The 7 best stock trading apps and platforms in the UK

Our experts have analysed features and fees, and rounded up the UK’s leading stock trading apps for you to help you find the one that suits your profile best. You can jump straight to where we’ve summarised the best trading apps if you don’t want to read the details for each one. We’ve also covered how to choose one. (We’ve updated this page to reflect the best apps available in 2022).

Best trading app for low-cost trading: eToro

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

Go to site Read review

Capital at risk. Other fees apply.

Best trading app for low-cost trading

0% commission on stocks

Top stocks and ETFs

No management fees

• Why it's great
• Pros and cons
• Fees

eToro is our pick for the best 0% commission stock-trading app because it’s free to use and there’s no commission to pay when buying or selling stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

What sets it apart from other 0% commission stock-trading platforms is that its “Smart Portfolios” - ready-made thematic portfolios created by eToro's expert analysts - come with no commissions or management fees. And, it’s highly-popular CopyTrader feature, which allows you to copy trades from other investors, is also free.

There are a few additional fees that you need to be aware of, such as a $5 withdrawal and 0.5% foreign exchange (FX) fees. Unfortunately, you have to pay an FX fee every time you deposit or withdraw money, unless you are a Diamond member, because eToro is all denominated in US dollars. There’s also an initial $100 deposit to bear in mind as well as a $10 monthly inactivity fee after 12 months with no login or trading activity.

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“I’m a big fan of the News Feed and CopyTrader social features. They’re a great way to get inspiration and learn from successful traders.”
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• Commission-free stock trading
• Over 3,000 assets to choose from 17+ exchanges
• Fractional shares
• Social features like CopyTrading and News Feed
• Free to open an account
• Invest from just $10
• Lots of learning resources including a demo account

• $5 withdrawal fee
• You can't invest in an ISA
• An emphasis on trading over long-term investing
• Automatic FX fee on non-USD deposits unless a top-tier member
• Some of the trading fees are complex for certain assets like crypto
• Inactivity fee after 12 months of no login
• $100 minimum first deposit

Price per trade	£0 on stocks
Frequent trader rate	N/A
Annual custody fee	0.00%
Bonds fee	£0.00
ETFs fee	£0.00
Investment trusts fee	£0.00
Phone dealing fee	£0.00

Best all rounder trading app: IG

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

Compare with similar providers Read review

Capital at risk

Best all rounder trading app

Zero commission on US shares

£3 on UK shares

24 hours support

• Why it's great
• Pros and cons
• Fees

On IG, there are over 13,000 shares, funds and investment trusts, including over 2,000 UK and 3,000 international exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that you can invest in. ETFs are a type of security containing a whole bundle of assets, and are listed on stock exchanges. ETFs are great investments for beginners because you get diversity built in, and they’re an easier way to invest in whole sectors and markets. They allow you to invest in lots of different stocks with a single transaction, which can also lower your trading fees.

IG is a great provider to choose if you want to learn how to invest. It helps you gain knowledge from a few different angles. When we tried it out, we particularly liked the free demo account. You can figure out how to trade the same way you’d learn any skill - by having a go and practising. The demo account is risk free as it uses virtual money, but works in exactly the same way as the real thing. Once you’ve got the knack of it, you can get going with real money if you decide you want to go ahead.

IG’s platform is an all rounder — you can invest in an ISA, SIPP, and a general investment account (GIA). For beginners, it has ready-made portfolios, as well as individual shares for those that want to pick their own stocks. There are some additional investment types for experienced investors as well - it’s a platform with plenty of depth.

So many options can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, but IG provides good tools to help you learn and grow as an investor.

