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.
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 are two well-regarded online brokers in the UK, each catering to different investor needs. Both platforms support share trading and investment trusts, making them suitable for investors looking to purchase individual stocks or diversify through trusts. However, Interactive Investor offers a broader range of investment options, including funds trading, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), dynamics that Trading 212 does not provide. This diversity of choices might explain Interactive Investor's higher rating of 5 stars and its rank of #3 out of 21 brokers for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com compared to Trading 212's 4.5 stars and #16 ranking.
On the other hand, Trading 212 stands out by providing CFD trading, a feature not available with Interactive Investor, appealing to those interested in more speculative trading. However, neither broker supports crypto trading, spread betting, or offers advisor services, which may be critical factors for those needing guidance or looking into alternative trading modes. Investors in the UK can consider these differences when choosing between the two platforms, depending on whether a wider range of traditional investment vehicles or access to CFDs aligns better with their investment strategies.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Trading 212
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Interactive Investor offers deeper charting tools: you can display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts and add both index and stock overlays. It lists 18 drawing tools and 104 technical indicators, and you can add notes to charts. Trading 212 also lets you add notes, but it does not show corporate events or support index/stock overlays on charts, and it does not state how many drawing tools or indicators are available.
Both brokers provide a browser-based platform with real-time market data and price alerts for UK investors. Choose Interactive Investor if you want more advanced chart analysis in your web browser; pick Trading 212 if you mainly need straightforward trading with alerts and live prices.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing Interactive Investor and Trading 212 as online brokers for UK users focused on retirement accounts, it's important to note the differences in their offerings. Both platforms provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing users to grow their investments tax-efficiently. However, Interactive Investor stands out by also offering Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), enabling users to save specifically for retirement with more control over investment choices. On the other hand, Trading 212 does not currently provide a SIPP option. Therefore, for those prioritizing comprehensive retirement planning, Interactive Investor might be the more suitable choice due to its additional retirement account offerings.
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.
For UK beginners comparing Interactive Investor vs Trading 212, Interactive Investor stands out for education: it runs client webinars and lets you watch them on demand, while Trading 212 offers no webinars. Both provide share trading guides, but only Interactive Investor also teaches funds and retirement. Independent ratings back this up: UK.StockBrokers.com gives Interactive Investor 5/5 stars and ranks it #2 of 21 for beginner education, whereas Trading 212 earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #13. If you want live sessions and a wider range of topics, Interactive Investor is the stronger choice; if you only need share trading basics, Trading 212 still delivers.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For those in the UK keen on market research features in online brokers, Interactive Investor stands out compared to Trading 212. Interactive Investor provides comprehensive research reports across various financial instruments, including funds and bonds—both areas where Trading 212 falls short. While both brokers allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class and offer research on shares and ETFs, Interactive Investor offers a broader scope with additional research on funds and bonds. Trading 212, on the other hand, does not provide research reports for funds or bonds, which may limit its appeal to investors seeking in-depth insights in these areas.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| 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.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| 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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Both Interactive Investor and Trading 212 do not offer crypto trading options, providing users with a focus on traditional investment opportunities without cryptocurrency availability.
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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 | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| 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) | |||
| 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 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £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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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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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 | ||
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Trading 212 Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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