Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 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.
Trading 212, established in 2004, and Trade Nation, founded a decade later in 2014, are both online brokers that are not publicly traded companies nor are they banks. When comparing their regulatory standings, Trading 212 holds three Tier-1 licenses, signifying a high level of trust. On the other hand, Trade Nation holds two Tier-1 licenses and an additional Tier-2 license, indicative of a generally trusted regulatory status.
According to ForexBrokers.com, which evaluates broker trustworthiness, Trading 212 has a Trust Score rating of 80 out of 99, marking it as a trusted broker. Conversely, Trade Nation scores a bit higher with a Trust Score of 85, suggesting a stronger level of trust. This difference in regulatory licensing and Trust Scores may influence potential users' decision-making processes when selecting between the two brokers.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
If low trading costs are your priority, Trade Nation generally beats Trading 212 on commissions and fees. Trade Nation earns 5 stars and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers in this category, helped by its fixed-spread model and clear account choices. Trading 212 earns 4 stars and ranks #50 out of 63; while it advertises zero-commission CFD and forex trading, the spreads you pay can be higher than many peers.
Trading 212 offers an Invest account for shares (1 euro minimum) and a CFD account (10 euro minimum). For CFDs, there is no ticket commission, but you pay the spread. Trading 212 now publishes average spread data; in April 2025 its EUR/USD average was 2.7 pips, which is higher than the industry average and can make active trading more costly.
Trade Nation prices most markets with fixed spreads on its TN Trader platform and offers variable or commission-based pricing on MetaTrader. EUR/USD is listed at a fixed 0.6 pips, widening to about 1.4 pips for roughly an hour during daily rollover; the true average lands near 1 pip. Account options include a commission-free MetaTrader account, a Raw Spread MetaTrader account that charges $3.50 per side ($7 round-trip) per standard lot, and the TN Trader account, which typically delivers the lowest all-in costs among its choices.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | 0.6 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Trading 212 delivers 7,868 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs, with forex available via CFDs or spot contracts. It supports crypto CFDs (not actual coins) and, importantly, lets you buy real exchange-traded shares on U.S. markets (e.g., Apple) and international exchanges (e.g., Vodafone). Trade Nation lists about 1,000 symbols and 46 forex pairs, also offers forex via CFDs or spot and crypto CFDs, but it does not provide access to real U.S. or international stocks. Trade Nation does offer copy trading, which Trading 212 does not.
Ratings reflect the gap in variety: Trading 212 earns 5/5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 16th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation scores 3.5/5 and ranks 39th. If you want the broadest market selection and the ability to own actual shares, Trading 212 is the stronger fit; if copy trading is a priority and a simpler lineup works for you, Trade Nation is worth a look.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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.
Comparing Trading 212 and Trade Nation on platforms and tools: both brokers offer a free paper-trading demo and their own in-house platforms you can use in a web browser. Trading 212 does not provide a Windows desktop download, while Trade Nation does. If you prefer MetaTrader, Trade Nation supports MT4 (neither broker offers MT5). Trade Nation also supports copy trading, whereas Trading 212 does not.
For charting, Trading 212 lets you place trades directly from a chart, while Trade Nation does not. Both earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks Trading 212 higher (#20 of 63) than Trade Nation (#45 of 63). Pick Trading 212 if you want easy in-browser trading with chart-based order entry; choose Trade Nation if you want MT4, copy trading, and a Windows desktop app—both let you try everything first with a free demo.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Trading 212 vs Trade Nation: both mobile trading apps are available on iPhone and Android, offer price alerts for stocks and forex, and sync watchlists between the app and your online account. Each app lets you draw trendlines on charts, and your drawings auto-save, so your chart work stays put across sessions.
For charting depth, Trading 212 provides 104 technical indicators, while Trade Nation offers 99. Both earn a 4-star Mobile Trading Apps rating, yet their category rankings differ: Trading 212 sits at #17 out of 63 brokers, and Trade Nation at #46. If you want a wider set of indicators and a higher industry ranking, Trading 212 has the edge. If you value the same core features and ratings, Trade Nation remains a capable alternative.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 99 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing Trading 212 vs Trade Nation for market research: both provide forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, and each offers a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions. Neither platform includes Autochartist, Trading Central, or TipRanks. The key differences are that Trade Nation adds daily market commentary and Acuity Trading tools (such as Signal Centre), while Trading 212 offers an in-platform economic calendar but does not include daily commentary or Acuity.
Both brokers earn 3.5 out of 5 stars for Research. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Trade Nation sits at #43 of 63, just ahead of Trading 212 at #45. Choose Trade Nation if you want built-in commentary and Acuity-powered signals; choose Trading 212 if having an economic calendar alongside top-tier news and sentiment tools is more important.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Trading 212 vs Trade Nation for beginners: both brokers publish a sizable video library for novices and experienced traders, offering at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos. You’ll find plain‑English lessons on how trading works, risk basics, chart reading, and common markets such as forex and CFDs—useful if you prefer to learn at your own pace.
Live classes aren’t a focus: neither broker runs monthly educational webinars. In independent reviews, both earn 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education, but Trading 212 ranks higher overall (#21 of 63) than Trade Nation (#41 of 63). If you want on‑demand videos, either platform will do; if live teaching is important, you may need a different broker, and beginners may lean toward Trading 212 for its stronger ranking.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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 Trading 212 is better than Trade Nation. Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31, while Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34.
Best known for its mobile trading app, Trading 212 offers an easy-to-use trading platform suite for CFD and share trading, as well as a large variety of forex pairs. However, despite its well-designed platform and wide range of symbols, its lack of advanced trading tools and flat research offerings hamper Trading 212’s bid to be considered a top broker.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 |
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Trading 212 vs Trade Nation: neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing payment methods, Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals (but not Skrill), while Trade Nation does not support ACH/SEPA and its support for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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 | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
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| Regulation | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7868 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2.7 | 0.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 2.7 | 0.6 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 104 | 99 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Overall | Trading 212 | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Trade Nation Review |
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