Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of Interactive Brokers' Ireland entity and Trading 212's Cyprus entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of Interactive Brokers' Ireland entity and Trading 212's Cyprus entity.
Interactive Brokers
57.9% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Trading 212
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 Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in .Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for day traders, high-volume traders and scalpers. Both are a good fit for long-term investors, professional traders and swing traders.
| Overall score | Interactive Brokers 86 Best 85 Best | Trading 212 70 -16 74 -11 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and the ones that supervise Trading 212.Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 are both regulated by top-tier authorities, Interactive Brokers by CBI Ireland, ASIC (Australia) and the SEC (United States) and Trading 212 by CySEC, FSC Bulgaria and ASIC (Australia).
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 100 100 | Trading 212 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | CBI (Ireland) | CySEC (Cyprus) |
| 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 Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 have in place to protect your money in .Both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. Interactive Brokers also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 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 | 1978 | 2004 |
| Parent company i | IBG LLC | Trading 212 Ltd |
| CEO i | Milan Galik | Michael Byrne |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Agricultural Bank of China, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Banco Santander, Bank Hapoalim, Bank of China, Barclays Bank Ireland, Barclays Bank, Euroclear Bank, HSBC Bank, HSBC Continental Europe, ING Bank, ING Belgium, ING Bank Slaski, J.P. Morgan SE, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Mizuho Bank, MUFG Bank, NatWest Bank, Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation, Raiffeisen Bank International, Raiffeisen Bank Zrt, Raiffeisenbank a.s., Royal Bank of Canada, Skandinaviska Enskilda Bank, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, UBS Switzerland, United Overseas Bank, Wells Fargo Bank | J.P. Morgan, Barclays |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 3,337,000 | 4,500,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 6,205,000,000 | USD 299,000,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | ||
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with Interactive Brokers and with Trading 212 in , both on each trade and on holding the account.Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX costs, as Interactive Brokers is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 3.33 USD per lot (against Trading 212's 13 USD), does not charge deposit fees, unlike Trading 212, and offers volume discounts, which Trading 212 does not. Neither Interactive Brokers nor Trading 212 charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
Trading 212 is better than Interactive Brokers for real stock costs, as Trading 212 does not charge US stock fees (against Interactive Brokers' 2.1 USD), does not charge ETF fees (against Interactive Brokers' 6.96 USD), and does not charge withdrawal fees, unlike Interactive Brokers. Neither Interactive Brokers nor Trading 212 charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 85 Best 74 -8 | Trading 212 36 -49 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 4.65About this value. This is the forex commission per lot at Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited (CBI). At Interactive Brokers' other companies: USD 4.65 (the UK, Canada), USD 2 (Australia). | 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 3.325 | USD 13 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.42 points | |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.89 points | |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 70.17 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.005 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage | Spread, Free |
| US stocks fees (real) i | USD 2.1 | Free |
| ETF fees (real) i | USD 6.96 | Free |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | USD 0.85 | |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | USD 0.65 | |
| 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 Interactive Brokers and with Trading 212 in , and of how many instruments each one gives access to.Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX markets, since Interactive Brokers gives access to 15,000 tradable symbols (against Trading 212's 10,000), lets you own bonds, funds and forex outright, which Trading 212 does not, and offers futures on bonds, commodities, crypto, forex and indices, which Trading 212 does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks, and let you own crypto, ETFs and stocks outright.
Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for real stock markets, because Interactive Brokers lets you own bonds, funds and forex outright, which Trading 212 does not, gives access to 15,000 tradable symbols (against Trading 212's 10,000), and offers futures on bonds, commodities, crypto, forex and indices, which Trading 212 does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 let you own crypto, ETFs and stocks outright, and offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 100 Best 100 Best | Trading 212 75 -25 45 -55 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 15,000 | 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, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Bonds, Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices | |
| Options i | Bonds, Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks | |
| Assets you can own i | Bonds, Crypto, ETF, Funds, Forex, Stocks | Crypto, ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 make available to their clients in .Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 are equally good for platforms, since Interactive Brokers offers TradingView while Trading 212 offers social trading. Both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 80 -1 80 -1 | Trading 212 81 81 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 in , and of what each one lets you do from your phone.Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for mobile trading, as Interactive Brokers offers mobile charting tools and mobile drawing tools, which Trading 212 does not. Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 80 Best 80 Best | Trading 212 74 -6 74 -6 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 allow on their platforms in .Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX trading features, since Interactive Brokers offers tier-1 liquidity providers, which Trading 212 does not, and allows for scalping and automated trading. Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
Trading 212 is better than Interactive Brokers for real stock trading features. Both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 offer trailing stops and fractional shares.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 81 Best 85 -4 | Trading 212 73 -8 89 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | NDD | Agency |
| Average execution time i | ||
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | ||
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1About this value. This is the major fx pairs leverage at Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited (CBI). At Interactive Brokers' other companies: 30:1 (the UK, Australia), 50:1 (Canada). | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1About this value. This is the minor/exotic fx pairs leverage at Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited (CBI). At Interactive Brokers' other companies: 20:1 (the UK, Australia), 33:1 (Canada). | 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 | 5:1About this value. This is the equities leverage at Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited (CBI). At Interactive Brokers' other companies: 5:1 (the UK, Australia), 3:1 (Canada). | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| 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 1 | 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 Interactive Brokers and at Trading 212 in , and of who each one is meant for.Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX account types, because Interactive Brokers offers an Islamic account, a micro account and a swap-free account, which Trading 212 does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
Trading 212 is better than Interactive Brokers for real stock account types, given that Trading 212 offers a margin investing account, an unlimited demo account and a savings account, which Interactive Brokers does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 offer a stock investing account and a demo account.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 54 Best 53 -16 | Trading 212 38 -16 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 Interactive Brokers and with Trading 212 in .Trading 212 is better than Interactive Brokers for account opening, given that Trading 212 offers debit cards, which Interactive Brokers does not. However, Interactive Brokers does not require a minimum deposit at all (against Trading 212's 11 USD).
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 65 -12 65 -12 | Trading 212 77 Best 77 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 0 | USD 11About this value. This is the minimum deposit at Trading 212 Markets Ltd (CySEC). At Trading 212's other companies: USD 1 (Australia, the UK). |
| 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 | AUD, CAD, CHF, CNY, CZK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, JPY, MXN, NOK, NZD, RUB, SEK, SGD, USDAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited (CBI). It is different at Interactive Brokers' companies in Australia. | GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, CHF, DKK, NOK, PLN, SEK, CZK, RON, HUFAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at Trading 212 Markets Ltd (CySEC). It is different at Trading 212's companies in Australia. |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 2 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 in , in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 are equally good for customer care, as Interactive Brokers offers phone support. On the other hand, Trading 212 offers customer support in 11 languages (against Interactive Brokers' 8), and has a website in 11 languages (against Interactive Brokers' 8). Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 both offer live chat and email support.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 58 58 | Trading 212 58 58 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 8 | 11 |
| Website languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, 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, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, 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 Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 provide to their clients in .Interactive Brokers is better than Trading 212 for learning, because Interactive Brokers offers education for advanced traders, webinars and professional reports, which Trading 212 does not. Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 both offer education for beginners and an education center.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 92 Best 92 Best | Trading 212 43 -49 43 -49 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
Interactive Brokers vs Trading 212: which one should you choose?
Interactive Brokers
CFD/FX Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a CFD/forex broker for scalping, with low trading costs and TradingView.
Stocks Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a broker for securities investing with TradingView, bonds and futures.
Open Account 57.9% 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 ETFs.
Stocks Choose Trading 212 if you want a share dealing service with commission-free US stocks.
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 Interactive Brokers or Trading 212, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
