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Trading 212 and interactive investor (ii) are two of the most popular investing platforms available to UK retail investors. So, it make sense to pit Trading 212 vs ii against each other in a head-to-head battle.
Both ii and Trading 212 offer a huge range of investments and plenty of account options, including a stocks and shares ISA. So, check out our breakdown of Trading 212 vs interactive investor and hopefully this will help you pick who’s best, depending on what’s most important to you – whether that’s fees, investment choice, account types or anything else.
Trading 212 vs interactive investor: At a glance
Trading 212 and interactive investor both have excellent Finder scores, with interactive investor scoring a solid 4.2 out of 5. However, Trading 212 has the highest Finder score across all platforms with a high 4.74.3 out of 5.
Both platforms offer stocks and shares ISA, and both come with full Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection of up to £85,000.
ii and Trading 212 are also both pretty similar when it comes to their most recent Finder Investing Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024 results.
However, where the platforms go different ways is with the fees score. Trading 212 has a superb 5 out of 5, whereas interactive investor has a much lower 2.7 out 5.
Round 1: Products
General investment account | ||
---|---|---|
Stocks and shares ISA | ||
Lifetime ISA (LISA) | ||
Pension (SIPP) | ||
Junior ISA (JISA)/Junior SIPP (JSIPP) | ||
Interest on cash balances | ||
Keep in mind | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money | Capital at risk |
Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
In this category, interactive investor wins hands down.
Trading 212 offers a general investment account (GIA) and a free stocks and shares ISA. You can also earn a decent rate of interest on any cash held with Trading 212.
However, ii is much more diverse when it comes to account options. It offers a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) and a junior stocks and shares ISA (JISA) – on top of all the other accounts you get with Trading 212.
Unfortunately, both platforms are lacking the option to use a lifetime ISA (LISA).
Winner: interactive investor (ii)
Round 2: Investment choice
Investment choice score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Available markets | 3+ | 7+ |
Number of investments | 13,000+ | 40,000+ |
Number of ETFs/funds | 2,000 | 4,000 |
Fractional shares | ||
Min. initial deposit | £1 | £0 |
Min. investment | £1 | £1 |
Keep in mind | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money | Capital at risk |
Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
Although Trading 212 offers a solid selection of over 13,000 investments, this pales in comparison to the interactive investor’s selection of over 40,000 assets.
The only major downside with interactive investor is that it doesn’t offer the option to buy or sell fractional shares.
Winner: interactive investor (ii)
Round 3: Fees
Fees score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Platform fees | £0 | From £4.99 a month |
US shares | £0 | £3.99 |
UK shares | £0 | £3.99 |
International shares | £0 | £9.99 (Investor Essentials/Investor) £5.99 (Super Investor) |
Funds/ETFs | £0 | £3.99 |
Foreign exchange fee | 0.15% | 1.5% |
Regular investing | Yes (AutoInvest feature) | Yes (from £25/month and means no commission) |
Withdrawal fee | £0 | £0 |
Deposit fee | £0 | £0 |
Inactivity fee | £0 | £0 |
Keep in mind | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money | Capital at risk |
Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
This is an easy win for Trading 212 which scores pretty much flawlessly for fees. There’s no fee to open or hold an account, there’s no commission fees to buy or sell investments, you can use an ISA for free, and its 0.15% FX fee is one of the lowest around.
interactive investor (ii) on the other hand charges a flat monthly fee to hold an account and there’s a commission of at least £3.99 to buy or sell investments. However, you can avoid paying this commission by setting up a regular monthly investment.
Winner: Trading 212
Round 4: Ease of use
Ease of use score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Apple iOS rating | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 |
Google Play rating | 3.9/5 | 4.4/5 |
Ways to contact customer service | Phone, email and in-app chat | Phone, post and secure in-app messaging |
UI/UX | Good | Good |
Desktop or web access | ||
Mobile app | ||
Keep in mind | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money | Capital at risk |
Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
Both platforms offer a desktop and mobile investing experience and both have well-designed platforms that are straightforward to use.
In terms of ease of use, Trading 212 slightly edges this category with its simple but functional approach that will suit all types of investors.
Winner: Trading 212
Round 5: Tools, resources and features
Tools, resources and features | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Analysis features | ||
Tools for investing/trading | ||
Social features | ||
Learning resources | ||
Additional features | ||
Keep in mind | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money | Capital at risk |
Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
This is a category where both platforms seem similar on paper, the only notable difference is that Trading 212 offers a social investing option with its Pies and Communities.
interactive investor offers some more detailed insights and analysis from its experts but you’ll still likely find all the basic tools you need with Trading 212.
Winner: Trading 212
Overall winner: Is Trading 212 better than interactive investor (ii)?
interactive investor (ii) puts up a good fight with plenty of account options and a mammoth selection of investments.
However, Trading 212 manages to edge a victory with its extremely low fees and easy-to-use platform. This is reflected in the overall Finder score.
Winner: Trading 212
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