Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Police Friendly vs Trading 212
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Police Friendly | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £50 | £1Lower |
| Markets | Stocks, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority / Prudential Regulation Authority | Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Account types | ISA, Lisa, Jisa | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | 25% government charge on non-qualifying withdrawals | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | Not confirmed | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
Same on both: Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
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Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.0.
- Regulators: only Police Friendly offers Financial Conduct Authority / Prudential Regulation Authority.
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Founded is lower at Police Friendly: 1893 vs 2006.
- Trading 212 is licensed in 1 more country.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Trading 212: £1 vs £50.
- Markets: only Police Friendly offers Funds.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers ETFs, Forex, CFDs.
- Account types: only Police Friendly offers Lisa, Jisa.
- Account types: only Trading 212 offers SIPP, Joint.
Our verdict on each
Police Friendly
Police Friendly is a UK friendly society for long-term savers, not active traders, offering ISA, Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA accounts with a minimum deposit of £50. Regulated in the UK and backed by FSCS up to GBP 85,000, it fits households saving steadily for a home or a child's future.
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 | Police Friendly | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.6Low entry at £50 on isa, lisa and jisa accounts, offset by a charge on non-qualifying withdrawals. | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.1 | 9.2Higher |
| Trust | 9.2 | 9.5Higher |
What each covers
| Markets | Police Friendly | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | No | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | Police Friendly | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | No | Yes |
| Joint | No | Yes |
| Lisa | Yes | No |
| Jisa | Yes | No |
How they place
| Ranking | Police Friendly | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 138 of 490 | 74 of 490 |
| Investment platforms and apps | 29 of 85 | 18 of 85 |
| Stocks and shares ISA providers | 5 of 21 | 2 of 21 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Police Friendly | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Metropolitan Police Friendly Society Limited | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Cyprus |
| Founded | 1893Lower | 2006 |
| Support channels | Email, Phone | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Police Friendly | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £50above the median | £1lowest quarter | £25 |
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
Median across 16 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Police Friendly
Pros
- A minimum deposit of £50 makes the entry point manageable for steady savers.
- All three wrappers, isa, lisa and jisa, sit with one provider.
- Members are covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000 if the firm fails.
Cons
- A government charge cuts non-qualifying withdrawals, which limits access before the account matures.
- The investment range is limited to stocks and funds, with no wider market for ISA money.
- The £50 minimum deposit runs ahead of CFI at $0 and Vantage at $5.
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
Police Friendly
Who it suits
- UK savers who want ISA, Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA accounts under one roof.
- Police service members and their families, drawn to a provider run as Metropolitan Police Friendly Society Limited.
- Long-term investors content with a stocks and funds range and no trading tools.
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders after a wide market range: eToro covers stocks, etfs and forex.
- Anyone starting with the smallest possible deposit: CFI takes $0 and Vantage $5.
- Shoppers who judge cost by the entry deposit alone, since £50 sits above CFI at $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.
Current offers
Police Friendly
Current offer
Bonus
Open a Lifetime ISA - Earn up to GBP50 in Gift Cards: Up to GBP50 gift card
Pay GBP100 or more per month, or GBP50+ with Escalator; GBP30-99 gets GBP25; quote AUTUMN26
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Police Friendly | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Police Friendly
How much do I need to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is £50, which is more than some rivals ask at the start. CFI opens at $0 and Vantage at $5, so Police Friendly suits savers who can commit a modest sum each month rather than the smallest possible stake.
Is my money protected if the provider fails?+
Investors are covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000 under the UK compensation scheme, and the firm is authorised under the reference 110026. The regulator named is Financial Conduct Authority / Prudential Regulation Authority, which supervises both conduct and prudential standards.
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.