Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB 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, XTB 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 - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £144.75 per year.
12 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £119.40 - £179.40 per year.
36 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £238.20 - £357.60 per year.
120 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £654 - £714 per year.
3 fund trades per year - XTB 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 XTB and Bestinvest, both platforms offer share trading and ETF trading, which are popular options for investors looking to dive into the stock market. However, XTB stands out by providing CFD trading, a feature not available with Bestinvest. On the other hand, Bestinvest offers a more varied selection of investment choices, including funds and investment trusts, which are not available on XTB. Both platforms, however, do not support cryptocurrency trading, spread betting, or the trading of corporate or government bonds.
For those seeking advisor services, Bestinvest provides this option, adding value for investors who might need guidance in their investment journey, which XTB does not offer. Rated at 4.5 stars for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com, both brokers score equally in terms of user satisfaction. However, Bestinvest is ranked slightly higher at #10 out of 18 brokers for investment choices, compared to XTB's rank at #13, reflecting its broader range of available investment products.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | No | 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 charting features and trading tools, XTB and Bestinvest offer unique benefits, catering to different user needs. XTB stands out with the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on its charts, a feature that Bestinvest lacks. For traders who rely heavily on technical analysis, XTB provides an impressive array of 39 technical indicators and 20 drawing tools, while Bestinvest offers 36 indicators and just 9 drawing tools. Additionally, both platforms allow users to add personal notes to their charts, enabling a more customized trading experience.
For those interested in overlays, Bestinvest provides the option to add stock overlays to charts, unlike XTB, which does not offer this feature. However, XTB compensates by offering real-time market data, a capability Bestinvest doesn't provide. Both platforms are equipped with browser-based trading platforms and support creating alerts for stock price updates, keeping traders informed of market movements. Each platform has its unique strengths, making it essential to choose based on the trader's specific priorities and requirements.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers XTB and Bestinvest for retirement accounts, it's essential to note that both offer ISA accounts, providing tax-efficient investment opportunities for UK residents. However, a key difference arises with SIPP accounts: while Bestinvest offers these self-invested personal pensions, giving you more control over your retirement savings, XTB does not provide SIPP accounts. This distinction may influence your choice depending on how you wish to manage your retirement investments.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of online brokers XTB and Bestinvest, both provide apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring accessibility across popular devices. However, XTB clearly comes out ahead with a commendable rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it at #6 out of 18 brokers for mobile app performance. In contrast, Bestinvest receives a more modest rating of 3.5 stars, ranking it at #16 in the same comparison. This suggests that XTB users may enjoy a more refined mobile experience compared to those using Bestinvest.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors, Bestinvest stands out significantly more than XTB. Bestinvest excels with live and archived client webinars, covering essential topics like share trading, funds, and retirement, making it a comprehensive choice for novice investors. In contrast, XTB does not offer webinars and focuses primarily on share trading education, lacking resources on funds and retirement. Bestinvest is highly rated, receiving 5 stars and ranked 6th out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com for its robust beginner education. Meanwhile, XTB is rated 4.5 stars and ranks 9th, indicating solid, yet less comprehensive educational offerings compared to Bestinvest.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of online brokers XTB and Bestinvest, there are notable differences and similarities to consider. XTB does not provide research reports for funds, whereas Bestinvest does. Both platforms allow users to see portfolio allocation by asset class, ensuring transparency over investments. In terms of shares and ETFs research, both XTB and Bestinvest offer strong capabilities. However, a key difference is in funds research, where Bestinvest has the edge by including this feature, while XTB does not. On the other hand, XTB offers research on CFDs, which Bestinvest does not provide. Neither platform offers research on bonds, making this a neutral factor for investors interested in this asset type.
| Feature |
XTB
|
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 | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, XTB or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found XTB to be a better trading platform overall.
XTB has set itself up as a strong competitor in commission-free share trading. Its low fees and solid educational content will make XTB particularly attractive to newer investors. It does not, however, offer an ISA or SIPP.
| Feature |
XTB
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Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
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Both XTB and Bestinvest do not offer cryptocurrency trading options, making them similar in terms of crypto investment opportunities for traders looking to trade digital assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | XTB | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | XTB | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | XTB | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £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) | £0 | £144.75 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £119.40 - £179.40 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £238.20 - £357.60 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £654 - £714 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £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 | N/A | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | 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 | XTB | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | XTB | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | XTB | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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