Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Interactive Brokers vs Trading 212
Interactive Brokers scores 9.6 and Trading 212 9.3 out of 10. Compare their differences and shared features below.
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 | £1 |
| Stock trade fee | $0 | £0 |
| Markets | Bonds, ETFs, Forex, Funds, Futures, Options, Stocks | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | SEC, FCA, SIPC | Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Investor protection | SIPC up to USD 500,000 | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Platforms | Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, Trader Workstation | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, IRA, Joint, CorporateCovers more | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Margin rate | 4.38% | Not confirmed |
| Options contract fee | $0.65 | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 3.38% | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Interactive Brokers scores higher overall: 9.6 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only Interactive Brokers offers SEC, FCA, SIPC.
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Founded is lower at Interactive Brokers: 1978 vs 2006.
- Markets: only Interactive Brokers offers Bonds, Funds, Futures.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers CFDs.
- Platforms: only Interactive Brokers offers Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile.
- Platforms: only Trading 212 offers Trading 212 App, Web Platform.
- Account types: only Interactive Brokers offers IRA, Corporate.
- Features: only Trading 212 offers Demo account.
Our verdict on each
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers suits investors who want a single account across ISA, SIPP, IRA, joint and corporate holdings, with stocks, bonds, funds, forex, options and futures behind it. It ranks 1 of 213 brands on minimum deposit at $0, and stock trades are charged at $0.
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 | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Stock trades cost $0, the minimum deposit is $0 and an options contract costs $0.65. | 9.3Charges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.6HigherAccount types cover isa, sipp and ira, and the market list spans bonds, etfs and forex. | 9.2 |
| Trust | 9.8Higher | 9.5 |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 44 of 471 | 83 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 16 of 147 | 35 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 14 of 145 | 33 of 145 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | FCA 208159 | |
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 |
| United States | SIPC SIPC member 53615 | Not confirmed |
What each covers
| Markets | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Options | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes |
| IRA | Yes | No |
| Joint | Yes | Yes |
| Corporate | Yes | No |
What we checked
Interactive Brokers
- interactivebrokers.com: 9 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- brokersway.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- toponlineforexbrokers.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- euinvestinghub.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- eupersonalfinance.eu: 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 | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Fractional shares, Mobile app | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low feesCovers more | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | United States | Cyprus |
| Founded | 1978Lower | 2006 |
| Support channels | Help centre, Community | Not confirmed |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio types | ETF | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Interactive Brokers | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
| Margin rate | 4.38%below the median | Not confirmed | 8.75% |
| Options contract fee | $0.65above the median | Not confirmed | $0.625 |
| Interest on cash | 3.38%above the median | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 43 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Interactive Brokers
Pros
- A stock trade costs $0 and the minimum deposit is $0, the pairing behind rank 1 of 161 on stock trade fees among the brokers tracked here.
- The account types listed cover isa, sipp and ira, so an ISA, SIPP, IRA, joint or corporate account all sit under a single provider.
- bonds, etfs and forex puts stocks, ETFs, bonds, funds, forex, options and futures on the same account, with a margin rate of 4.38% for geared positions.
Cons
- Support runs on help centre and community, so a phone line and live chat sit outside the offer.
- bonds, etfs and forex covers shares, ETFs, bonds, funds, forex, options and futures but leaves out crypto and CFDs, which eToro lists in stocks, etfs and forex.
- An options contract costs $0.65 against a stock trade at $0, so options strategies pay a visible premium per contract.
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
Interactive Brokers
Who it suits
- Investors holding money across several wrappers, since the account types listed cover isa, sipp and ira.
- Traders who want options, futures, forex and bonds alongside shares on a single account, per bonds, etfs and forex.
- Anyone starting with a small balance: the minimum deposit is $0 and fractional shares appear in the feature list (fractional shares and mobile app).
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who trades crypto or CFDs, since bonds, etfs and forex leaves both out while eToro lists them in stocks, etfs and forex.
- Readers who want a stated entry figure as a signal of the provider's target size, since Vantage publishes $5 where this broker's minimum 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
Interactive Brokers
What does it cost to trade shares?+
A stock trade is charged at $0 and the minimum deposit is $0, so opening an account and dealing in shares carry no charge. The money sits in derivatives and leverage instead, where an options contract costs $0.65 and the margin rate is listed at 4.38%.
Is my money protected?+
The regulatory list runs to SEC, FCA and SIPC, and investor protection is stated as SIPC up to USD 500,000. The UK entry is the FCA under licence 208159, while the US side names the SEC and the SIPC membership SIPC member 53615. The protection figure describes the scheme stated for the account and says nothing about how a trade performs.
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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