Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.
CMC Markets
Regulated in your country CMC Markets is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Trading 212
Regulated in your country Trading 212 is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders CMC Markets and Trading 212 are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for high-volume traders, scalpers and algo traders. Trading 212, on the other hand, is better for long-term investors. Both are a good fit for swing traders, news traders and CFD stock traders.
| Overall score | CMC Markets 80 Best not offered | Trading 212 66 -14 70 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise CMC Markets and the ones that supervise Trading 212.CMC Markets and Trading 212 are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 not offered | Trading 212 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that CMC Markets and Trading 212 have in place to protect your money in Australia.CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best not offered | Trading 212 66 -7 66 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1989 | 2004 |
| Parent company i | CMC Markets plc | Trading 212 Group Limited |
| CEO i | Peter Cruddas | Michael Byrne |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Barclays Bank Ireland, J.P. Morgan SE | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 1,000,000 | 4,500,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$324,700,000 | US$299,000,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 10.5M monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with CMC Markets and with Trading 212 in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX costs, as CMC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$6.5 per lot (against Trading 212's US$13), has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.2 points (against Trading 212's 0.89 points), and charges lower Bitcoin CFD fees, at US$15 (against Trading 212's US$70.17). Neither CMC Markets nor Trading 212 charges account maintenance fees or withdrawal fees.
Trading 212 and CMC Markets cannot be set side by side for real stock costs, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Trading 212.
| Section score | CMC Markets 68 Best not offered | Trading 212 42 -26 88 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | US$5 | Free |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | US$6.5 | US$13 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.42 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.2 points | 0.89 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$15 | US$70.17 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$0.02 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Free, Spread | |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | ||
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | ||
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with CMC Markets and with Trading 212 in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.CMC Markets and Trading 212 are equally good for CFD/FX markets, since CMC Markets gives access to 12,000 tradable symbols (against Trading 212's 10,000). On the other hand, Trading 212 offers CFDs on ETFs, and lets you own ETFs and stocks outright. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.
CMC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Trading 212 and CMC Markets cannot be compared for real stock markets.
| Section score | CMC Markets 75 not offered | Trading 212 75 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 12,000 | 10,000 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i | ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and Trading 212 make available to their clients in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for platforms, since CMC Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and TradingView, which Trading 212 does not. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.
CMC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Trading 212 and CMC Markets cannot be compared for platforms.
| Section score | CMC Markets 91 Best not offered | Trading 212 81 -10 81 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of CMC Markets and Trading 212 in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for mobile trading, since CMC Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app, the MetaTrader 4 app and a mobile watchlist, which Trading 212 does not. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
There is no like-for-like comparison for mobile trading, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best not offered | Trading 212 65 -8 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that CMC Markets and Trading 212 allow on their platforms in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX trading features, as CMC Markets offers guaranteed stop losses and tier-1 liquidity providers, which Trading 212 does not, and allows for scalping. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
Trading 212 and CMC Markets cannot be set side by side for real stock trading features, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Trading 212.
| Section score | CMC Markets 89 Best not offered | Trading 212 67 -22 82 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 40 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0.08% | |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | US$1 | US$1 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at CMC Markets and at Trading 212 in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX account types, given that CMC Markets offers a professional traders account, a corporate account and a raw spread account, which Trading 212 does not. CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer a demo account and an unlimited demo account.
Only Trading 212 can be assessed for real stock account types, since CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 53 Best not offered | Trading 212 27 -26 69 |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with CMC Markets and with Trading 212 in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for account opening, since CMC Markets does not require a minimum deposit (against Trading 212's US$1), supports e-wallets, which Trading 212 does not, and has no minimum withdrawal (against Trading 212's US$1). CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer credit cards and debit cards.
Trading 212 and CMC Markets cannot be set side by side for account opening, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Trading 212.
| Section score | CMC Markets 70 Best not offered | Trading 212 65 -5 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$0 | US$1 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$1 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, USD, HKD | AUD, EUR, USD, GBP |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | up to 3 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | Instant | up to 2 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of CMC Markets and Trading 212 in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for customer care, as CMC Markets offers customer support in 2 languages (against Trading 212's 1), and offers a dedicated account manager and phone support, which Trading 212 does not. CMC Markets and Trading 212 both offer live chat and email support.
Trading 212 and CMC Markets cannot be set side by side for customer care, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Trading 212.
| Section score | CMC Markets 71 Best not offered | Trading 212 54 -17 54 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 9 | 11 |
| Website languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese | Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | English, Chinese | English |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that CMC Markets and Trading 212 provide to their clients in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Trading 212 for learning, since CMC Markets offers education for advanced traders, webinars and professional reports, which Trading 212 does not. Both CMC Markets and Trading 212 offer education for beginners and an education center.
There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 88 Best not offered | Trading 212 43 -45 43 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
CMC Markets vs Trading 212: which one should you choose?
CMC Markets
CFD/FX Choose CMC Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs and a choice of trading platforms.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Trading 212
CFD/FX Choose Trading 212 if you want an online CFD broker with a small minimum deposit.
Stocks Choose Trading 212 if you want a share dealing service with commission-free US stocks.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include CMC Markets or Trading 212, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
