InvestEngine or Trading212 – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare InvestEngine and Trading212 in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
InvestEngine was founded in 2019 by the founders and CEOs of Gumtree and Ramsey Crookall, a successful independent wealth management firm. The company is regulated in the UK by the FCA and has planted itself as a strong competitor within the retail stock trading space, offering managed and DIY investment portfolios and access to more than 550 global ETFs.
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
We were impressed by the company's provision of analytics reports and strategy advice, as well as top product picks and a detailed blog
Hands-on investors can benefit from completely free access to InvestEngine's services, only paying for any dealing charges
We think the firm's investment platform is intuitive and impressive, making the whole experience simple and stress-free
InvestEngine clients have a wide choice of investment and savings accounts to tailor solutions to their goals
Managed portfolios provide professional advice and expert picks for a commission of only 0.25%
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
Any clients looking for long-term gains from individual company stock investments must look elsewhere as InvestEngine limits its products to ETFs
Despite offering several account types, the firm does not support Lifetime ISAs or Self Invested Pension Pots (SIPPs)
No tiered services for high-net-worth investors
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
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.
iOS App Rating
Android App Rating
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
Yes
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
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Islamic Account
No
No
Account Currencies
GBP
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
SEK
NOK
DKK
CHF
PLN
CZK
HUF
Commodities
Gold
Oil
Silver
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.