Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
AvaTrade vs Trading 212
AvaTrade vs Trading 212: the differences
| Compare | AvaTrade ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $100 | £1 |
| Stock trade fee | $0 | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | $50 | £0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Crypto, BondsCovers more | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, AvaTradeGO, WebTrader | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Regulators | Not confirmed | Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Investor protection | Not confirmed | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | No deposit or withdrawal fees | Not confirmed |
| Account types | Not confirmed | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
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Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.2.
- Markets: only AvaTrade offers Options, Crypto, Bonds.
- Platforms: only AvaTrade offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, AvaTradeGO.
- Platforms: only Trading 212 offers Trading 212 App, Web Platform.
- Features: only AvaTrade offers Copy trading.
- Features: only Trading 212 offers Fractional shares.
Our verdict on each
AvaTrade
AvaTrade is a commission-free CFD and forex broker for traders who want no deposit or withdrawal charges and free stock dealing, and who can start at a minimum deposit of $100. The catch is an inactivity fee of $50 on dormant accounts, so this suits active traders rather than occasional investors.
Trading 212
Trading 212 suits UK and European beginners who want flat costs: a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of £0 and an ISA, SIPP and joint account. Forex and CFDs share the same menu, so the easy entry is the reason to look closer, not to trade heavily.
Score breakdown
| Area | AvaTrade | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7Stock dealing costs $0 with no deposit or withdrawal fees, offset by an inactivity fee of $50. | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.8Higher | 9.2 |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 9.5 |
Where these facts come from
AvaTrade
- forexsuggest.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- tradingcritique.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Trading 212
- en.wikipedia.org: 13 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | AvaTrade | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 89 of 471 | 83 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 40 of 147 | 35 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 38 of 145 | 33 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 31 of 122 | 27 of 122 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AvaTrade | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app, Copy trading | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Cyprus |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2006 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | AvaTrade | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
Median across 13 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
AvaTrade
Pros
- Stock dealing is free, with a stock trade fee of $0
- No deposit or withdrawal fees, so funding and getting money out cost nothing
- A demo account, a mobile app and copy trading are all offered
Cons
- Dormant accounts attract an inactivity fee of $50
- The minimum deposit of $100 is higher than the site median of €4.64
- Copy trading sits well below the site average of 9.6%
Trading 212
Pros
- Nothing to pay for holding or for going quiet: the account fee reads £0 and the inactivity fee reads £0.
- Trading shares costs £0, the same stock trade fee eToro lists at $0, so the trade price is not the reason to move.
- The entry of £1 sits under the $5 Vantage asks for, which matters for a first transfer.
Cons
- The market list pairs shares and ETFs with forex and CFDs in stocks, etfs and forex, so a platform aimed at beginners, beginners, also carries leveraged products.
- The fee sheet is the easy part: retail accounts lose money at 70.15% across the brokers compared, and a £0 trade cost does not remove that risk.
- The money side runs through Trading 212 Markets Ltd in Cyprus, registered with the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission as MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32, so a UK saver is dealing with a Cyprus entity alongside the UK one.
Who each suits
AvaTrade
Who it suits
- Traders who keep an account active and want free deposits and withdrawals
- Anyone who wants to trade forex, CFDs, options and crypto in one place
- Copy traders who want to follow other people's positions as well as run their own
Who should look elsewhere
- Investors who need a tax-sheltered investment account
- Anyone who would leave a balance sitting untouched for long periods
- CFI or Vantage suit people who want a lower starting deposit
Trading 212
Who it suits
- Beginners and small regular investors who want a low bar to entry, since the minimum deposit is £1 and the app and demo account in fractional shares, demo account and mobile app support a cautious start.
- UK and European savers who care about holding cost, because the account fee of £0 and the inactivity fee of £0 leave the account free to sit and free to open.
- Savers who want a tax-wrapped and shared holding together, since isa, sipp and joint covers an ISA, a SIPP and a joint account under one provider.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for forex and CFD traders who want a deeper market list: Trading 212 stops at stocks, etfs and forex, while eToro and Vantage cover more of the leveraged side.
- Not for anyone who needs a no-cost opening: CFI takes a minimum deposit of $0 against the £1 asked here.
- Not for savers who want a bigger spread of wrappers: the account range is listed as isa, sipp and joint, which does not stretch to every tax-sheltered account type.
Questions about each
AvaTrade
What does it cost to trade stocks at AvaTrade?+
Stock dealing carries a stock trade fee of $0, and pricing is commission-free, so there is no separate dealing commission layered on top. Other costs are thinner too: funding an account carries no deposit fee.
What is the smallest amount needed to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is $100. That sits above the site median of €4.64 and above the lower quartile of €0, so it is a higher starting bar than many brokers on the site.
Trading 212
What is the minimum deposit to open a Trading 212 account?+
The published minimum deposit is £1, low enough to open and fund in one step. That entry sits under the €4.64 level seen across the brokers compared here, and under the $5 Vantage asks for, so a small first transfer is enough to get going.
Does Trading 212 charge for keeping an account open or leaving it idle?+
The account fee reads £0 and the inactivity fee reads £0, so neither holding the account nor letting it sit dormant is billed on the published sheet. The €10 inactivity level across the brokers compared sits well above that floor, which is where dormant-account charges usually show up.
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