Plus500 vs Trading 212 – my verdict
The main difference between Plus500 and Trading 212 is that while Plus500 has focused its efforts on providing a broad range of CFDs with some advanced trading tools, Trading 212 has expanded this to include additional services and products, including direct shares and an ISA.
If you are searching for commission-free trading across a wide range of CFDs, then you may have narrowed your search to these two platforms.
I’ve performed an extensive analysis to identify that, as of this time, Plus500 could be the better platform for trading CFDs. Read on to find out why.
- Plus500 vs Trading 212 – my verdict
- Plus500 overview
- Trading 212 overview
- Plus500 vs Trading 212: Which platform is cheaper?
- Plus500 vs Trading 212: Which platform offers the most?
- Plus500 vs Trading 212: Who has the most investments available?
- Plus500 vs Trading 212:Who has the best research?
- Plus500 vs Trading 212: Who’s customer service is best?
- Plus500 vs Trading 212: Who offers the best education?
- Plus500 vs Trading 212, which is better?
- FAQs about Plus500 vs Trading 212
Is Plus500 better than Trading 212?
Yes, Plus500 is better than Trading 212 for trading CFDs, as they have slightly better pricing, better market research, and a more advanced mobile trading app. However, if you are interested in trading shares and ETFs, then Trading 212 is a better option.
Key takeaways
Plus500 has outperformed Trading 212 in the following areas:
- Excellent 24/7 customer support
- Lower fees
- Publicly listed company that is well trusted
- Selection of over 2,000 CFDs
- Easy to use platform
- +insights
Trading 212 has outperformed Plus500 in the following areas:
- Commission free real stocks and ETFs
- Autoinvest and Pies feature
- Low currency conversion fees
- Customisable platform
- No inactivity fee
- Interest on uninvested cash
 |  | |
| Read Review | Read Review |
Overall Rating
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | Overall Rating:
90%
Fees:
90%
Account Opening:
90%
Deposit and Withdrawal:
90%
Trading Platform:
90%
Markets and Products:
90%
Research:
70%
Customer Service:
90%
Education:
70%
| Overall Rating:
90%
Fees:
90%
Account opening:
90%
Deposit and withdrawal:
90%
Trading platform:
90%
Markets and products:
70%
Research:
60%
Customer service:
70%
Education:
80%
|
Plus500 overview
With access to over 2800 CFD contracts, it’s little surprise that Plus500 are one of the leading CFD brokers in the UK. Their commission-free trading and free lifetime demo account as well as the well-designed interface from which to trade, make them a long-standing and popular choice among traders.
Plus500 also has +Insights, which provides a real glimpse into the wisdom of the masses. Whilst not copy trading, it is a social trading tool where users can explore data on the most bought and sold positions.
Pros
- Commission-free trading
- Easy-to-use platform
- Tight spreads
Cons
- Trading through CFDs only
- Inactivity fees
Read more in my Plus500 review
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Trading 212 overview
Trading 212 offers investors a freemium business model where they can access a wide range of investments including more than 12,000 shares, ETFs, and CFDs. One of the stand out features of the platform is ISA with no fees for administration, commission, or dividend investment.
Trading 212 have also catered to experienced investors with Trading 212 Pro, designed to meet the needs of those with a portfolio of more than 500,000 EUR.
Pros
- Exceptionally low cost across the board
- Massive choice of investments
- Highly functional, user-friendly mobile app
Cons
- No copy trading
- No cryptocurrencies
- No two-step login for extra security
Read more in my Trading 212 review
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Plus500 vs Trading 212: Which platform is cheaper?
Fees
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minimum DepositThe minimum amount required to open an account | £100 | £1 |
| Minimum TradeThe minimum amount to trade or buy shares | £0 | £10 |
| ETFs FeeFee per ETF trade | No trading fees or commissions | 0.50% |
| Investment Trusts FeeFee per investment trust trade | NA | NA |
| Junior S&S ISA FeeSubscription fee per month and the platform fee | NA | NA |
| Non Trading FeeFee for not trading in a period | $10 after 3 months inactivity | £0 |
| Stocks & Shares ISA FeeSubscription fee per month and the platform fee | £0 | £0 |
| Telephone Dealing FeeFee for trading over the telephone | NA | NA |
| Withdrawal FeeFee for withdrawing funds from your account | £0 | £0 |
Plus500 is cheaper than Trading 212
Like other comparisons I have done, I found there are some subtle differences in the pricing structure; however, both of these platforms are considered low-cost with zero commission on most products.
The main difference lies in the spread. This is notoriously difficult to compare; however, an analysis of the average spread on the EUR/USD reveals that at Trading 212, you would expect to pay 2.3 pips, whereas the same pair at Plus500 would attract a spread of just 0.9 pips.
Plus500 vs Trading 212: Which platform offers the most?
