Trading 212 review
Trading 212 is a commission-free investing and CFD trading app now headquartered in London, founded in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2004 as Avus Capital before rebranding to Trading 212 in 2011. Its Invest and Stocks and Shares ISA accounts offer non-leveraged ownership of real stocks and ETFs, while a separate CFD account provides leveraged exposure to forex, indices, commodities and stocks. UK clients are onboarded through FCA-regulated Trading 212 UK Ltd; EU clients trade CFDs through Trading 212 Markets Ltd, a CySEC-licensed Cyprus entity set up after Brexit. The group also holds licences from Bulgaria's FSC and Australia's ASIC, and moved into banking via its 2024 acquisition of Germany's FXFlat Bank, with no MetaTrader or cTrader support on any account.
Trading 212 key facts
- Website: www.trading212.com
- Category: Commission-free investing and CFD broker
- Founded: 2004, as Avus Capital
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Regulation: FCA UK, CySEC Cyprus, FSC Bulgaria, BaFin Germany, ASIC Australia
- Platforms: Proprietary web and mobile app only, no MetaTrader or cTrader
- Minimum deposit: $1 for Invest and ISA, $10 for CFD account
- CFD leverage: Up to 1:30 for retail clients
- Products: Real stocks and ETFs, CFDs, Stocks and Shares ISA, Cash ISA
- CEO: Ivan Ashminov
- FYI Score: 94.3/100 (ranked #13 of the CFD brokers we track)
Regulation & licences
- Trading 212 UK Ltd is FCA-authorised for UK clients; Trading 212 Markets Ltd is CySEC-licensed in Cyprus for EU clients, an entity set up after Brexit.
- Additional oversight comes from Bulgaria's FSC, where the group was originally based, plus Germany's BaFin following the 2024 acquisition of FXFlat Bank, and Australia's ASIC.
- UK Invest, ISA and cash balances are FSCS-eligible; CFD trading carries no fund-level protection against trading losses.
Fees & account types
- Invest and ISA accounts charge no commission or custody fee on stocks and ETFs; a 0.15% FX conversion fee applies on non-base-currency trades.
- CFD accounts are spread-only with no separate commission, plus overnight financing charges on positions held past the daily cutoff.
- A 0.7% fee applies to card and digital wallet deposits above £2,000 or €2,000; bank transfer is fee-free.
- Minimum deposit is $1/€1 for Invest and ISA accounts, and $10/€10 to open a CFD account.
Platforms & tools
- All trading runs through Trading 212's own web platform and iOS/Android app; there is no MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 or cTrader support.
- AutoInvest and Pies allow automated, recurring investing into custom baskets of stocks and ETFs.
- A free demo account mirrors both the Invest and CFD environments.
Markets & instruments
- Invest and ISA accounts give real, non-leveraged ownership of stocks and ETFs.
- The CFD account offers leveraged CFDs on forex, indices, commodities and stocks, with crypto CFDs restricted for UK retail clients.
- Retail CFD leverage is capped at 1:30 on major forex pairs and lower on indices, in line with FCA/ESMA-style retail limits; higher leverage is available to verified professional clients.
Markets
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Platforms
Trading 212 Invest & ISA, Trading 212 CFD
Who Trading 212 is for
Trading 212 suits UK and EU investors who mainly want commission-free stock and ETF investing, including a free Stocks and Shares ISA, and only secondarily want CFD access; it is not built for traders who want MetaTrader or third-party algo support.
Pros
- Zero-commission real stock and ETF investing, including a free Stocks and Shares ISA, a strong differentiator in the UK market.
- FCA-regulated UK entity, with FSCS-eligible Invest, ISA and cash holdings.
- Very low minimum deposit, from $1 for Invest and ISA and $10 for the CFD account.
- Transparent CFD pricing: spread plus overnight financing only, no separate commission.
Cons
- CFDs are a separate, high-risk product: 52% of retail accounts lose money trading CFDs with Trading 212, per its own risk disclosure.
- No MetaTrader, cTrader or other third-party platform support; all trading runs through Trading 212's own app.
- Restricted buy orders on some stocks during the January 2021 GameStop short squeeze drew regulatory and media scrutiny.
- A 0.7% fee applies to card and digital wallet deposits above £2,000 or €2,000.
Trading 212 FAQ
Is Trading 212 regulated?
Yes. UK clients are served by FCA-regulated Trading 212 UK Ltd, and EU clients trade CFDs through Trading 212 Markets Ltd, licensed by CySEC in Cyprus. The group also holds licences from Bulgaria's FSC and Australia's ASIC, and is additionally overseen by Germany's BaFin following its 2024 acquisition of FXFlat Bank.
Are Trading 212 Invest and ISA real stocks, or CFDs?
They are real, non-leveraged share and ETF ownership. Leveraged exposure is only available through the separate Trading 212 CFD account, a structural split similar to eToro's real-stock and CFD model.
What is the minimum deposit at Trading 212?
$1/€1 to open an Invest or ISA account, and $10/€10 to open a CFD account.
Does Trading 212 support MetaTrader?
No. All trading, on both the Invest/ISA and CFD sides, runs through Trading 212's own proprietary web platform and mobile app.
Compare Trading 212 with other CFD brokers
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