CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 72%-80.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The 6 best stock trading apps and platforms in the UK
Have you decided to invest part of your savings but don't know where to start buying shares? Are you a veteran dealer but want to change broker? You've come to the right place to find the best trading platforms.
Our top pick for
All-rounder
Our top pick for
Beginners
Our top pick for
US shares
Our top pick for
Social trading
What's in this guide?
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. Capital is at risk.
Picking the best share trading platform from the multitude of options out there is just a matter of finding the one that best matches your knowledge, experience and needs.
We’ve compared stock trading apps for you to help you find the one that suits your profile best.
Best trading app for beginners: Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown trading account
Capital at risk, investments may fall
- Low cost share dealing
- Free live share prices online or through the HL app
- Wide investment choice, including overseas dealing
- Set stop loss and limit orders up to 90 days in advance
- Interactive charts and tools for research purposes
Hargreaves Lansdown trading account
Capital at risk, investments may fall
- Low cost share dealing
- Free live share prices online or through the HL app
- Wide investment choice, including overseas dealing
- Set stop loss and limit orders up to 90 days in advance
- Interactive charts and tools for research purposes
In a nutshell
Again, Hargreaves Lansdown is more expensive than some providers, especially if you don’t trade often. However, in return you get a whole lot of information and guides that can help you make trading decisions.
The Hargreaves app lets you handle the trading according to your expertise: you can get a pre-selected portfolio, get some suggestions from them or simply do your own thing. But beginners are the ones who can make the most of the education offered by Hargreaves Lansdown. You can read more about its services in our review.
Pros and cons of Hargreaves Lansdown
- A wide range of available products, including ISA and SIPP.
- No platform fee.
- Easy to use and makes a vast knowledge base available to users.
- You can trade on your smartphone with its mobile app.
- Cheaper if you trade more.
- Not the cheapest option around, especially if you’re trading small amounts.
Best trading app for US shares: IG
IG trading account
Capital at risk, investments may fall
- Invest in over 10,000 shares, funds and investment trusts
- Low costs - Zero commission on US shares, £3 on UK shares
- Support available 24 hours a day from Sunday to Friday
- Open an account in a few minutes through website or app
IG trading account
Capital at risk, investments may fall
- Invest in over 10,000 shares, funds and investment trusts
- Low costs - Zero commission on US shares, £3 on UK shares
- Support available 24 hours a day from Sunday to Friday
- Open an account in a few minutes through website or app
In a nutshell
IG charges no platform fees and, just like interactive investor, will become cheaper if you trade more – dropping from £8 per trade to £5 per trade (for UK shares) if you make at least 10 operations a month.
It’s also known for its wide choice of advanced and riskier trading options, which allow you to speculate on market trends and are thus considered a risky form of investment.
A solid perk of using IG is the fact it charges no commission on US shares, if you’ve made 3 trades in the previous month. This is great for active traders.
Pros and cons of IG
- A wide range of available products, ISA and SIPP.
- No platform fee.
- You can trade on your smartphone with its mobile app.
- Cheaper if you trade more. Especially on US shares (which are free if you trade 3 times a month)
- Not the cheapest option around, especially if you’re trading small amounts.
Best trading app for social trading: eToro
Invest in shares with 0% commission on eToro
Other fees may apply. Your capital is at risk.
- Unlimited trades, with no dealing charges or management fees
- Automatically copy the leading traders on the platform
- If your trades get copied you can earn extra money
- Create an account today in a few minutes
In a nutshell
eToro’s CopyTrader system brings a social side to investing. It uses its user base, allowing them to copy the movements of other traders. This lets you gain on someone else’s experience and knowledge. It’s pretty social as users can ask questions about trades on their feed. This makes eToro a good platform for improving your understanding of share trading.
