Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor vs eToro, 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, eToro offers better pricing than Interactive Investor 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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £0 per year, while eToro 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.
Interactive Investor and eToro both provide options for share trading and the exchange of ETFs, making them accessible choices for those interested in these investment avenues. However, their offerings diverge significantly when it comes to other investment options. Interactive Investor stands out as a versatile choice, accommodating investments in funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. In contrast, eToro leans towards modern financial products, enabling crypto and CFD trading options, but does not support trading in funds, bonds, or investment trusts.
Evaluating their performance ratings, Interactive Investor receives a noteworthy 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, recognizing its extensive and diverse investment choices, positioning it 5th out of 18 brokers in the rankings. Meanwhile, eToro, with a commendable 4.5-star rating, ranks 9th, reflecting its strength in offering contemporary trading options despite lacking in traditional asset classes. Both platforms offer robust investment opportunities, catering to varied investor preferences, from traditional markets to more innovative trading activities.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing Interactive Investor and eToro for their trading tools, both platforms offer robust features that cater to a variety of trading needs. Interactive Investor provides the capability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts, offering a comprehensive view of market activities. However, eToro does not include this feature. Both brokers allow users to add notes and overlays, whether index or stock, to their charts, enhancing the customization and tailoring of market analysis. Furthermore, both platforms boast browser-based trading options along with the functionality to create alerts for stock price updates and access to real-time market data, ensuring traders can stay informed and react swiftly to market conditions.
Interactive Investor and eToro differ in the variety of drawing tools and technical indicators they offer. Interactive Investor provides traders with 18 drawing tools and a total of 104 technical indicators for charting purposes. In contrast, eToro exceeds in these categories, offering an extensive 56 drawing tools and 106 technical indicators, which could benefit those who require a greater range of charting options. The comprehensive offerings by both platforms make them suitable choices, but personal preference for charting tools and corporate event indicators might influence a trader's choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 106 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 56 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When choosing between Interactive Investor and eToro for retirement accounts, it's important to consider what each offers. Interactive Investor provides both ISA and SIPP accounts, catering to those looking to invest tax-efficiently while preparing for retirement. On the other hand, eToro offers ISA accounts, allowing users to benefit from tax advantages, but does not currently provide SIPP accounts. This means that while both platforms offer avenues for tax-efficient investments with ISAs, only Interactive Investor supports the broader retirement spectrum by offering SIPPs, making it potentially more suitable for long-term retirement planning.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both Interactive Investor and eToro provide convenient mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, allowing easy on-the-go trading. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor's mobile app earns a commendable rating of 4.5 stars, while eToro garners a full 5-star rating. In terms of overall ranking among 18 brokers for mobile app performance, Interactive Investor stands at #12, whereas eToro ranks higher at #5, reflecting a generally more favorable user experience and features in eToro's offering.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors seeking educational resources, Interactive Investor outshines eToro in several key areas. Interactive Investor provides live and archived educational webinars, allowing users the flexibility to learn at their own pace, whereas eToro lacks this feature entirely. Both platforms offer materials on share trading, but Interactive Investor extends its educational content to cover funds and retirement planning, topics not addressed by eToro. Recognized for its comprehensive approach, Interactive Investor holds the top spot out of 18 brokers on UK.StockBrokers.com with a perfect 5-star rating, surpassing eToro's 4.5-star rating and 10th place ranking. Whether you are just starting or looking to expand your knowledge, Interactive Investor offers a more robust educational experience compared to eToro.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of online brokers Interactive Investor and eToro, several distinctions become apparent. Interactive Investor provides a comprehensive range of research options, including reports for funds, and in-depth analysis for shares, ETFs, and bonds, making it a robust choice for investors who value detailed information. It also offers insights into portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature shared with eToro. On the other hand, eToro focuses on share and ETF research, without offering research reports for funds or bonds. However, it stands out by providing unique analysis for CFDs, which Interactive Investor does not. Ultimately, the choice between these platforms depends on the specific research needs and investment interests of the user.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Investor or eToro? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
| Feature |
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eToro
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While Interactive Investor does not provide options for cryptocurrency trading, eToro offers a comprehensive platform for trading a variety of cryptocurrencies.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | eToro Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | $50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 106 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 56 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | eToro | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | eToro Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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