DEGIRO vs Trading 212: 2026 Comparison

If you invest from Europe, you have probably compared DEGIRO and Trading 212 at some point. Both are among the most popular brokers for European investors, but they are built for different kinds of investors. Which one is better for you?

In this comparison, we look at DEGIRO and Trading 212 side by side, based on facts we checked on their websites and official reports in September 2026. We cover products, platforms, interest on cash, account types, currencies, fees, security and customer service, and finish with our verdict for different investor profiles.

DEGIRO vs Trading 212 in a nutshell

Here’s our recommendation:

1. Trading 212 is our pick for beginners and for commission-free investing in stocks and ETFs. Other fees may apply. See terms and fees.
   When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
2. DEGIRO is our pick if you want a wider range of products and exchanges, or a bank behind your account.
   Disclaimer: Investing involves risk of loss.

Trading 212 has one of the easiest apps on the market, no commission on stocks and ETFs, fractional shares and interest on uninvested cash. DEGIRO is a more traditional low-cost broker: its Core Selection ETFs cost only a €1 handling fee, and it gives access to bonds, options, futures and around 50 exchanges, with cash held at a German bank.

Video summary

Watch how to invest in the S&P 500 on each broker in the videos below. They’re a quick way to see which app you find easier to use:

1. Flash overview of DEGIRO and Trading 212

a) Trading 212

Founded in 2004 in Bulgaria and now headquartered in London, Trading 212 is a fintech broker built around a simple mobile app. It serves over 5 million clients and holds more than €30 billion in client assets, according to the company.

Which Trading 212 company serves you depends on where you live. UK clients are served by Trading 212 UK Ltd, authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Most EU clients are served by Trading 212 Markets Ltd, regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). Since September 2026, new clients in Portugal and the Netherlands are onboarded to Trading 212 EU GmbH, regulated by Germany’s BaFin, while existing clients stay with Trading 212 Markets Ltd. Trading 212 isn’t available in Spain.

b) DEGIRO

Founded in 2008 and offering its services to retail investors since 2013, DEGIRO is a pan-European discount broker. In 2020, it merged with the German broker flatex to form flatexDEGIRO, one of Europe’s largest retail brokerage groups. DEGIRO is the trading name of the Dutch branch of flatexDEGIRO Bank SE, a German bank with a full banking licence.

At the end of June 2026, flatexDEGIRO had 3.66 million customer accounts and €108.3 billion in customer assets under custody.

2. Product offering

The two brokers take different approaches. Trading 212 focuses on stocks and ETFs and makes them easy to buy in small amounts, while DEGIRO covers more asset classes and more exchanges.

The table below summarises the products available to European clients of each broker.

Stocks and ETFs

Trading 212 offers thousands of stocks and ETFs from the US and major European exchanges, and you can buy fractional shares, so you can invest a fixed amount rather than a whole number of shares. Its Pies & AutoInvest tool lets you build a portfolio of stocks and ETFs and invest in it automatically on a schedule.

DEGIRO gives access to around 50 exchanges, which matters if you want less common markets or specific listings. It doesn’t offer fractional shares or an automatic investing plan, so you buy whole shares and place each order yourself.

Crypto

Both brokers let European clients buy cryptocurrencies, depending on the country. At Trading 212, the crypto account is provided by Trading 212 Markets Ltd and is not available in Spain or Hungary. DEGIRO started rolling out crypto trading in 2025 and offers it in several countries, including the Netherlands and France.

Product offering conclusion

DEGIRO has the broader product offering, with bonds, options, futures and funds that Trading 212 doesn’t offer. If you only want stocks and ETFs, though, Trading 212 has everything you need, plus fractional shares and automatic investing that DEGIRO lacks.

3. Trading platforms

Both brokers offer a web platform and a mobile app, but they feel quite different to use.

Trading 212’s platform

Trading 212 is known for its app, which is one of the most beginner-friendly on the market. Placing an order takes a few taps, and the app includes interactive charts, news, a watchlist, price alerts and the Pies & AutoInvest tool. The web platform mirrors the app.

It also offers a practice mode with virtual money, so you can try the platform before investing real money.

DEGIRO’s platform

DEGIRO offers a browser-based platform, WebTrader, and a mobile app for iOS and Android. Both are clean and functional, with interactive charts, news, an economic calendar, company financials and analyst views.

The interface is less polished than Trading 212’s, and DEGIRO has no demo account, so you can only try it with real money.

Trading platform conclusion

Trading 212 has the more intuitive platform, which makes it a strong choice for beginners. DEGIRO’s platform does the job well for long-term investors, but it offers fewer conveniences.

