DEGIRO vs Trading 212

Find out who came out on top when we pitted DEGIRO and Trading 212 against one another.

Both DEGIRO and Trading 212 are low cost share dealing platforms. They let you purchase stocks, shares, investment trusts, bonds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

People tend to choose share dealing platforms to buy stocks and shares. If you’re just starting out with investing you might not have used your individual savings account (ISA) allowance for this tax year, therefore you might want to choose a provider that lets you invest in a stocks and shares ISA. We’ve compared DEGIRO and Trading 212 below.

Trading 212 vs DEGIRO: Vital statistics

DegiroTrading212
Finder score★★★★★★★★★★
Customer satisfaction survey★★★★★★★★★★
Stocks and shares ISA available?
FSCS protected?
Fees score★★★★★★★★★★
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

Customers in our customer satisfaction survey liked that Trading 212 is easy to use and that it has a good layout. Many customers mentioned its low fees.

DEGIRO isn’t FSCS protected as it’s not a UK company. It is regulated and supervised by The Netherlands Authority for Financial Markets (AFM), the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.

Trading 212 has FSCS protection, which means that if it were to go bust, your deposits would be covered up to £85,000. FSCS doesn’t cover your investments losing value, your capital is at risk when you invest.

Round 1: Stock exchanges

DegiroTrading212
Exchanges covered score★★★★★★★★★★
UK - London Stock Exchange
US - NASDAQ
US - New York Stock Exchange
Canada - Toronto Stock Exchange
Japan - Japan Exchange Group
Euronext
Germany - Deutsche Börse
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

You can trade on almost the same stock exchanges with DEGIRO as you can with Trading 212. Trading 212 lets you trade on the Deutsche Börse, a German stock exchange.

Winner: Trading 212

Round 2: Financial instruments

DegiroTrading212
Financial instruments score★★★★★★★★★★
Shares
ETFs
Bonds
Funds
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

Financial instruments are types of investment. Both platforms let you invest in shares and exchange traded funds (ETFs). DEGIRO also lets you invest in bonds, but neither one lets you invest in funds.

Winner: DEGIRO

Round 3: Fees

DegiroTrading212
Fees score★★★★★★★★★★
Minimum deposit£0.01£1
Standard trading fee£1.75£0
Best trading fee£1.75£0
Foreign exchange fee0.25%0.15%
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

While DEGIRO’s fees are really low, it’s hard to compete with Trading 212 which is zero commission. Both providers have low minimum deposits.

Winner: Trading 212

Round 3: Mobile and and web features

DegiroTrading212
Features rating★★★★★★★★★★
iPhone app
Android app
Desktop/web app
Notifications
Watch lists
Community or forums
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

Both DEGIRO and Trading 212 have iPhone apps, Android apps, desktop access and the ability to create watch lists. Trading 212 also has share price notifications and forums where its users can discuss investments and ideas to improve the platform.

Winner: Trading 212

Round 4: Learning resources

DegiroTrading212
Resources rating★★★★★★★★★★
Guides
Videos and walkthroughs
Demo account
In-depth learning tools
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

Both providers have guides and videos to help their users learn about share dealing. DEGIRO doesn’t have a demo account, which is a huge win for Trading 212.

A demo account means that you can practice trading without using real money. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can try it out for real! It lets you have a go without even giving up an email address. Of course, if you want to keep an eye on your imaginary stocks for days, weeks or months, you’ll have to sign up.

Winner: Trading 212

DEGIRO vs Trading 212: Reddit users’ verdict

Reddit users like the low costs of using Trading 212, while DEGIRO charges fees, but tend to be a little hesitant as it’s newer to the game than DEGIRO. As Trading 212 only makes money from its CFD account, it is possible for the regular investment account and ISA to be free.

A really popular feature of Trading 212 is that you can trade fractional shares. Seemingly, Reddit users who prefer DEGIRO do so because they like that it is more widely established that Trading 212.

Our verdict: Is DEGIRO better than Trading 212?

These are both great options for low-cost trading, but, overall, Trading 212 probably comes out on top. There are benefits of using each one over the other, such as that you can open a stocks and shares individual savings account (ISA) with Trading 212 and that DEGIRO has been around for longer. DEGIRO isn’t a UK company, so you don’t have protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which would cover you if the company were to become insolvent. Additionally, Trading 212 has a demo account, which means you can give it a go before you commit.

Have a look at our table of other share-dealing platforms to compare them.

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.


Zoe Stabler DipFA's headshot
Senior writer

Zoe was a senior writer at Finder specialising in investment and banking, and during this time, she joined the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2022. She is currently a senior money writer at Be Clever With Your Cash. Zoe has a BA in English literature and a Diploma for Financial Advisers. She has several years of experience in writing about all things personal finance. Zoe has a particular love for spreadsheets, having also worked as a management accountant. In her spare time, you’ll find Zoe skating at her local ice rink. See full bio

Zoe's expertise
Zoe has written 180 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Share dealing
  • Reviews and comparisons of trading platforms
  • Robo-advisors
  • Pensions
  • Banking

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