BROKER COMPARISON

Trading 212 vs Interactive Brokers (IBKR): which is better in Europe?

Q: Should I use one broker or both?

Some investors use two accounts: one core for long-term holdings and one sandbox for experimentation. If you do this, enforce strict role separation so short-term activity can’t contaminate the long-term plan.

Trading 212 is built for simple, recurring investing. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is built for global access, multi-currency control, and advanced tools. This guide compares FX costs, UCITS ETF access, platforms, and who each broker fits.

Educational content only. Not personalized investment advice.

Eligibility, pricing, and available products vary by country and can change. Always verify on the broker’s official site before opening/funding.

Quick Verdict

Fast decision

Mostly UCITS + simple monthly buys: Trading 212 can be “easy mode” if you control FX leakage.
Multi-currency / USD exposure / scaling up: IBKR is usually the safer long-run core.

Open Trading 212 → Open IBKR → Read Trading 212 review → Read IBKR review →

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you open an account using our links. You do not pay extra.

Educational content only. Not personalized investment advice.

TL;DR (pick in 30 seconds)

Choose Trading 212 if…

you want the simplest app for ETFs/stocks and recurring investing
you mostly buy assets in your base currency (or FX is minor for your plan)
you don’t need advanced order types or a huge product shelf

Choose IBKR if…

you invest across multiple currencies and want deliberate FX control
you want maximum product range (stocks, UCITS ETFs, options, futures, bonds, margin)
you can tolerate a steeper learning curve for better control

Key differences at a glance

Category	Trading 212	Interactive Brokers (IBKR)
Best for	Simple recurring investing; clean mobile UX	Global investing; FX efficiency; advanced control
Headline pricing	Often markets “commission-free” for Invest; costs show up elsewhere	Low explicit commissions; pricing varies by market/model
FX handling	Simple, but FX friction can show up whenever you buy foreign-currency assets	Multi-currency balances + deliberate conversions; FX is usually the advantage
Markets & products	Mainstream stocks/ETFs; fewer “pro” instruments	Very wide: stocks, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, margin, more exchanges
Complexity	Low (beginner-friendly)	Medium/high (powerful, takes time)

Always verify fees and availability for your country/entity on the official broker sites.

Fees that actually matter (and where people get fooled)

For long-term outcomes, the biggest “broker costs” are usually FX friction, spread/execution, and behavior (overtrading), not the marketing headline.

Trading 212: easy UX, but FX can dominate

Great when you buy UCITS ETFs in your base currency and keep activity low.
If you buy foreign-currency assets frequently, FX friction can become your main recurring cost.
Best use: recurring contributions into a boring ETF allocation.

Trading 212 pricing →

IBKR: explicit costs, usually better FX control

Commissions exist and are visible, but are often competitive for a global broker.
Multi-currency balances + deliberate conversion can reduce “FX on every buy” behavior.
Best use: global access + tighter control as your needs grow.

IBKR pricing →

If you want the long-horizon framing: Fees Really Matter and Study: fees compound.

Products, ETFs, and investing workflow

Trading 212 workflow (best for recurring)

Designed around “do the simple thing weekly/monthly.”
Best when you keep the portfolio small and reduce decisions.
Good fit if you want automation and a clean app more than maximum market access.

IBKR workflow (best for control)

Built for global markets, multiple exchanges, and broader instruments.
More knobs (order types, routing, reporting). More time to learn.
Good fit when FX, product breadth, and scalability matter.

Safety, regulation, and share lending

The broker entity you get depends on your country. The practical topic many investors miss is share lending: if shares are lent out, rights (like voting) can be affected while lent. Always check current settings and terms inside your account.

Trading 212 (Invest)

Share lending may be offered depending on your region/account settings.
Trade-off: extra yield vs fewer rights while shares are on loan.
If you want zero ambiguity, disable it where available.

IBKR

More account configuration and reporting.
More complexity, more visibility and control.
Better default if “maximum control” is the priority.

Who should pick what (real-world profiles)

Profile A: recurring ETF investor

Monthly UCITS ETF buys, minimal trading, wants the simplest app.
Pick: Trading 212.

Profile B: EUR income, USD assets

Funds in EUR but buys USD assets regularly and cares about FX drag.
Pick: IBKR.

Profile C: advanced products

Wants options/futures/bonds, advanced order types, deeper reporting.
Pick: IBKR.

Related guides

BROKER REVIEW

Trading 212 Review

Invest vs CFD, real costs (FX/spreads), and who Trading 212 fits.

Read review →

BROKER REVIEW

Interactive Brokers Review

Fees, FX conversions, instruments, and platform tradeoffs.

Read review →

CLUSTER

Next steps: understand each platform

Trading 212 review Brokers

Beginner-friendly UI and recurring investing—costs often hide in spread and FX.

Interactive Brokers review Brokers

Multi-currency workflow and broad market access. More control, more complexity.

Best broker for recurring investing (Europe) Brokers

If you invest monthly, prioritize repeatability, deposits, and hidden frictions.

Best broker for long-term ETFs (non-US) Brokers

If this is a core account, optimize for reliability, access, and total drag.

CLUSTER

Next steps: costs, FX, and execution

Trading 212 fees explained Brokers

Commission-free headlines vs spread, FX conversion, and execution reality.

Cheapest FX workflow (Europe) Brokers

FX is a recurring cost. Reduce conversion leakage and make it explicit.

Study: FX drag Study

Why small FX costs compound into meaningful long-run underperformance.

ETF liquidity, spreads, limit orders Learn

Execution is a cost. Use limit orders when spreads widen or liquidity is thin.

Trading 212 vs IBKR FAQ

Is Trading 212 really “free”? +

“Commission-free” doesn’t mean cost-free. The costs that matter are typically FX friction when buying foreign-currency assets, spreads/execution, and behavior (overtrading). Always verify the current fee schedule for your region.

Which is cheaper for EUR investors buying USD assets over time? +

FX mechanics often dominate. IBKR’s multi-currency workflow usually gives more control because you can convert deliberately and hold USD. Trading 212 can be simple, but FX friction can add up when you buy USD assets frequently.

Do both brokers work for UCITS ETFs? +

Yes, but catalog depth and exchanges vary by region and entity. IBKR typically offers broader exchange access; Trading 212 focuses on a simpler catalog.

Should I use one broker or both? +

Some investors use two accounts: one “core” for long-term holdings and one “sandbox” for experimentation. If you do this, enforce strict role separation so short-term activity can’t contaminate the long-term plan.

Bottom line Trading 212 is “easy mode” for recurring investing. IBKR is “control mode” for FX and global flexibility.

Open Trading 212 → Open IBKR → UCITS vs US ETFs →

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you open an account using our links. You do not pay extra.

Educational content only. Not personalized investment advice.

Investments can lose value and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own decisions and for confirming tax and legal rules in your country.