Dodl vs Trading 212

We compare AJ Bell's investment app, Dodl, against Trading 212. See who came out on top.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51%-76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

AJ Bell’s investment app, Dodl, is attractive, easy to use, and has some resident monsters. We’re pitting Dodl’s platform offering against Trading 212. We’ve compared the shares you can trade, investment types, fees, mobile and web features, along with learning resources.

Dodl vs Trading 212: Vital statistics

DodlTrading212
Finder score★★★★★★★★★★
Customer satisfaction survey★★★★★★★★★★
Stocks and shares ISA available?
FSCS protected?
Costs score★★★★★★★★★★
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

When it comes to vital stats, both providers do well. Both Dodl and Trading 212 have a stocks and shares ISA available at no additional cost. Both platforms are protected with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which means that you’re protected up to £85,000 if either company were to go bust.

You can invest in a stocks and shares ISA, self-invested personal pension (SIPP), or a Lifetime ISA (LISA) with Dodl. Trading 212 has only a stocks and shares ISA available.

Round 1: Stock exchanges

DodlTrading212
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

At the moment, Dodl only has around 80 UK and US shares available on the platform, while Trading 212 has access to a huge range of over 12,000 stocks from the UK, US, and other global stock exchanges.

Winner: Trading 212

Round 2: Financial instruments

DodlTrading212
Financial instruments score★★★★★★★★★★
Shares
ETFs
Bonds
Funds
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info

Dodl has 808 UK and US shares, and a range of funds (some containing bonds) and also themed investments (made up from ETFs). Trading 212 offers 12,000 shares, plus at least 900 exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Winner: Trading 212

Round 3: Fees

DodlTrading212
Costs score★★★★★★★★★★
Minimum deposit£25/month or £100 lump sum£1
Standard trading fee£0£0
Best trading fee£0£0
Foreign exchange fee0.25%0.15%
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
More InfoMore Info
The costs for both platforms are pretty low. Dodl is 0.15% of your portfolio (minimum £1 a month). Trading 212 is commission-free, but you’ll have to pay foreign exchange (FX) fee of 0.15% to trade overseas shares. Dodl’s FX fee is slightly higher and ranges from 0.25% – 0.75% depending on the trade size. Holding an ISA is free with both providers.

Winner: Trading 212

Round 4: Mobile and web features

DodlTrading212
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

Dodl is app-only, while Trading 212 lets you invest on desktop as well. You can receive notifications on both platforms about how your investments are getting on. Dodl doesn’t let you create watch lists or have forums available, which Trading 212 does offer.

Winner: Trading 212

Round 5: Learning resources

DodlTrading212
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

When it comes to learning resources, both providers are doing pretty well — we really like what Dodl is doing, it’s got a “learn” tab on the app with guides and in-depth tools that can help you get started, which we think is vital for a beginner investment platform. Trading 212 lets users open a demo account to give trading a go, its video content and walkthroughs are exceptional.

Winner: Trading 212

Overall winner: Is Dodl better than Trading 212?

While Dodl is definitely on its way to becoming a great investment platform, it’s not quite there yet. Trading 212 is the clear winner between these apps, with lower fees, a larger selection of investments, great tools and fantastic learning resources.

We think Dodl could have performed better in our comparison if it had more investments available on its platform and offered desktop trading. We think Dodl’s learning resources are great for beginner investors.

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

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.


George Sweeney, DipFA's headshot
Deputy editor

George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio

George's expertise
George has written 169 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Investing
  • Personal finance
  • Tax
  • Pensions
  • Mortgages

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