Plus500 or Trading212 – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Plus500 and Trading212 in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
Established in 2008 and headquartered in Israel, Plus500 is a prominent brokerage that boasts over 25 million registered traders in over 50 countries. Specializing in CFD trading, the company offers an intuitive, proprietary platform and mobile app. It maintains competitive spreads and does not charge commissions or deposit or withdrawal fees. Plus500 also continues to shine as one of the most trusted brokers with licenses from reputable regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CySEC.
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.
82% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Pros
Plus500 provides a specialized WebTrader platform designed explicitly for CFD trading, offering a clean and uncluttered interface
In 2025 Plus500 added new share CFDs in emerging sectors like quantum computing and AI, offering opportunities in stocks like IonQ, Rigetti, Duolingo, and Carvana.
The broker offers commission-free trading on a diverse range of markets, minimizing additional fees while appealing to established traders
Plus500 has recently bolstered its suite of short-term trading products, including introducing VIX options with enhanced volatility and extended hours trading on 7 stock CFDs
You can utilize leverage while engaging in long or short positions, allowing for more strategic trading opportunities
The customer support team continue to provide reliable 24/7 support via email, live chat and WhatsApp
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
Plus500’s lack of support for MetaTrader or cTrader charting tools might be a deal breaker for advanced traders looking for familiarity
Educational resources are limited compared to best-in-class brokers like eToro, impacting the learning curve for beginners
The absence of social trading means users can’t follow and replicate the trades of experienced traders
Compared to some competitors, especially IG, Plus500’s research and analysis tools are limited
Algo trading and scalping are not supported, which may deter some traders
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 Overall Broker 2021 - DayTrading.com
Best Overall Broker 2020 - DayTrading.com
Best Overall Broker 2019 - DayTrading.com
FCA Regulated
Yes
Yes
Instruments
CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options
Plus500 have developed their mobile apps to match the WebTrader online platform . Secure and reliable, the app is among the best out there. Stop loss and limits are available, free alerts and a full range of markets and instruments are available. Visit the download page here.
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
4.1
Android App Rating
4.3
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
Yes
Yes
Market Maker
Yes
Yes
P2P Trading
No
No
Spot Trading
No
No
Auto Trading
No
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
Yes
No
Inactivity Fee
$10
Islamic Account
Yes
No
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
AUD
ZAR
CZK
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
SEK
NOK
DKK
CHF
PLN
CZK
HUF
Commodities
Copper
Cotton
Coffee
Livestock
Sugar
Gasoline
Cocoa
Platinum
Soybeans
Oil
Gold
Silver
Corn
Aluminium
Palladium
Wheat
Cattle
Lean Hogs
Gold
Silver
Gasoline
Oil
Copper
Palladium
Coffee
Cotton
Platinum
Corn
Sugar
Cocoa
Livestock
Wheat
Soybeans
Natural Gas
Lead
Lean Hogs
CFD
Plus500 presents commission-free CFDs encompassing a vast array of markets, spanning currencies, stocks, indices, and commodities. You can engage in long or short positions on popular assets, benefiting from adaptable leverage without encountering any concealed fees.
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
Dynamic
2.5
GBPUSD Spread<
Dynamic
0.00028
Oil Spread
Dynamic
0.4
Stocks Spread
Dynamic
0.2% Var
Forex
Plus500 provides forex trading through CFDs, featuring narrow spreads across an impressive selection of over 60 currency pairs. During testing, spreads came in as tight as 0.6 pips on the EUR/USD, which is notably lower than many alternatives.
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.