Pros and cons of eToro IG
- Commission-fee trades
- Huge range of stocks
- Free to use and set up
- No trade limits
- Mandatory withdrawal fees
- Fees apply on all leveraged, short or CFD orders
- Verification process is very detailed
- Trading platform can be confusing
Best trading app for investing in funds: interactive investor
interactive investor
Capital at risk, investments may fall
- Over 40,000 UK and global stocks to choose from
- Reduce FX costs by managing money in 9 currencies
- One free trade per month
- Start investing today for a flat fee £9.99 a month
interactive investor
Capital at risk, investments may fall
- Over 40,000 UK and global stocks to choose from
- Reduce FX costs by managing money in 9 currencies
- One free trade per month
- Start investing today for a flat fee £9.99 a month
In a nutshell
interactive investor charges a £22.50 platform fee per quarter, which is returned in the form of trading credit. It isn’t the cheapest option available, but it will cost less if you trade more (starting from £10 per trade, down to £6 if you’re a frequent trader).
If you’re investing in shares directly but are looking to move to funds at some point, interactive investor may be a good choice – it’s got a very respectable selection of them. You can take a look at our dedicated review to learn more.
Pros and cons of interactive investor
- A wide range of available products, including ISA and SIPP.
- Many funds you can choose among.
- You’re given the platform fee back.
- You can trade on your smartphone with its mobile app.
- Cheaper if you trade more.
- Not the cheapest option around, especially if you’re trading small amounts.
Best trading app for ease of use: Fidelity
In a nutshell
Fidelity’s platform is clear and easy to use, with everything laid out well. It’s got a nice “step by step” approach, instead of just throwing you in at the deep end. If you’re a bit new to the investing game, then it gives you loads of options to invest based on your risk profile and your investment goals, these allow you to try it out without the depth of knowledge that experienced investors have.
Pros and cons of Fidelity
- The platform is clear and easy to use
- Plenty of funds, ETFs and shares to choose from
- Guidance and tools can help you make choices
- Onboarding process can be slow
Best trading app for tools and research: Trading 212
In a nutshell
With a tagline like “Learn. Trade. Invest”, you expect Trading 212 to have all the resources required to learn all about trading and how it works. It definitely delivers on the educational front.
Trading 212 is quite new to the scene. It has a huge wealth of information on trading in the “learn” tab on its website, where you can find videos, guides and an alphabetical index to find out everything you ever wanted to know about share trading.
On top of this, it has a great demo feature. This lets you trade with £50,000 in virtual funds to see more about how the platform works and how share trading works as a whole. Once you’re ready to get started for real, you just hit “Real Money”.
Pros and cons of Trading 212
- Free to use – there aren’t any fees for trading with Trading 212
- Can be used in the web browser and on a mobile app
- Practise mode allows you to give it a go without putting down any money
- Loads of educational tools and guides to teach you more about trading.
- No personal pension, lifetime ISA or junior ISA
- The tutorial for demo mode isn’t comprehensive, you do need to have a little play around to work it out.
How to choose the best trading app
Sometimes, a trading app is considered the best because…well, it’s a great app and has loads of features. A lot of the time, it’s down to you, and what features you’re looking for. You wouldn’t judge a goldfish on how well it can climb a tree, would you?
There are loads of different things that you should consider when choosing the best trading app for you, such as:
- Fees and charges. Some platforms charge a flat fee, while others charge based on how much you invest.
- What you can trade. Such as shares, ETFs and funds.
- How easy the platform is to use. Some platforms are designed for more experienced investors, so might be quite complicated and difficult to use.
- Market research and tools. The tools available on the platform can be helpful in understanding your investments.
- Demo account. If there’s a demo account available then you can give it a go without putting down any real money, this is a nice touch if you’re a newbie to investing.
Summary: Finder’s best trading apps and platforms in the UK 2020
- Hargreaves Lansdown: Best for beginners
- IG: Best for US shares
- eToro: Best for social trading
- interactive investor: Best for investing in funds
- Fidelity: Best for ease of use
- Trading 212: Best for research and tools
- Degiro: Best for low-cost trades
Compare trading platforms
Table: sorted by promoted deals first
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. Capital is at risk.
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Investing in a coronavirus world
Finder published a paper in May 2020 on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting retail investing, and how the industry is evolving. Our paper includes original research and predictions from experts including Holly Mackay, CEO of Boring Money, Matt Leibowitz, founder of Stake, Viktor Nebehaj, Freetrade co-founder and CMO, Tom Stevenson, investment director at Fidelity Personal Investing, and Danny Cox, head of communications at Hargreaves Lansdown.
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