Ever wondered who would come out on top in a battle between Trading 212 vs interactive investor (ii)? Well, read on to find out how they compare for features, fees and much more.
Trading 212 and interactive investor (ii) are two of the most popular investing platforms available to UK retail investors. So, it make sense to pit Trading 212 vs ii against each other in a head-to-head battle.
Both ii and Trading 212 offer a huge range of investments and plenty of account options, including a stocks and shares ISA. So, check out our breakdown of Trading 212 vs interactive investor 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.
Trading 212 vs interactive investor: At a glance
Finder Score
8.4Great
Customer satisfaction survey
★★★★★
★★★★★
Stocks and shares ISA available?
FSCS protected?
Fees score
6.5Standard
Keep in mind
Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Trading 212 and interactive investor both have excellent Finder scores, with interactive investor scoring a solid 8.4 out of 10. However, Trading 212 has the highest Finder score across all platforms with a high out of 10.
However, where the platforms go different ways is with the fees score. Trading 212 has a superb out of 10, whereas interactive investor scores 6.5 out of 10.
Round 1: Products
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. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
In this category, interactive investor wins hands down.
Trading 212 offers a general investment account (GIA) and a free stocks and shares ISA. You can also earn a decent rate of interest on any cash held with Trading 212.
Although Trading 212 offers a solid selection of over 13,000 investments, this pales in comparison to the interactive investor’s selection of over 40,000 assets.
The only major downside with interactive investor is that it doesn’t offer the option to buy or sell fractional shares.
Winner: interactive investor (ii)
Round 3: Fees
Fees score
6.5Standard
Platform fees
£0
From £4.99 a month
Price per trade
£0
£3.99 (free regular investing)
Funds/ETFs
£0
£3.99
Foreign exchange fee
0.15%
1.5%
Regular investing
Yes (AutoInvest feature)
Yes (from £25/month and means no commission)
Withdrawal fee
£0
£0
Deposit fee
£0
£0
Inactivity fee
£0
£0
Keep in mind
Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
This is an easy win for Trading 212 which scores pretty much flawlessly for fees. There’s no fee to open or hold an account, there’s no commission fees to buy or sell investments, you can use an ISA for free, and its 0.15% FX fee is one of the lowest around.
interactive investor (ii) on the other hand charges a flat monthly fee to hold an account and there’s a commission of at least £3.99 to buy or sell investments. However, you can avoid paying this commission by setting up a regular monthly investment.
Winner: Trading 212
Round 4: Ease of use
Ease of use score
8.9Great
Apple iOS rating
4.6/5
4.4/5
Google Play rating
3.9/5
4.4/5
Ways to contact customer service
Phone, email and in-app chat
Phone, post and secure in-app messaging
UI/UX
Good
Good
Desktop or web access
Mobile app
Keep in mind
Capital at risk. 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
This is a category where both platforms seem similar on paper, the only notable difference is that Trading 212 offers a social investing option with its Pies and Communities.
interactive investor offers some more detailed insights and analysis from its experts but you’ll still likely find all the basic tools you need with Trading 212.
Winner: Trading 212
Overall winner: Is Trading 212 better than interactive investor (ii)?
interactive investor (ii) puts up a good fight with plenty of account options and a mammoth selection of investments.
However, Trading 212 manages to edge a victory with its extremely low fees and easy-to-use platform. This is reflected in the overall Finder score.
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.
George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio
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George has written 236 Finder guides across topics including:
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