven Tier-1 licenses, indicating a very high level of trust, along with one Tier-2 license.
On the other hand, Trading 212, founded in 2004, is not a bank and is also not publicly listed. It holds a Trust Score of 80, placing it in the trusted category but below the highest echelon. While it has three Tier-1 licenses, Trading 212 lacks Tier-2 licenses to further its credibility. For investors prioritizing regulation and trust, Saxo presents a sturdier option due to its higher regulatory endorsements and banking status compared to Trading 212.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
Saxo earns 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #8 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 scores 4 stars and ranks #27 out of 63. In short, Saxo can be the better value for active or high‑volume traders who can qualify for its higher tiers, whereas Trading 212’s zero‑commission pitch is offset by wider spreads that can raise your total trading costs.
For forex at Saxo, pricing is spread-only (no commission), with a $3 per‑side ticket fee if you trade under 50,000 units per month. As of November 2023, average EUR/USD spreads were 1.1 pips on the Classic account, 1.0 on Platinum, and 0.9 on VIP; minimums ran about 0.2 pips tighter. Platinum and VIP spreads sit closer to the industry average, while Classic is slightly higher. The Classic account now has a $0 minimum deposit; Platinum requires $200,000 (AUD 300,000 in Australia), and VIP requires $1,000,000 or qualifying via Saxo’s loyalty program (roughly $40M in FX volume to reach Platinum for 12 months, $167M for VIP for one year). Saxo also waives share‑trading custody fees if you opt into securities lending.
Trading 212 offers Invest (shares) and CFD accounts with low entry points (1 euro for Invest; 10 euros for CFD). It advertises zero‑commission trading, but you still pay the spread on CFDs and forex. In April 2025, Trading 212’s published average EUR/USD spread was 2.7 pips—well above the industry average—so frequent FX and CFD traders may find costs higher than at leading alternatives, including Saxo’s upper tiers.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Saxo and Trading 212 both offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, plus access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international markets (think Apple on Nasdaq and Vodafone in London). Saxo lists about 71,000 tradeable symbols and 190 forex pairs, while Trading 212 offers roughly 7,868 symbols and 146 forex pairs. Neither platform supports buying actual cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs. Copy trading isn’t available on either broker.
For range of investments, both earn 5 out of 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Saxo places #3 of 63 brokers, compared with Trading 212 at #15. In short, Saxo delivers a much larger catalog, whereas Trading 212 still covers major markets with a more compact selection.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 7868 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 146 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| 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.
Saxo and Trading 212 both provide simulated (paper) trading with free demo accounts, plus proprietary platforms you can use in your browser. You can place orders directly from charts on both. Saxo also offers a Windows desktop download, which Trading 212 does not. Neither broker supports copy trading or third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both include technical indicators and watchlist features to help you analyze markets and track instruments.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Saxo 5 out of 5 stars and ranks it #3 of 63 brokers, while Trading 212 earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #19 of 63. If you want a downloadable desktop experience alongside a web platform, Saxo has the edge; if a browser-based workflow suits you, Trading 212 may fit. In either case, the free demo account makes it easy to test-drive the platform before you commit.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 54 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Saxo and Trading 212 both deliver capable mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts and keeps your watchlists synced across mobile and web, so symbols you add or edit in one place appear everywhere. For charting, both apps let you draw trendlines and automatically save your drawings. Trading 212 includes more built-in technical studies (104) than Saxo (64), which may appeal to traders who lean on indicators.
When it comes to quality scores, Saxo is rated 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 is rated 4 stars and ranks #17. Choose Trading 212 if you want the widest set of indicators inside the app; pick Saxo if overall app experience and top-tier ratings matter most to you.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 | 64 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Saxo vs Trading 212 for market research: Saxo earns a 5-star Research rating and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 holds 3.5 stars and ranks #32. Both brokers provide forex news from top-tier sources (e.g., Bloomberg, Reuters, Dow Jones), an economic calendar for global events, and a sentiment tool that shows the share of long vs. short positions.
Where Saxo pulls ahead is in extras that help you act on ideas: it offers daily market commentary and Autochartist tools, which Trading 212 does not. Neither broker includes Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. If you want in-house commentary and added tools to spot trade setups, Saxo is the stronger pick; if you just need core news, calendars, and sentiment, Trading 212 covers the basics.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | 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 comparing Saxo and Trading 212 on education, both brokers deliver sizeable video libraries, including at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos that cover key trading topics. A big difference is live learning: Saxo runs ongoing client webinars (at least one each month), while Trading 212 does not. Reflecting this, Saxo earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks 12th out of 63 brokers, whereas Trading 212 holds a 3.5-star score and ranks 20th out of 63.
If you want a higher-rated learning experience with live classes to ask questions and build skills step by step, Saxo is the stronger pick. If you prefer to learn at your own pace through videos and don’t need webinars, Trading 212 can still work well for getting started.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 Saxo is better than Trading 212. Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #25.
Saxo is an exclusive multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience – as well as a stunning selection of over 40,000 securities.
| Feature |
Saxo
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Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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In the Saxo vs Trading 212 comparison, neither broker lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
For deposits and withdrawals, online broker Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal while Saxo does not; both brokers accept bank wire transfers, neither supports Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is unspecified.
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 | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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) | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 7868 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| 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 | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 2.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 54 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Saxo Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Trading 212 Review |
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