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Trading 212 vs eToro: Which Is Better for UK Investors in 2026?
A side by side comparison of two commission-free investing apps, covering fees, ISAs, account types, investment choice and who each one actually suits.
☆☆☆☆☆ Rated 4.5 out of 5
Trading 212
Zero commission | 0.15% FX | ISA, Cash ISA, SIPP
Capital at risk.
☆☆☆☆☆ Rated 4.3 out of 5
eToro
Zero commission | CopyTrader | ISA via Moneyfarm
Capital at risk.
Zero commission | 0.15% FX | ISA, Cash ISA, SIPP
Zero commission | CopyTrader | ISA via Moneyfarm
Quick verdict
Trading 212 is cheaper to run for most UK ISA investors. Both charge no commission, but Trading 212's FX fee is 0.15% against eToro's 0.70%, and it adds a SIPP, a Cash ISA and interest on uninvested cash. Choose eToro if you want bonds or mutual funds inside your ISA, a Managed ISA, or CopyTrader.
Details from our Trading 212 and eToro reviews, checked August 2026. Always confirm current terms with the provider.Read our full verdict
Brief overview
Trading 212 is a London based, FCA authorised platform built around commission-free investing in stocks and ETFs. UK clients contract with Trading 212 UK Ltd, and there is no platform, custody or inactivity fee. The accounts cover general investing, a Stocks and Shares ISA, a Cash ISA, a SIPP launched in 2026 and a separate CFD account. The one recurring cost most people meet is a 0.15% FX fee when a purchase is priced in a currency other than sterling.
It suits cost conscious investors who want stocks and ETFs inside a tax wrapper, starting from £1, with Pies and AutoInvest to automate regular investing. It does not offer mutual funds, unit trusts, OEICs or direct bond dealing. Our full Trading 212 review covers the platform in more depth.
eToro is a multi asset platform founded in 2007 and listed on Nasdaq since May 2025. UK clients are served by eToro (UK) Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ETF dealing is commission-free, share dealing is commission-free in many markets, and since 29 July 2026 the eToro Stocks and Shares ISA, powered by Moneyfarm, has no dealing commission and no custody fee. The main account is priced in US dollars, and the conversion charge on assets priced in another currency is 0.70%.
eToro’s distinguishing features are social: CopyTrader lets you mirror another investor’s trades, and Smart Portfolios bundle assets around a theme. It also offers real cryptoassets and CFDs. Whether you search Trading 212 vs eToro or eToro vs Trading 212, the question is usually the same: which is cheaper and simpler for a UK ISA. Our full eToro review goes through each feature.
Trading 212 vs eToro at a glance
| Criteria | Trading 212 | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | ||
| Best for | Low cost share and ETF investing | Multi asset ISA and social investing |
| Regulator | FCA (Trading 212 UK Ltd, FRN 609146) | FCA (eToro (UK) Ltd, FRN 583263) |
| Dealing commission | £0 on shares and ETFs | £0 on ETFs and in the ISA; or on some stock trades outside it |
| Platform or custody fee | £0 | £0 (ISA since 29 July 2026) |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.15% | 0.70% |
| Account types | Invest, Stocks and Shares ISA, Cash ISA, SIPP, CFD | General account, DIY and Managed ISA, Cash ISA |
| ISA provided by | Trading 212 | Moneyfarm (MFM Investment Ltd) |
| SIPP | Yes, no drawdown yet | No |
| Minimum investment | £1 | Typically on the main account |
| Funds and bonds | No | Yes, in the DIY ISA |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Automated investing | Pies and AutoInvest | Recurring investments and Smart Portfolios |
| Interest on uninvested cash | 3.8% AER on GBP (5 August 2026) | Not published for the ISA |
| Cash ISA | Yes, 3.6% AER variable (5 August 2026) | Yes, provided by Moneyfarm |
| Cryptoassets | Crypto ETNs only | Real cryptoassets, 1% per position |
| Inactivity fee | None | None for UK clients |
| Withdrawal fee | None | None from GBP account; from USD account |
| FSCS protection | £85,000 investments; £120,000 cash per bank | £85,000 (ISA via MFM Investment Ltd) |
| Customer support | 24/7 in-app chat, email, help centre | In platform support and Tori AI assistant, with human agents |
Fees and product details checked August 2026, taken from our Trading 212 and eToro reviews. Always confirm current terms on the provider’s own site.