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“If you want a massive range of investments, IG is hard to beat. This is my go-to trading app if I’m looking for rarer assets that can be hard to find elsewhere.”
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• Great learning resources and a demo account
• Massive choice of over 13,000 investments including ready-made portfolios
• Fee discounts for active investors
• Over 5,000 UK and international ETFs

• Only cheap when investing regularly
• Choice of options, tools, and markets might overwhelm newbies
• Quarterly platform fee of £24 if you make less than 3 trades per quarter

Price per trade	UK: £8 US: £10 EU: 0.1% (min €10)
Frequent trader rate	UK: £3 US: £0 EU: 0.1% (min €10)
Annual custody fee	£96 (can reduce by trading)
Bonds fee	N/A
ETFs fee	£3.00
Investment trusts fee	£8.00
Phone dealing fee	£40.00

Best trading app for beginners: Hargreaves Lansdown

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

Go to site Read review

Capital at risk

Best for beginners

Comprehensive platform

ISA and pension products

Great research

• Why it's great
• Pros and cons
• Fees

Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) was a joint winner in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024, and has now won 3 years in a row. An impressive 97% of its customers in our satisfaction survey said they’d recommend HL to a friend. It’s known for great service and great features, none of which comes cheap.

With HL, you can invest in an ISA, a SIPP, and a JISA/junior SIPP, if you have children you’d like to invest for. HL has a trading fee of £11.95 (or £5.95 for frequent traders), which is higher than many of its rivals. If you’re trading less than £1,000, you could end up paying more in fees than you make in profit.

But, in return for the pricier commissions, you get significantly more features and better customer service. You can access detailed information about investments, and guides that can help you make better trading decisions. The HL app lets you keep track of your investments from anywhere in the world - from your bed to the top of Mount Everest (assuming you have the mobile data).

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"HL’s main strength lies in its customer service, but I think the revamp of its platform several years ago has also made the investing experience much smoother.”
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• Wide range of accounts
• No platform fee for some accounts
• Free fund trading
• Great customer service reviews
• Excellent mobile app
• Discount for regular investors

• Expensive to buy or sell shares
• Fee structure is slightly complex
• No demo account
• Some investors may not need all the features
• As a listed company, HL has to please shareholders

Price per trade	£11.95
Frequent trader rate	£5.95
Annual custody fee	0.45%
Bonds fee	£11.95
ETFs fee	£11.95
Investment trusts fee	£11.95
Phone dealing fee	£20 - £50

Best trading app for investing in funds: interactive investor

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

Go to site Read review

Capital at risk

Best trading app for investing in funds

One free trade per month

£9.99 a month

Free regular investing

• Why it's great
• Pros and cons
• Fees

interactive investor (ii) is one of the most trusted brand names in the investing industry, and for good reason.

It’s not the cheapest investing platform available, but if safety and security are your main concerns, ii takes this seriously.

The platform is our top pick for safety features because it scored flawlessly against our security criteria. Features like 128-bit SSL encryption, constant system monitoring, and biometric login provide some peace of mind.

You can also draw comfort from the fact that ii has been around for over 30 years and is now part of a FTSE 250 firm, abrdn.

[important_text]“One of ii’s biggest strengths lies in the expert research and insights, allowing a much more - dare I say - interactive experience.”[/important_text]

• Flat monthly fee is good value for large portfolios
• Massive choice of investments
• A platform designed for every type of investor
• Lots of account choices
• Invest online or with the ii app

• Platform fee is expensive for small portfolios
• Share dealing charges are quite high
• Free monthly trade(s) with premium plans
• Cheapest plan has a maximum portfolio size
• Adding a SIPP costs more

Price per trade	£3.99 (free regular investing)
Frequent trader rate	£0
Annual custody fee	£119.88 (£9.99 monthly)
Bonds fee	£40.00
ETFs fee	£7.99
Investment trusts fee	£7.99
Phone dealing fee	£49.00

Best trading app for international trading: DEGIRO

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

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Capital at risk

Best trading app for international trading: DEGIRO

Low fees

No minimum deposit

Low foreign exchange fee

• Why it's great
• Pros and cons
• Fees

On DEGIRO, you can trade on over 50 stock exchanges in 30 countries worldwide for relatively low fees.

We’ve worked out that DEGIRO is typically best for international trading fees, despite its pretty confusing fee structure. Among trading apps we’ve reviewed, it has the best score for fees among platforms which also offer international trading. In our fees analysis, it scored higher than many commission-free platforms. Many of the zero commission providers charge a higher FX fee (typically between 0.5% and 1% of the trade value), compared with DEGIRO’s FX fee of just 0.25%. DEGIRO has recently changed its fees to make US shares commission free, with just a small handling fee per share.

