Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo vs Trading 212, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Saxo vs Trading 212: Saxo was founded in 1992 and Trading 212 in 2004. Neither company is publicly traded. Saxo is a bank, while Trading 212 is not. According to ForexBrokers.com, Saxo holds a Trust Score of 99 (highly trusted, 90–99), whereas Trading 212 scores 82 (trusted, 80–89).
On regulation, Saxo carries 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, signaling wider oversight from top-tier regulators. Trading 212 holds 3 Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses. If regulatory strength and trust ratings matter most to you, Saxo edges ahead; if you’re comfortable with a solid trusted rating and fewer licenses, Trading 212 may still fit your needs.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
Saxo stands out for commissions and fees, earning 5 out of 5 stars and a #8 ranking out of 36 brokers. Its pricing is especially attractive for active, high-volume traders and clients who can keep larger balances, with the lowest costs typically found on its Platinum and VIP tiers. As of November 2023, Saxo’s average EUR/USD spread was 1.1 pips on Classic, 1.0 on Platinum, and 0.9 on VIP. Saxo is generally commission-free on forex, though traders who trade fewer than 50,000 units per month pay a $3 ticket fee per side. The Classic account now has a $0 minimum deposit, while Platinum starts at $200,000 and VIP at $1,000,000, with upgrade paths available through Saxo’s loyalty program.
Trading 212 earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #27 out of 36 for commissions and fees. It advertises zero-commission trading, but traders still pay the spread on CFDs and forex. For April 2025, Trading 212 reported an average EUR/USD spread of 2.7 pips, which is notably higher than the industry average and less competitive than Saxo’s pricing. The CFD account has a low minimum deposit of 10 euro, making it easy to get started, but its trading costs can be higher once spreads are factored in.
In a simple head-to-head comparison, Saxo is the better choice for lower overall trading costs, especially for more active traders, while Trading 212 may appeal more to beginners who want a low minimum deposit. Saxo offers stronger pricing across its tiered accounts, while Trading 212’s headline zero-commission model is offset by wider spreads.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Saxo and Trading 212 both give investors access to forex trading, with each offering it through CFDs or spot contracts. They also both let clients buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, so shares like Apple or Vodafone can be purchased directly rather than only through derivatives. Neither broker offers copy trading, and both support cryptocurrency CFDs.
Where Saxo stands out is variety: it lists about 71,000 tradeable symbols and 190 forex pairs, compared with Trading 212’s 13,000 symbols and 180 forex pairs. Trading 212 does have one extra option in crypto, since it allows the purchase of actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs, while Saxo only offers crypto CFDs. Despite these differences, both brokers are rated 5 stars for Range of Investments, though Saxo is ranked higher overall by ForexBrokers.com at #3 out of 36, versus Trading 212 at #15.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 13000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 180 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Saxo and Trading 212 both give traders a free demo account, a web-based platform, and the ability to trade directly from a stock chart. Neither broker supports copy trading, MetaTrader 4, or MetaTrader 5. For everyday use, this means both platforms cover the basics well, especially if you want to test strategies first or manage trades in your browser.
The main difference is that Saxo offers more platform choice, including its own in-house software and a Windows desktop download, while Trading 212 does not offer a desktop app or proprietary platform. That extra flexibility helps explain why Saxo scores higher overall for trading platforms and tools, with a 5-star rating and a #3 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Trading 212’s 4 stars and #19 ranking.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 102 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Saxo and Trading 212 both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing between the app and online account, trendline drawing tools, and automatic saving of chart drawings. In day-to-day use, this means both apps give traders the basic tools they need to track markets, manage lists, and work on charts from a phone or tablet.
The main difference comes down to charting depth and overall app quality. Trading 212 offers more technical studies in its mobile app, with 104 compared with Saxo’s 64, but Saxo scores higher overall for mobile trading apps, earning 5 stars versus Trading 212’s 4 stars. Saxo is also ranked #3 out of 36 brokers for mobile trading apps by ForexBrokers.com, while Trading 212 sits at #17, which may make Saxo the stronger choice for traders who want a higher-rated app experience.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Saxo gives traders more to work with than Trading 212. Saxo offers daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, sentiment data showing long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. Trading 212 also includes forex news from top-tier sources, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar, but it does not provide daily market commentary or Autochartist research tools.
These differences show in the ratings and rankings too. Saxo earns a 5-star Research rating and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com for the Research category, while Trading 212 has a 3.5-star rating and ranks #32. For traders who want deeper market analysis and more built-in research features, Saxo has the clear edge over Trading 212.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn the basics, Saxo has a clear edge over Trading 212 in education. Saxo offers forex and CFD learning content, runs online educational client webinars at least once a month, and provides at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders. That wider mix of learning tools helps new traders build knowledge step by step, while also giving them room to keep learning as their skills improve.
Trading 212 also gives beginners useful learning material, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, but it falls behind Saxo in key areas such as forex and CFD education and regular webinars. This shows up in its lower Education score of 3.5 out of 5 stars and its #20 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with Saxo’s 5-star Education rating and #12 ranking. Overall, Saxo is the stronger choice for beginner-friendly education.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Saxo is better than Trading 212. Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #25.
Saxo is a multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience – as well as a stunning selection of over 40,000 securities.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 82 |
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In the Saxo vs Trading 212 comparison, Trading 212 allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Saxo supports cryptocurrency CFDs but does not offer the purchase of actual crypto.
In the Saxo vs Trading 212 comparison for deposit and withdrawal methods, Trading 212 supports ACH/SEPA while Saxo does not, neither broker supports PayPal or Skrill, both support bank wire transfers, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 13000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 180 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 2.7 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 2.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 102 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Saxo Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Saxo | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Trading 212 Review |
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