Fees and charges
1. Commission and platform fees
Trading 212
Trading 212 charges no commission on stock and ETF dealing and no platform, custody or inactivity fee, across the Invest account, the Stocks and Shares ISA and the SIPP. Portfolio transfers in and out are free, and there is no withdrawal fee. For a sterling denominated ETF held for the long term, the platform side of the cost is zero, although the fund’s own ongoing charge still applies.
eToro
On the main account, ETF trades are commission-free and share trades are commission-free in many markets, although a $1 or $2 commission may apply depending on your country and the exchange. Inside the Stocks and Shares ISA there has been no dealing commission and no annual custody fee since 29 July 2026, covering UK and US shares, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds and European shares. There is no platform fee, and no inactivity fee for UK clients.
2. The main recurring cost
Trading 212
The cost most investors will meet is the 0.15% FX fee on in-app currency conversion, charged when you buy anything not priced in sterling. On a £10,000 purchase of US shares that is £15. You can avoid it by sticking to sterling denominated ETFs, and spending with the 212 Card carries no FX fee at all.
eToro
eToro charges 0.70% on assets priced in a currency other than sterling, and the rate can vary by eToro Club tier. Because most US listed shares and many ETFs are priced in dollars, this is the fee most investors will genuinely pay. On a £10,000 purchase of US shares it comes to £70, and you pay it again when you sell. It is the single largest cost difference between the two platforms.
3. Other charges to know about
Trading 212
Card and e-wallet deposits are free for the first £2,000, after which a 0.7% fee applies to further top-ups by those methods, so bank transfer is the cheaper route for larger sums. The CFD account is priced differently, through spreads and overnight fees. You can compare running costs across UK platforms with our broker fees calculator.
eToro
Withdrawals are free from a GBP account, but a flat $5 with a $30 minimum applies to the USD investment account. eToro passes on the 0.5% Stamp Duty Reserve Tax on purchases of UK listed shares. The Managed ISA is priced separately from the DIY ISA, so the 0% dealing terms do not carry across, and cryptoassets cost 1% per position for most Club tiers.
Account types and minimums
1. Available account types
Trading 212
Trading 212 offers an Invest account, a Stocks and Shares ISA, a flexible Cash ISA, a SIPP and a separate CFD account, and money can be moved between the wrappers. The SIPP received FCA authorisation in February 2026 and is operated by Platform One, with no platform fee and no dealing charge. There is no drawdown yet, so taking a retirement income would currently mean transferring the pension out.
eToro
eToro offers a general investing account, a DIY Stocks and Shares ISA, a Managed ISA and a Cash ISA, all opened and viewed inside the eToro app. The ISAs are provided by Moneyfarm through MFM Investment Ltd rather than by eToro itself. There is no SIPP, no Junior ISA and no Lifetime ISA, so if you want a pension alongside your ISA in one app, Trading 212 is the only one of the two that offers it.
2. Minimum investment
Trading 212
You can start with £1 in the Invest account, either ISA or the SIPP when funding by bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay or a linked UK bank account. Card and e-wallet deposits carry a £10 minimum, as does the CFD account. Fractional shares mean even a small deposit can be spread across several holdings.
eToro
For most UK clients the first deposit on the main account is typically $50, though it varies by country and payment method. eToro does not publish a headline minimum on its ISA pages. Fractional shares are available, and recurring investments can automate regular contributions once you are set up.
Platform and app experience
1. Interface and ease of use
Trading 212
Trading 212 is app first, and it shows. Search, order entry and portfolio views are clean and quick, and the learning curve for a first time investor is short. The web platform mirrors the app closely. The trade off is that research tools are thin, with no in depth screeners or professional grade analysis.
eToro
eToro’s web platform is built for a multi asset audience. Charts, watchlists, market data and a news feed sit alongside your portfolio, and the ISA is reached through the same login. That breadth is useful if you want it, but it also means CFDs and crypto sit one tap away from your ISA holdings, which takes some discipline to ignore.
2. Mobile app
Trading 212
The mobile app is how most customers use Trading 212. It handles fractional orders, Pies and recurring investments natively, and 24/5 trading on popular US stocks and ETFs runs from Sunday 22:00 to Friday 21:00 UK time.
eToro
eToro rebuilt its mobile app in July 2026 around Tori, an AI assistant that surfaces portfolio and market information without being asked, and added sub-accounts for separate goals. eToro states that Tori does not provide investment advice. Not every new feature has reached UK clients yet.
