Trading 212 vs Lightyear : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Trading 212

Lightyear

Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

STP broker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2003

2020

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

3 million- lifetime funded account

Info not available

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSC

FCA EFSA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

No major awards listed

Security Measures

ICF

SIPC, EIPSF Upto Euro 20,000

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

13,000+ Global stocks and ETFs

US / EU / UK Stocks (3500+) Interest Money Market Funds Baltic Stocks Baltic Bonds

Currency Pairs

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Indices

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

CFDs

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Options

Futures

Bonds

Yes

Mutual Funds

Fractional Shares

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Precious Metals

Yes - through Exchange Traded Commodities

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Yes

Yes - through REIT stocks

Equities

Yes

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

MT4

MT5

cTrader

Social Trading

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Trading 212 web and mobile trading platform

Lightyear's proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

Invest, CFD, Stock ISA, and cash ISA

Personal Business

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Minimum Deposit

£1, €1, $1

Leverage Available

1:30

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on the assets class

Varies for each product

Commission (per account type)

Euro 0

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Beginners to experienced traders

Beginners

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Bank transfer, Instant bank transfer, Card payments, Online banking PL, Carte Bleue, Blik, Direct e-banking, e-wallets

EUR - SEPA, Debit Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay GBP - FPS, CHAPS, BACS, SWIFT, Apple Pay, Google Pay USD - ACH, FedWire, SWIFT HUF - Bank transfers within Hungary

Withdrawal Methods

Bank transfer, Instant bank transfer, Card payments, Online banking PL, Carte Bleue, Blik, Direct e-banking, e-wallets

Bank Transfers

Other E-Wallets Supported

Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, iDEAL

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Trading Academy, Market News and Analysis, Webinars, Video Tutorial, Trading Guides and eBooks

Savings interest calculator Inflation calculator Ticker time machine Rate comparison calculator

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

FX fees- 0.5%

US Shares per order - 0.1% upto $1 maximum EU Shares per order - Euro 1 UK Shares per order - Euro 1 Money Market Funds - 0.25% annually Nasdaq Baltic - Euro 1 ETFs -Euro 0 Multi-currency account -Euro 0

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Per Lot Fees

Options Contract Fees

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

1:30

Info not available

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

Advisory Fees

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

Account Opening Fee

Account Maintenance Fee

Deposit Fee

0.70%

In EUR & GBP Debit Card / ApplePay / Google Pay - First Euro500 lifetime free, 0.5% after In USD FedWire & Swift - $6.11

Currency Conversion Fee

0.15%

0.35%

Withdrawal Fee

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

pre-market session from 04:00 - 09:30 ET, regular trading from 09:30 - 16:00 ET, after-hours session from 16:00 - 20:00 ET

Vary for each asset class

Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Live chat, E-mail- [email protected] Phone- +447385762101

Email: mailto:[email protected], Live chat Phone number:+1 332-333-4220.

Support Languages

18+

20+

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Aldermary House, 10-15 Queen Street, London, EC4N 1TX.

Volta 1 Tallinn 10412 Estonia

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.

Trading 212 is known for competitive pricing on basic trades, especially for beginners. However, Lightyear fee structure, though slightly higher, covers a broader range of services, making it more suitable for active traders.

Trading 212 offers a quick and paperless account setup that appeals to traders on the go, whereas Lightyear more involved onboarding process adds an extra layer of safety and regulatory checks.

New traders may find Trading 212 interface more welcoming, while Lightyear appeals to experienced users looking for tools like heatmaps, screeners, and market sentiment overlays.

Advanced users will enjoy Trading 212 capabilities, but Lightyear remains a favorite for its streamlined and beginner-centric approach.

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