Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Bestinvest vs Robinhood UK, 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, Robinhood UK 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 - Bestinvest would cost £144.75 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Bestinvest would cost £119.40 - £179.40 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Bestinvest would cost £238.20 - £357.60 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Bestinvest would cost £654 - £714 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Bestinvest would cost £50 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 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.
For UK investors exploring their options, Bestinvest and Robinhood UK offer distinct choices in trading opportunities. Bestinvest shines with its range of offerings, including share trading, ETF trading, funds trading, and investment trusts, as well as advisor services, making it a versatile platform for those seeking more conventional investment paths. In contrast, Robinhood UK provides a more limited selection, only offering share trading without options for ETFs, funds, or investment trusts, and lacks advisor services.
When it comes to ratings, Bestinvest claims an impressive 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices, placing it 10th out of 18 brokers. On the other hand, Robinhood UK garners a 3-star rating for its investment choices, ranking it at 20th. This contrast underscores Bestinvest's broader appeal for those looking for a range of traditional investment options compared to Robinhood UK's more streamlined approach.
| Feature |
Bestinvest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
For UK investors exploring their trading tool options, Bestinvest and Robinhood UK present distinct offerings. While neither platform features chart displays for corporate events like earnings or dividends, they differ significantly in charting tools. Bestinvest outshines with nine drawing tools and 36 technical indicators, alongside allowing users to add notes and stock overlays to charts. In contrast, Robinhood UK provides no drawing tools and only three technical indicators, lacking support for notes or overlays.
Both platforms facilitate browser-based trading and stock price alerts, but when it comes to real-time market data, Robinhood UK takes the lead by offering this feature, a service not available through Bestinvest. Each platform caters to different trader needs, with Bestinvest focusing on charting capabilities and Robinhood UK offering enhanced real-time data features.
| Feature |
Bestinvest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 36 | 3 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing Bestinvest to Robinhood UK for retirement accounts, UK investors will find distinct differences in the available options. Bestinvest offers Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making it a versatile choice for those looking to invest for retirement with tax-efficient savings in mind. In contrast, Robinhood UK does not provide ISAs or SIPPs, limiting their offering for investors seeking these specific retirement account types. Therefore, for UK users focused on maximizing their retirement savings through ISAs or SIPPs, Bestinvest presents a more comprehensive option compared to Robinhood UK.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For investors in the UK considering mobile trading platforms, both Bestinvest and Robinhood UK present viable options, each offering iPhone and Android apps to meet various user needs. However, according to UK.StockBrokers.com, there are notable differences in their app experiences. Bestinvest's mobile app receives a rating of 3.5 stars, placing it 16th among 18 brokers in terms of mobile app offerings. In contrast, Robinhood UK is awarded a higher score of 4 stars and ranks 13th, suggesting a more favorable user experience for its mobile app. This comparison highlights Robinhood UK's edge in mobile trading satisfaction for UK investors seeking to manage their investments on-the-go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner investors in the UK, Bestinvest outshines Robinhood UK. Bestinvest offers client webinars that are archived for on-demand viewing, catering to those who learn at their own pace. Robinhood UK, in contrast, lacks this feature entirely. Both platforms provide education on share trading, but Bestinvest goes further by offering insights into funds and retirement, topics which Robinhood UK does not cover. Reflecting these differences, Bestinvest is highly rated at five stars for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com, landing in 6th place out of 18 brokers, while Robinhood UK trails with a 3.5-star rating and a rank of 20th.
| Feature |
Bestinvest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Bestinvest and Robinhood UK for market research features, Bestinvest stands out for its wider range of offerings. It provides research reports for funds, shares, and ETFs, along with the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class. In contrast, Robinhood UK offers research for shares and ETFs but lacks fund research and portfolio allocation insights. Neither platform offers research for CFDs or bonds, making Bestinvest the more comprehensive choice for those interested in diversified investment insights.
| Feature |
Bestinvest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Bestinvest or Robinhood UK? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Bestinvest to be a better trading platform overall.
Bestinvest is a very good broker that should appeal to a wide range of investors. Fees are competitive, particularly if you invest in funds or US shares, and the investment options are extensive. The Bestinvest platform is relatively easy to use and the offer of a free 45 minute session with a financial coach can be a useful starting point for newer investors. Bestinvest is also a great option for a Junior SIPP, as it is one of very few UK brokers offering children’s pensions and with a low entry point.
| Feature |
Bestinvest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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Both Bestinvest and Robinhood UK currently do not offer crypto trading options, making them similar in this respect for investors seeking online brokerage platforms focused solely on non-crypto investment opportunities.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
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| Review | Bestinvest Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 - £4.95 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 - £4.95 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 - £4.95 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £144.75 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £119.40 - £179.40 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £238.20 - £357.60 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £654 - £714 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £60 or £120 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £500 - £1,000 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £100 - £1,000 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £4.95 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £4.95 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £4.95 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £4.95 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £30 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 36 | 3 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Bestinvest | Robinhood UK | |
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| Review | Bestinvest Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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