Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Nutmeg vs Trading 212
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Nutmeg | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £500 | £1Lower |
| Markets | ETFs, Funds, Stocks, Bonds | 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 | Web, Mobile app | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP | ISA, SIPP, JointCovers more |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | no set-up, trading or exit fees | 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 9.2.
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Founded is lower at Trading 212: 2006 vs 2012.
- Trading 212 is licensed in 1 more country.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Trading 212: £1 vs £500.
- Markets: only Nutmeg offers Funds, Bonds.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers Forex, CFDs.
- Platforms: only Nutmeg offers Web, Mobile app.
- Platforms: only Trading 212 offers Trading 212 App, Web Platform.
- Account types: only Trading 212 offers Joint.
Our verdict on each
Nutmeg
Nutmeg suits UK investors who want a managed portfolio held in an ISA or SIPP rather than a self-directed dealing account. The cost of that convenience is a single management fee of 0.25% to 0.75%, with a £0 stock trade fee and FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 in place.
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 | Nutmeg | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.0Management fees of 0.25% to 0.75% run above the robo-adviser median of 0.35%, and the entry floor is high. | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.2 |
| Trust | 9.1 | 9.5Higher |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Nutmeg | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 92 of 490 | 74 of 490 |
| Investment platforms and apps | 20 of 85 | 18 of 85 |
| Stocks and shares ISA providers | 3 of 21 | 2 of 21 |
| SIPP providers | 3 of 22 | 2 of 22 |
Licences and countries
| Country | Nutmeg | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Financial Conduct Authority 552016 | |
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 |
Also worth a look
Spreadex has minimum deposit at £0, against £500 for Nutmeg and £1 for Trading 212.
Spreadex reviewEvery fact side by side
| Fact | Nutmeg | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Mobile app | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | J.P. Morgan Personal Investing Limited | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Cyprus |
| Founded | 2012 | 2006Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Nutmeg | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £500highest quarter | £1lowest quarter | £25 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
Median across 16 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Nutmeg
Pros
- One ongoing charge to read: management fees of 0.25% to 0.75%, with no set-up, trading or exit fees on top.
- Holdings span etfs, funds and stocks, so a managed basket can still cover a wide spread of asset types.
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind the account.
Cons
- Management fees of 0.25% to 0.75% sit above the robo-adviser median of 0.35%, and the cost rises as the balance grows.
- The opening deposit is £500 and later money goes in from £100 to £500, higher than the robo-adviser median of €60.06.
- The portfolio range is etf, esg and cash only, so there is no crypto or thematic option to tilt towards.
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
Nutmeg
Who it suits
- UK investors who want a managed portfolio inside an ISA or a SIPP and accept a single ongoing charge for the service.
- People who would rather not research individual funds, since the holdings run to etf, esg and cash approaches chosen and held for you.
- Investors who want a phone line as well as written support, since email, chat and phone includes phone, chat, email and a help centre.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone starting with a small first payment, since the £500 deposit is well above the robo-advisor lower quartile of €0, and Axos Invest begins at $100 in US dollars.
- Shoppers who want the lowest ongoing charge, since eToro runs a 0% management fee and Vivid Standard charges 0.5% to 1.5%, against Nutmeg's 0.25% to 0.75%.
- Investors who want accounts in US dollars, because Axos Invest takes $100 in dollars while Nutmeg's £100 to £500 sits in pounds.
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.
Current offers
Nutmeg
Current offer
Bonus
Earn £100 when you invest £1,000: GBP 100 cash reward
Invest at least £1,000 in one payment into a General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA or Personal Pension and keep it invested for at least 6 months; new contributions only, transfers excluded; reward paid as unallocated cash within 55 days; new clients only, cannot be combined with other new-client offers
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Nutmeg | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Nutmeg
What does Nutmeg charge to manage my money?+
The charge is a single management fee of 0.25% to 0.75%, which sits above the robo-adviser median of 0.35% in this group. There are no set-up, trading or exit fees to add on top. Money can go in from £100 to £500, so the cost is a percentage of what you hold rather than a price per deal.
How much do I need to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is £500, and once the account is open money can go in from £100 to £500. That first payment is the step most readers notice, and it sits above the lower quartile of €0 across robo-advisers here.
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.