My Experience With Trading 212 (In-depth Review 2024)

In this Trading 212 review, you’ll see if Trading 212 is as good as people say. Signing up to the wrong broker can be costly. But it’s hard to know how good an investment platform is without using it. Reading my review, you can make an informed decision about Trading 212.

I signed up to Trading 212 in January 2021. Since then, a lot has changed, but I still use the platform. I have also reviewed many other brokers. This is why I can say Trading 212 belongs to the better ones. You can see why below.

🪧 Should you sign up through my affiliate links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you.

What Is Trading 212?

Trading 212 is an online investment platform offering:

• Stocks
• Funds
• Currencies/Forex trading
• Commodities
• Indices
• Contract for Differences (CFDs)

Trading 212 is based in London, although it was founded by Ivan Ashminov in Bulgaria in 2004. Trading 212 has an estimated net worth of $73-109 million. Overall, the site has 2 million clients and holds £3 billion in client assets.

Read how Trading 212 compares to other brokers in my Trading 212 vs Vanguard comparison and my Trading 212 vs interactive investor comparison.

Trading 212 Is a Legit Platform

Trading 212 is a legit site. It is a registered UK company with the number 08590005. Trading 212 is also regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

On Trustpilot, Trading 212 has an excellent score (4.6 out of 5.0), with over 20,000 reviews. Overall, 87% of users rated Trading 212 as great or excellent.

Trading 212 Customer Reviews on Reddit

Trading 212 has an active community on Reddit. It is a great place to discuss stock trading with other investors. Many users also use the community as a replacement for live support. (Although I recommend contacting customer support for issues.)

Is Trading 212 Safe?

Trading 212 users benefit from Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection. In case Trading 212 is unable to pay out, you get up to £85,000 of your money back. This protection does not cover investment losses. When you invest, you may lose money.

Trading 212 protects customer data by undergoing regular penetration and security tests. Its Security Operations Centre monitors traffic to the website.

My Opinion on Trading 212 After 3 Years

I can’t believe I have been a member for three years! I first signed up to Trading 212 for the free share offer. I got a Ford Motor share for £7.93. After a year, I tried entering a promo code and got another free share (ASML worth £10.56).

I never used Trading 212 for my main investments but kept it for single stocks. As you can see from the image below, my account is empty right now. I took a break from active investing to focus on blogging.

I never had any issues with Trading 212. It is cheap, fast, and easy to use. It is my favourite platform for active investing.

How Does This Trading Platform Work?

Trading 212 is a broker. Brokers connect customers to the stock market. Through a broker, users can buy and sell stocks and other assets. Trading 212’s features are:

• Low minimum investment of £1 (£10 for bank transfers and CFD accounts)
• Over 12,000 global stocks and funds
• Fractional shares
• Commission-free trading
• Web platform and mobile app

1. Signing up

You can sign up using the web trading platform or the mobile app. Trading 212 offers new users a free share worth up to £100. See my free money offers list to get more free shares.

As with every legit investment platform, you must verify your identity. This includes proof of identity and a recent bank statement.

2. Analysing Stocks

Trading 212 provides trading tools to help you analyse the market and individual stocks. It shows you a calendar and detailed information for each stock. The calendar shows events that may affect the market and their impact.

Looking at an individual stock, you can see:

• Past performance
• Company details
• Key rations
• Financials summary
• Income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow
• Instrument details
• Link to the annual report

If you want to research US stocks, I recommend Finimize over Trading 212. Read more in my Finimize review.

3. Buying Shares

Once signed up, you can:

• Watch tutorials
• Switch to practice mode
• Buy assets

To make a purchase, search for the asset you want and hit “Buy”.

4. Depositing and Withdrawing

Trading 212 has a low minimum deposit amount of £1. If you start with £1, you can buy fractional shares. For the CFD account, the minimum investment is £10. You can deposit and withdraw through:

• Bank transfer
• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• Skill
• Paypal
• Dotpay
• Giropay
• Direct eBanking

Withdrawing money from Trading 212 is free and takes up to three business days.

Trading 212 Account Types

On Trading 212, you can open the following accounts:

• Invest (General Investment account)
• CFD (Contract for Differences)
• Individual Savings Account (ISA)
• Practice account (demo account)
• Pro account

1. Trading 212 Invest

General Investment Accounts are the standard investing account. Anyone can use it but must pay tax if they exceed the Capital Gains Allowance.

2. Trading 212 CFD

Contract for Difference (CFD) trading is for advanced investors. CFD trading means speculating whether assets gain or lose value in the future. With the Trading 212 CFD account, you can trade stocks, indices, and commodities. Before trading CFDs, you need to develop skills and conduct research. Overall, 81% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

The minimum deposit for CFD accounts is £10. Noteworthy features include negative balance protection and stop-loss functions.

