Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers 2025
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Your capital is at risk.
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 Interactive Brokers 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 Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year.
12 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year.
36 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year.
120 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £1 per year, while Interactive Brokers 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.
For investors in the UK seeking a range of trading options, Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers present appealing choices with their varied offerings. Both platforms provide access to share trading, ETFs, CFDs, and investment trusts, allowing users to dabble in shares or utilize more sophisticated financial instruments. Interactive Brokers further extends its horizons by offering crypto trading, funds, and bonds, widening the array of opportunities for those interested in a diverse portfolio.
When evaluating these platforms, it's noteworthy to consider their respective evaluations by UK.StockBrokers.com. Trading 212 earns a respectable 4.5-star rating for investment choices, ranking 16th among 21 brokers. In contrast, Interactive Brokers shines with a 5-star rating and secures the impressive rank of 2nd place. This suggests Interactive Brokers offers a more comprehensive suite of trading options for those seeking greater investment diversity.
Feature |
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Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Funds | Yes | |
Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
Spread Betting | ||
Crypto Trading | Yes | |
Advisor Services | ||
Investment Choices |
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For UK traders seeking a comparison between Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers, it's crucial to consider the features of their trading tools. Trading 212 boasts an impressive array of 106 technical indicators, surpassing Interactive Brokers' 96. It also allows traders to add notes to their charts, offers a user-friendly browser-based platform, and provides real-time market data. However, Trading 212 does not display corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends directly on charts, nor does it support index or stock overlays, which Interactive Brokers does offer.
Interactive Brokers shines with its extensive selection of 80 drawing tools for charting, compared to Trading 212's 27, giving users more options for detailed analysis. Additionally, Interactive Brokers integrates corporate events and overlays on charts, further enhancing the trading experience. Both brokers enable investors to set up alerts for stock price updates and offer efficient browser-based platforms. Ultimately, the choice between these two brokers may depend on whether you prioritize a greater number of technical indicators and real-time data with Trading 212 or prefer the comprehensive charting features available with Interactive Brokers.
Feature |
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Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 96 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 27 | 80 |
Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
For UK investors exploring online brokers for retirement accounts, Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers offer different features. Both brokers provide ISA accounts, which allow tax-efficient investments; however, only Interactive Brokers offers a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) account, granting additional retirement planning options. While Trading 212 focuses on user-friendly access to the financial markets, Interactive Brokers caters to those who need a broader retirement account range. Consider these differences when choosing a platform that aligns with your financial goals and retirement planning needs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers for UK users, both offer user-friendly mobile apps available on iPhone and Android devices. These apps provide a convenient way to manage investments on the go. UK.StockBrokers.com rates both Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers' mobile apps highly, each earning a commendable 5-star rating. However, out of 21 brokers, Trading 212 slightly edges out the competition, ranking third, whereas Interactive Brokers follows closely behind in fourth place. Whether you prefer Trading 212's intuitive interface or Interactive Brokers' comprehensive features, both options deliver an excellent mobile trading experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners seeking to expand their investment knowledge, both Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers provide valuable educational resources. Trading 212 covers foundational topics such as share trading and funds, making it a solid starting point for newcomers. However, it lacks additional learning opportunities like client webinars and retirement-specific education. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers not only offers comprehensive education on share trading, funds, and retirement, but also provides live and archived client webinars for flexible learning. In ratings, Interactive Brokers shines slightly brighter with a 4.5-star score compared to Trading 212’s 4 stars for beginner education, according to UK.StockBrokers.com. Ranking-wise, Interactive Brokers holds the 8th spot among 21 brokers, while Trading 212 ranks 13th, suggesting a broader educational appeal for new investors with Interactive Brokers.
Feature |
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Client Webinars | Yes | |
Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers, UK investors will find both platforms offer strong resources but with some differences. Trading 212 allows users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class and provides research on shares, ETFs, and CFDs. However, it lacks research reports for funds and bonds. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers offers a wider array of research tools, including comprehensive reports and insights on shares, ETFs, CFDs, and bonds, as well as research reports for funds. Both platforms are equipped to assist users in making informed investment decisions, but Interactive Brokers offers a more complete suite of research options for those seeking deeper insights, particularly in fund and bond markets.
Feature |
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Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Research - Bonds | Yes | |
Research - Funds | Yes | |
Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Trading 212 or Interactive Brokers? 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.
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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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Education |
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While Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading to its users, Trading 212 currently does not provide this feature.
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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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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Education |
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Review | Trading 212 Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
Winner | check_circle |
Investments | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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ISA | Yes | Yes | |
SIPP | Yes | ||
Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Funds | Yes | ||
ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
Spread Betting | |||
Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
Advisor Services |
Trading Fees | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £15 | |
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £36 | |
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £108 | |
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £360 | |
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 / £14.85 | |
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £0 | |
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £0 | |
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £0 | |
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £0 | |
Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | |
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | |
ETFs - Fee | 0 | £3 | |
Investment Trusts - Fee | 0 | N/A | |
Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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Platforms & Tools | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 96 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 27 | 80 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
Research | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Funds | Yes | ||
Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Education | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
Client Webinars | Yes | ||
Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
Overall Summary | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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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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Education |
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Review | Trading 212 Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
Winner | check_circle |