TradingCritique

Select Your Brokers to Compare

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

Broker Name

City Index

City Index

VS
Trading 212

Trading 212

Icon

Broker Overview

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

Market maker

STP broker

Years of Existence / Established Year

1983

2003

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

1M + active customers

3 million- lifetime funded account


Icon

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

CIRO, CySEC, NFA, CFTC, CIMA, FCA, SFC, FSA, MAS, ASIC

FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSC

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best trading app, Best CFD provider, Forex broker.com No.1- Performance Analytics new tool, Best in Class overall

No major awards listed

Security Measures

FSCS

ICF

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Yes


Icon

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

13,500+ assets types including Shares

13,000+ Global stocks and ETFs

Currency Pairs

Yes

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Yes

Indices

Yes

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

No

Yes

CFDs

Yes

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

No

Yes

Options

Yes

No

Futures

No

No

Bonds

Yes

No

Mutual Funds

No

No

Fractional Shares

Yes

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

Yes

No

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

Yes

Equities

No

No


Icon

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

Yes

No

MT5

No

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

Yes

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

City Index mobile trading app

Trading 212 web and mobile trading platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


Icon

Account Types & Conditions

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

Standard, MT4, Corporate account

Invest, CFD, Stock ISA, and cash ISA

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

No

Minimum Deposit

€100

£1, €1, $1

Leverage Available

30:1

1:30

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on the assets class

Depends on the assets class

Commission (per account type)

€0

$0

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

Beginner to experienced

Beginners to experienced traders


Icon

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Bank transfer, credit card, debit card, e-wallets

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

Withdrawal Methods

Bank transfer, credit card, debit card, e-wallets

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

Other E-Wallets Supported

Paypal

Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, iDEAL


Icon

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

No

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

Reuters Insider, News and analysis, Trading tools, Advanced trading view Charts

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


Icon

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

UK Shares: 0.10% (min. €8 commission)US Shares: 1.5 cents per share (min. €8 commission)

FX fees- 0.5%

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Fixed and variable spreads

Variable

Per Lot Fees

NA

NA

Options Contract Fees

NA

NA

Futures Contract Fees

NA

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

$0

NA

Maximum Leverage

30:1

1:30


Icon

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$15 monthly fee after 24 months of inactivity

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

$0

Advisory Fees

NA

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

NA

NA

Account Opening Fee

NA

NA

Account Maintenance Fee

NA

$0

Deposit Fee

Credit/ debit card- 2%, others - €0

0.70%

Currency Conversion Fee

Varies by instrument

0.15%

Withdrawal Fee

Bank fees may apply

$0


Icon

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

No

No


Icon

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Varies by instrument

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


Icon

Customer Support

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

24/5

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Email: [email protected], Phone: 0800 060 8609, Live chat

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

Support Languages

6

18+


Icon

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

1st Floor, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5ET

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

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

No

No


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.
Both City Index and Trading 212 offer affordable fee structures, but City Index generally edges out with no inactivity fees and lower commissions on standard trades, whereas Trading 212 shines with bundled research and platform access.
City Index gets you trading faster thanks to its minimal entry barriers. In comparison, Trading 212 account setup is slower but includes extra layers of financial screening and suitability assessments.
If you're trading on-the-go, City Index mobile platform is fluid and intuitive. Trading 212 desktop and web apps are more robust, making them suitable for in-depth trading sessions.
For market veterans, City Index brings the tools they need. New investors might find Trading 212 more approachable and cost-effective.