How to open a UK brokerage trading account

Find out how to open a share trading account and the steps for choosing your account to start investing in UK and international markets.

Learn how to open an account Step by step instructions
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A trading account sometimes goes by other names like a “share dealing” or “brokerage” account, but it all means the same thing. It’s an investment platform that lets you buy and sell company shares (stocks) from your phone, computer or tablet.

Opening a trading account isn’t as daunting as you might think. We’ll detail the steps involved when joining a platform, and give you tips to help you find the right provider. And you can see the scores we’ve given all the major UK platforms, in our comparison table.

Best for 0% commission stocks
eToro Free Stocks logo
Finder Award
Go to site
Capital at risk. Fees apply.
Copy picks from top traders
4.3 ★★★★★
Commission-free trades
Fractional shares
Get dividend payments
Best for fractional shares
XTB logo
Go to site
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
Earn 5% on uninvested funds
4.4 ★★★★★
Commission-free trades
Fractional shares
5,400+ stocks/ETFs
Best for US shares
CMC Invest share dealing account logo
Finder Award
Go to site
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply.
Try Plus free for 3 months
4.4 ★★★★★
Commission-free trades
3,000+ stocks
Real-time live pricing

Broker, share-trading platform or investment platform: What's the difference?

While “broker” and “share trading platform” technically have slightly different definitions, they’re pretty much used interchangeably. The share trading platforms we’ve reviewed on our site are all online brokers. So you can buy, sell, and hold shares – all right at your fingertips.

The term “investment platform” is a broad term for all platforms that let you invest, so they would also refer to robo-advisors, which are platforms that let you invest in ready-made portfolios.

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.


What do I need to know about online share trading?

There are some key things that you ought to know about share trading.

  • The difference between shares and funds. Shares are pieces of companies, while funds are a collection of shares or investments.
  • Think long term. Try to give yourself at least 5 years. This allows the market to have it’s ups and downs and helps to mitigate investment risk.
  • Diversify. We go on about diversification like a broken record. You need to make sure you don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, relying on just one company. Index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can help you diversify more easily.
  • Consider an ISA. A stocks and shares ISA is a tax wrapper for your investments, allowing you to invest up to £20,000 per year and minimise potential tax (in the 2024/2025 tax year).
  • Will you receive dividends? Dividends are another way of making money from investing. These payments are made by companies to reward shareholders for owning a piece of the firm.

How to open a share trading account in the UK

The exact process for opening a share trading account varies depending on the trading platform you select. However, you’ll generally need to complete the following steps when signing up:

  1. Choose a platform. Compare share dealing accounts to find the online provider that offers all the features you want or one that has low fees to suit your investing strategy. Take a look at our best trading platforms for various styles of investing.
  2. Provide your details. You’ll need to provide your full name and a valid form of photo ID, as well as your email address, phone number and national insurance (NI) number.
  3. Link a funding method. You’ll need to supply details of a bank account or other payment method like a debit card for depositing funds into your account.
  4. Wait for verification. Once you’ve submitted all your details, your platform will check everything (often takes under 20 minutes with most share trading accounts.
  5. Open your account and start trading. Once your information has been approved, you can login to your account and start trading.
Promoted
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Invest in shares with 0% commission
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Why trade shares online?

Trading shares online offers a secure and simple way to manage your investments. You can place trades at a time and place convenient to you, and keep tabs on your portfolio with ease.

It’s important to understand the difference between trading and investing. Buying shares online to hold as an investment is something we encourage. Trading complex instruments like derivatives using leverage (borrowed money) is something we don’t advocate because, unlike regular investing, you could end up losing more than you invest.

It’s important to make sure you’re aware of the risks before you start trading. As a beginner, you’d generally want to steer clear of short-term trading until you’ve got more experience as an investor.

How do I choose an online share-dealing platform?

You’ll need to carefully consider what you need before deciding on the right online trading platform, think about:

  • Your knowledge and experience. Some online trading platforms are suited to beginners while others have features geared towards experienced traders, such as advanced charting tools, speedy execution of trades and live market data.
  • Market access. Some share dealing platforms only provide access to companies listed on specific stock exchanges, like the London Stock Exchange (LSE), or specific countries, like US stocks. Others will allow you to place trades on a bunch of international markets.
  • The fees. There are 2 main costs you need to consider when choosing a share trading platform: the commissions and the platform fee. The commission fee applies each time you place a trade (and is sometimes free). Platform fees vary depending on the provider and the account features you select. It is usually a percentage of your holdings or a flat fee, regardless of portfolio size.
  • Tools and resources. From educational tutorials to research and investment inspiration, check out what a platform offers to help you make informed trading decisions.
  • Customer service. If you ever have a problem or need help, check to make sure you will be able to access prompt and helpful customer support.

Opening a stocks and shares ISA account for trading

A stocks and shares ISA is a tax wrapper for investments. This means it’s a tax-efficient account that shields your investments from UK dividend or capital gains tax. You can invest up to your full £20,000 ISA allowance each tax year. This allowance could change in future so it’s worth making the most of.

It’s a generous allowance, and it’s unlikely that a casual investor is going to exceed it. Our research found that the average adult stocks and shares ISA has £9,331 in it.