4. Interest on cash

If you keep part of your portfolio in cash, the interest your broker pays can make a real difference.

Trading 212 pays interest on uninvested cash, calculated daily. The rate depends on the currency and on the Trading 212 company that serves you. In September 2026:

• Trading 212 Markets Ltd (CySEC): 2.50% on EUR, which applies to most EU clients and existing clients in Portugal and the Netherlands.
• Trading 212 EU GmbH (BaFin): new clients get a 4.20% promotional EUR rate for four months from activation, for accounts opened between 16 September and 2 November 2026, under its promotional terms. After that, the standard rate on the Terms and Fees page applies.

Rates on other currencies, such as GBP and USD, are listed on Trading 212’s terms and fees page.

DEGIRO doesn’t publish an interest rate on uninvested cash. Your cash is held in a flatexDEGIRO Cash Account at flatexDEGIRO Bank, where it is covered by the German Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000.

Conclusion: Trading 212 is the clear choice if you want to earn interest on cash you’re not investing yet.

5. Account types

Your account type determines what you can trade and whether you can borrow against your investments.

Trading 212’s account types

For investing in real stocks and ETFs, Trading 212 offers the Invest account, which is a cash account: you invest your own money, with no borrowing or short-selling.

UK clients can also open a Stocks and Shares ISA and a Cash ISA, which are tax-efficient wrappers, and since February 2026 a SIPP (self-invested personal pension), after Trading 212 received FCA authorisation.

Trading 212 also offers the 212 Card, a debit card linked to the Invest account. It is not currently available for new clients of Trading 212 EU GmbH.

DEGIRO’s account types

DEGIRO offers four account profiles:

• Custody: DEGIRO doesn’t lend out your securities or use them as collateral. It suits investors who only want to buy and hold.
• Basic: no derivatives trading, but you can borrow against your securities.
• Active: derivatives trading and short-selling are allowed, with more conservative borrowing limits.
• Trader: derivatives trading and short-selling are allowed, with higher borrowing limits for experienced investors.

To move to a higher-risk profile, DEGIRO assesses whether it is appropriate for you, based on your knowledge and experience. Borrowing magnifies losses as well as gains, and can lead to losses larger than the money you invested.

Account type conclusion

DEGIRO offers more flexibility for experienced investors, and its Custody profile is a useful option if you don’t want your securities lent out. Trading 212 keeps things simple with one investing account in the EU, and it is the better choice for UK investors who want an ISA or a SIPP.

6. Account currencies

If you invest in assets priced in several currencies, how your broker handles currencies can save you money.

Trading 212’s account currencies

Trading 212 offers a multi-currency account: you can deposit, hold and withdraw in several currencies, including EUR, GBP and USD, and convert between them at the interbank rate plus a 0.15% fee.

When you buy an asset priced in another currency, the 0.15% conversion fee applies automatically, on both the buy and the sell.

DEGIRO’s account currencies

DEGIRO accounts have EUR, GBP or CHF as their base currency, depending on your country of residence. If your local currency is different, your account uses EUR, and deposits in your local currency are converted automatically, with a conversion cost.

By default, DEGIRO uses AutoFX, which converts the amount automatically for a 0.25% fee every time you trade an asset priced in another currency. You can activate foreign currency cash accounts (Manual FX) to hold other currencies, but each manual conversion costs €10 plus 0.25%.

Account currencies conclusion

Trading 212 is cheaper and more flexible on currencies, with a lower conversion fee and a multi-currency account that doesn’t charge a fixed fee per conversion.

7. Account opening, deposits and transfers

Account opening

Both brokers let you open an account fully online in a few minutes, with an ID document and, where needed, proof of address. Approval is usually quick at both, often within a day.

Neither requires a meaningful minimum deposit: DEGIRO has no minimum, and Trading 212 lets you start investing with as little as €1 or £1.

Deposits and withdrawals

At Trading 212, bank transfers are always free. Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and some other instant methods are free up to a cumulative total of €2,000 (or £2,000), after which a 0.7% fee applies to each card or e-wallet deposit. Withdrawals are free.

At DEGIRO, you fund your account by bank transfer, and withdrawals are free.

Portfolio transfers

DEGIRO accepts transfers of existing portfolios in and out. At Trading 212, UK clients can transfer an existing ISA in, but incoming transfers of individual stocks are more limited, so check the current options in its help centre before planning a transfer. In both cases, transfers depend on both institutions and the assets involved.

