Trading 212 is a fintech group founded in 2004 and headquartered in London. It’s widely known for offering commission-free stocks and ETFs, plus CFDs, through one of the most intuitive mobile and web platforms in European retail investing. The company’s mission is making investing more accessible to everyone, supported by a simple interface and ongoing promotions like the free fractional share worth up to €100 for new clients on first deposit. Trading 212 now serves over 5 million clients with more than €30 billion in assets.
In this article, we look at what’s happened to Trading 212’s waiting list system – why investors in certain regions have historically had to join a waitlist before opening an account, and what the current state of play is in 2026. We’ll also share alternatives to Trading 212 for those who prefer not to wait or want to compare options.
Why did Trading 212 introduce a waiting list?
In January 2021, a wave of retail investor activity originating from Reddit’s WallStreetBets forum led to extraordinary market events – most famously the GameStop short squeeze, where the stock multiplied roughly 30x in value over a few weeks. The episode drew millions of newcomers to retail investing platforms across Europe and the US, often for the first time.
Trading 212 was one of the platforms most affected by the resulting surge. Citing “unprecedented demand” (you can check more Trading 212 stats here), in February 2021 the company paused new account openings and introduced a waiting list for prospective customers. The pause was a deliberate step to let Trading 212’s infrastructure, KYC processes, and customer support catch up with the surge before resuming normal onboarding.
Over the following months, Trading 212 gradually reopened to new clients region by region. By 2022-2023, the waiting list had effectively been wound down across most of its supported markets.
As of 2026, the waiting list system is no longer in active use across Trading 212’s main markets. Clients from the EEA, the UK, and most other supported countries can open accounts directly without joining a queue. Trading 212 is currently expanding into new markets (notably with the launch of its Polish entity in 2025), and the platform now serves 5+ million clients with over €30 billion in assets.
For prospective clients in regions where Trading 212 doesn’t yet operate (such as the US, Canada, or most of Asia), the company doesn’t currently maintain a waiting list – it simply isn’t onboarding from those regions at all. If Trading 212 isn’t available in your country yet, the alternatives section below covers strong substitutes.
Which countries can (and can’t) open a Trading 212 account?
The Trading 212 customer base is best understood across three categories based on geographic eligibility:
- Fully onboarding: EEA, UK, and select other markets. Investors in the European Economic Area (including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, and other EU/EEA states), as well as the UK and Switzerland, can open Trading 212 accounts directly without joining a waitlist. Trading 212 launched its Polish entity in 2025, expanding its formal local presence in the region.
- Onboarding with country-specific limitations. Some countries are technically supported but with restrictions on certain products (e.g., CFDs not available, fewer payment methods, or specific KYC requirements). Belgium is the most notable example – due to the FSMA’s 2016 regulation, certain leveraged products are not offered to Belgian retail clients, though core stocks/ETFs/Invest features remain available.
- Not currently supported. Trading 212 doesn’t onboard clients from many countries outside Europe, including the United States, Canada, Russia, China, India, Japan, Australia, and most of Africa and Latin America. There’s no waitlist for these markets – the company simply isn’t authorised or set up to serve them. If you reside in one of these regions, the alternatives section below is the right place to start.
If you’re unsure whether Trading 212 is available in your country, the most reliable check is the registration flow on Trading 212’s website – the form will either let you proceed with onboarding or display a clear “not available” message.
What about expansion to new markets?
Trading 212 hasn’t committed to a public timeline for expanding into specific new countries outside its current EEA + UK + Switzerland footprint. Historically, expansion has happened gradually as the company secures appropriate regulatory authorisations and builds out local infrastructure – the 2025 launch of Trading 212’s Polish entity is a recent example.
If you’re in a country where Trading 212 isn’t yet available, the most reliable approach is to:
- Check the registration flow on Trading 212’s website periodically for any changes,
- Follow Trading 212’s official social channels and community forum for announcements,
- Consider one of the strong alternatives in the section below if you’d rather not wait.
Trading 212 alternatives
To help us answer this question, we focused on low-cost, popular brokers. Given that, here are our suggestions:
eToro
With over 40 million users globally, eToro is the leading social investing platform – letting you copy and follow other traders directly through its signature CopyTrader feature. It offers commission-free ETF trading, $1 stock commissions on most exchanges, real cryptocurrencies (under MiCA across the EU), and a strong educational suite. eToro listed on NASDAQ (ticker: ETOR) in May 2025, adding a meaningful credibility milestone.
