Best for cheap ETF investing
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Best ETF brokers
Want to invest in ETFs but don't know where to find the best platform? Well, look no further. Here are our top picks for the best brokers, platforms and apps for buying and selling ETFs.
Investing in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has quickly become one of the most popular ways for people to invest. So much so, the number of ETFs worldwide has grown by over 3,000% from just 276 options in 2003 to 8,754 funds by 2023. It’s a cheap and effective way to invest that’s taken the investment world by storm.
And with more choice, some platforms have made ETFs a core part of their offering. To help you navigate the fund marketplace, we’re going to explore the best brokers, platforms and investing apps in the UK for ETF investing.
Finder’s best ETF brokers in the UK, April 2024
- InvestEngine: Best for cheap ETF investing
- CMC Invest: Best for 0% commission ETFs
- XTB: Best for mobile ETF trading
- IG: Best for number of ETFs
- Trading 212: Best for fractional ETFs
- interactive investor: Best for ESG ETFs
- eToro: Best for ETF social investing
- Freetrade: Best for ETF beginners
- Nutmeg: Best for ready-made ETF portfolios
Best for mobile ETF trading
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
Up to 4.9% interest on uninvested cash
0% commission on ETFs
Demo account available
Excellent trading app
Demo account available
Excellent trading app
Best for customer satisfaction
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
97% would recommend
No commissions for funds
Expert research and insights
Wide range of tax wrappers
Expert research and insights
Wide range of tax wrappers
Best ETF brokers in the UK
Our top pick for cheap ETF investing
★★★★★
Finder score
InvestEngine is our top pick for cheap ETF investing because it costs nothing to open and hold an account when picking your own portfolio of ETFs.
There's also no commission fee to buy or sell ETFs, and on top of all that, you can even use a free stocks and shares ISA for your ETF portfolio. When it comes to cheap, it's pretty hard to beat free.
However, if you don't want to pick your own ETF portfolio, the managed portfolios cost a competitive 0.25% annual fee, which is lower than most robo-advisors. Aside from the cheap fees, InvestEngine is packed with loads of ETF-specific investing features because this platform is designed for, and offers, nothing but ETFs.
| Price per trade | £0 |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £100 |
| Offer | Get a Welcome Bonus of up to £50 when you invest at least £100 with InvestEngine. T&Cs apply. |
Our top pick for 0% commission ETFs
★★★★★
Finder score
Our top pick for 0% commission ETF investing is CMC Invest because there are over 400 to choose from and there's no commissions or platform fees (with the Core plan).
Along with 0% commission ETF investing, CMC Invest also offers some excellent features like personalised ESG preferences and analyst insights from Morningstar.
As well as commission-free ETF investing, you can also buy stocks from the US and the UK with no commissions if you decide to expand your investing horizons.
| Price per trade | £0 |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Earn up to £1,000 when you transfer a minimum of £25,000 into your CMC account, plus get your first 3 months free when you upgrade to Plus plan. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk. |
Our top pick for mobile ETF trading
★★★★★
Finder score
We think XTB is the best broker for mobile ETF trading because the app is functional yet straightforward, and lets you trade over 350 global ETFs - right at your fingertips.
There's no platform fee or commissions when using XTB's mobile trading app and it also recently introduced free “investment plans”. This feature lets you build an ETF portfolio and then automatically invest from just £15 on an ongoing basis to help you reach your goals.
Whether you want to trade ETFs frequently, or build a long-term ETF portfolio, XTB's low-cost mobile trading platform is an excellent option.
| Price per trade | £0 |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Earn up to 5.2% interest on uninvested cash. |
Our top pick for number of ETFs
★★★★★
Finder score
If you're after an unbeatable choice of ETF investments, IG is worth checking out. It's our best pick for the number of ETFs because, well, there's over 5,000 to choose from.
It's unlikely you'll want to invest in all 5,000, but such a wide selection does make it more likely you'll find the ETFs you're looking for - no matter your strategy.
This huge range of ETFs does come at a cost because there are platform fees and commissions to be aware of when using IG as your ETF broker.
| Price per trade | UK: £8 US: £10 EU: 0.1% (min €10) |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get 0% commission on US shares when you make 3+ trades in the previous month. |
Our top pick for fractional ETFs
★★★★★
Finder score
Our best pick for fractional ETFs is Trading 212. We like Trading 212 for buying smaller pieces (fractions) of ETFs because you can invest with just £1.
Also, Trading 212's “pies” feature means you can design and build multiple ETF portfolios on a fractional basis and invest regularly (or sporadically if you prefer). You can also copy other investor's ETF pies if you don't want to pick your own funds.
Along with the excellent fractional ETF investing options, there's no platform fee and you can even hold your ETFs in a stocks and shares ISA for free.
| Price per trade | 0% commission |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £1 |
Our top pick for ESG ETFs
★★★★★
Finder score
interactive investor (ii) is our best pick for ESG ETF investing because of the unique information and research it provides.
The standout ESG feature is the ii ACE 40, which is the UK's first rated list of sustainable investments. There are more than 200 sustainable investment options on ii. This research analyses and picks out the 40 best-in-class funds using expert insights.
