Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers 2026
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.
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 vs Interactive Brokers for UK investors: both offer share dealing, ETFs, CFDs, and investment trusts. Key differences are in the extras. Interactive Brokers adds cryptocurrency trading, funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), while Trading 212 does not offer these. Neither broker provides advisor services. Spread betting isn’t specified in the data for either broker.
Independent ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com score Trading 212 at 4.5/5 (ranked 10th of 21) and Interactive Brokers at 5/5 (ranked 1st). If you want the widest range of asset types, Interactive Brokers leads; if you prefer a simpler menu focused on shares, ETFs, CFDs, and investment trusts, Trading 212 may fit well.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers: both offer a browser-based trading platform and let you set price alerts, but neither shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and neither supports index or stock overlays. For UK traders focused on live pricing, Trading 212 provides real-time market data, while Interactive Brokers does not based on the details here.
For charting tools, Interactive Brokers lists 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators. Trading 212 doesn’t specify counts for drawing tools or indicators, but it does let you add notes directly to charts—something Interactive Brokers doesn’t offer.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing retirement account options between online brokers Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers, UK investors should be aware of their offerings. Both Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), making them viable options for tax-efficient savings. However, when it comes to Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), only Interactive Brokers offers this account type, providing an additional avenue for UK investors focusing on their retirement planning. Therefore, those looking to incorporate a SIPP in their investment strategy will find Interactive Brokers as the more suitable choice.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
UK investors comparing online brokers Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers for mobile trading will find both offer iPhone and Android apps and each earns 5/5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. However, Trading 212 ranks 3rd out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Interactive Brokers ranks 5th, giving Trading 212 a slight edge. If you want a highly rated trading app on iOS or Android, either platform works well, with Trading 212 placing higher in the latest UK mobile app rankings.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing online brokers, Trading 212 offers education on share trading but provides no client webinars, no on-demand webinar archive, and no dedicated learning for funds or retirement. Interactive Brokers, by contrast, runs live educational webinars with an on-demand library and covers share trading, funds, and retirement. Based on UK.StockBrokers.com ratings, Trading 212 earns 4.5/5 for beginner education and ranks 10th of 21 brokers, while Interactive Brokers scores 5/5 and ranks 4th of 21.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers for market research capabilities, UK investors will find notable differences between the two. Trading 212 provides research and analysis on shares and ETFs, along with insights into portfolio allocation by asset class. However, it falls short in offering research reports for funds and bonds. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers offers a more comprehensive selection, including detailed research reports for funds and bonds, in addition to shares and ETFs. Both platforms allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, but those seeking in-depth research across a wider range of financial products may find Interactive Brokers more appealing.
| Feature |
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|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | 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 is a popular investing platform best known for its commission-free trading, easy-to-use mobile app, and support for low-cost investing in stocks and ETFs.
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When comparing online brokers, Trading 212 does not offer crypto trading, whereas Interactive Brokers provides access to cryptocurrency markets, making it a preferred choice for those interested in digital assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £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 | £3 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | ||
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Trading 212 | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |