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PepperstoneTrading 212 Review
Written by Steven Hatzakis
Edited by John Bringans
Fact-checked by Blain Reinkensmeyer
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Your capital is at risk. 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 stands out for its user-friendly platform, especially for those new to trading. I’ve found that its mobile app and web interface are intuitively designed, making it easy for beginners to navigate. However, despite its simplicity, Trading 212 falls short when it comes to offering the advanced tools and research features that experienced traders expect. The lack of robust analysis tools and limited educational content are notable drawbacks for those seeking more depth in their trading platform.
While the platform does provide access to a broad range of markets, including over 140 forex pairs, the higher-than-average spreads and absence of key tools like good-till-date orders make it harder for Trading 212 to compete with top-tier brokers. In my opinion, Trading 212 is ideal for casual or beginner traders looking for a simple, low-cost way to get started, but more advanced traders will likely find the platform's limitations frustrating.
-
Minimum Deposit:
€10 -
Trust Score:
79 -
Tradeable Symbols (Total):
8025
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Trading 212 pros & cons
Pros
- Trading 212's intuitively designed, easy-to-use web trading platform and mobile app helped the broker earn Best in Class honors for Ease of Use in our 2024 Annual Awards.
- Diverse range of nearly 10,000 symbols available for CFD and forex trading.
- Supports several exotic FX pairs, including 16 against the Bulgarian lev, and a total of over 140 forex pairs.
- Offers indemnity insurance of up to EUR 1,000,000 per clients, underwritten by Lloyds of London (renewed in 2024).
Cons
- Outside of the economic calendar events, no news headlines are offered in mobile app.
- Besides sentiment data, research in the web platform is limited to snippet-like updates.
- Despite a large number of videos, Trading 212 has few written articles for education.
- MetaTrader is not available.
Overall summary
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| Trust Score | 79 |
| Offering of Investments |
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| Platform & Tools |
|
| Research |
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
| Education |
|
ForexBrokers.com has been reviewing online forex brokers for over eight years, and our reviews are the most cited in the industry. Each year, we collect thousands of data points and publish tens of thousands of words of research. Here's how we test.
Is Trading 212 safe?
Trading 212 is considered Average Risk, with an overall Trust Score of 79 out of 99. Trading 212 is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Trading 212 is authorized by two Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and zero Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). Trading 212 is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system. Learn more about Trust Score.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No |
| Bank | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 |
Offering of investments
Trading 212 offers traders CFDs on 29 commodities, 36 indices, over 8,000 shares, and 184 forex pairs, alongside access to exchange-traded securities such as fractional shares.
Note: The range of products and services available to you at Trading 212 and any applicable Trading 212 entity will depend on your country of residence. For example, EEA/EU residents will register with the broker's Trading 212 Markets entity, while U.K. and "Third Country"-based residents will register with the broker's Trading 212 UK Limited entity.
Cryptocurrency: Trading 212 no longer offers cryptocurrency trading.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8025 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 146 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). |
Commissions and fees
Trading 212 offers two accounts: Invest for trading shares, and CFD for trading CFDs. The minimum deposit for the Invest account is 1 euro, while the CFD account requires a 10 euro deposit. This review focuses on the CFD account. For more on the Invest account, read our U.K. StockBrokers.com review of Trading 212.
Trading 212 advertises zero-commission trading, but you’ll still need to pay a spread when trading CFDs and forex. Trading 212 has begun publishing its average spread data, which is a welcome step to providing even more pricing transparency for traders. For January 2024, its average spread data for the EUR/USD pair stood at 1.9 pips, which is much higher than the industry average, and puts Trading 212 at a disadvantage, compared to the best CFD and forex brokers in this category.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.9 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Mobile trading apps
The Trading 212 app is undeniably popular, with over 10 million downloads on the Google Play store. The app integrates educational video content for beginners, but experienced traders will find the lack of advanced features to be disappointing – especially when compared to the best mobile trading apps.
Apps overview: Trading 212 offers an incredibly easy-to-use mobile app for Android and iOS devices. The default watch list screeners make it easy to sort through markets such as stocks, forex, indices, and newly added symbols.
The biggest drawback I could find in the Trading 212 app is the lack of substantial research tools. It does have a robust economic calendar that conveniently highlights upcoming events for any given symbol.
Ease of use: Trading 212 is the first broker I have reviewed that also has its own Google Chrome plugin, which provides quick access to the platform from within the browser. It’s also worth noting that its watchlists are customizable and automatically sync with the web platform. These features helped Trading 212 earn Best in Class honors for our Ease of Use category in our 2024 Annual Awards.
Charting: There are over 100 indicators and and plenty of drawing tools, thanks to TradingView charts which have been nicely integrated into Trading 212's mobile charting interface. The mobile app has similar functionality to the corresponding web version.
Trading tools: Unfortunately, good-till-date order expirations are not currently available and instead default to good-till-cancel. These kinds of subtle details illustrate how much room there is for the app to improve its customization options.
Upcoming events: One feature that stands out in the Trading 212 mobile app experience is the ability to see upcoming events when you are looking at the symbol properties of a particular instrument such as the EUR/USD. The event is displayed along with its potential impact, expected forecast, and exact time. One thing I would note: It would be nice if you could subscribe to and receive alerts about any given event – a functionality I’ve observed on CMC Markets’ trading platform.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Android App | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes |
Other trading platforms
Platforms overview: Trading 212 offers a web-based trading platform, as part of its multi-asset offering. As with its other platforms, you’ll gain access to both of its accounts – CFD and Invest – and their respective markets. Most of the platform’s features are easy to use and it boasts a clean, simplified layout that includes robust charts and integrated news headlines.
