Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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, Interactive Brokers 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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £144.75 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £119.40 - £179.40 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £238.20 - £357.60 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £654 - £714 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers 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 it comes to investment choices, Interactive Brokers and Bestinvest both offer robust platforms with some distinct differences. Both platforms provide share trading and the ability to trade ETFs and investment trusts. However, Interactive Brokers shines with additional options such as CFD trading and the ability to trade both corporate and government bonds. Bestinvest, on the other hand, offers the advantage of advisor services, which might appeal to investors seeking guidance in their investment choices.
Neither platform offers crypto trading or spread betting, narrowing the focus to more traditional investment avenues. Interactive Brokers holds a slight edge in the ratings, securing a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com due to its extensive investment choices, ranking second among 18 brokers. Bestinvest follows with a 4.5-star rating, noted for its comprehensive yet slightly more limited investment options. For investors prioritizing a diverse range of opportunities and self-directed trading, Interactive Brokers is a strong choice, while Bestinvest may suit those looking for advisory support alongside solid investment tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When it comes to trading tools, Interactive Brokers clearly stands out with its comprehensive charting features and utilities. It enables users to display corporate events such as earnings and dividends on charts, a functionality not supported by Bestinvest. With 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators available, Interactive Brokers provides an extensive suite for in-depth analysis, whereas Bestinvest offers a more limited selection of 9 drawing tools and 36 technical indicators.
Both platforms allow traders to add notes and stock overlays to their charts, as well as alert setups for stock price updates. However, only Interactive Brokers lets users add index overlays for comprehensive comparative analysis, lacking in Bestinvest. Despite both offering browser-based platforms, neither provides real-time market data. Given these insights, traders seeking a robust toolkit for detailed trading insights may find Interactive Brokers a more preferable choice over Bestinvest.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing the retirement account offerings of Interactive Brokers and Bestinvest, both platforms provide options for Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making them suitable for UK investors seeking tax-efficient investment solutions. Interactive Brokers and Bestinvest stand out as versatile choices for managing retirement funds, with each providing robust tools and resources tailored to enhance your investment experience. Whether you're investing through an ISA or setting up a SIPP, both brokers offer competitive features designed to help maximize your retirement savings potential in the UK market.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Interactive Brokers and Bestinvest both offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, catering to investors who prefer managing their portfolios on the go. Interactive Brokers' app stands out with an impressive 5-star rating by UK.StockBrokers.com, highlighting its robust features and user-friendliness, which position it as the #2 choice out of 18 brokers. In comparison, Bestinvest's app receives a modest 3.5-star rating, and does not feature in the top rankings, indicating room for improvement in the mobile investing experience. Whether you're looking for advanced trading tools or simplicity, both brokers provide mobile solutions, yet Interactive Brokers emerges as the preferred option for a seamless and highly-rated mobile trading experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner investors, both Interactive Brokers and Bestinvest offer robust options, including client webinars and on-demand access to recordings. Both platforms provide comprehensive education on share trading, funds, and retirement planning, making them suitable for novices eager to learn. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers receives a solid 4.5-star rating for its beginner education, ranked at #12 among 18 brokers. Bestinvest, though not specifically ranked, garners an impressive 5-star rating, indicating strong satisfaction among new investors. Whether you're looking to explore stock markets or future retirement plans, both brokers offer valuable educational tools tailored for beginners.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Interactive Brokers to Bestinvest for market research features, both platforms provide strong support with research reports for funds and insights into portfolio allocation by asset class. Interactive Brokers and Bestinvest both excel in providing comprehensive research on shares, ETFs, and funds. However, Interactive Brokers holds the upper hand with additional research capabilities for CFDs and bonds, areas where Bestinvest falls short. This makes Interactive Brokers a more robust choice for investors seeking a wider range of market research tools, especially if CFDs and bonds are of interest.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.
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Bestinvest
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Both Interactive Brokers and Bestinvest currently do not offer crypto trading options to their users.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £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) | £15 | £144.75 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £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) | £0 / £14.85 | £60 or £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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