Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote 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.
Founded in 1996, Swissquote stands as a leading online broker, offering a high level of trust backed by its ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99. As a publicly traded entity and a recognized bank, Swissquote is fortified by holding 5 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, marking it as a highly reliable choice for online trading. These accolades emphasize its strong regulatory backing, bolstering its appeal to investors seeking security and credibility in the financial market.
In contrast, Trading 212 emerged in 2004 and offers a diverse trading platform but with a lower ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 79, indicating an average risk level. Although it holds 2 Tier-1 licenses, it lacks Tier-2 licenses and is not publicly traded or a bank. These factors may influence its appeal compared to Swissquote, with investors possibly weighing the trade-offs between innovation and regulatory assurance.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2004 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When comparing Swissquote to Trading 212 in terms of commissions and fees, there's a notable distinction in their offerings. Swissquote, a reputable Swiss banking entity, charges a premium for its accounts. It offers multiple account types across its U.K., Switzerland, and Luxembourg entities, with varying deposit requirements and spreads. Swissquote U.K. offers lower trading costs with accounts such as the Elite, where active traders benefit from spreads starting at 0.6 pips and a $5 commission per round-turn trade. The Swiss entity, however, is on the higher end, with spreads from 1.1 pips in Prime accounts, making them less competitive. Swissquote is rated 3.5 stars out of five for commissions and fees and is ranked 52nd out of 62 brokers.
Conversely, Trading 212 provides a straightforward approach with two main accounts: the Invest and the CFD account. Focusing on the CFD account, which has a nominal minimum deposit of 10 euros, Trading 212 promotes zero-commission trading but compensates with spreads, averaging 1.9 pips for the EUR/USD pair as of January 2024. While this is higher than the industry norm, the ease of entry and transparent pricing still attracts many traders. Trading 212 scores higher with a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, placing it at 43rd out of 62 brokers considered by ForexBrokers.com.
In summary, while Swissquote offers a sense of security and prestige at a higher cost, it might not appeal to traders seeking the lowest fees. Trading 212, although not always the cheapest due to its above-average spreads, provides a more accessible entry point with its zero-commission model. These factors make Trading 212 slightly more appealing in the realm of fee structures for casual and new traders looking to minimize upfront investment.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | €10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.9 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Swissquote and Trading 212 for their range of investments, both brokers facilitate forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts. Swissquote provides access to 472 tradeable symbols, comprising 80 forex pairs. In contrast, Trading 212 boasts a significantly larger selection with 8025 tradeable symbols and 146 forex pairs. Both platforms allow clients to invest in U.S. and international exchange-traded securities, such as Apple and Vodafone shares. Swissquote holds an edge with the provision of copy trading services, while Trading 212 does not offer this feature.
Swissquote provides its users the option to purchase actual cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas Trading 212 only offers derivatives. Both platforms are rated five stars for their range of investments by ForexBrokers.com. However, Swissquote is ranked #2 among 62 brokers in this category, showcasing its strong positioning in the market. Trading 212, while also highly rated, ranks #15, indicating that it may not offer the same level of investment variety and features to accommodate all traders.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 8025 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 146 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When comparing Swissquote and Trading 212, both brokers impressively offer free virtual demo accounts and have developed their own proprietary trading platforms. However, Swissquote additionally offers a Windows-based desktop platform, while Trading 212 does not. Both brokers support web-based trading, allowing users to trade easily through a browser. Swissquote stands out by offering MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which Trading 212 does not provide. Another advantage of Swissquote is the option for copy trading, a feature absent in Trading 212. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade for social trading integration.
For traders who prioritize charting tools, Swissquote again has an edge with 75 drawing tools compared to Trading 212's 20. Both platforms allow users to trade directly from stock charts, adding convenience to the trading experience. However, when it comes to watch lists, Swissquote offers 11 fields for customization compared to Trading 212's 5 fields. Rated at 4.5 stars, Swissquote outranks Trading 212 in the Trading Platforms and Tools category according to ForexBrokers.com, holding the 12th position out of 62 brokers whereas Trading 212 is ranked 20th, with a 4-star rating. These differences highlight Swissquote’s comprehensive offerings for those seeking a detailed trading experience.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 54 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 75 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 5 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Swissquote and Trading 212 offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, allowing access to trading on the go. Users can receive alerts for stock and forex prices on both platforms. However, Trading 212 stands out with its watchlist symbol syncing feature, which ensures seamless updates between mobile and desktop platforms, a feature Swissquote lacks. Swissquote fares well in customization, with the ability to draw trendlines, view various time frames, and automatically save drawings on charts. This functionality is mirrored in Trading 212, providing users ample tools to analyze market trends.
Technical analysis enthusiasts may find Trading 212 advantageous as it offers a substantial 104 technical studies for charting, compared to Swissquote's 30. Both apps allow the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, catering to active traders. Based on user feedback, Swissquote has a slight edge, rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for its mobile trading app, while Trading 212 holds a 4-star rating. Moreover, Swissquote ranks higher for mobile trading apps, positioned at #11 by ForexBrokers.com, compared to Trading 212's rank of #17 out of 62 brokers. These insights can help in deciding which app aligns better with individual trading preferences.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing Swissquote and Trading 212 for market research tools, Swissquote stands out with daily market commentary and forex news from high-quality sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They also provide clients access to Autochartist, a well-known technical analysis tool, enhancing their research offerings. Although both brokers provide an economic calendar, Trading 212 does not supply the detailed market insights available from Swissquote's daily commentaries.
Swissquote scores slightly higher overall, receiving 4 stars for research compared to Trading 212's 3.5 stars. This is reflected in ForexBrokers.com's rankings, where Swissquote holds the 16th spot out of 62 brokers, while Trading 212 ranks 46th. While Trading 212 offers a sentiment-based trading tool to gauge market trends, Swissquote's combination of news sources and technical tools make it a more comprehensive choice for traders seeking in-depth market analysis.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational offerings for beginners from Swissquote and Trading 212, both online brokers are strong contenders in providing valuable resources for learning forex and CFDs. Each company offers a minimum of ten educational materials, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, specifically focused on forex and CFDs. This ensures that beginners have ample content to get started with their trading education. Both Swissquote and Trading 212 also host monthly online educational webinars, along with maintaining a searchable archive of past sessions. This setup allows learners to access and review content at their convenience, enhancing the learning experience.
In addition to materials for beginners, both brokers offer at least ten advanced educational videos for seasoned traders, along with a comprehensive investor dictionary featuring over fifty investing terms. While Swissquote is rated with 4 stars for education and is ranked 21st by ForexBrokers.com, Trading 212 is closely behind with a 3.5-star rating and a 20th place ranking. This makes both platforms nearly equal in terms of educational value, though Swissquote slightly edges out Trading 212 in user ratings. Regardless of the choice, beginner traders are sure to find a wealth of informative resources to support their trading journey with either broker.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Swissquote is better than Trading 212. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11, while Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #31.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Trading 212
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 |
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Swissquote allows users to purchase actual cryptocurrencies and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas Trading 212 specializes only in cryptocurrency derivatives, without the option for buying actual cryptocurrencies.
Both Swissquote and Trading 212 provide options for ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires for depositing or withdrawing account funds, with the key difference being that Swissquote also supports Skrill, whereas Trading 212 does not.
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 | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2004 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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) | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 8025 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 146 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.9 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | €10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 5 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 54 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 75 | 20 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Swissquote Review | Trading 212 Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | Trading 212 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Trading 212 Review |
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