DIF Broker or Trading212 – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare DIF Broker and Trading212 in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
DIF Broker was founded in 1999, with a vision to offer personalized brokerage services via innovative technology. The broker offers services to thousands of clients in over 20 countries, and is regulated by the Portuguese CMVM. Traders can access thousands of CFD instruments to trade on a powerful proprietary platform.
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
DIF Brokers offers a powerful and intutive proprietary trading terminal which I enjoyed using, with 40+ technical indicators and advanced graphical objects
I'm thoroughly impressed with the vast product catalog of 30,000+ CFD instruments including stocks, forex, futures and indices
I feel fairly confident in the broker's established reputation, long history in the financial industry, and CMVM regulatory oversight
I find fees at DIF broker very transparent and fair, coming in at 0.07% for Euronext Lisbon stock CFDs
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 5.2% interest on uninvested cash is available, appealing to hands-off investors
Cons
I'm disappointed that the minimum deposit requirement of €2000 will price out most beginners, and the lack of any educational content is a further setback
The demo account is restricted to a time limit of 15 days, which is disappointing and far lower than most of the brokers I have reviewed
I think it's a bit of an oversight that the live chat customer support is only available to customers after they have registered
Those looking to diversify into the digital asset industry will be disappointed that crypto trading is not available
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
Awards
Best Online Broker Western Europe 2013 - 2017 - Global Banking & Finance Review
Best Multi-Asset Provider 2017 - Global Banking & Finance Review
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
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
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
Yes
Custodial Account
No
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
Gold
Silver
Gasoline
Oil
Copper
Palladium
Coffee
Cotton
Platinum
Corn
Sugar
Cocoa
Livestock
Wheat
Soybeans
Natural Gas
Lead
Lean Hogs
CFD
DIF Broker offers an impressive total of 30,000+ CFD instruments, which is far more than many brokers I review. That said, I think it's a shame that there's no additional tools or resources on offer for CFD traders.
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
1:30
FTSE Spread
1
2.5
GBPUSD Spread<
3
0.00028
Oil Spread
0.05
0.4
Stocks Spread
Variable
0.2% Var
Forex
I was particularly impressed to see a huge range of 180 major, minor and exotic currency pairs at DIF Broker. I was able to access sensible leverage up to 1:30 and no commission fees. Average spreads are OK but not the most competitive, coming in at around 1 pip for EUR/USD and 1.1 pip on GBP/USD.
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.