DEGIRO lets you invest in shares, bonds, and ETFs, which can help you diversify across different assets. The trading platform is more suited to sophisticated investors rather than beginners, with excellent charting tools and company financials. It’s worth noting that you can’t invest in an ISA or SIPP with DEGIRO.

• Access to over 50 exchanges
• Excellent mobile app for trading on the move
• Competitive commissions and no minimum deposit
• Low FX fee
• Plenty of asset types

• Complex fee structure
• No tax-efficient accounts
• The platform isn’t intuitive
• Minimal trading tools and educational resources
• No FSCS protection

Annual custody fee	0
Bonds fee	0
ETFs fee	€2.00
Investment trusts fee	€7.50
Phone dealing fee	€10.00

Best trading app for ease of use: Fidelity

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

Compare with similar providers Read review

Capital at risk

Best for ease of use

No account fees

Learning resources available

No minimums to open an account

• Why it's great
• Pros and cons
• Fees

Fidelity offers your typical stocks and shares ISA and self invested personal pension (SIPP) as well as junior products, including a junior SIPP, for the really organised parent.

Fidelity’s platform is the easiest to use of the platforms we’ve tried. It’s got everything laid out well and an easy to use “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.

It's main downside is that you can only buy UK-based investments, which won't suit those that want to invest in shares in the US or internationally.

• Well-respected platform
• Plenty of investments to choose from
• Lots of fund-specific research and tools
• Option for financial advice
• Regular investing discount

• High £7.50 commission for investments
• Confusing fee structure
• Platform isn’t doesn’t have the best user interface
• Higher fees if you don’t have a regular savings plan

Price per trade	£10
Frequent trader rate	N/A
Annual custody fee	£10
Bonds fee	£10
ETFs fee	£10
Investment trusts fee	£10
Phone dealing fee	£30

Best trading app for tools and research: Trading 212

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

Compare with similar providers Read review

Capital at risk

Best for research and tools

No fees

Fractional shares

24/7 support

• Why it's great
• Pros and cons
• Fees

Trading 212 is our top pick for low fees because it’s a hard platform to beat when it comes to offering the lowest fees to investors.

Along with zero trading commissions, Trading 212 has no platform fee (or any added cost to use an ISA) and a competitive FX fee of 0.15%.

Aside from liking its low fees, we were impressed by the overall feel and look of the trading app. The platform is to the point and presents all the essential information investors need to know. And it’s colourful, too.

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"The low fees are obviously attractive, but my Trading 212 highlight is that you can create your own mini-portfolios, called 'pies' - making it fun to create, share or copy investment ideas.”
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• No platform fee to open and hold an account
• 0% commissions
• Fractional US and UK shares
• Low FX fee of 0.15%
• Free stocks and share ISA
• Over 13,000 investments
• Interest paid on cash balances
• AutoInvest feature
• Practise mode to get the hang of the platform

• No pension or other type of tax-efficient account
• The tutorial for the practise mode isn’t very in-depth
• Limited learning and research tools
• Withdrawing funds takes up to 3 business days

Price per trade	0% commission
Frequent trader rate	£0
Annual custody fee	0.00%
Bonds fee	£0.00
ETFs fee	£0.00
Investment trusts fee	£0.00
Phone dealing fee	N/A

• What is the best trading app in the UK?

  It’s difficult to say which trading app is best, as it depends on what exactly you are looking for. We’ve detailed above which apps we reckon are the best for specific things, such as ease of use and social trading.

• Which banks are best for share trading?

  Loads of banks are getting into the share trading market, from high street banks like Barclays and Lloyds to digital banks, like Revolut. You don’t have to limit your options to high street banks though, there are loads of different platforms available. Consider some different factors such as the fees and charges and the types of investing available to decide which platform is best for you.

• What is the best stock investing app?

  It’s difficult to say stock investing app is the best. This depends on what you’re looking for – whether it’s one that’s good for beginners or experienced investors. Take a look at our factors above to consider when choosing which one is best for you.

• Is online trading safe?

  Investments are risky, that’s how they have the potential returns that they do. There’s always a chance that your investments will lose value.

  To protect your money in the case of your chosen platform going bust, you should ensure that you use a platform that’s covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Look out for whether it’s regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)