Trading 212 review 2025: interest, safety, fees, & more!
Trading 212 is a European-based broker with over 4 million users across various countries in the region. It stands out for its simplified approach to investing, offering an intuitive app, zero commission on certain transactions, and a platform designed for those who want greater autonomy in managing their portfolio.
Trading 212 may be well suited to those looking to invest in stocks and ETFs for the long term without paying transaction fees - and who also want to earn interest on uninvested cash. Plus, you can get a free fractional share valued up to €100.
In this article, we’ll look at Trading 212’s main features in detail, including fees, functionality, advantages, and limitations, as well as safety and regulation, helping you figure out if this broker is the right choice for you!
Overview
Founded in 2004 and headquartered in the United Kingdom, Trading 212 offers an intuitive platform with zero transaction fees on stocks and ETFs (and even fractional shares). The platform is available both on mobile (iOS and Android) and via a web version. It has a modern, user-friendly interface - ideal for newcomers to investing or anyone who values efficiency and autonomy.
One of the most popular features is the ability to invest in fractional shares starting at just €1, enabling diversification even with a small amount of capital. The platform also provides a free demo account for learning risk-free.
Trading 212 includes a feature called “AutoInvest,” which lets you create a diversified portfolio and manage it automatically based on your financial objectives. In addition, you have access to “Model Pies” and “Community Pies,” giving you the option to start with either a pre-made portfolio designed by Trading 212 itself or by other users in the community.
Trading 212 allows you to transfer your portfolio to another broker if you wish, without charging any fees for inbound or outbound transfers. Once requested, the entire process should be completed within 30 calendar days.
One of the few fees is the 0.15% currency conversion fee. For example, if you want to invest in Apple (listed in USD), you’ll pay 0.15% when buying and 0.15% when selling (a total of about 0.30%). On a €1,000 investment, that would amount to around €3 in fees.
When using Trading 212, you can choose whether or not to lend out the securities you hold. By lending your shares, Trading 212 earns daily interest, which is shared with you on a 50/50 split. The collateral used to back these loans consists of government bonds.
Finally, the account opening process is fast, fully digital, and requires a minimum deposit of €10. Trading 212 supports multi-currency accounts, meaning you can hold multiple currencies in your portfolio (GBP, USD, EUR, CHF, DKK, NOK, PLN, SEK, CZK, RON, BGN, HUF).
Highlights
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Commission-free trading of real stocks and ETFs (other fees may apply; see official terms)
- AutoInvest & pies feature
- Fast, easy account opening
- Free demo account
- Regulation by credible authorities
- Free fractional share up to €100 (with the promo code IITW)
- Competitive interest on uninvested cash (in several currencies)
Cons
- Limited range of instruments (no bonds, mutual funds, options, or futures)
- Few advanced analytical tools
- 0.15% Currency Conversion Fee
Interest on uninvested cash
Trading 212 is among the more generous platforms in terms of interest paid on idle cash: currently 2.70% on EUR (as of the date of this article).
Your cash is placed in a mix of time deposits and money market funds (which invest in short-term debt from EU member states). Below is an example of how it appears in some accounts:
You can also earn interest on other supported currencies in your account:
Trading platform
Trading 212 provides a trading platform for both mobile devices and desktop. As mentioned, there are two main account types (e.g., Invest, CFD), but in this review, we focus on the Invest account using the standard web interface.
Upon logging in, you immediately see your account balance, a sidebar on the left for navigating products, and a clear view of what’s moving up or down in pre-selected tabs (like “My Watchlist,” “Top Gainers,” “Top Losers,” etc.).
Scrolling down, you’ll find more details on any highlighted stock (e.g., Tesla), such as an overview of the company, key ratios, and basic financial summaries:
Markets and financial products
On Trading 212, you can buy over 10,000 real stocks and ETFs from various exchanges - NYSE, NASDAQ, LSE, Euronext, and more - commission-free. All starting from just €1.
