Charles Schwab vs Trading212

Charles Schwab or Trading212 – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare Charles Schwab and Trading212 in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Charles Schwab vs Trading212 Comparison Table 2024
Charles Schwab Trading212
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2.8
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2.5
Charles Schwab is ranked #118 among UK brokers. Trading212 is ranked #96 among CFD brokers.
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Charles Schwab is a large US investment broker offering a massive range of stocks, ETFs and equity derivatives in a variety of savings and investment accounts. The trustworthy brand has been offering financial services for 45+ years with over 35 million brokerage accounts and $870+ billion in assets under management. Charles Schwab is also regulated by top-tier watchdogs including the SEC and FCA. Trading 212 is a European and UK-regulated CFD broker that also offers stock investing and ISAs. It’s best known for its commission-free trading model and beginner-friendly app, which has helped it attract 2.5 million users and £3.5 billion in client assets.
Pros
  • Strong investment offerings covering stocks, mutual funds, options, bonds and cryptocurrency
  • Powerful trading software with real-time quotes, fundamental research and investment screeners
  • Responsive customer support team available 24/7 via live chat or telephone
  • Competitive trading fees with no commissions on stocks and ETFs
  • Fractional shares on the S&P 500 with a $5 minimum investment
  • Thematic investing categories and ESG compliant portfolios
  • Strong regulatory oversight from the US SEC and UK FCA
  • No account minimums for individual brokerage accounts
  • High-quality educational resources for new investors
  • One of the standout features of Trading 212 is its commission-free trading, meaning you can buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and other financial instruments without incurring traditional brokerage fees
  • Trading 212 has an intuitive and user-friendly platform that is especially accessible for beginners, with a straightforward layout and a reasonable range of tools for analysis
  • The platform offers a good suite of instruments, including stocks, indices, ETFs, currencies, commodities, and CFDs. This variety can help you to create a diversified investment portfolio
  • A sleek mobile app lets you trade on the go. It’s well-designed and offers features similar to the web platform, making it convenient if you prefer mobile trading
  • Up to 5.1% interest on uninvested cash is available, appealing to hands-off investors
Cons
  • Only US markets available (except 12 foreign markets on the Global Account)
  • High minimum investment of $5000 to use robo-advisors
  • Limited funding methods with no e-wallets
  • No email support
  • Experienced traders who rely on sophisticated technical analysis tools will find Trading 212’s charting features to be somewhat basic, especially compared to alternatives like IG
  • While Trading 212 offers leveraged trading through CFDs, there are restrictions on leverage for certain instruments. If you want high leverage for your strategies, you will find these limitations constraining
  • There’s no copy trading, a significant drawback given Trading 212's client base is largely beginners and brokers like eToro offer this feature
  • There is no support for algorithmic or automated trading, nor third-party apps like MetaTrader 4, which will deter advanced traders. IC Markets ticks these boxes
FCA Regulated
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
Stocks, ETFs, Cryptos, Futures, Options, Commodities, Bonds CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $1
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$1 0.01 Lots
Regulator
SEC, FINRA, FCA1 FCA, CySEC, FSC
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

Trading212 have positioned themselves at the front of the mobile trading movement. Their platform is based on a ‘mobile-first’ model, so they prioritize this type of trader. The app offers 1800+ instruments, zero commissions and a free practise account. Download the app risk free and try it out.

 
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Margin Trading
No Yes
MetaTrader 4
No No
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No No
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes No
Robo Advisor
Yes No
Negative Balance Protection
No Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No No
Auto Trading
Yes AutoInvest Portfolio
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes Yes
Custodial Account
Yes No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • PLN
  • CZK
  • HUF
Commodities
  • Soybeans
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Gasoline
  • Oil
  • Copper
  • Palladium
  • Coffee
  • Cotton
  • Platinum
  • Corn
  • Sugar
  • Cocoa
  • Livestock
  • Wheat
  • Soybeans
  • Natural Gas
  • Lead
CFD
Engage in leveraged CFD trading across a wide array of instruments, encompassing forex, stocks, commodities, and indices. Yet while the selection of asset classes is satisfactory, the charting software and floating spreads for short-term traders fall behind that of competitors.
Leverage
1:30
FTSE Spread
2.5
GBPUSD Spread<
0.00028
Oil Spread
0.4
Stocks Spread
0.2% Var
Forex
Trade over 180 major, minor, and exotic forex pairs on the Trading 212 platform, featuring floating spreads and leverage up to 1:30. It’s important to note, though, that the forex broker has a history of adjusting margin requirements without providing adequate notice. As a result, CMC Markets is a better pick for forex traders with more currency pairs and a cleaner record.
Assets
180+
GBPUSD Spread
0.00028
EURUSD Spread
0.00015
EURGBP Spread
0.00044
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Charles Schwab supports indirect crypto trading through digital coin trusts and crypto-related stocks. You can get exposure to popular digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ripple and Ethereum.
Spread
Floating
Coins
  • GBTC
  • BITW
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Charles Schwab Trading212
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