Best trading apps for beginners

We’ve analysed some features and fees of investment providers to find the best apps that are most suitable for beginners.

Promoted
eToro Free Stocks logo

Invest in shares with 0% commission

  • Unlimited fee-free trading
  • No stamp duty on UK shares
  • Open an account in minutes
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Capital at risk.
reviews.io logo
★★★★★
1100+ customer reviews
Best for beginner investments
IG Share Dealing logo
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
0% commission on US shares
13,000+ shares to invest in
No commission on US shares
Exclusive out-of-hours trading
Best for 0% commission
eToro Free Stocks logo
Finder Award
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
Copy picks from top traders
Commission-fee trades
Receive dividend payments
Invest in fractional shares
Best for US shares
CMC Invest share dealing account logo
Finder Award
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
Get your first 3 months free
0% commission on trades
Choose from 3000+ stocks
Real-time live pricing
Best for beginners
Freetrade logo
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
Claim a free share up to £100
Choose from 6,000+ stocks
0% commission on trades
Earn 3% interest on cash

If you’ve decided to dive into investing, you’ll need a trading app that lets you buy and sell investments. We’ve chosen the apps below because of their simplicity, low minimum deposits and easy-to-use platforms. Down the line, as you become an expert investor, you might prefer an app with more detail, better charting tools and a greater range of investments, but they often cost you. Here are some beginner platforms that let you get started with investing.

What makes an app beginner friendly?

When analysing trading apps, our experts decide which type of investor each platform is suitable for: beginners, intermediate investors and expert investors. Beginner platforms won’t have riskier options like contracts for difference (CFDs) available, and it will have easy to read charts without too much detail.

In order to rank the beginner platforms, we use our Finder star ratings — high scoring platforms that are suitable for beginners make the shortlist of the best trading apps for beginners, with the top spot getting the title.

Compare trading apps best suited to beginners

Table: sorted by promoted deals first
1 - 6 of 6
Name Product Ratings Finder rating Customer rating Min. initial deposit Price per trade Frequent trader rate Platform fee Offer Link
OFFER
Freetrade
Finder score
★★★★★
User survey
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
★★★★★
User survey
£0
£0
-
£0 - £9.99
Receive a free share worth up to £100 when you deposit £50 within 30 days into your account. T&Cs apply.

Capital at risk

Platform details
FREE TRADES
IG Share Dealing
Finder score
★★★★★
User survey
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
★★★★★
User survey
£250
UK: £8
US: £10
EU: 0.1% (min €10)
UK: £3
US: £0
EU: 0.1% (min €10)
£0
Get 0% commission on US shares when you make 3+ trades in the previous month.

Capital at risk

Platform details
Finder Award
FREE TRADES
eToro Free Stocks
Finder score
★★★★★
User survey
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
★★★★★
User survey
$50
£0
N/A
£0

Capital at risk

Platform details
Finder Award
OFFER
CMC Invest share dealing account
Finder score
★★★★★
User reviews
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
★★★★★
User reviews
£0
£0
N/A
£0
Get your first 3 months free when you upgrade to Plus plan. T&Cs apply.

Capital at risk

Platform details
InvestEngine
Finder score
★★★★★
User survey
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
★★★★★
User survey
£100
£0
N/A
0% - 0.25%

Capital at risk

Platform details
Wealthify
Finder score
★★★★★
User survey
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
★★★★★
User survey
£1
£0
N/A
0.6%

Capital at risk

Platform details
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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.

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.

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