3. Tools and automation
Trading 212
Pies let you set target weightings across several holdings, and AutoInvest funds them on a recurring schedule, with rebalancing back to your chosen weights. For a beginner assembling a simple global portfolio, this is one of the most useful features on either platform.
eToro
Recurring investments automate contributions, CopyTrader mirrors another investor’s positions with an amount you choose, and Smart Portfolios offer themed baskets with no management fee. CopyTrader is not an ISA feature. Our guide to eToro copy trading explains how it works.
Investment choice
1. Shares and ETFs
Trading 212
Thousands of stocks and ETFs across exchanges including the London Stock Exchange, NYSE, NASDAQ, Xetra and Euronext, with fractional shares from £1. The same range is available in the Invest account, the ISA and the SIPP.
eToro
A wide range of shares and ETFs on the main account. Inside the DIY ISA the universe is over 1,000 UK, US and European shares, ETFs, bonds and mutual funds on eToro’s own figure, which is a narrower list of shares than the main account offers.
2. Funds and bonds
Trading 212
None. Trading 212 offers no mutual funds, unit trusts or OEICs and no direct bond dealing. For many investors an ETF does the same job, but if your plan calls for a specific fund, Trading 212 cannot hold it.
eToro
This is eToro’s clearest advantage. The DIY ISA holds bonds and mutual funds alongside shares and ETFs, so a conventional multi asset portfolio, or an OEIC you prefer to an ETF, fits inside the wrapper. A Managed ISA is also available if you would rather delegate.
3. What else is available
Trading 212
A separate CFD account for leveraged trading, where 77% of retail investor accounts lose money with this provider. There is no direct crypto for UK clients, only crypto ETNs, and new crypto ETN purchases are not permitted inside a Stocks and Shares ISA from 6 April 2026. Share lending is available on the Invest account on an opt-in basis.
eToro
Real cryptoassets, CFDs on shares, indices, forex, commodities and crypto, CopyTrader, Smart Portfolios and stock lending. 51% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs with eToro. Crypto cannot be held in an ISA and sits outside FSCS protection.
Safety and regulation
1. Regulation
Trading 212
Trading 212 UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 609146. Investments are held in segregated accounts with Interactive Brokers and Bank of New York Mellon under the FCA’s client asset rules, with an annual external review of its asset protection processes. In early 2026 the Financial Times reported that Trading 212 had offered crypto ETNs before holding the relevant permission, which it then obtained.
eToro
eToro (UK) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 583263. The ISA is another firm’s product: your ISA money and investments sit with MFM Investment Ltd, Moneyfarm’s regulated entity, FCA number 629539. eToro Group has been listed on Nasdaq since May 2025 and reports results quarterly.
2. How your money is protected
Trading 212
Uninvested cash held with partner banks is covered by the FSCS up to £120,000 per person, per bank. Investments are covered separately up to £85,000. Cash placed in qualifying money market funds to earn interest counts as an investment, so the deposit limit does not apply to that portion.
eToro
Investments with eToro (UK) Ltd are covered by the FSCS up to £85,000. ISA investments are covered up to £85,000 via MFM Investment Ltd, and that limit is shared across all brands operating under MFM Investment Ltd, so an existing Moneyfarm account would share it. Cryptoassets are not covered.
Customer support
1. How to get in touch
Trading 212
Chat support runs 24/7 in the mobile and web apps, starting with an AI chatbot and handing over to a human on request. There is also email, a help centre and an active community forum.
eToro
Support is handled through the platform, with Tori answering platform and account questions instantly and a human agent available when you need one. Higher eToro Club tiers come with more dedicated support.
2. What to expect
Trading 212
Support is generally well rated, but capacity has been stretched during periods of high market volatility when contact volumes spike. The help centre covers most routine questions on fees, transfers and ISA rules.
eToro
ISA questions can involve both eToro and Moneyfarm, so a transfer or corporate action query may take longer than a platform one. We could not verify published response times or telephone support hours for the ISA.
