Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor vs Trading 212, 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 Investor 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 - Interactive Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while Trading 212 would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while Trading 212 would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while Trading 212 would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while Trading 212 would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £0 per year, while Trading 212 would cost £1 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.
Interactive Investor and Trading 212 both cater to UK investors seeking diverse trading opportunities. Interactive Investor stands out by offering share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. It does not currently support crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading. Trading 212, on the other hand, provides share trading, ETFs, investment trusts, and CFD trading, while lacking options for funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor shines with a 5-star rating for investment choices, ranking 3rd out of 21 brokers, offering a comprehensive selection for UK investors. In comparison, Trading 212 holds a respectable 4.5-star rating, positioned at 16th out of 21 brokers for investment choices. While both platforms have strong offerings, Interactive Investor is ideal for those who value a broader range of investment products, whereas Trading 212 might appeal to investors interested in CFDs and a simplified trading approach.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | ||
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing Interactive Investor and Trading 212 for trading tools, both platforms offer a range of features tailored to enhance user experience. Interactive Investor stands out by allowing traders to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts. It supports index and stock overlays, while Trading 212 does not explicitly offer these features. Both platforms enable users to add notes to charts and set up alerts for stock price updates, ensuring traders are well-informed. Additionally, they both provide browser-based trading platforms, real-time market data, and a variety of technical indicators, with Interactive Investor offering 104 and Trading 212 slightly ahead with 106.
In terms of drawing tools, Trading 212 offers a wider selection with 27 options compared to Interactive Investor's 18. This provides Trading 212 users with more flexibility in customizing and analyzing their charts. Despite this difference, both platforms cater to the needs of traders seeking comprehensive technical analysis support. While Interactive Investor covers more in terms of corporate and index overlays on charts, Trading 212 compensates with its abundance of drawing tools. Both platforms are valuable options for UK traders looking to delve into detailed charting and technical analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 106 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 27 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
When comparing online brokers in the UK, both Interactive Investor and Trading 212 offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), providing tax-efficient investment opportunities. However, a key difference lies in retirement account offerings. Interactive Investor supports Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), ideal for those seeking to consolidate retirement savings with more control over investment choices. On the other hand, Trading 212 currently does not provide SIPP accounts, which might be a consideration for investors focused on retirement planning. Overall, while both platforms cater to ISA investors, Interactive Investor extends its services to include SIPP options for comprehensive financial planning.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of online brokers Interactive Investor and Trading 212, both platforms accommodate iPhone and Android users, ensuring accessibility across popular devices. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Investor's mobile app at 4.5 stars, placing it 7th among 21 brokers, while Trading 212 shines with a full 5-star rating, earning it a commendable 3rd place in the same ranking. This suggests that while both apps provide solid functionalities, Trading 212 offers a superior mobile experience according to expert reviews.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources of Interactive Investor and Trading 212, UK investors looking to enhance their knowledge need to consider several key features. Interactive Investor shines with client webinars that are not only offered live but also archived for on-demand viewing, whereas Trading 212 does not offer this feature. Both platforms provide education on essential topics like share trading and funds, but Interactive Investor extends its educational content to cover retirement planning, which Trading 212 does not. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor receives a glowing 5-star rating for beginner education, standing at the impressive rank of #2 out of 21 brokers. Meanwhile, Trading 212 is rated 4 stars and holds the #13 spot, reflecting its slightly less comprehensive approach for novice investors.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Investor and Trading 212, UK investors will find distinct differences tailored to their needs. Interactive Investor offers a comprehensive range of research options, including reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds. This makes it ideal for investors seeking in-depth insights across a wide spectrum of investment types. Additionally, both platforms allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, providing a snapshot of their investment distribution. While Trading 212 matches Interactive Investor in providing shares and ETFs research, it excels in CFDs research, a feature that Interactive Investor does not offer. However, Trading 212 lacks reports for funds and bonds research, making Interactive Investor the more well-rounded choice for detailed investment guidance.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | 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, Interactive Investor or Trading 212? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
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Trading 212
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While Interactive Investor does not provide crypto trading options, Trading 212 offers a platform for trading cryptocurrencies, catering to investors seeking to diversify their portfolios with digital assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Trading 212 Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | ||
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | 0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | 0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 106 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 27 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Trading 212 Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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