And if you're wondering what ACE means, the acronym stands for: avoids, considers and embraces.
| Price per trade | £3.99 (free regular investing) |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get £100 free trading credit when opening a Trading Account by 30 April. Capital at risk. T&Cs apply. |
Our top pick for ETF social investing
★★★★★
Finder score
If you want to get inspiration from other traders and investors, eToro is our best pick for social ETF investing.
It offers a free, CopyTrader feature, which lets you mirror the ETF trades of successful investors. Or, you can peruse the News Feed to get ETF investing insights and thoughts - perhaps even sharing your own ideas.
It's free to open and hold an account with eToro and there's no commission to buy or sell ETFs on the platform.
| Price per trade | £0 on stocks |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | $100 |
Our top pick for ETF beginners
★★★★★
Finder score
Freetrade is our best ETF broker for beginners because of the simple reason that the platform is so beginner friendly.
Everything from the sign up process to funding your account and buying an ETF is so straightforward, making the app extremely accessible for beginners.
Along with being easy to use, Freetrade also offers a free “Basic” plan, which has no platform fee and still gives you access to a huge range of ETF investments - all commission-free.
| Price per trade | £0 |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
Our top pick for ready-made ETF portfolios
★★★★★
Finder score
Nutmeg's our best pick for ready-made and managed ETF portfolios because it has a well-designed platform, plus, the largest range of ETF portfolios among robo-advisors.
Nutmeg pretty much paved the way for ETF-based robo-advisors, and it's always innovating and expanding its investment catalogue - recently introducing thematic investment options.
Along with the wide range of ready-made ETF portfolios, Nutmeg also offers a wide range of account types. These allow you to invest in ETFs in a tax-efficient way for no added cost.
| Price per trade | 0.025% |
|---|---|
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get up to 4 free fractional shares worth $5 -$2,000 each when you join and deposit. T&Cs apply. |
How to choose the best ETF broker
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide explaining what to think about when trying to pick the best ETF broker for your needs:
- DIY or robo-advisor. Think about whether you want to build your own portfolio of ETFs. Or if you’d prefer to use a robo-advisor that offers managed or ready-made portfolios.
- How much you want to invest. If you only plan on investing small amounts, you’ll want an ETF broker that lets you do this by investing in fractional shares of an ETF.
- Frequency of investing. Some platforms offer discounts or have features designed for regular ETF investing, whereas others might suit one-off investments.
- Investment strategy. Take some time to think about the ETFs you want to invest in. Do you need a wide range of options, or will you be picking just a few popular funds?
- Fees and commissions. If you’re investing small sums of money, you might also want to opt for a low-cost or commission-free ETF broker to make sure that a big chunk of your investment doesn’t get eaten up by fees.
- Tax. If an ETF pays dividends, or if you manage to sell an ETF for a profit, you may have to pay tax unless you’re using a stocks and shares ISA (or another type of tax-efficient account). Not all brokers offer these accounts or charge extra fees for the privilege.
Which ETF broker has the lowest fees?
This is probably a toss-up between InvestEngine and Trading 212. It depends on what you’re looking for in a cheap ETF broker, but both these platforms are free, have no ETF commissions, and there’s no added cost to use a stocks and shares ISA wrapper.
However, when picking the best ETF trading app or platform, remember that fees aren’t the only thing to look out for. Find the best broker for your ETF investing strategy. Cheap ETF brokers can be really useful, but it depends on how you plan to invest.
Do ETF brokers offer other types of investments?
In most cases, yes. There are some exceptions. For example, InvestEngine is a pure ETF broker, because this is the only type of investment you can buy and sell. However, for the majority of platforms, ETF investing makes up just one part of the options available.
Using a broker that offers ETFs and other types of investments can be useful if you want to expand and diversify into other areas. So, you may want to use a brokerage that has other options in case you need them. You can always try out a platform and move (or open an account elsewhere) if you decide you want to access a wider range of investments.
Why trust Finder’s scores?
Our scoring is based purely on data and was developed by our investment experts. So you can be sure that you’re getting our unbiased reasons for choosing the best trading apps.
George Sweeney DipFA
Deputy editor
Danny Butler
Lead publisher
Louise Bastock
Editor
Alice Guy
Investment and tax writer
Zoe Stabler DipFA
Former senior investment writer
Liz Edwards
Editor-in-chief
AS SEEN ON:
Next steps once you’ve found the right ETF broker
Once you’ve picked the best ETF broker for your investing strategy, the next steps include:
- Opening an account with the platform.
- Deciding if you want to make a one-off investment or set up a regular payment.
- Depositing funds into your account.
- Buying shares in the ETFs you want and managing your portfolio.
- Continue to invest and build your portfolio whenever you can afford to do so.
Bottom line
There are loads of broker options out there for investing in ETFs in the UK. Once you’ve decided how you plan on investing, this will help narrow down the best ETF broker or platform for your strategy.
Each ETF broker will have strengths and weaknesses, so it’s all about finding the best ETF trading platform for your goals and individual style of investing in funds.
FAQs
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.
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