Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Dodl vs Trading 212
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Dodl | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25 | £1Lower |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)Covers more |
| Platforms | Dodl app | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Lisa | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75% | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | free deposits and withdrawals | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 3.8% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Stock trade fee (£0), Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
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Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Trading 212 is licensed in 1 more country.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Trading 212: £1 vs £25.
- Markets: only Dodl offers Funds.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers Forex, CFDs.
- Platforms: only Dodl offers Dodl app.
- Platforms: only Trading 212 offers Trading 212 App, Web Platform.
- Account types: only Dodl offers Lisa.
- Account types: only Trading 212 offers Joint.
Our verdict on each
Dodl
Dodl is an AJ Bell app aimed at UK beginners who want to sidestep dealing costs entirely. Stock trades cost £0 and cash earns 3.8%, so the saving comes from the fee-free model rather than from a richer market list.
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 | Dodl | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.9 | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.2Stock trade fee of £0 across isa, sipp and lisa, plus free deposits and withdrawals, undercuts priced platforms. | 9.2 |
| Trust | 8.6 | 9.5Higher |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Dodl | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 168 of 490 | 74 of 490 |
| Investment platforms and apps | 34 of 85 | 18 of 85 |
| Brokers for beginners | 47 of 88 | 28 of 88 |
| Stocks and shares ISA providers | 8 of 21 | 2 of 21 |
| SIPP providers | 7 of 22 | 2 of 22 |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | Dodl | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | Dodl | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes |
| Joint | No | Yes |
| Lisa | Yes | No |
Also worth a look
Spreadex has minimum deposit at £0, against £25 for Dodl and £1 for Trading 212.
Spreadex reviewSources behind this comparison
Dodl
- dodl.co.uk: 12 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- help.dodl.co.uk: 3 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
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Dodl | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Mobile app | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low feesCovers more | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Legal entity | AJ Bell | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Cyprus |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2006 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Dodl | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25at the median | £1lowest quarter | £25 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75%highest quarter | Not confirmed | 0.4% |
| Interest on cash | 3.8%highest quarter | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 34 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Dodl
Pros
- Stock trades cost £0, the lowest stock trade fee recorded in this comparison
- free deposits and withdrawals means moving money in and out adds nothing to a portfolio
- Cash held with the account earns interest of 3.8% while you save for a purchase
Cons
- Cash interest of 3.8% is a variable rate, so the return on uninvested money can move
- Dealing runs on Dodl app only, which suits casual investors less well than a desktop platform
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, so there is no phone line for urgent account problems
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
Dodl
Who it suits
- UK beginners opening a first stocks, ETFs and funds portfolio
- Investors who want dealing fees at £0 and want to keep cash earning 3.8%
- Savers setting aside money in an ISA, SIPP or LISA before investing
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders who need a desktop dealing platform, because dealing sits on Dodl app
- Anyone wanting phone support, since help runs on email, chat and help centre
- Investors who trade often in foreign currency, where 0.75% charges apply
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.
Country by country
| Country | Dodl | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Dodl
What does it cost to buy shares at Dodl?+
A stock trade costs £0, which is the figure that stands out on this platform. The pricing model is commission-free rather than low-fee, so dealing is designed to cost nothing. Money in and out is also free deposits and withdrawals, so a transfer adds nothing extra. The one charge to watch is 0.75% on currency conversion when you buy shares priced outside sterling.
Is my money protected at Dodl?+
Dodl is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and eligible balances are covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000. That protection is a stated limit on a claim to the firm, not a promise that investments cannot fall in value. The company operating the app is AJ Bell, so the account sits with an established UK provider rather than an offshore entity.
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.