Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
eToro vs Trading 212
What sets them apart
| Compare |  eToro | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | $0 | £0 |
| Account fee | $0 | £0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto, FuturesCovers more | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), SIPC | 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 |
| Account types | ISA | ISA, SIPP, JointCovers more |
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | £1 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Platforms | Not confirmed | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
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Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.2.
- Regulators: only eToro offers SIPC.
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Founded is lower at Trading 212: 2006 vs 2007.
- Markets: only eToro offers Crypto, Futures.
- Account types: only Trading 212 offers SIPP, Joint.
- Features: only eToro offers Crypto, Copy trading.
Our verdict on each
eToro
eToro suits readers who want to hold shares, ETFs, crypto, forex and CFDs in one app without paying commission on trades. Costs look light on the standard account, with a stock trade fee of $0 and account fee of $0, though the account fee applies to the virtual portfolio rather than every standard account.
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 | eToro | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Commission-free pricing with a stock trade fee of $0 and account fee of $0, but currency conversion on non-USD balances sits outside that headline. | 9.3Charges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 8.8 | 9.2Higher |
| Trust | 9.3 | 9.5Higher |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | eToro | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 213800GIFQMSV7HROS23 | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 |
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed | |
| United States | SIPC SIPC member 70212 | Not confirmed |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | eToro | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | No |
| Account types | eToro | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | No | Yes |
| Joint | No | Yes |
Pick eToro if, pick Trading 212 if
Pick eToro if markets matter most.
Pick Trading 212 if offer and account types matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | eToro | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 6 of 471 | 83 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 4 of 147 | 35 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 4 of 145 | 33 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 4 of 122 | 27 of 122 |
| Brokers for beginners | 2 of 88 | 28 of 88 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | eToro | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Crypto, Demo account, Fractional shares, Copy trading, Mobile appCovers more | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Legal entity | eToro (Europe) Ltd | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Cyprus |
| Founded | 2007 | 2006Lower |
| Support channels | Help centre | Not confirmed |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | eToro | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0% | Not confirmed |
| Minimum investment | $500 | Not confirmed |
| Portfolio types | ETF, ESG, Cash, Crypto | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | eToro | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | £1below the median | £20 |
Median across 19 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
eToro
Pros
- No commission on share dealing: stock trade fees are $0
- No account fee on the standard dealing account: $0
- Regulated in Cyprus by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, and a SIPC member in the US
Cons
- A separate management fee of 0% applies to the managed portfolio service, so headline dealing costs are not the whole bill
- Support runs on help centre only, so there is no stated phone or live chat route for account problems
- The same commission-free model at XTB comes with a stated stock trade fee of €0, so commission alone does not separate the two
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
eToro
Who it suits
- Beginners who want commission-free share dealing plus fractional shares
- Readers who want stocks, ETFs, crypto, forex and CFDs in one place
- Anyone saving in a currency other than US dollars who wants to watch the cost of conversion
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers who want a stated phone or live chat support channel, since support runs on help centre
- Day traders who judge a broker on spreads alone, as no spread figure is listed
- Anyone wanting managed portfolios at no cost, since the management fee is 0%
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
eToro
What does it cost to buy shares with eToro?+
The stock trade fee is $0, and the account fee is $0. Both sit at the low end of the market, and eToro is ranked at 1 on trade fees and 1 on account fees among the brands compared here. Currency conversion can still apply if your balance is not in the account currency.
Is there an account fee on the standard eToro account?+
The account fee is $0 for the standard dealing account, which is why eToro places at 1 out of 138 brands on that measure. The managed portfolio service is charged differently, at a management fee of 0%, so treat the dealing and portfolio costs as two separate lines.
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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