Trading 212 vs freetrade are two of the most popular online brokers in the UK. They both offer low fees and a wide selection of financial instruments. However, they differ in their approach to investing. Freetrade is renowned for its low costs and is especially appealing to beginner investors, while trading 212 offers a more comprehensive offering including the ability to trade CFDs and is suitable for experienced traders.

Both Freetrade and Trading 212 vs free-trade offer commission-free trades for shares and ETFs, as well as a range of other assets such as gold and cryptocurrencies. Both also offer the option to invest in ‘fractional shares’, allowing you to buy a part share of a company if you don’t have enough money to buy a full one (although this isn’t a cheap option).

Freetrade has no minimum deposit requirement for its ‘Invest’ account and a PS10 minimum for its CFD account. However, if you opt for the premium ‘Plus’ subscription, there are additional charges to consider. These include a foreign exchange fee when buying US stocks, and the cost of accessing market data. Additionally, there may be inactivity fees and other minor charges.

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Both Freetrade and trading 212 are FSCS-protected which means your investments are safe up to PS85,000 in the event that either firm goes bust. In addition, both offer a low cost route to DIY investing and have excellent apps, making them ideal for beginners. Trading 212, however, is more advanced and has a wider choice of investment instruments, though it doesn’t offer a SIPP wrapper. It also offers a CFD service, but it’s worth remembering that 77% of retail traders lose money when trading CFDs.