Disclaimer: your capital is at risk. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.
Interactive Brokers
Founded in 1978, IBKR is one of the world’s most trustworthy brokers, listed on NASDAQ (IBKR). It offers an enormous range of products (stocks, ETFs, options, futures, bonds…), 150+ markets, and very low FX fees. Note: Trading 212 uses Interactive Brokers as their custodian.
💡 Interactive Brokers also offers IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile app to trade stocks, options, and ETFs – ideal for novice investors.
Plus500
Plus500 is a multi-asset online broker, LSE-listed (PLUS, FTSE 250), offering no-commission CFD trading on indices, forex, commodities, cryptos, shares, options, and ETFs. Plus500 Invest also lets you trade real shares. Check our full Plus500 review.
80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
XTB
WSE-listed (XTB) and serving 1.9M+ clients globally, XTB offers 0% commission on real stocks and ETFs up to €100k monthly turnover (then 0.2%, €10 min), with fractional shares from €10. It also offers CFDs on indices, forex, commodities, and cryptos with competitive fees.69-80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Top tier regulators supervise all the companies mentioned here, like the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
# eToro at a glance
52% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Founded in 2007, eToro is an international online broker with over 40 million users globally, trading thousands of financial assets including stocks, ETFs, real cryptocurrencies, and CFDs (on stocks, ETFs, commodities, forex, indices, and crypto). ETFs trade commission-free (other fees apply), and fractional shares are supported. US, EU, and UK stocks carry a $1 commission per trade. eToro went public on NASDAQ (ticker: ETOR) in May 2025.
eToro’s investment platform, accessible via web and mobile, is built around social trading. Investors can discuss investment ideas, market news, and strategies with fellow users. eToro also lets you automatically replicate other investors’ trades through CopyTrader (with up to 100 traders followed simultaneously) and invest in Smart Portfolios – thematic baskets curated around specific strategies (AI, clean energy, dividend stocks, top traders, and more).
The demo account is particularly useful for beginners ($100,000 of virtual money), giving real hands-on experience that closely mirrors live trading. On the downside, there’s a $5 withdrawal fee (with a $30 minimum withdrawal), and a $10 monthly inactivity fee kicks in after 12 months of no logins. eToro’s only base currency is USD, so EUR/GBP deposits and withdrawals incur an FX conversion fee.
eToro is regulated by multiple top-tier authorities including the FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), CySEC (Cyprus/EU), FinCEN (US), and ADGM FSRA (UAE). European clients are typically served through eToro (Europe) Ltd, a CySEC-regulated entity (Licence 109/10) that passports its services across the EU under MiFID II. Retail clients in the EU benefit from the Cyprus Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) up to €20,000.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
# Interactive Brokers at a glance
Founded in 1978 and publicly listed on NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR), Interactive Brokers is a global online broker that has weathered every major financial crisis over nearly five decades – building a strong reputation for resilience, transparent execution, and rigorous risk management.
Interactive Brokers offers an advanced investment platform with an exceptionally wide product range (stocks, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, mutual funds, forex, and more) across 150+ markets in 30+ countries, alongside IBKR’s Smart Routing technology for high-quality trade execution and a comprehensive set of technical and fundamental analysis tools.
Beginners and intermediate investors have access to a strong educational library, though the learning curve on the main platforms (Trader Workstation, IBKR Desktop, Client Portal, IBKR Mobile) is steep – which is why we mainly endorse IBKR for more advanced traders. That said, customer support is responsive and gives clear, substantive answers when you have questions.
On the downside, IBKR’s fee structure is quite complex, account opening can take a few days to complete, and the broker isn’t commission-free. However, when factoring in FX fees, tighter spreads, securities lending income (via the Stock Yield Enhancement Program), and access to global markets, IBKR clients typically save significantly compared with most other brokers over the long run.
For newer investors, IBKR also offers IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile app for trading stocks, ETFs, and options with automatic currency conversions, fractional shares from $1, and a paper trading mode – ideal for beginners looking to ease into the IBKR ecosystem.
Want to know more? Check our comprehensive Interactive Brokers review.
# Plus500 at a glance
80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Founded in 2008, Plus500 is an online broker offering a wide range of financial products, including real shares and CFDs on forex, indices, shares, commodities, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. It’s available in over 50 countries and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker: PLUS) as a constituent of the FTSE 250.
There are two distinct account types:
- Plus500 CFD: focused exclusively on CFD products.
