Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs Bestinvest, 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, IG offers better pricing than Bestinvest 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 - IG would cost £136 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £144.75 per year.
12 trades per year - IG would cost £96 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £119.40 - £179.40 per year.
36 trades per year - IG would cost £108 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £238.20 - £357.60 per year.
120 trades per year - IG would cost £360 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £654 - £714 per year.
3 fund trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £50 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.
When comparing IG and Bestinvest, both brokers offer a range of investment choices suitable for different types of investors. Both IG and Bestinvest provide share trading and ETFs, two popular options for building a diversified portfolio. However, only IG offers CFD trading, making it a better choice for those interested in this type of investment. On the other hand, Bestinvest stands out by providing funds trading and advisor services, which could appeal to investors looking for more support and guidance in their financial decisions.
Neither IG nor Bestinvest currently offers trading in cryptocurrencies, spread betting, corporate bonds, or government bonds. For investment trusts, both platforms are equipped to meet your needs. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG and Bestinvest both receive a solid 4.5-star rating for their investment choices, although IG is ranked 10th out of 18 brokers. The absence of Bestinvest in rankings suggests a potential area for further development. Overall, both brokers cater to diverse investment strategies, but the choice will depend on individual investment goals and the need for additional advisory services.
| Feature |
IG
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When it comes to trading tools, IG and Bestinvest each present unique offerings tailored to enhance your trading experience. IG takes a lead with its ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, which Bestinvest does not provide. Both platforms allow you to add notes to charts and provide browser-based trading platforms. However, IG offers a whopping 19 drawing tools and 33 technical indicators for charting, while Bestinvest comes more modestly equipped with 9 drawing tools, yet a competitive 36 technical indicators. On the real-time market data front, IG shines by delivering instant updates, giving it an edge over Bestinvest, which lacks this capability.
When evaluating stock overlay features, Bestinvest stands out from IG, as it allows the addition of stock overlays on charts while IG does not. Meanwhile, index overlays are absent in both platforms, creating a balance in this area. Despite these differences, both platforms keep you informed with the ability to create alerts for stock price updates. IG and Bestinvest tried to cater to different trading needs, making the choice dependent on what specific tools you prioritize. Whether it's real-time data and chart annotations with IG, or a greater range of technical indicators and stock overlays with Bestinvest, each platform has something worthwhile to offer.
| Feature |
IG
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
IG and Bestinvest both provide robust options for individuals looking to save for retirement through tax-efficient accounts. Whether you're considering an ISA or a SIPP account, both brokers have you covered. IG offers the flexibility of both ISA and SIPP accounts, giving users a convenient way to invest tax-free for the future. Similarly, Bestinvest competes well with its own offering of ISA and SIPP accounts, providing a straightforward approach to retirement planning. Both platforms make it easy for investors to tailor their portfolios based on their specific needs and goals, ensuring that users have access to valuable retirement planning tools.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of online brokers IG and Bestinvest, both platforms offer robust options for iPhone and Android users. IG's mobile app shines with a perfect 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the 6th position out of 18 brokers for its exceptional mobile experience. In contrast, Bestinvest provides an app for both major mobile platforms but receives a more modest 3.5-star rating, lacking a specific ranking among its peers. This comparison highlights IG's superior app performance and user satisfaction in the competitive landscape of online trading platforms.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing beginner-friendly educational resources offered by online brokers IG and Bestinvest, both platforms provide valuable client webinars that are also available on-demand, catering effectively to varied learning schedules. IG and Bestinvest both deliver insights into share trading and retirement planning, supporting budding investors in gaining a solid foundation in these areas. However, IG falls short on education about funds, a gap Bestinvest fills by offering resources on this crucial investment topic. Recognized for their educational prowess, both brokers boast a five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education. Despite this shared accolade, IG stands at rank #7 among 18 brokers, while Bestinvest's ranking is not specified.
| Feature |
IG
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When it comes to market research features, both IG and Bestinvest offer robust options. Both platforms provide research reports for funds, though Bestinvest also stands out by allowing users to see portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature IG lacks. Investors exploring shares and ETFs will find comprehensive research support on both platforms. However, Bestinvest goes a step further with funds research, unlike IG. For those interested in CFDs, IG offers insights where Bestinvest does not, but neither platform currently provides research for bonds. Overall, depending on your focus area, either broker could cater well to your research needs, with certain strengths unique to each.
| Feature |
IG
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, IG or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found IG to be a better trading platform overall.
IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.
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Bestinvest
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Both IG and Bestinvest do not offer crypto trading options for their users.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | IG Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | IG | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | IG | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0-£10 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £136 | £144.75 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £96 | £119.40 - £179.40 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £238.20 - £357.60 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £654 - £714 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £60 or £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 / £96 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 / £96 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 / £96 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 - £8 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 - £8 | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IG | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | IG | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | IG | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | IG | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | IG Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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