Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of CMC Markets' UK entity and Trading 212's UK entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of CMC Markets' UK entity and Trading 212's UK entity.
CMC Markets
Regulated in your country CMC Markets is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Trading 212
Regulated in your country Trading 212 is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders CMC Markets and Trading 212 are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for high-volume traders, scalpers and algo traders. Trading 212, on the other hand, is better for professional traders. Both are a good fit for long-term investors, swing traders and news traders.
| Overall score | CMC Markets 84 Best 78 Best | Trading 212 69 -15 73 -5 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise CMC Markets and the ones that supervise Trading 212.CMC Markets and Trading 212 are both regulated in the UK, by the FCA.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 100 | Trading 212 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that CMC Markets and Trading 212 have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. CMC Markets also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | CMC Markets 95 Best 95 Best | Trading 212 79 -16 79 -16 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1989 | 2004 |
| Parent company i | CMC Markets plc | Trading 212 Ltd |
| CEO i | Peter Cruddas | Michael Byrne |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds | J.P. Morgan, Barclays |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 1,000,000 | 4,500,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 324,700,000 | USD 299,000,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 10.5M monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with CMC Markets and with Trading 212 in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX costs, as CMC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 7 USD per lot (against Trading 212's 13 USD), has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.2 points (against Trading 212's 0.89 points), and does not charge deposit fees, unlike Trading 212. Neither CMC Markets nor Trading 212 charges account maintenance fees or withdrawal fees.
Trading 212 is better than CMC Markets for real stock costs, because Trading 212 does not charge inactivity fees, unlike CMC Markets. Neither CMC Markets nor Trading 212 charges account maintenance fees or withdrawal fees.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best 44 -38 | Trading 212 36 -37 82 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | USD 5 | Free |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | USD 7 | USD 13 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.42 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.2 points | 0.89 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | ||
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.02 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Spread, Free | |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | ||
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | Free | |
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with CMC Markets and with Trading 212 in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.CMC Markets and Trading 212 are close on CFD/FX markets. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, and let you own ETFs and stocks outright. CMC Markets goes a step further, as it gives access to 12,000 tradable symbols (against Trading 212's 10,000).
There is little between CMC Markets and Trading 212 on real stock markets. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 let you own ETFs and stocks outright, and offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks. CMC Markets has a slight edge, as it gives access to 12,000 tradable symbols (against Trading 212's 10,000).
| Section score | CMC Markets 65 30 | Trading 212 65 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 12,000 | 10,000 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i | ETF, Stocks | ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and Trading 212 make available to their clients in United Kingdom.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for platforms, since CMC Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and copy trading, which Trading 212 does not. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer a proprietary platform and social trading.
| Section score | CMC Markets 97 Best 97 Best | Trading 212 81 -16 81 -16 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of CMC Markets and Trading 212 in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.CMC Markets and Trading 212 are equally good for mobile trading, as CMC Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app and the MetaTrader 4 app. On the other hand, Trading 212 offers mobile trading signals. CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 -1 73 -1 | Trading 212 74 74 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that CMC Markets and Trading 212 allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.Trading 212 is better than CMC Markets for CFD/FX trading features, as Trading 212 offers API access, which CMC Markets does not, and allows for expert advisors. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
Trading 212 is better than CMC Markets for real stock trading features, because Trading 212 offers fractional shares and API access, which CMC Markets does not. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer trailing stops.
| Section score | CMC Markets 69 -7 71 -18 | Trading 212 76 Best 89 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 9 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0.08% | |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | ||
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | USD 0 | USD 1 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at CMC Markets and at Trading 212 in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX account types, given that CMC Markets offers a corporate account and a spread betting account, which Trading 212 does not. CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
Trading 212 is better than CMC Markets for real stock account types, as Trading 212 offers a stock investing account and a savings account, which CMC Markets does not. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer a demo account and a margin investing account.
| Section score | CMC Markets 48 Best 45 -24 | Trading 212 38 -10 69 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with CMC Markets and with Trading 212 in United Kingdom.CMC Markets and Trading 212 are equally good for account opening, since CMC Markets does not require a minimum deposit (against Trading 212's 1 USD), and has no minimum withdrawal (against Trading 212's 1 USD). On the other hand, Trading 212 offers 3 account base currencies (against CMC Markets' 2), and credits deposits faster, within 1 day (against CMC Markets' 2 days). Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer credit cards and debit cards.
| Section score | CMC Markets 65 65 | Trading 212 65 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 0 | USD 1 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | USD 0 | USD 1 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | ||
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | EUR, USD | EUR, GBP, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 2 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 2 business days | up to 2 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of CMC Markets and Trading 212 in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for customer care, as CMC Markets offers a dedicated account manager, phone support and priority support, which Trading 212 does not. CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer live chat and email support.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best 73 Best | Trading 212 58 -15 58 -15 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 9 | 11 |
| Website languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese | Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese | Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that CMC Markets and Trading 212 provide to their clients in United Kingdom.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for learning, since CMC Markets offers education for advanced traders, webinars and professional reports, which Trading 212 does not. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer education for beginners and an education center.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 Best 100 Best | Trading 212 43 -57 43 -57 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
CMC Markets vs Trading 212: which one should you choose?
CMC Markets
CFD/FX Choose CMC Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, several trading platforms and fast execution.
Stocks Choose CMC Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with a wide choice of markets, several trading platforms and fast execution.
Open Account 78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Trading 212
CFD/FX Choose Trading 212 if you want an online CFD broker with commission-free US stocks and a low minimum deposit.
Stocks Choose Trading 212 if you want a share dealing service with commission-free US stocks and a low minimum deposit.
Open Account 83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include CMC Markets or Trading 212, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
