Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Plum vs Trading 212
Plum vs Trading 212: the differences
| Compare |  Plum | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £2 | £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 | Mobile app | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Lisa | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
Same on both: Stock trade fee (£0), Account fee (£0), Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
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Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.9.
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Founded is lower at Trading 212: 2006 vs 2016.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Trading 212: £1 vs £2.
- Markets: only Plum offers Funds.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers Forex, CFDs.
- Platforms: only Plum offers Mobile app.
- Platforms: only Trading 212 offers Trading 212 App, Web Platform.
- Account types: only Plum offers Lisa.
- Account types: only Trading 212 offers Joint.
Our verdict on each
Plum
Plum is a UK app aimed at beginners who want to start small and pay nothing to hold or trade. Stocks, ETFs and funds sit behind fractional shares, the account fee is £0 and the minimum deposit is £2, so small amounts can be put to work in a SIPP, ISA or LISA.
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 | Plum | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Stock dealing is £0, the account fee is £0 and management fees run 0.15% to 0.6% on portfolios. | 9.3Charges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 8.9 | 9.2Higher |
| Trust | 8.5 | 9.5Higher |
How they place
| Ranking | Plum | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 160 of 490 | 74 of 490 |
| Investment platforms and apps | 33 of 85 | 18 of 85 |
| Brokers for beginners | 43 of 88 | 28 of 88 |
| Stocks and shares ISA providers | 7 of 21 | 2 of 21 |
| SIPP providers | 6 of 22 | 2 of 22 |
Licences and countries
| Country | Plum | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 |
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | Plum | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | Plum | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes |
| Joint | No | Yes |
| Lisa | Yes | No |
Sources behind this comparison
Plum
- withplum.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- finextra.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: 2 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 | Plum | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Fractional shares, Mobile app | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Plum Fintech Limited | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Cyprus |
| Founded | 2016 | 2006Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Plum | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.15% to 0.6% | Not confirmed |
| Minimum investment | £1 | Not confirmed |
| Portfolio types | ETF, Cash | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Plum | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £2below the median | £1lowest quarter | £25 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
Median across 16 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Plum
Pros
- Stock trades cost £0 and the account fee is £0, so holding and dealing carry no charge.
- The account opens from £2 and the smallest investment is £1, which suits small regular amounts.
- Fractional shares on a Mobile app let a small sum hold part of a share rather than a whole one.
Cons
- Support runs on email and help centre only, so an urgent question waits for a written answer.
- The market list is stocks, etfs and funds and portfolio types run to etf and cash, so the account is narrow beside a full trading platform.
- The minimum deposit of £2 ranks 89 of 213, and CFI lists a minimum deposit of $0.
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
Plum
Who it suits
- Beginners who want a SIPP, ISA or LISA going from a first deposit of £2.
- Investors who want to pick their own shares and are content with portfolio types of etf and cash.
- Readers who care most about the cost of a trade, since dealing is £0 and the account fee is £0.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone wanting a lower floor than the £2 minimum, since CFI lists a minimum deposit of $0.
- Readers comparing purely on dealing costs, since eToro also charges $0 for a stock trade.
- People who want to fund from a higher starting amount: Vantage lists a minimum deposit of $5.
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
Plum
How much does it cost to use Plum?+
Stock trades cost £0 and the account fee is £0, so there is no dealing charge and no annual subscription to pay. The cost that can appear is the management fee of 0.15% to 0.6% on portfolios, which applies to the managed side rather than to every account. On the cost of holding and dealing, Plum sits at the cheap end of the field.
Is Plum regulated, and is my money protected?+
Plum is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and the account is held with Plum Fintech Limited. The stated investor protection is FSCS up to GBP 85,000, which is the compensation available if the firm cannot pay a valid claim. That is the standard UK arrangement for a firm holding investments, and it is the part to check before depositing.
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.