Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Swissquote vs Trading 212
Swissquote vs Trading 212: the differences
| Compare |  Swissquote | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $1,000 | £1 |
| Stock trade fee | $20 | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | £0 |
| Markets | Stocks, Forex, CFDs, Crypto | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) | 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 fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Platforms | Not confirmed | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Account types | Not confirmed | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
| Maximum retail leverage | 1:100 | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only Swissquote offers Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF).
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Founded is lower at Swissquote: 1996 vs 2006.
- Trading 212 is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only Swissquote offers Crypto.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers ETFs.
- Features: only Trading 212 offers Fractional shares.
Our verdict on each
Swissquote
Swissquote runs a Swiss bank entity under CSSF supervision with EU investor compensation, so it suits traders who want a bank behind the account. The trade-off is entry cost: a stock trade fee of $20 and a minimum deposit of $1,000 sit well above cheaper rivals.
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 | Swissquote | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.3Costs run high: stock trade fee $20, minimum deposit $1,000 and inactivity fee $10 sit above site medians. | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.0 | 9.2Higher |
| Trust | 9.0 | 9.5Higher |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | Swissquote | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | No | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | No |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Swissquote | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 |
| Luxembourg | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) MiCA CASP 549300M2IHOB9P5WE714 | Not confirmed |
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
How they place
| Ranking | Swissquote | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 187 of 471 | 83 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 80 of 147 | 35 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 78 of 145 | 33 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 67 of 122 | 27 of 122 |
Sources behind this comparison
Swissquote
- swissquote.com: 7 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 4 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 | Swissquote | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Swissquote Bank Europe SA | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | Luxembourg | Cyprus |
| Founded | 1996Lower | 2006 |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Swissquote | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio types | ESG | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Swissquote | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
Median across 13 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Swissquote
Pros
- Regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg, with the legal entity named as Swissquote Bank Europe SA.
- Covers stocks, forex, CFDs and crypto on a single account, with retail leverage of 1:100.
- A demo account and a mobile app are both listed features, so you can test before committing.
Cons
- Costs are high for a retail account: a stock trade fee of $20 against a site median of €0.
- The minimum deposit of $1,000 ranks 191 of 213, far above the site median of €4.64.
- An inactivity fee of $10 applies, where the site median is €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
Swissquote
Who it suits
- Traders moving between forex, CFDs, crypto and shares on a single account
- Investors who put weight on a supervised bank entity and investor compensation
- People who want to practise on a demo account before risking money
Who should look elsewhere
- Newcomers with a small starting balance, since the minimum deposit is $1,000
- Share buyers focused on trading costs, given the stock trade fee of $20 against eToro at $0
- Passive long term investors, because the portfolio options listed are esg
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
Swissquote
How much does it cost to trade shares with Swissquote?+
The stock trade fee is $20, which is well above the site median of €0. Swissquote ranks 161 of 161 on this measure, so share dealing here is costly. eToro, by contrast, charges $0 per trade.
What is the minimum deposit to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is $1,000, which is a high bar for a first account. On our data Swissquote ranks 191 of 213 on this measure, against a site median of €4.64. Vantage asks for $5 and CFI for $0.
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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