Conclusion

Both are quick to open. Use bank transfers at Trading 212 to avoid the card deposit fee, and choose DEGIRO if you plan to move an existing portfolio of individual shares.

8. Pricing: trading and non-trading fees

Neither broker charges an inactivity fee or a custody fee. The main differences are in commissions and currency conversion.

Trading 212 charges no commission on stocks and ETFs. Other fees may apply. See terms and fees. The main cost to watch is the 0.15% currency conversion fee on assets priced in another currency.

DEGIRO‘s headline offer is its ETF Core Selection: these ETFs cost only a €1 handling fee per trade on the Tradegate exchange, under a fair use policy (currency, external product and spread costs may apply). Other ETFs cost €3 per trade, and stock commissions depend on the exchange.

A worked example

Say you invest €200 a month in one ETF priced in euros:

• Trading 212: no commission and no conversion fee, because the ETF is in euros.
• DEGIRO: €1 handling fee per purchase if the ETF is in the Core Selection, so about €12 a year. If it isn’t, €3 per purchase, or about €36 a year.

If the ETF were priced in dollars, Trading 212 would charge 0.15% on each purchase (€0.30 on €200) and DEGIRO 0.25% (€0.50), on top of the costs above.

Pricing conclusion

For most investors buying stocks and ETFs, Trading 212 is the cheaper option, with no commission and a lower conversion fee. DEGIRO is competitive for Core Selection ETFs, and its costs are easy to predict if you stick to that list.

9. Education, research and practice

Both brokers offer help centres and educational content. Trading 212 adds video tutorials, a community feed and its practice mode, which lets you learn with virtual money. DEGIRO offers articles and guides on investing and on its products, and news and company data inside the platform, but no demo account.

Education conclusion

Trading 212 is the better choice for learning, mainly because of its practice mode. Neither broker offers the depth of research of more advanced platforms.

10. Investor security

Besides the investor protection schemes in your country, it is worth understanding the institution you are dealing with.

Entity business and regulation

DEGIRO is the trading name of flatexDEGIRO Bank Dutch Branch, the Dutch branch of flatexDEGIRO Bank SE. The bank is supervised mainly by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), and the Dutch branch is registered with the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) and supervised by DNB and the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM).

Trading 212 is an investment firm rather than a bank, and operates through several regulated companies:

How your assets are held

Both brokers keep client securities separate from their own assets, so they are not part of the firm’s estate if it fails. Trading 212 holds client securities with two sub-custodians, Interactive Brokers and BNY Mellon.

The biggest difference is cash. At DEGIRO, cash sits in an account at flatexDEGIRO Bank and is covered by the German Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000. At Trading 212, cash is held in banks, or in qualifying money market funds and banks if you enable interest, and falls under the compensation scheme of your Trading 212 company.

Financial strength

flatexDEGIRO SE is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and publishes quarterly results. It reported record half-year net income of €115 million in the first half of 2026.

Trading 212 is privately owned, so it doesn’t report quarterly, but it files annual accounts. The group reported revenue of £194.1 million and net income of £43.8 million in 2024.

Investor security conclusion

Both are regulated by top-tier authorities. DEGIRO has the edge on cash, because it is held as a bank deposit, and on transparency, as a listed company. On securities, both keep client assets segregated.

11. Customer service

Trading 212 offers support through 24/7 live chat in the app and by email, but has no phone line. Its live chat is generally quick.

DEGIRO offers phone and email support in the local languages of the countries where it operates, but only during business hours.

Customer service conclusion

It depends on what you prefer: Trading 212 for round-the-clock chat, DEGIRO if you’d rather speak to someone by phone in your own language.

12. Pros and cons

Disclaimer: Investing involves risk of loss. The information in this article is not investment advice.

Trading 212 risk warning: When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. Other fees may apply. See terms and fees.

DEGIRO risk warning: Investing involves risk of loss.

Trading 212

DEGIRO

DEGIRO vs Trading 212: comparison verdict

To sum it up, here is our verdict:

Choose Trading 212 if you’re starting out, want to invest small amounts regularly, like fractional shares and automatic investing, or want to earn interest on your cash. For stocks and ETFs, it’s the simpler and usually cheaper option.

Choose DEGIRO if you want bonds, options or futures, need access to less common exchanges, invest mainly in Core Selection ETFs, or prefer your cash to sit in a bank covered by a deposit guarantee.

Many investors use both: Trading 212 for regular investing, and DEGIRO for products Trading 212 doesn’t offer.

To learn more, read our full reviews of Trading 212 and DEGIRO.

Sponsored Link. To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR/GBP/USD, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link. Terms apply.