Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs IG, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, Trading 212 offers better pricing than IG for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while IG would cost £136 per year.
12 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while IG would cost £96 per year.
36 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while IG would cost £108 per year.
120 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while IG would cost £360 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £1 per year, while IG would cost £0 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
Trading 212 and IG both offer a solid set of investment choices for online traders seeking diverse opportunities. For those interested in share trading or trading Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), both platforms have you covered. Additionally, both Trading 212 and IG support Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading and investment trusts, providing flexibility in trading strategies without advocating options like crypto trading, spread betting, fund trading, or bonds. Despite missing in niche areas, both are equally rated by UK.StockBrokers.com with 4.5 stars for their investment choices.
While Trading 212 is ranked 11th out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices, just a notch behind IG, which is ranked 10th, choosing between the two largely depends on individual preferences rather than distinct differences in offerings. Neither platform offers advisor services, which means traders will need to rely on their own research and insights when making trading decisions. It ultimately comes down to specific user needs, as both Trading 212 and IG deliver competitive investment platforms suited for savvy investors.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools available on Trading 212 and IG, both platforms offer unique strengths tailored to different trader preferences. Trading 212 doesn't support displaying corporate events such as earnings or dividends directly on charts, while IG provides this feature. However, Trading 212 outshines IG with a broader selection of charting tools, offering 27 drawing tools compared to IG's 19. In terms of technical indicators, Trading 212 again leads with 106 options, whereas IG offers 33. Both platforms allow users to add notes to their charts but do not support adding overlays for indices or stocks.
Both Trading 212 and IG are equipped with browser-based trading platforms, facilitating easy access to the markets. They also support the creation of stock price alerts and provide real-time market data, ensuring traders are always up-to-date. While Trading 212 might appeal to those who value extensive charting tools and technical indicators, IG's ability to display corporate events on charts could be a deciding factor for traders who prioritize market events in their analysis.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 33 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 27 | 19 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When it comes to choosing between online brokers Trading 212 and IG for retirement account options, both offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) but differ when it comes to Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Trading 212 customers can enjoy the benefits of investing with an ISA, which allows for tax-efficient savings, but the platform does not provide SIPPs. On the other hand, IG stands out by offering both ISAs and SIPPs, giving investors the added flexibility to manage retirement savings within a SIPP structure. This makes IG a more comprehensive choice for those particularly interested in retirement account options.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing mobile app offerings from Trading 212 and IG, both brokers provide dedicated applications for iPhone and Android users, ensuring accessibility across major mobile platforms. UK.StockBrokers.com rates both Trading 212 and IG's mobile apps with an impressive 5 out of 5 stars, highlighting their user-friendly and innovative features. Despite sharing the same stellar rating, IG claims a higher ranking, positioned at #6 out of 18 brokers, while Trading 212 finds itself at #9. This slight difference could suggest that IG's app has minor advantages in certain areas, possibly pertaining to overall user experience or additional features that appeal to a broader audience. However, both apps are strong contenders, offering a robust platform for trading on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors between Trading 212 and IG, IG appears to offer a more comprehensive learning experience. IG provides live educational client webinars that can also be accessed on demand, covering a broad range of topics including retirement, though it lacks resources on funds. Trading 212, on the other hand, offers education on share trading and funds but does not include webinars, live or archived, and does not address retirement. Ranked higher by UK.StockBrokers.com, IG holds the edge with a 5-star rating and a 7th place ranking out of 18 brokers, whereas Trading 212 achieves a 4-star rating, ranking 11th. While both platforms provide valuable insights on share trading, IG’s broader educational offerings cater more effectively to beginner investors seeking a richer, on-demand learning experience.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of online brokers Trading 212 and IG, some key differences emerge. For those interested in research reports for funds, IG stands out by offering them, whereas Trading 212 does not provide this feature. However, if visualizing portfolio allocation by asset class is important, Trading 212 meets this need, a tool that IG lacks. Both Trading 212 and IG excel in providing research for shares, ETFs, and CFDs, ensuring users have diverse resources at their disposal. Neither platform, however, offers research for funds or bonds, which may be a limitation for some investors. Overall, each broker presents its own set of strengths, catering to different investor preferences.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Trading 212 or IG? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Trading 212 to be a better trading platform overall.
Trading 212 offers commission-free share dealing and is a great option for those looking to simply execute share or ETF trades. Novice investors or those looking for more diversification through mutual funds may find better options elsewhere.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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IG
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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Both Trading 212 and IG do not offer cryptocurrency trading options for their users.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | IG | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Trading 212 | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Funds | No | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Trading 212 | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0-£10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £136 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £96 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £108 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £360 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | 0 | £0 - £8 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | 0 | £0 - £8 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | IG | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Trading 212 | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 33 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 27 | 19 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Trading 212 | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | No | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Trading 212 | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Trading 212 | IG | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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