Learning resources
1. Guides and articles
Trading 212
Trading 212 runs a learning hub alongside its help centre, covering platform mechanics, ISA rules and general investing concepts. The material is clear and aimed at getting you comfortable with the product.
eToro
eToro Academy, News and Analysis, and the Digest and Invest series cover written guides, video and podcasts, free to account holders. It is the larger library, though a fair amount addresses trading, crypto and CopyTrader rather than long term ISA investing.
2. Practice and demo accounts
Trading 212
A free demo account with virtual funds lets you practise before committing real money, and the community forum is often the fastest route to an answer on how a feature works.
eToro
eToro’s demo account comes with $100,000 in virtual funds. It is useful for learning where things are, including CopyTrader, before real money is involved.
3. Who it suits
Trading 212
Best for someone who learns by doing and wants to start small. Our guide to dollar cost averaging pairs well with Pies and AutoInvest.
eToro
Best for someone who wants breadth and is curious how other investors build portfolios, and who is prepared to skip past the trading and crypto material.
Which platform suits which investor
1. Best for
Trading 212
Cost conscious investors buying stocks and ETFs, especially overseas holdings, since the 0.15% FX fee is well under eToro’s 0.70%. Also anyone who wants a SIPP, a Cash ISA with a published rate formula, and interest on uninvested cash in the same app.
eToro
Investors who want bonds or mutual funds inside their ISA, anyone who wants a Managed ISA option, and people interested in copy trading or real cryptoassets alongside their shares.
2. Less suited to
Trading 212
Anyone who needs mutual funds, unit trusts, bonds or pension drawdown, or who wants deeper research tools. The CFD account is not a sensible place for a beginner to start.
eToro
Investors who mainly buy US shares, because the conversion charge adds up, and anyone who needs a SIPP, Junior ISA or Lifetime ISA. On eToro’s own terms, an ISA transfer in may mean holdings are sold and moved as cash rather than transferred as they are.
3. A note on costs
Trading 212
Zero commission is real, and the 0.15% FX fee is the main running cost. Uninvested cash in the Invest account earned 3.8% AER on GBP as of 5 August 2026 once interest was enabled, and the Cash ISA paid 3.6% AER variable on the same date.
eToro
eToro’s DIY ISA is now genuinely cheap to deal in, but the 0.70% conversion charge means it is not the cheaper account to run for anyone buying overseas assets, and eToro does not publish a cash interest rate for the ISA. Our compound interest calculator shows how small fee differences add up over time.
What would each platform cost you?
Compare the yearly cost of Trading 212, eToro and other UK platforms with our broker fees calculator.
Pros and cons
Trading 212
Cons
Pros
eToro
Cons
Pros
Verdict
1. The short answer
Trading 212
For most UK investors building a stocks and ETF ISA, Trading 212 is the cheaper platform to run. Both charge no commission, but Trading 212’s 0.15% FX fee is well under eToro’s 0.70%, and it adds a SIPP, a Cash ISA and interest on uninvested cash in the same app.
eToro
eToro is the stronger choice if your portfolio needs bonds or mutual funds inside the ISA, if you want a Managed ISA, or if copy trading and real crypto are part of why you are choosing a platform. Its July 2026 move to 0% ISA dealing and custody made it far more competitive than it was.
2. Who should choose it
Trading 212
You want low cost stocks and ETFs, you buy US listed holdings, or you want an ISA, Cash ISA and SIPP under one login. The detail is in our Trading 212 review, and our Trading 212 vs Vanguard and Trading 212 vs InvestEngine comparisons cover the other common alternatives.
eToro
You want a multi asset ISA with funds and bonds, a managed option, or social features alongside your investing. Our eToro review covers each feature, our eToro vs XTB comparison goes deeper on the ISA, and our broker matching tool can narrow the field. You can also browse all our broker comparisons.
Risk disclaimer
This article is for general information and education. It is not personal financial advice and does not take account of your circumstances. When you invest, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.
Both platforms also offer CFDs, which are leveraged products that cannot be held in an ISA and sit outside the main scope of this comparison. Trading 212 discloses that 77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider; eToro discloses 51%. Cryptoassets are high risk and are not covered by the FSCS or the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and ISA and pension rules may change. If you are unsure whether a product is right for you, seek advice from an FCA authorised adviser.
Fees and product details are taken from our Trading 212 and eToro reviews, checked August 2026, and may have changed since. Always confirm current terms on the provider's own website.
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☆☆☆☆☆ Rated 4.5 out of 5
Trading 212
No commission | 0.15% FX fee
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