Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote 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.
Swissquote and Trading 212 are two notable players in the online brokerage world, each with its own features and regulatory standings that are important to note for potential users. Swissquote, established in 1996, stands out with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, marking it as a highly trusted broker. The company is publicly traded and operates as a bank, securing five Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, further cementing its solid regulatory framework. On the other hand, Trading 212, founded in 2004, has a Trust Score of 80, which places it in the 'trusted' category. Unlike Swissquote, Trading 212 is not publicly listed nor operates as a bank. It holds three Tier-1 licenses but does not have any Tier-2 licenses.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Trading 212 and Swissquote take different paths. Trading 212 advertises zero-commission trading on its CFD account, but you still pay the spread. Swissquote’s pricing varies by region and account type, and its costs generally sit above the cheapest brokers. Based on ForexBrokers.com, Trading 212 earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #50 of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while Swissquote earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #54 of 63.
Swissquote’s fees depend on which entity you use. In the U.K., active traders who deposit at least $10,000 may find the Elite account appealing, with lower spreads plus a $5 commission per round-turn trade; Standard starts at 1.3 pips on EUR/USD and Prime advertises a 0.6-pip minimum (note that minimums are not averages). In Luxembourg, minimum spreads run from 1.5 pips (Standard, $1,000 minimum) to 0.8 pips (Prime, $50,000). In Switzerland, forex accounts start at 1.7 pips (Standard, $1,000), 1.4 pips (Premium, $10,000), and 1.1 pips (Prime, $50,000). Overall, Swissquote charges a slight premium tied to its banking pedigree, and its pricing isn’t built to undercut the lowest-cost forex and CFD brokers.
Trading 212 offers two accounts: Invest (shares, 1 euro minimum deposit) and CFD (10 euro minimum). Despite the “zero-commission” label, your main cost on CFDs and forex is the spread. For April 2025, Trading 212’s published average spread on EUR/USD was 2.7 pips, which is higher than the industry average and above the tighter pricing you might access with Swissquote’s top-tier accounts. In practice, that means Trading 212 is easy to start with and simple on fees structure, while Swissquote can be more competitive for larger, active traders who qualify for its lower-spread, commission-based tiers.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | €1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 2.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Swissquote and Trading 212 both cover a wide range of investments, including forex available as CFDs and spot. Trading 212 lists far more overall tradeable symbols (7,868 vs. 472) and more forex pairs (146 vs. 80). Both brokers let you buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. markets like Apple (AAPL) and on international exchanges such as London-listed Vodafone. For crypto, each offers CFDs, but only Swissquote also allows buying actual cryptocurrency. Swissquote additionally supports copy trading, while Trading 212 does not.
Both earn 5 stars for Range of Investments, yet Swissquote ranks #2 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Trading 212 at #16. If you want the biggest catalog of symbols and forex pairs, Trading 212 has the edge. If you want copy trading plus access to real crypto alongside CFDs, Swissquote is the better fit.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 7868 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 146 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
Swissquote vs Trading 212 for trading platforms and tools: Both brokers offer free demo (paper) accounts and their own proprietary platforms. If you want a Windows desktop platform, Swissquote provides a downloadable terminal alongside its web platform, while Trading 212 focuses on the browser and does not offer a Windows download. Swissquote also supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5); Trading 212 does not. Both let you place trades directly from charts. For social features, Swissquote includes copy trading, whereas Trading 212 does not.
According to ForexBrokers.com, Swissquote earns 4.5/5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers, while Trading 212 scores 4/5 stars and ranks #20. Choose Swissquote if you want a Windows app, MT4/MT5 access, or copy trading in addition to a web platform and demo account. Pick Trading 212 if you’re happy with a simple web platform and a free practice account without those extras.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 54 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Swissquote and Trading 212 both deliver fully featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with price alerts, trendline drawing on charts, and auto‑saved chart annotations. A key difference is watchlists: Trading 212 syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the web platform, while Swissquote does not, which may matter if you switch devices often.
For charting tools, Trading 212 offers 104 technical studies versus Swissquote’s 30. Despite that edge, Swissquote earns the higher Mobile Trading Apps rating at 4.5 stars (ranked #12 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com), compared to Trading 212’s 4 stars (ranked #17). If you want deeper indicator choice and cross‑device watchlist syncing, Trading 212 stands out. If you prioritize overall app quality and ratings, Swissquote is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing market research at Swissquote and Trading 212, Swissquote takes a clear lead. It earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 holds 3.5 stars and ranks #45. Both brokers provide forex news from top-tier sources (such as Bloomberg/Reuters/Dow Jones) and include an economic calendar for global events.
The key differences come down to tools and daily insights. Swissquote publishes daily market commentary and offers Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas—features Trading 212 does not provide. Neither broker includes Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. If you want a sentiment-based gauge showing long/short positioning, Trading 212 has it, whereas Swissquote does not. Choose Swissquote for daily analysis and Autochartist, or Trading 212 if trader sentiment is a priority.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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 | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing Swissquote vs Trading 212 for beginner education: both brokers provide at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so you can start with the basics and keep progressing. Swissquote also hosts client webinars at least once a month, which is helpful if you prefer live sessions and Q&A; Trading 212 does not offer monthly educational webinars. Based on the details provided, it isn’t specified whether either broker meets the threshold of 10 or more forex- or CFD-focused educational pieces (articles, videos, or archived webinars), so you may want to check each site for their latest forex/CFD materials.
For overall education quality, Swissquote is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #20 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #21. If live webinars matter to you, Swissquote has an edge; if you’re mostly watching on-demand videos, both platforms offer plenty for beginners and experienced traders alike.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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 Swissquote is better than Trading 212. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
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Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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In the Swissquote vs Trading 212 comparison, Swissquote lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade crypto CFDs, whereas Trading 212 offers crypto CFDs only and does not provide direct cryptocurrency ownership.
Swissquote vs Trading 212 deposit and withdrawal methods: both support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires; Swissquote also supports Skrill while Trading 212 does not, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | 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) | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 7868 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 2.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | €1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 54 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Swissquote | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | 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 | Swissquote Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Trading 212 Review |
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