If your investments aren’t in an ISA, you’d have to pay capital gains tax on your profits over a yearly allowance of £3,000. Or, pay dividend tax on any income over £500. Of course, you might not even make profits that high each year, but this will become more important as your portfolio grows over the years.

To find out about all the top options, check out our guide covering the best stocks and shares ISAs available to UK investors.

George Sweeney, DipFA's headshot
Our expert says: What’s the best trading account to use?

"The best brokerage account for you to use is going to depend partly on your investing strategy, how regularly you want to invest, and how much you plan to invest. Some easy golden rules to follow however, are to use a stocks and shares ISA if possible and try to keep your fees as low as you can.

We’ve tried and tested loads of the top platforms across the UK and done plenty of the legwork for you. So if you want, you can head over to our best trading apps and platforms to see which options we think might suit different types of investors and hopefully there will be a trading account there that suits you down to the ground."

Deputy editor

Bottom line

Opening a share trading account can be straightforward, and it’s the first step to investing in stocks and shares to make your savings work a little harder. It’s worth taking the time to read up on the basics, such as how to buy shares and how to invest in dividend stocks, or take a look at our investing for beginners hub.

If you’re not quite sure that you want to be in control of choosing specific investments just yet, a lot of people start with a robo-advisor. These invest on your behalf with a ready-made portfolio that’s managed for you. It’s a nice way of getting your feet wet if you’re not quite ready to open a share trading account and pick your own stocks.

Compare the UK’s leading trading platforms

Table: sorted by promoted deals first
Name Product UKFST Finder Score Min. initial deposit Price per trade Frequent trader rate Platform fees Offer Link
Trading212
4.7
★★★★★
£1
0%
£0
£0
Get free fractional shares worth up to £100 when you sign up with Finder's link. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk.
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
Trading212 Invest
4.7
★★★★★
£1
£0
N/A
£0
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
XTB
4.4
★★★★★
£0
£0
£0
£0
Earn up to 5% interest on uninvested cash.
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
OFFER
Freetrade
4.4
★★★★★
£1
£0
N/A
£0
Get a free share worth up to £100 when you sign up and deposit at least £50. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk.
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
CMC Invest share dealing account
4.4
★★★★★
£0
£0
N/A
£0
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
InvestEngine
4.4
★★★★★
£100
£0
N/A
0% - 0.25%
Get a Welcome Bonus of up to £50 when you invest at least £100 with InvestEngine. T&Cs apply.
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
Finder Award
FREE TRADES
eToro Free Stocks
4.3
★★★★★
$100
£0 on stocks
N/A
£0
Go to site

Capital at risk. Fees apply.

Platform details
SaxoInvestor Share Dealing Account
4.3
★★★★★
£0
£3
N/A
0.12% per year
Limited time offer: Zero commission on 100 US stocks for new customers. T&Cs apply.
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
Wealthify
4.2
★★★★★
£1
£0
N/A
0.6%
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
Hargreaves Lansdown Fund and Share Account
4.2
★★★★★
£1
£11.95
£5.95
£0
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
interactive investor Trading Account
4.2
★★★★★
£0
£3.99 (free regular investing)
£0
From £4.99 a month
Pay no account fee for 6 months when you open an ii Trading Account. Offer ends 30 November. Capital at risk. Terms & trading fees apply. New customers only.
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
Halifax share dealing account
4.1
★★★★★
£20
£9.50
£0
£36 per year
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
IG Share Dealing
4.1
★★★★★
£0
From £8
From £0
£8 per month
Pay £0 commission on US shares. Offer ends 22 November 2024. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk.
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
Moneyfarm
3.9
★★★★★
£1
£3.95
N/A
£0
Go to site

Capital at risk

Platform details
Charles Stanley share dealing account
3.6
★★★★★
£0
£11.50
N/A
0.35%
Get up to £1,500 cashback when you transfer your cash and/or investments to Charles Stanley Direct. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk.
Go to site

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.


Frequently asked questions

George Sweeney, DipFA's headshot
Deputy editor

George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio

George's expertise
George has written 187 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Investing
  • Personal finance
  • Tax
  • Pensions
  • Mortgages

More guides on Finder

4 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    RogerDecember 7, 2022

    I am looking to buy shares in Carnival Cruise Line to get benefits while cruising. What is the cheapest and simplest way to buy shares?

      AvatarFinder
      LizDecember 7, 2022Finder

      Hi Roger. We have a page about Carnival shares, with information about the latest developments, the share price, platforms selling the stock, and fees. Your capital is at risk when buying any shares, of course.

    Default Gravatar
    LucasFebruary 26, 2019

    If I want to invest with a broker that is not from my bank, can I do it from my bank account or I would have to transfer my money? How could he get access to my account?

      AvatarFinder
      JoshuaFebruary 28, 2019Finder

      Hi Lucas,

      Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. :)

      Yes, it is possible that you use your own bank account to invest with a broker that is not from your existing bank. However, this would depend on the broker that you choose. For this reason, it would be a good idea to directly as your broker and check your available options.

      I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

      Have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Joshua

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