- Plus500 Invest: where you can trade real shares of companies (you own the underlying stock).
As a side note, Plus500 Futures – a platform available only for US users where you can trade futures – is also part of the Plus500 group.
The main web platform is WebTrader, Plus500’s proprietary platform, offering a stable, responsive trading experience accessible from multiple devices, including a polished mobile app. You can start testing the features through a free demo account before committing real money.
Customer support is helpful and readily available through a chat function that’s always visible on the trading platform. Spreads are competitive, and accounts can be opened in sixteen currencies including USD, EUR, and GBP. Plus500 charges a 0.70% currency conversion fee and a $10 monthly inactivity fee after three months of no trading activity. On Plus500 Invest, you’ll only pay a small commission per trade (for example, $0.006 per share on the US market).
Plus500 is regulated by multiple top-tier financial authorities including the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), ASIC (Australia), and MAS (Singapore), ensuring appropriate supervision and an investor protection scheme under the entity where you open your account. European investors are typically served through Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC-regulated, Licence No. 250/14), with client funds protected up to €20,000 under the Cyprus Investor Compensation Fund. Plus500 also provides negative balance protection for CFD trading on a per-account basis – mandatory for retail clients in the EU and UK under ESMA/FCA rules.
Want to know more about Plus500? Check our Plus500 review.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
# XTB at a glance
69-80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Founded in 2002, XTB is a major player in the brokerage industry with extensive worldwide experience. It’s regulated by multiple top-tier authorities including the FCA (UK), KNF (Poland), CySEC (Cyprus), and DFSA (Dubai), listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: XTB), and now serves over 1.9 million clients globally. XTB offers 0% commission on real stocks and ETFs up to €100,000 of monthly turnover (then 0.2%, €10 min), with fractional shares from €10 and an Investment Plan feature for recurring ETF investing. It also offers CFDs on indices, forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, though CFDs are complex instruments where a majority of retail accounts lose money.
XTB also offers a free demo account for practising risk-free. Forex spreads are competitive, while crypto CFD spreads are wider. An inactivity fee of €10/month applies after 12 months of no trading combined with no deposits in the previous 90 days. Opening an account and funding it is a quick, fully digital process.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 69-80% 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.
Bottom line
Trading 212 saw a major surge in customer sign-ups in early 2021 – driven by the GameStop short squeeze and the broader retail investing boom. The platform couldn’t keep up with onboarding demand and temporarily paused new accounts, introducing a waiting list.
That waiting list system has largely been wound down. As of 2026, clients across the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland can open Trading 212 accounts directly – no queue required. Trading 212 also continues to expand its footprint, most recently launching its Polish entity in 2025. For prospective clients in countries where Trading 212 isn’t available (US, Canada, India, Australia, and most of Asia, Latin America, and Africa), the company isn’t currently maintaining a waitlist – those markets simply aren’t supported.
If you’re in a supported European market, you can enjoy Trading 212’s main advantages: commission-free stocks and ETFs, fractional shares from €1, Pies & AutoInvest for recurring contributions, high interest on uninvested cash, real cryptocurrencies (via 212 Crypto, launched March 2026 under MiCA), and the free fractional share worth up to €100 on first deposit. If Trading 212 isn’t available where you live and you want to start investing now, the alternatives above (eToro, Interactive Brokers, Plus500, and XTB) are all strong options worth exploring.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
FAQs
Can I still benefit from the Trading 212 free fractional share promotion?
It is still possible to benefit from the free fractional share promotion. You can check our article on the subject to find out how to gain a free fractional share worth up to €100.
If you are worried about losing the free fractional share due to the waiting list, Trading 212 has confirmed that the waiting list considers the referral program. Therefore, when you are accepted to onboard the trading platform, you will have access to the free fractional share if you proceed with the verification and deposit the minimum amount for your region.
How long is the waiting line for Trading 212?
There is no consistent answer to this question as the period may vary. In the community discussion at the Trading 212 website, we can find reports from clients who had to wait up to a year to be accepted. Others claim to wait between one to three months. The waiting list seems to be getting smaller, and new customers now have to wait less than they used to. If you cannot enter, you can also check some of alternatives to Trading 212.
How good is Trading 212 as a brokerage?
Trading 212 offers commission-free stocks and ETFs, is regulated by a top-tier regulator and offers new clients a free stock. On the other hand, it provides a limited number of instruments for clients to invest in: you will not be able to trade bonds, options, mutual funds, or futures. To know more about the brokerage, check our Trading 212 review.
