Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Trading 212 vs WH SelfInvest
What sets them apart
| Compare | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |  WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | £0 | $1.90 |
| Account fee | £0 | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | £0 | €0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, BondsCovers more |
| Platforms | Trading 212 App, Web Platform | NanoTrader, TradingView, Trader Workstation, Mobile Apps |
| Minimum deposit | £1 | Not confirmed |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Not confirmed |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | Not confirmed |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 76% |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Joint | 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
- Markets: only WH SelfInvest offers Options, Futures, Bonds.
- Platforms: only Trading 212 offers Trading 212 App, Web Platform.
- Platforms: only WH SelfInvest offers NanoTrader, TradingView, Trader Workstation.
- Features: only WH SelfInvest offers Copy trading.
Our verdict on each
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.
WH SelfInvest
WH SelfInvest sits in Luxembourg and covers stocks, ETFs, forex, CFDs, options, futures and bonds under an account fee of €0 and an inactivity fee of €0, which suits investors who want many asset classes without a standing charge. Stock dealing is the cost to watch, at $1.90 a trade.
Score breakdown
| Area | Trading 212 | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. | 9.1The standing fees are flat, at €0 and €0, while the dealing charge of $1.90 a trade pulls the score down. |
| Offer | 9.2 | 9.5Higher |
| Trust | 9.5 | Not confirmed |
How they place
| Ranking | Trading 212 | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 83 of 471 | 86 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 35 of 147 | 37 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 33 of 145 | 35 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 27 of 122 | 29 of 122 |
Licences and countries
| Country | Trading 212 | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 | Not confirmed |
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Trading 212 | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile app | Demo account, Fractional shares, Copy trading, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Not confirmed |
| Audience | Beginners | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Trading 212 Markets Ltd | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Luxembourg |
| Founded | 2006 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Trading 212 | WH SelfInvest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £1below the median | Not confirmed | £20 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 76%highest quarter | 72.13% |
Median across 48 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
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.
WH SelfInvest
Pros
- The account fee is €0 and the inactivity fee is €0, so an account left open or left idle is not billed, and the standing cost sits level with Vantage at $0.
- A single account covers stocks, etfs and forex, so shares, forex, CFDs, options, futures and bonds can be held and traded together.
- The platform choice runs from NanoTrader, TradingView and Trader Workstation, so the same account can be worked from a desktop terminal or from mobile apps.
Cons
- Stock dealing costs $1.90 a trade, where eToro charges $0 for its stock dealing.
- That dealing charge ranks 123 of 161 on our data, while the account fee sits at 1 of 138 and inactivity at 1 of 56, so the standing costs lead the table while dealing sits near the back of it.
- Support runs on email and phone, so a live chat window and a help centre are not part of the contact options.
Who each suits
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.
WH SelfInvest
Who it suits
- Investors who want shares and leveraged products side by side, since stocks, etfs and forex puts forex, CFDs, options, futures and bonds in the same account.
- People who split activity between a desktop terminal and mobile apps, since NanoTrader, TradingView and Trader Workstation covers both.
- Traders who want to test before committing, since demo account, fractional shares and copy trading includes a demo account and fractional shares.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who mainly wants cheap stock dealing: eToro charges $0 for stock dealing against $1.90 here.
- Crypto traders, since crypto is missing from stocks, etfs and forex although CFI covers stocks, etfs and forex.
Questions about each
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.
WH SelfInvest
Does WH SelfInvest charge an account fee?+
The account fee is €0 and the inactivity fee is €0, so there is nothing to pay for holding the account open and nothing for leaving it idle. That is why the brand ranks 1 of 138 on our data for the account fee and 1 of 56 for inactivity.
What does it cost to buy a stock?+
A stock trade costs $1.90, and that is the charge which scales with how often you trade. It ranks 123 of 161 on our data, so anyone dealing in shares regularly will feel it far more than the flat fees. Multiply it by the number of trades you expect.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- Trading 212 vs Plum
- Trading 212 vs Wealthify
- Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers
- Trading 212 vs Nutmeg
- Trading 212 vs InvestEngine
- Trading 212 vs Scalable Capital
- Trading 212 vs AJ Bell
- Trading 212 vs Charles Schwab
- Trading 212 vs Vanguard
- Trading 212 vs Webull
- Trading 212 vs Saxo
- Trading 212 vs Vantage
- Trading 212 vs XTB
- Trading 212 vs NAGA
- Trading 212 vs eToro
- Trading 212 vs Mintos
- Trading 212 vs Bitpanda
- Trading 212 vs Robinhood
- Trading 212 vs Kraken
- Trading 212 vs Traders Place
- Trading 212 vs Lightyear