Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays vs Freetrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, Barclays offers better pricing than Freetrade for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - Barclays would cost £105 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays would cost £0 per year, while Freetrade would cost £1 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
Barclays and Freetrade both offer share trading and allow customers to trade ETFs and investment trusts, appealing to UK investors looking for varied investment opportunities. However, Barclays takes the lead by providing additional options, including funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), which are not available through Freetrade. For those seeking guidance, Barclays also offers advisor services, a feature Freetrade does not provide.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays stands out with an impressive 5-star rating for its investment choices, ranking 9th among 18 brokers. Freetrade, although slightly less comprehensive, still holds a respectable 4-star rating, ranking 17th. This comparison highlights Barclays as a more versatile platform given its broader range of investment options and advisory services, catering to investors with diverse financial interests.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools offered by Barclays and Freetrade, both platforms present a range of similar features with a few notable differences. For UK investors seeking browser-based access, both Barclays and Freetrade have you covered, allowing trades to be executed directly from their respective platforms. If setting up alerts for price updates is a priority, both brokers provide this capability. However, when it comes to tracking real-time market data, Freetrade takes the lead by offering this service, whereas Barclays does not.
For those who enjoy customizing their trading charts, neither Barclays nor Freetrade offer tools like drawing features, technical indicators, or options to display corporate events, such as earnings or dividends, which may limit some investors' abilities to perform in-depth chart analysis. Both platforms also lack options for adding notes or overlays, like indices or stocks, to charts. While these two brokers share a similar feature set, Freetrade may appeal to traders who value immediate access to market data.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers Barclays and Freetrade for retirement planning in the UK, both firms conveniently offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) to their customers. These accounts are essential for those looking to save and invest efficiently, allowing you to manage your investments with tax advantages. Barclays and Freetrade provide flexible options for maintaining your retirement savings through either an ISA or SIPP, offering you the opportunity to tailor your investment strategy to meet your long-term financial goals. With both platforms at your disposal, UK investors can easily find a suitable solution for their retirement planning while benefiting from user-friendly online services.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing mobile trading apps for those investing in the UK, both Barclays and Freetrade offer dedicated apps for iPhone and Android devices. However, user satisfaction differs significantly. Barclays’ app receives a 2.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, positioning it at rank 21 out of 18 brokers reviewed for mobile app performance. In contrast, Freetrade’s app shines with a 4-star rating, ranking it 12th. This suggests Freetrade may offer a more user-friendly and reliable mobile experience for investors compared to Barclays.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, comparing educational resources from Barclays and Freetrade reveals both similarities and distinctions. Neither Barclays nor Freetrade offer live or archived educational webinars, but both platforms provide guidance on share trading, funds, and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays is rated 4.5 stars and ranks 10th out of 18 brokers for beginner education, whereas Freetrade receives a 3.5-star rating and is positioned at 16th. This suggests that while both brokers cover core investment topics, Barclays may provide a slightly more comprehensive educational experience for novice investors.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Barclays and Freetrade for UK investors, several key differences emerge. Barclays provides a comprehensive offering, including research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds, giving investors a broad range of insights to inform their decisions. Additionally, both Barclays and Freetrade allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, aiding in efficient portfolio management. However, Freetrade does not offer research reports for funds or bonds, which could limit in-depth analysis for investors seeking detailed information in these areas. Neither platform offers research on CFDs, keeping their focus on more traditional investment products.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Barclays or Freetrade? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Barclays to be a better trading platform overall.
Barclays Smart Investor offers a wide range of investments and accounts and is a good value for those with a midsize portolio who like flat fees. On the downside, it can be complicated to open an account as a non-Barclays bank customer, and you can’t buy or sell investments through the app if you don’t have a Barclays bank account.
| Feature |
Barclays
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Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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Neither Barclays nor Freetrade offers cryptocurrency trading, providing users with a straightforward online brokerage experience focused on traditional assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Barclays | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Barclays | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Barclays | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Barclays | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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