	Margin Rate	Leverage Equivalent
Major currency pairs	3.3%	1:30
Minor currency pairs	5.0%	1:20
Gold	5.0%	1:20
Other commodities	10.0%	1:10
Stocks and ETFs	20.0%	1:5
Major indices	5.0%	1:20
Minor indices	10.0%	1:10

3. Trading 212 ISA

An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax wrapper. You don’t have to pay tax on your gains with an ISA account. The current annual limit for ISAs is £20,000. Your ISA allowance is a total for all ISAs you own. ISA accounts have the same features as General Investment Accounts, except for taxation.

4. Trading 212 Practice Account

The practice account is the same as the General Investment Account without real money. When you start, you receive £5000 to invest as you like. This isn’t real money, and you cannot withdraw it. You can buy and sell stocks and see how much you lose or gain.

The practice account is great for beginners. You can see what investing is like without risking money. You can also let your children practise under supervision.

To switch to the practice account, navigate to the top-right menu and select “Switch to Practice”. You can switch back anytime. I recommend double-checking before every trade that you are in practice mode. This is to prevent you from accidentally messing up your real portfolio.

5. Trading 212 Pro Account

Pro accounts are for experienced investors. To upgrade your account to a Pro, you have to meet at least two out of three criteria: 

• You have traded an average of ten times in each of the last four quarters on CFD or Forex.
• You hold an investment portfolio exceeding 500,000 EUR/GBP.
• You have worked in the financial sector for at least one year.

With a Pro account, your leverage increases to 1:500 instead of 1:30. Leverage is for trading CFDs and lets you trade with more funds than you have. If your leverage is 10, you can trade up to 10 times the amount of money you have. You can make more profit this way but also lose more.

Trading 212 CFD vs Invest: Which Is Better?

When comparing the Trading 212 CFD account vs the Invest account, which is better depends on your goals. The Trading 212 Invest account lets you buy and sell shares and other assets.

On the other hand, the Trading 212 CFD account is for trading CFDs. With CFDs, you don’t buy stocks. Instead, you make a contract with Trading 212 on whether a specific stock will gain or lose value.

What Can You Invest in With Trading 212?

On Trading 212, you can choose from over 12,000 global stocks and ETFs. Beyond this, you can also trade indices, commodities, and currencies. With a CFD account, you can also trade CFDs. Overall, Trading 212 has a great variety of assets.

Trading 212 Fees

Trading 212 doesn’t charge a commission, but there are other fees:

Type	Fee
Foreign currency trades	0.15%
Foreign exchange fee (fx fee)	0.50%
Deposits through credit/debit card after depositing £2000*	0.70%
Future premium features	TBC

*Bank transfers or instant bank transfers are always free.

Is Trading 212 Good for Beginners?

Trading 212’s trading app and web platform are good for beginners. The broker has a low minimum investment amount and offers a Demo account. With this account, you can practise without risking real money.

The commission-free trading means you’ll save money on fees. If you start trading, you might place more orders than needed, so saving fees is essential. New investors can also get a free share worth up to £100.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Trading 212 Have a Waitlist?

Trading 212 no longer has a waitlist for European and UK customers. You can open an account anytime in these locations. For anyone else, there is a waitlist. Sign up with your email address, and Trading 212 will contact you. The waiting time depends on your location.

How Does Trading 212 Make Money?

The main income source of Trading 212 is market spreads. A spread is the difference between the bid (sell) price and the ask (buy) price for an asset. Another source of income is currency conversion fees. Whenever you buy or sell assets in a different currency, Trading 212 converts your money.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Trading 212?

Trading 212 Review Pros

• Trading offers commission-free trading.
• There are tutorials and a practice mode for new investors.
• The minimum investment is only £1, and you can buy fractional shares.
• The website and app have a user-friendly design and are beginner friendly.
• No charge for opening and maintaining an ISA account.
• Customer support is available 24/7 and responds fast.
• One of the best friend referral programs.

Trading 212 Review Cons

• Depending on your location, there is a waitlist.
• You cannot buy bonds or mutual funds on Trading 212.
• You can’t customise the user interface.

Trading 212 Alternatives

There are alternative platforms to Trading 212 you can try, including:

• interactive investor. interactive investor is one of the cheapest UK brokers. Read more in my interactive investor review.
• Hargreaves Lansdown. Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the most well-established brokers in the UK. Read more in my Hargreaves Lansdown review.

Trading 212 UK Review Summary

Trading 212 is one of the best trading platforms. Key features include commission-free investing and a minimum deposit amount of only £1. It is also one of the best ETF brokers and a good alternative to Robinhood. The platform is beginner friendly and has many guides and tutorials. You can also open a practice account to gain trading experience.

Read my Freetrade vs Trading 212 comparison to learn how Trading 212 compares to Freetrade.

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