Trading 212 and Moneybox are two of the cheapest investing providers available to UK retail investors with excellent apps. So, it make sense to pit Moneybox vs Trading 212 against each other in a head-to-head battle.
Both Trading 212 and Moneybox offer a decent range of investments and a few account options, including a stocks and shares ISA. So, check out our breakdown of Moneybox vs Trading 212 and hopefully this will help you pick who’s best, depending on what’s most important to you – whether that’s fees, investment choice, account types or anything else.
 |  | |
| Finder score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Customer satisfaction survey | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Fees score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Stocks and shares ISA available? | ||
| FSCS protected? | ||
| Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
Moneybox and Trading 212, both have a high overall Finder score, but Trading 212 is our highest rated investing platform.
Moneybox has a solid Finder score of 4.1 out of 5, whereas Trading 212 has an even more impressive 4.7 out of 5.
Both platforms offer stocks and shares ISA, and both come with full Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection of up to £85,000.
Trading 212 and Moneybox both received positive feedback in our most recent Finder Investing Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024 results.
However, where the platforms go slightly different ways is with their Finder fee score. Money box scores a respectable 4.3 out of 5 for fees, and Trading 212 has a flawless 5 out of 5 for fees and it’s one of the cheapest platforms around.
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| General investment account | ||
| Stocks and shares ISA | ||
| Lifetime ISA (LISA) | ||
| Pension (SIPP) | ||
| Junior ISA (JISA)/Junior SIPP (JSIPP) | ||
| Interest on cash balances | ||
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
| Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
Trading 212 offers a stocks and shares ISA, a cash ISA, and it pays high interest on cash in your account.
Moneybox however has a complete line up of accounts including a:
Self-invested personal pension (SIPP)
Lifetime ISA (LISA)
Junior stocks and shares ISA (JISA)
Although it doesn’t pay interest on cash in your investment account, it does offer a cash ISA and other cash savings accounts.
Winner: Moneybox
| | |
| Investment choice score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Available markets | 2+ | 3+ |
| Number of investments | 45+ | 13,000+ |
| Number of ETFs/funds | 24 | 2,000 |
| Fractional shares | ||
| Min. initial deposit | £1 | £1 |
| Min. investment | £1 | £1 |
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
| Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
Moneybox offers a solid range of basic investments but it is quite limited, that’s how it’s designed – with simplicity in mind.
Trading 212 offers a much more diverse choice of investments with over 13,000 to choose from.
Both platforms offer the option to buy fractional shares and you can get started investing with Moneybox or Trading 212 from just £1.
Winner: Trading 212
| | |
| Fees score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Platform fees | 0.45% + £1/month | £0 |
| US shares | £0 | £0 |
| UK shares | N/A | £0 |
| International shares | £0 | |
| Funds/ETFs | 0 | £0 |
| Foreign exchange fee | 0.45% | 0.15% |
| Regular investing | Yes (including round ups) | Yes (AutoInvest feature) |
| Withdrawal fee | £0 | £0 |
| Deposit fee | £0 | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | £0 | £0 |
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
| Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
Both these platforms offer excellent value but it’s hard to beat Trading 212 when it comes to fees.
There are hardly any fees at all to invest with Trading 212, apart from an extremely competitive 0.15% FX fee.
Moneybox on the other hand has no commissions to buy or sell investments but it does charge a platform fee that’s £1 per month plus 0.45% of your portfolio.
Winner: Trading 212
| | |
| Ease of use score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Apple iOS rating | 4.8/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Google Play rating | 4.7/5 | 3.9/5 |
| Ways to contact customer service | Email and in-app chat | Phone, email and in-app chat |
| UI/UX | Good | Good |
| Desktop or web access | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
| Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
This is a hard area to separate Moneybox vs Trading 212 because they both have excellent investing apps that are straightforward to use but are packed with useful elements to help you invest and manage your portfolio.
Trading 212 does offer desktop investing, whereas Moneybox is limited to the mobile app. Moneybox and Trading 212 both have excellent reviews on the App Store and Google Play Store.
Winner: Trading 212
| | |
| Tools, resources and features | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Analysis features | ||
| Tools for investing/trading | ||
| Social features | ||
| Learning resources | ||
| Additional features | ||
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
| Go to site More Info | Go to site More Info |
Moneybox doesn’t offer much to investors, but that’s by design to keep the app and the whole investing experience simple and straightforward.
Trading 212 is suitable for beginners but it offers much more in the way of research, analysis and investing tools – along with social features.
Winner: Trading 212
Although Moneybox is a fantastic app that has plenty of useful features and is dead easy to use (especially for beginners), it does have some limitations. If you want to access a larger range of account types, Moneybox is definitely more useful.
However, if you want more investments, lower fees, and more features for research and analysis then Trading 212 could be more suitable. These are two of the best trading apps available in the UK.
We think Moneybox is great for those just starting to invest but Trading 212 offers a more in-depth investing experience.
Winner: Trading 212
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
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