Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs Bestinvest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Your capital is at risk.
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, Freetrade offers better pricing than Bestinvest for share dealing.
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.
Freetrade vs Bestinvest: both UK platforms let you trade shares, ETFs, funds and investment trusts, while neither supports crypto or CFDs. Spread betting isn’t listed by either as an option.
For fixed income, Freetrade offers UK government bonds (gilts) but not corporate bonds; Bestinvest doesn’t offer trading in gilts or corporate bonds. Bestinvest provides adviser services, while Freetrade is DIY only. UK.StockBrokers.com rates both 4.5/5 for investment choices; Freetrade ranks 9th of 21 brokers, while Bestinvest’s ranking isn’t available. If you want access to gilts and to manage your own picks, Freetrade may appeal; if you’d like professional guidance alongside shares and funds, consider Bestinvest.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Comparing Freetrade and Bestinvest for trading tools, Bestinvest offers far more for chart analysis. It provides 9 drawing tools, 36 technical indicators, the ability to add notes to charts, and stock overlays. Freetrade lacks these features. Neither platform shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and index overlays aren’t available on either.
Both brokers offer a browser-based trading platform and price alerts, but neither supplies real-time market data, so prices are delayed. If you want deeper chart analysis, Bestinvest is the stronger pick; if you’re a casual investor who doesn’t need advanced charting, Freetrade may suffice.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Freetrade vs Bestinvest: both UK online brokers offer ISA accounts and SIPP pensions, giving you tax-efficient ways to invest for long-term goals and retirement. Each has a Stocks and Shares ISA for building investments without capital gains or dividend tax, and a SIPP for personal pension saving with tax relief. Since both provide ISA and SIPP options, compare fees, investment range, platform tools, and customer support to decide which suits your investing style.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing online brokers, both Freetrade and Bestinvest offer mobile apps on iPhone and Android, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade higher at 4.5/5 versus 3.5/5 for Bestinvest; Freetrade also ranks 7th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Bestinvest has no published ranking. If you prioritise a higher-rated trading app on iOS or Android, Freetrade has the edge, while Bestinvest still provides a usable investment app across both platforms.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing online brokers, both Freetrade and Bestinvest offer education on share trading, funds and retirement, but Bestinvest goes further with live educational webinars and an on-demand archive, while Freetrade offers no webinars. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Bestinvest 5 stars for beginner education versus Freetrade’s 4 stars; Freetrade ranks 13th out of 21 brokers, whereas Bestinvest’s ranking is not available.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing Freetrade vs Bestinvest on market research features: Bestinvest provides research reports for funds and offers research on shares, ETFs, and funds, while Freetrade lacks these research tools. Both platforms let you view your portfolio allocation by asset class, helping you track diversification, and neither offers bonds research. If in-depth research matters to you, Bestinvest is the stronger choice; if you just need basic allocation insights, both will do.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Freetrade to be a better trading platform overall.
Overall Freetrade is a great platform to help you get to grips with investing. Costs are low, and its user-friendly mobile app offers great investment inspiration. Sophisticated investors, however, may find that other platforms offer a wider range of investment options and tools.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Both Freetrade and Bestinvest do not offer crypto trading, providing investors with a focused platform for other types of investments.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Freetrade Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £59.88 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £59.88 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £59.88 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Freetrade Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review
