Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs Saxo, 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 Saxo 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.
Comparing Trading 212 vs Saxo for UK investors: both offer share dealing, ETFs, investment trusts, and CFD trading. Saxo goes further with crypto, funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), which Trading 212 does not offer. Details on spread betting were not provided for either broker, and neither offers adviser services.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Trading 212 at 4.5/5 (ranked 16 of 21) and Saxo at 5/5 (ranked 1 of 21). If you want the widest range, including crypto, funds, and bonds, Saxo is the more complete option. If your focus is on shares, ETFs, investment trusts, and CFDs, Trading 212 covers the essentials.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| 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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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Trading 212 vs Saxo for UK traders: both offer a browser-based platform and price alerts. Neither plots corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) or index overlays on charts. Trading 212 lets you add notes to charts, while Saxo does not; Saxo supports stock overlays, which Trading 212 lacks. For market data, Trading 212 provides real-time quotes, whereas Saxo does not.
On charting depth, Saxo lists 20 drawing tools and 64 technical indicators. The exact counts for Trading 212’s drawing tools and indicators aren’t stated, making a like-for-like tally unclear. If you want stock overlays and a larger indicator library, Saxo stands out; if you value adding notes and real-time market data in-platform, Trading 212 may suit you.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers Trading 212 and Saxo for UK investors interested in retirement accounts, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing you to save and invest tax-efficiently. However, if you're looking to invest in a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), Saxo is the better choice, as Trading 212 does not currently provide this option. Therefore, if your focus includes building a retirement portfolio through a SIPP, Saxo serves as a more comprehensive solution compared to Trading 212, which offers only ISA accounts.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of online brokers Trading 212 and Saxo, both platforms provide iPhone and Android apps, offering convenient trading on the go. According to ratings by UK.StockBrokers.com, both apps receive a perfect score of 5 stars, reflecting their quality and user satisfaction. However, in terms of overall rankings among 21 brokers, Saxo takes the top spot at #1 for its mobile app, while Trading 212 closely follows at #3. This suggests that while both apps are highly rated, Saxo's mobile trading app seems to have a slight edge in the competitive landscape.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing education, Saxo has the edge over Trading 212. Saxo runs live educational webinars and keeps them on-demand, and covers share trading, funds and retirement, earning 5 out of 5 stars and ranking #3 of 21 brokers on UK.StockBrokers.com. Trading 212 offers helpful share trading guides but no client webinars or on-demand recordings, and it lacks coverage on funds and retirement; it still scores a strong 4.5 out of 5 stars but ranks #13 of 21. If webinars and broader topics matter, Saxo is the more comprehensive choice, while Trading 212 suits those focused on share trading basics.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 the market research features of Trading 212 and Saxo, there are several key differences and similarities worth noting for a UK investor. Both platforms offer comprehensive portfolio allocation insights by asset class, as well as research capabilities for shares and ETFs. However, Saxo distinguishes itself by providing research reports and insights on funds and bonds, which Trading 212 does not. This makes Saxo potentially more appealing for investors looking to explore a wider variety of investment options with extensive market research reports.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo? 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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Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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Among online brokers, Trading 212 does not offer crypto trading, while Saxo does, making Saxo the choice if you want to trade cryptocurrencies.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | Saxo | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Saxo Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Trading 212 | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Trading 212 | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | $1 / £3 / €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 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | €20 minimum | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | €20 minimum | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | From $1 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | 0.03/0.06/0.08% | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Saxo | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Trading 212 | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | ||
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Trading 212 | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Saxo | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Saxo Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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