Investlytic
Trading 212
Broker Review · Commission-free UK platform with Stocks & Shares ISA

Trading 212

🇬🇧 FCA regulated for UK clients, FSCS protected, CySEC regulated for EU clients
Only directly with the broker
No affiliate partnership with Investlytic

What you need to know

Trading 212 is a London-headquartered fintech broker founded in 2004, regulated by the FCA for UK clients (with FSCS protection) and by CySEC for EU clients. It won the 2026 award for best Stocks & Shares ISA thanks to its combination of zero platform fee and zero dealing commission, and has more recently extended the same fee-free approach to a SIPP — making it one of the most cost-effective mainstream platforms for UK investors who haven't maxed out other tax wrappers.

  • £0 commission on stock and ETF trades — genuinely free, no hidden per-trade fee
  • Stocks & Shares ISA and SIPP both with no platform charge and no dealing fee
  • Only a 0.15% FX fee on non-GBP trades (e.g. US stocks), among the lowest of any UK broker
  • Pies and AutoInvest: build a custom weighted portfolio and automate recurring investments with one-click rebalancing
  • Fractional shares from £1, making expensive stocks accessible with small amounts
  • Cash ISA available at a variable rate, held alongside the Stocks & Shares ISA within the same annual allowance

Strengths

  • Genuinely £0 commission and £0 platform fee across Invest, ISA and SIPP accounts
  • One of the lowest FX fees of any UK broker at 0.15%
  • Pies and AutoInvest for automated, weighted regular investing
  • Fractional shares from £1
  • Strong Trustpilot rating (4.6/5) from a large volume of reviews

Limitations

  • No access to investment funds (unit trusts or OEICs), only stocks and ETFs
  • No Junior ISA and no Lifetime ISA, unlike Hargreaves Lansdown
  • Support is chat-based only, no telephone line, with capacity issues during volatile markets
  • FSCS protection is £85,000 for UK clients, but EU clients fall under the lower CySEC/ICF protection of €20,000

Fees in detail

ItemCost
Stock/ETF trade£0 commission
Stocks & Shares ISA platform fee£0
SIPP platform fee£0
FX fee (non-GBP trades)0.15%
Inactivity fee£0, none
Deposit by bank transfer£0
Trading 212 does not offer access to investment funds (unit trusts or OEICs), only individual stocks and ETFs — if you want to invest in active funds or products not available as ETFs, you'll need a different platform. There is no Junior ISA and no Lifetime ISA. Customer service has historically had capacity issues during periods of high market volatility, and support is chat-based rather than telephone.

Regular investing plan

Trading 212's AutoInvest (or "Pie") feature lets you build a custom portfolio of stocks and ETFs with preset percentage allocations, then invest with a single click, or set up recurring investments that automatically rebalance to your target weights. For a beginner investor who wants to invest a fixed amount each month across a small number of index ETFs, this is genuinely useful and not commonly available at zero cost elsewhere in the UK market.

Safety and regulation

Trading 212 UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Eligible deposits are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person, per authorised firm. Investments are ring-fenced in your name, held separately from the firm's own assets, so they remain yours if the firm fails, with FSCS cover of up to £85,000 for any shortfall. EU clients are served by the CySEC-regulated entity, with €20,000 ICF protection instead.

Customer support

Trading 212 scores 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot (Excellent) from tens of thousands of reviews, with users praising the app's ease of use and the competitive interest paid on uninvested cash. The most common criticisms relate to slower identity verification for new accounts and support response times that can lag during busy periods.

Frequently asked questions

Is Trading 212 really commission-free?
Yes, for the Invest and Stocks & Shares ISA accounts, there is no platform fee and no dealing commission on stock and ETF trades — this is genuinely free, with no hidden per-trade charge.
Does Trading 212 offer a SIPP?
Yes, Trading 212 has extended its zero-fee approach to a SIPP, with no platform charge and no dealing fees, following the same model as its Stocks & Shares ISA.
What is the FX fee on Trading 212?
0.15% on currency conversion for non-GBP trades, such as US stocks or ETFs — among the lowest FX fees of any UK broker.
What is the Pies feature?
Pies let you build a custom portfolio of stocks and ETFs with preset percentage allocations, invest with a single click, and set up recurring investments that automatically rebalance to your target weights.
Is my money safe with Trading 212?
For UK clients, Trading 212 UK Ltd is FCA regulated with FSCS protection up to £85,000 per person. Investments are ring-fenced separately from the firm's own assets. EU clients are covered by the CySEC-regulated entity with €20,000 ICF protection.
Does Trading 212 offer a Cash ISA?
Yes, a flexible Cash ISA is available at a variable rate, which can be held alongside the Stocks and Shares ISA within the same £20,000 annual allowance.
What can't I invest in on Trading 212?
Trading 212 does not offer investment funds (unit trusts or OEICs), so if your strategy relies on active funds or products not available as ETFs, you'll need to use a different platform.

How to open an account

  1. Download the Trading 212 app or go to the official website
  2. Register with your email address and personal details
  3. Complete identity verification as required by FCA regulation
  4. Deposit funds by bank transfer or card (free by bank transfer)
  5. Search for a stock or ETF and place your first order, or set up a Pie for automated investing

In summary

Trading 212 is the cheapest mainstream UK investing platform for a beginner building a Stocks & Shares ISA or SIPP with low-cost stocks and ETFs, genuinely free of platform and dealing fees. The gaps are real — no investment funds, no Junior ISA, no Lifetime ISA — but for straightforward, low-cost investing inside a tax wrapper, it remains one of the strongest choices on the UK market.