Platforms & tools
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Android AppAn Android app available in the Google Play store | ||
| Copy TradingOffers the ability to copy other traders portfolios | ||
| Demo AccountOffers a demo account | ||
| iPhone AppAn app available for download from the iOS app store | ||
| Islamic AccountDoes the platform offer a sharia compliant Islamic account | ||
| MetaTrader 4Offers the MetaTrader 4 trading platform solution | ||
| MetaTrader 5Offers the MetaTrader 5 trading platform solution | ||
| Social TradingOffers the ability to share your trades on social media | ||
| Stock AlertsAbility to set price alerts, volume alerts | ||
| Web PlatformOffers a web-based browser trading platform |
Plus500 platform offers more than Trading 212
Plus500 has a proprietary platform that provides an excellent user experience for all levels of traders and a greater selection of CFDs. There are excellent search functions and charting capabilities, and the new +insights function allows traders to harness the wisdom of crowds to help with trading decisions. This is functionality that I have not come across elsewhere.
Trading 212 also provides an excellent trading experience with great customisability and search functions. However, I found that security could have been tighter at Trading 212 with a two-step login option and features such as touch or face ID.
Neither has access to MetaTrader.
Plus500 vs Trading 212: Who has the most investments available?
Investments available
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Auto InvestingAbility to set auto-investing options, usually per month | ||
| CFD TradingOffers CFD trading | ||
| Corporate BondsOffers corporate bonds | ||
| CryptoAbility to buy and sell cryptocurrency: Availability subject to regulations | ||
| Ethical InvestmentsOffers ethical investment themed funds and ETFs | ||
| ETFsAbility to trade ETFs: Availability subject to regulations | ||
| ForexAble to trade Forex | ||
| Fractional SharesAble to buy fractional shares | ||
| FundsAble to buy funds | ||
| Government Bonds (Gilts)Able to buy government bonds and Gilts | ||
| Investment TrustsAble to buy investment trusts | ||
| Junior S&S ISAAble to buy a junior stocks and shares ISA | ||
| General Investment Account (GIA)Able to buy and sell shares | ||
| Spread BettingAble speculate on rising and falling of financial markets | ||
| Stocks & Shares ISAAble to buy a stocks and shares ISA |
Trading 212 has the most investments available
There is little doubt that Plus500 is a great CFD based platform that allows you to trade a wide range of instruments via CFDs:
- Cryptocurrencies
- Forex
- Shares
- Commodities
- Options
- ETFs
- Indices
Trading 212 offers a wide range of investments, including CFDs, stocks, and ETFs. Trading 212 doesn’t offer access to crypto. If you would like to trade in crypto, you should read my guide to the best crypto exchanges.
If you want to specialise in CFD trading, then Plus500 could be the right investment platform for you to use; however, if you don’t want to buy ETFs and stocks via CFD, when looking specifically at Plus500 vs. Trading 212, you should consider Trading 212.
Plus500 vs Trading 212:Who has the best research?
Research
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Research - SharesHas share trading research available | ||
| Research - CFDsHas CFD research available | ||
| Research - FundsHas funds research available | ||
| Research - ETFsHas research available for ETFs | ||
| Research - BondsHas research available for bonds |
Trading 212 has better research than Plus500
Plus500 provides an economic calendar, charting tools, and market analysis; however, there is a distinct lack of recommendations or fundamental data.
Where Plus500 stands out is with their new +insights, which provides data on market sentimentality, allowing traders to harness the wisdom of crowds rather than placing all their faith in a single trader, as would be the case with copy trading.
Trading 212 has daily trading ideas and over 60 technical indicators on their charts. They also provide a detailed economic calendar and research backed analysis of the financial markets.
Plus500 vs Trading 212: Who’s customer service is best?
Customer service
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| PhoneMain phone number for customer services | NA | NA |
| Live chatHas live chat available | Yes | NA |
| EmailMain email address for customer services | Contact form | NA |
| 24/7 AvailabilityAvailable 24/7 for customer services | Yes | Yes |
| TrustPilot RatingThe TrustPilot rating of the platform | 4.0 - 11,677 Reviews | 4.6 |
| TwitterThe Twitter account for the platform | https://twitter.com/plus500 | https://twitter.com/trading212/ |
Plus500 and Trading 212 have excellent customer service
Plus500 has an outstanding live chat function that is available 24/7 and each time I used it, I got an almost instant response.
Trading 212 is hard to beat when it comes to customer service. They offer support across all channels, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The level of service you can expect is very consistent, with helpful staff on hand to answer any questions.
For these reasons, this is a draw; both Trading 212 and Plus500 have high quality customer service.
Plus500 vs Trading 212: Who offers the best education?
Education
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading GuidesHas guides on share trading | ||
| Funds EducationHas guides on trading funds | ||
| Retirement EducationHas guides and education on retirement | ||
| PodcastsHas podcasts available | ||
| VideosHas videos on education available |
Trading 212 offers better education than Plus500
Plus500 does have a demo account with a traders guide, educational videos, and a Trading Academy. However, it has a lack of interactive content, and while this is an area they have taken steps to improve, it still needs improvement.
Trading 212 offers good tutorials on how to use the platform and on the basics of trading, which is useful for complete beginners. They also have a community forum where you will find video tutorials and user posted questions / answers.
Both of these platforms provide a demo account.
Plus500 vs Trading 212, which is better?
These two investment platforms are different in their offerings, with Plus500 concentrating on CFDs and CFD based products, while Trading 212 offers stocks, ETFs, and CFDs. Neither platform offers Crypto.
If you are looking for CFDs, then Plus500 is a good choice.
For a broker who offers everything in one place, you may want to check out my full investment platform comparison tool.
