Tastyworks or Trading212 – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare Tastyworks and Trading212 in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
tastytrade is an award-winning brokerage, launched in 2017. The brand specializes in futures, options and stock trading with US and Australian regulatory oversight. The proprietary trading interface, designed by the creators of Thinkorswim, is powerful with plenty of integrated tools to suit active traders.
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
Transparent pricing model including a $1 commission on stocks and ETF options, with maximum limits per leg for some assets
Wide range of asset classes including options, futures, stocks, ETFs and indices with the majority available to trade 24/5
Good choice of account types suitable for various investment goals including IRAs and individual/joint trading accounts
Powerful proprietary platform with detailed insights, real-time trading videos, and order adjustment features
Excellent regulatory oversight from FINRA, NFA and ASIC with SIPC insurance for US clients
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
Less suitable for beginners with no demo account and basic educational resources
Narrow range of instruments with no forex trading
No credit/debit card payments
USD base currency only
No 529 plan
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
Yes
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
No
No
Robo Advisor
No
No
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Market Maker
No
Yes
P2P Trading
No
No
Spot Trading
No
No
Auto Trading
AutoInvest Portfolio
Copy Trading
No
No
Social Trading
No
Yes
VPS Hosting
No
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
Yes
Custodial Account
Yes
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Islamic Account
No
No
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
SEK
NOK
DKK
CHF
PLN
CZK
HUF
Commodities
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
tastytrade offers a small selection of cryptocurrencies, available to trade as long positions only. This includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Dogecoin. But with a narrow suite of digital currencies, it isn't the best pick for high-volume crypto traders.
