Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
CFI vs Trading 212
CFI vs Trading 212: the differences
| Compare |  CFI | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 | £1 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, CryptoCovers more | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, FCA | Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Investor protection | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Platforms | MT5, TradingView, CFI Multi Asset, CFI Trading App | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 66% | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | No deposit fees | Not confirmed |
| Account types | Not confirmed | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
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Key differences
- CFI scores higher overall: 9.6 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only CFI offers FCA.
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Founded is lower at CFI: 1998 vs 2006.
- Markets: only CFI offers Crypto.
- Platforms: only CFI offers MT5, TradingView, CFI Multi Asset.
- Platforms: only Trading 212 offers Trading 212 App, Web Platform.
- Features: only Trading 212 offers Fractional shares.
Our verdict on each
CFI
CFI suits traders who want one account covering stocks, etfs and forex on a commission-free model commission free, with a minimum deposit of $0 and a Cyprus entity licensed by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA. Note that 66% of retail accounts lose money, and protection under the EU scheme is limited.
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 | CFI | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.7Higher | 9.3Charges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.2 |
| Trust | 9.4 | 9.5Higher |
Availability and regulation
| Country | CFI | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 | |
| United Kingdom |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | CFI | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 43 of 471 | 83 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 15 of 147 | 35 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 13 of 145 | 33 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 13 of 122 | 27 of 122 |
Sources behind this comparison
CFI
- media.cfifinancial.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- play.google.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- dailyforex.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- forex.wikibit.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- investinglive.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Trading 212
- en.wikipedia.org: 13 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | CFI | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Credit Financier Invest (CFI) Ltd | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Cyprus |
| Founded | 1998Lower | 2006 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | CFI | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 66%lowest quarter | Not confirmed | 72.05% |
Median across 47 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
CFI
Pros
- No minimum deposit, at $0, and No deposit fees, so funding does not cost a fee and the account can open at any size.
- Regulated on both sides of Europe: Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA, with the Cyprus entity named as Credit Financier Invest (CFI) Ltd.
- A single account covers stocks, etfs and forex rather than forcing separate apps per asset class.
Cons
- Protection caps out at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 on the Cyprus entity, so balances above that sit outside the scheme.
- 66% of retail accounts lose money, which is the risk that matters most for anyone sizing a position.
- Leverage sits alongside shares and ETFs in stocks, etfs and forex, so a single account mixes instruments with very different risk levels.
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
CFI
Who it suits
- People who want stocks, etfs and forex held in one place instead of several broker accounts.
- Traders who prefer the commission-free model commission free and a minimum deposit of $0 over a larger entry threshold.
- Savers who want a Cyprus or UK regulated option, given Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA and the Cyprus licence 179/12.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone wanting a wider asset list, since stocks, etfs and forex runs to futures as well and CFI's list is stocks, etfs and forex.
- EU traders who want a rival with a low entry point, such as XTB at €0.
- Traders put off by losses in the retail book, where 66% lose money and the median here is 70.15%.
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
CFI
What is the minimum deposit to open a CFI account?+
The minimum deposit is $0, so an account can be opened at any size and a first deposit does not have to clear a threshold. For comparison, Vantage lists $5 and XTB €0. The median minimum across the brands ranked is €4.64, and the highest reaches €26,308.87. CFI places 1 of 213 on that measure.
Does CFI charge commission on trades?+
CFI trades on a commission-free model, commission free, so positions are opened without a per-trade commission charge. The cost of a trade therefore sits in the spread and the market rather than in a commission line. Commission-free models are common in the field, appearing for 69.8% of the brands compared. Low-fee models sit alongside them at 40.5%.
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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