One useful feature that Trading 212 shares with eToro: the website will cache a user’s credentials locally, so that they are automatically logged in when they access the platform via their browser.
Charting: Trading 212’s web platform – like the mobile app – features solid charting. You can choose from five different types, and you’ll gain access to 45 indicators alongside 19 drawing tools. You can create and save your own chart templates – a feature which I’ve found helpful when applying settings across a variety of charts. One noteworthy – albeit small – limitation: you can open multiple charts and switch between them, but you cannot detach the chart from the platform.
Trading tools: The web platform is missing the mobile app’s useful tool that allows you to discover upcoming events simply by glancing at the symbol of a given instrument. Rather, you have to do it the old-fashioned way and manually open the economic calendar to view those events.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No |
| Web Platform | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No |
| DupliTrade | No |
| ZuluTrade | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 |
Market research
Trading 212 does not have a particularly strong research offering; it provides just a touch more than what I’d consider the bare minimum. Users gain access to news headlines and analysis, a hotlist of popular trading symbols, and a genuinely useful economic calendar.
Research overview: Trading 212 provides daily market analysis across a range of instruments, from within its web trading platform. However, research material is sparse, and the research that is available appears to simply be out of date. For example, the last video uploaded to its YouTube channel was more than a year before the time we conducted testing (August 2021).
Market news and analysis: Trading 212’s web platform provides news briefs and nearly a dozen technical analysis snippets, complete with price references for popular CFD markets like forex, commodities and metals.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes |
| Autochartist | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes |
Education
Trading 212 has a good variety of educational videos, with over 170 available on its YouTube channel. Detailed articles and advanced materials are limited to the help center, however, and there are no archived webinars.
Learning center: Education at Trading 212 consists mostly of videos, many of which are embedded in its web and mobile platform. Besides some posts in its community forum and FAQs in its help section, Trading 212 does not offer educational articles.
Room for improvement: Trading 212 would benefit from the addition of educational features I’ve found on the best brokers’ platforms, such as articles organized by experience level, and quizzes for evaluating and tracking your progress.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes |
Final thoughts
Trading 212 has done an excellent job of simplifying its platform to make the customer experience seamless for beginners.
However, its research offerings lack depth across its site, web and mobile app. More experienced traders may be left wanting more from Trading 212, compared to the best forex and CFD brokers.
How does Trading 212 make money?
Trading 212 makes money by collecting overnight interest fees and profiting on the spread for CFDs. It also engages in share lending, earning interest and passing 50% of it to the user. These revenue streams allow Trading 212 to otherwise be a zero-commission broker offering low or zero fees.
Does Trading 212 offer a demo account?
Yes, Trading 212 provides a demo account, also know as a paper trading account, allowing you to practice trades using virtual currency before deciding to risk real capital. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with the platform to prevent any errors or delays when making real trades. Learn more about my picks for the best brokers offering demo accounts.
Is Trading 212 good for beginners?
Yes, Trading 212 is good choice for beginners who seek an easy-to-use and learn trading platform. For the past three years, Trading 212 has ranked best-in-class for our ease of use category. That said, the educational offering could certainly be improved to offer more webinars and articles that cover advanced topics. Check out my guide to the best brokers for beginners to discover alternatives that offer what Trading 212 may lack.
About Trading 212
Founded in 2004, the Trading 212 brand is regulated in the U.K. by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), in Cyprus by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and in Bulgaria by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC). Trading 212 holds over EUR 3.5 billion in customer assets and over 1.5 million clients.
ForexBrokers.com 2024 Annual Awards
For the ForexBrokers.com 2024 Annual Awards, brokers were evaluated against ForexBrokers.com’s 8 Primary Categories: Commissions & Fees, Offering of Investments, Platforms & Tools, Mobile Trading Apps, Research, Education, Trust Score, and Overall.
Best in Class honors were awarded to the Top 7 forex brokers in each of the following areas: Beginners, Social Copy Trading, Ease of Use, MetaTrader, Algo Trading, Crypto Trading, and Professional Trading.
For more information, see how we test.
Category awards
|
Trading 212
|
Ease of Use |
| Rank #1 | |
| Streak #1 | |
| Best in Class | |
| Best in Class Streak | 3 |
2024 Review Methodology
At ForexBrokers.com, our reviews of online forex brokers and their products and services are based on our collected data as well as the observations and qualified opinions of our expert researchers. Each year we publish tens of thousands of words of research on the top forex brokers and monitor dozens of international regulator agencies (read more about how we calculate Trust Score here).
Our research team conducts thorough testing on a wide range of features, products, services, and tools (collecting and validating thousands of data points in the process). We test all available trading platforms for each broker – whether they are proprietary or come from third-party providers – and evaluate them based on a host of data-driven variables.
We also take an in-depth look at each broker’s commissions and fees, such as bid/ask spreads – including the average spread data for some of the most popular forex currency pairs. We research other trading costs, such as inactivity or custody fees, minimum deposit requirements, VIP rebates and/or discounts, and a range of other important fee-based data points.
Some of the other important research categories that are factored into our testing include mobile trading accessibility and capability, availability of market research and educational content, and each broker’s overall Trust Score.
All content on ForexBrokers.com is handwritten by a writer, fact-checked by a member of our research team, and edited and published by an editor. Our ratings, rankings, and opinions are entirely our own, and the result of our extensive research and decades of collective experience covering the forex industry.
Read our full explanation and accounting of our research and testing process to learn more about how we test.
Forex Risk Disclaimer
There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Read more on forex trading risks.
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Show allAbout the Editorial Team
Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. A forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher, Steven advises blockchain companies at the board level and holds a Series III license in the U.S. as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).
John Bringans is the Managing Editor at ForexBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.
Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.