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Firstrade vs Trading 212 : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Firstrade
Trading 212
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
STP broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1985
2003
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
1Million
3 million- lifetime funded account
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders award.
No major awards listed
Security Measures
SIPC
ICF
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
2200+ ETFs including CDs, Treasury bills, Notets and bonds, Primary market CDs, Zeros and strips and more
13,000+ Global stocks and ETFs
Currency Pairs
No
Yes
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
Yes- Through ETFs
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
Yes- Through ETFs
Yes
CFDs
No
Yes
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
No
Futures
No
No
Bonds
Yes
No
Mutual Funds
Yes
No
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
Yes
No
Precious Metals
No
No
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Yes
Yes
Equities
No
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
Yes
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
Yes
Copy Trading
No
Yes
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Firstrade platform
Trading 212 web and mobile trading platform
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Brokerage account- Individual, Joint, Custodial, Retirement- Retirement (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA), Corporate, Trust, International, Education Planning, Business Planning
Invest, CFD, Stock ISA, and cash ISA
Demo Account (Yes/No)
No
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
£1, €1, $1
Leverage Available
No
1:30
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
Depends on the assets class
Commission (per account type)
$0
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Both beginners and experienced traders
Beginners to experienced traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer
Bank transfer, Instant bank transfer, Card payments, Online banking PL, Carte Bleue, Blik, Direct e-banking, e-wallets
Withdrawal Methods
Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed
Bank transfer, Instant bank transfer, Card payments, Online banking PL, Carte Bleue, Blik, Direct e-banking, e-wallets
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, iDEAL
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
Yes
No
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Education Center, Investment Education Videos, Option Guide, Margin Guide, Webinars, Tax center, Blogs, Upcoming IPOs
Trading Academy, Market News and Analysis, Webinars, Video Tutorial, Trading Guides and eBooks
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission for stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual funds- $0, Fixed income- Treasury Bills, Notes & Bonds, Municipal Bonds, Agency Bonds, Secondary Market CDs, Zeros & Strips- Net yield basis, Primary Market CDs- $30, Broker-Assisted Stock & Options Trades- $19.95 (+$0.50/Contract)
FX fees- 0.5%
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Typical
Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0
NA
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
1:30
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
$0
Advisory Fees
0.20-0.30%
NA
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
Yes
Statement or Document Fee
$2-$5
NA
Account Opening Fee
$0
NA
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
0.70%
Currency Conversion Fee
3%
0.15%
Withdrawal Fee
$25-$75
$0
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
No
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Pre-Market: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET Regular Market: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET After-Hours: 4:05 PM to 8:00 PM ET
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
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET
24/7
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: U.S. Toll Free: 1-800-869-8800, Outside the US: 1-718-961-6600, E-mail, FAQ, Fax: 1-718-961-3919
Live chat, E-mail- [email protected] Phone- +447385762101
Support Languages
3
18+
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354
Aldermary House, 10-15 Queen Street, London, EC4N 1TX.
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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