When you click on the search bar, you’ll see something like this:
Trading 212 AutoInvest and Pies
AutoInvest is a feature designed to solve two common problems for investors:
- Building a diversified portfolio of stocks and/or ETFs.
- Doing so automatically, without having to decide each month, “Which ETF or stock should I invest in now?”
The first step is to build your own “Pie” or invest in a “Model Pie,” as shown in the screenshot. Each Pie - whether pre-made or custom - can include up to 100 assets, and you can hold multiple Pies simultaneously.
Fees and commissions
With Trading 212 Invest, the only main fee is the 0.15% currency conversion fee. That’s it!
Other common fees - such as withdrawals, deposits, or inactivity - are zero.
Security and regulation
Trading 212 segregates client funds from its own corporate funds, providing this layer of protection across all its subsidiaries. This means that if the company were to go bankrupt, your funds would remain protected and separate. You would, in practice, just need to transfer your assets to another broker.
Trading 212 is fully regulated and supervised by four major regulatory bodies worldwide:
- FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) – United Kingdom
- ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) – Australia
- BaFin (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) – Germany
- CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission) – within the EU
For residents in the European Economic Area (EEA), your account will typically be opened via Trading 212 Markets Ltd., which is authorized and regulated by CySEC. You can check it here when you are opening an account:
In addition to oversight by the FCA, ASIC, BaFin, and CySEC, Trading 212 is also a member of the following Investor Compensation Funds (ICFs):
- Trading 212 Markets Ltd.: Covered by the Cypriot ICF, providing protection up to €20,000 (cash + assets).
- Trading 212 UK Ltd.: Covered by the UK’s FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme), up to £85,000.
- FXFlat Bank GmbH (for Germany-based investors): Deposits protected up to €100,000 (EdB) plus an additional €20,000 (EdW).
Beyond these mandatory regulatory safeguards, Trading 212 also offers an extra layer of protection through a private insurance policy underwritten by Lloyd’s of London, which covers up to €1 million.
Since Trading 212 is privately held, it’s not required to publish annual reports on its website - unlike publicly traded companies. Nevertheless, the combination of its regulatory oversight and additional private insurance gives many European investors a degree of confidence in its reliability.
Want to know more? Check our separate article analyzing Trading 212's safety.
Final verdict: is Trading 212 worth it?
If you want a simple, intuitive app with commission-free stock and ETF trading, combined with attractive interest rates on uninvested cash, Trading 212 is a compelling option for many European investors.
Though it has some limitations - such as fewer available product types (no bonds, mutual funds, or futures) and relatively basic analytical tools - the platform compensates with useful features like AutoInvest, Model Pies, fractional shares starting at just €1, and high interest rates.
From a security standpoint, Trading 212 is regulated by CySEC for most EEA clients, with investor protection up to €20,000, plus an extra layer of private insurance coverage up to €1 million. This should offer additional peace of mind.
For many investors in Europe, Trading 212 can be an excellent entry point to the world of investing: user-friendly, accessible, and transparent.
Want to explore other options? Check out our comparison of major brokers available across Europe.
FAQs
Is Trading 212 legal and regulated worldwide?
Yes. Trading 212 operates multiple subsidiaries, each overseen by a reputable regulator - CySEC in the EU, FCA in the UK, and ASIC in Australia. Your account’s protections depend on which entity you’re signed under.
Which is better: Trading 212, XTB, or DEGIRO?
All have pros and cons. For more details, see our comparisons: Trading 212 vs XTB and Trading 212 vs DEGIRO (coming soon or located on our website).
How to invest in the S&P 500 with Trading 212?
It’s straightforward! You can look for ETFs that track the S&P 500 through the platform. (See our dedicated article on how to invest in the S&P 500 with Trading 212.)
Does Trading 212 offer a debit card?
Yes, Trading 212 provides a debit card option for certain markets, making it easier to manage your funds directly from your brokerage account.
