Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Lightyear vs Trading 212
Lightyear vs Trading 212: the differences
| Compare |  Lightyear | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | $1 | £0 |
| Account fee | €0 | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | €0 | £0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Crypto, Bonds, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | Estonian Financial Supervision Authority, Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA) | 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 | Corporate | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | £1 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.35% | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free bank transfers in and out | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | Not confirmed | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Interest on cash | 2.42% | Not confirmed |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.9.
- Regulators: only Lightyear offers Estonian Financial Supervision Authority, Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA).
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Trading 212 is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only Lightyear offers Crypto, Bonds, Funds.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers Forex, CFDs.
- Account types: only Lightyear offers Corporate.
- Account types: only Trading 212 offers ISA, SIPP, Joint.
- Features: only Lightyear offers Crypto.
- Features: only Trading 212 offers Demo account, Mobile app.
Our verdict on each
Lightyear
Lightyear suits you if you want stocks, ETFs, bonds, funds and crypto in a place with clear upkeep costs and email based help. Your stock trades cost $1, account upkeep sits at €0 and inactivity stays at €0 while cover reaches EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
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 | Lightyear | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Upkeep at €0 and inactivity at €0 with trades at $1 | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 8.8Covers stocks, ETFs and crypto with fractional shares and crypto access for varied plans | 9.2Higher |
| Trust | 8.7Cover through EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 alongside Estonian supervision for reassurance | 9.5Higher |
What each covers
| Markets | Lightyear | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | Lightyear | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | No | Yes |
| SIPP | No | Yes |
| Joint | No | Yes |
| Corporate | Yes | No |
Sources behind this comparison
Lightyear
- lightyear.com: 12 facts, checked September 29, 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 | Lightyear | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 39 of 471 | 83 of 471 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Lightyear | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Crypto, Fractional shares | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Low fees | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Cyprus |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2006 |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Lightyear | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum investment | €1 | Not confirmed |
| Portfolio types | ETF, Cash, Crypto | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Lightyear | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | £1below the median | £20 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.35%below the median | Not confirmed | 0.45% |
| Interest on cash | 2.42%below the median | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 43 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Lightyear
Pros
- Account upkeep at €0 and inactivity at €0 keep quiet months calm
- You can hold stocks, ETFs and crypto with fractional shares available for smaller positions
- You can begin from €1, below many peers, with cash interest at 2.42%
Cons
- Stock trades at $1 look pricey beside ActivTrades at $0 for frequent equity orders
- Currency conversion at 0.35% adds cost when you trade outside your base currency
- Support runs on email and help centre only, so you use email and help centre without phone or chat
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
Lightyear
Who it suits
- You want upkeep at €0 and inactivity at €0 and prefer XTB only if ticket fees matter more
- You seek stocks, ETFs and crypto from modest sums starting at €1 rather than eToro style ranged pricing
Who should look elsewhere
- You trade stocks very often and want ticket fees of $0 from ActivTrades rather than fees of $1
- You want phone or chat help rather than help on email and help centre, so XTB may suit you better
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
Lightyear
What will I pay to trade stocks and keep the account open?+
Stock orders carry fees of $1. Account upkeep sits at €0 and inactivity stays at €0. Currency conversion applies at 0.35% when your trade currency differs from your account currency.
Who regulates Lightyear and where can I check it?+
Lightyear names Estonian Financial Supervision Authority and Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA) as its supervisors. Oversight sits in Estonia under MiCA CASP 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54. You can check the licence details on the relevant public register before you fund an account.
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.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- Lightyear vs Interactive Brokers
- Lightyear vs Lightspeed Financial
- Lightyear vs Markets.com
- Lightyear vs Composer
- Lightyear vs Nutmeg
- Lightyear vs AJ Bell
- Lightyear vs BUX
- Lightyear vs SoFi
- Lightyear vs Vanguard
- Lightyear vs Freedom24
- Lightyear vs Global Prime
- Lightyear vs TradeStation
- Lightyear vs Fidelity
- Lightyear vs ActivTrades
- Trading 212 vs XTB
- Trading 212 vs NAGA
- Lightyear vs UNest
- Lightyear vs eToro
- Lightyear vs Mintos
- Lightyear vs Bitpanda
- Trading 212 vs Robinhood
- Lightyear vs Kraken
- Lightyear vs CapTrader