XTB vs Trading 212 (2026): Fees, Interest on Cash, ISAs and Safety Compared

The short version

XTB and Trading 212 are two of Europe’s most popular commission-free brokers. For a long-term investor who mainly buys ETFs and shares, they are closer than their marketing suggests. The differences that matter are currency fees, interest on cash, the accounts you can open and how each firm makes its money. On our published methodology XTB scores 3.6 overall and Trading 212 3.2: XTB scores higher on Platform & Tools, Asset Range and Account Access & Support, Trading 212 higher on Costs & Fees and on ease of use for beginners.

Fees side by side

• Shares and ETFs: Trading 212 charges no commission; XTB charges none on monthly turnover up to €100,000, then 0.2% with a €10 minimum.
• Currency conversion: Trading 212 0.15%; XTB 0.5%.
• Deposits: both are free by bank transfer; Trading 212 charges 0.7% on card and e-wallet deposits once you have deposited more than £2,000 or €2,000 in total that way.
• Withdrawals: free at both, except that clients of XTB’s Cypriot company pay €10 on withdrawals under €100.
• Inactivity: none at Trading 212; XTB charges €10 a month after 12 months without a trade and no deposit in the previous 90 days, though not on ISA accounts.
• Taxes on purchases, such as UK stamp duty and the French financial transaction tax, apply at both.

The currency fee is the one most investors underestimate. Investing €1,000 a month into a US-dollar asset from a euro account costs about €18 a year in conversion at Trading 212 and about €60 at XTB, and the same fee applies again when you sell. If you buy ETFs listed in your own currency instead — many UCITS ETFs trade in euros on Xetra or in pounds in London — neither broker charges any conversion fee, and both are close to free for regular investing.

Interest on uninvested cash

Trading 212 pays daily interest on uninvested cash if you switch it on, at published rates that change often: in October 2026, 3.55% on pounds for UK clients and 2.50% on euros for clients of its Cypriot company, with a temporary 4.20% for four months for new customers of its German company. XTB also pays interest on uninvested cash, monthly, at rates that depend on your country, currency and the XTB company holding your account, so check the current rate in its app. With both, the broker keeps part of the interest it earns on your cash as income.

Accounts and products

In the UK, Trading 212 offers a stocks and shares ISA, a cash ISA and, since February 2026, a self-invested personal pension (SIPP); XTB offers a stocks and shares ISA. Both offer fractional shares and automatic regular investing, through Pies and AutoInvest at Trading 212 and Investment Plans at XTB. XTB’s range is wider: alongside real shares and ETFs, it offers CFDs on currencies, indices, commodities and crypto, and buy-only options on US shares and ETFs in selected EU countries. Trading 212 runs a separate CFD account, but its main appeal is simple investing. Neither offers bonds or traditional mutual funds.

Safety and regulation

XTB S.A. has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2016 and is supervised by Poland’s KNF; UK clients are served by XTB Limited under the FCA. Most EU clients are covered by the Polish compensation scheme, which pays 100% of a loss up to €3,000 and 90% above that, to a maximum payout of about €20,100; UK clients by the FSCS up to £85,000. Trading 212 is private and supervised by the FCA, CySEC, BaFin and ASIC; its UK clients have FSCS cover up to £85,000 and its EU clients up to €20,000. Both keep client assets segregated. One point to check with XTB: clients in countries outside the EU, the UK and a few others may be served by its Belize company, which has no compensation scheme.

The two businesses also depend on CFDs, in different ways. XTB is open about it: CFDs on commodities alone made up 88.5% of its trading revenue in the first quarter of 2026. Most of Trading 212’s revenue is also trading revenue, including CFD spreads and financing. That does not make either broker unsafe for a share investor, but it explains why both promote CFDs, and why any CFD trading belongs well away from your long-term investments.

For a buy-and-hold investor, the cheapest broker is usually the one with the lowest currency fee on the assets you actually buy.

Which suits whom

• Trading 212 suits beginners, UK savers who want an ISA, a cash ISA and a SIPP in one app, and anyone who buys US shares from pounds or euros, thanks to its lower conversion fee.
• XTB suits investors who want a more powerful platform, more markets and options in some EU countries, and residents of Spain, where Trading 212 does not accept customers.
• Either works well for monthly investing in euro- or pound-listed ETFs, where costs at both are close to zero.

Whichever you choose, the decisions that matter most are still yours: what you buy, how much it costs inside the fund, and whether you hold on when markets fall. This comparison is general education, not personal financial advice. Fees and terms change and differ by country, so check both brokers’ current price lists before you open an account.

This article is educational and general in nature. It isn’t personalized investment, tax, or legal advice — always weigh your own circumstances, or talk to a licensed professional, before making financial decisions.

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