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Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
Freetrade
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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 Freetrade for share dealing.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade for UK investors: both offer share dealing, ETFs and investment trusts. Interactive Brokers goes further with crypto, funds, corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), while Freetrade does not support those. Neither broker offers CFD trading or adviser services, and spread betting is not listed for either in this comparison.

On investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 out of 5 stars (ranked 2nd of 21) and Freetrade 4 out of 5 stars (ranked 17th of 21). If you want the widest range of assets, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you mainly want straightforward share and ETF investing, Freetrade covers the basics.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes No
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Advisor Services info No No
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Featured Offers


IG
4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

If you’re a UK investor comparing trading tools, Interactive Brokers offers far more charting features than Freetrade: 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators, while Freetrade offers none. Neither broker shows corporate events like earnings, splits or dividends on charts, and neither lets you add notes or apply index or stock overlays.

Both brokers provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts. For live pricing, Freetrade delivers real-time market data, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want deeper chart studies; pick Freetrade if you prefer a simpler setup with live prices and alerts.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 94 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 16 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No

ISAs and SIPPs

When comparing Interactive Brokers and Freetrade for retirement accounts in the UK, both online brokers present competitive options. They each offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISA), which allow users to invest their money without paying tax on dividends or capital gains. Additionally, both brokers provide Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP), giving individuals the flexibility to manage their own pension savings with the potential to grow investments over the long term. This makes either Interactive Brokers or Freetrade a viable choice for those looking to maximize their retirement savings potential within tax-efficient accounts.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

In the UK, both Interactive Brokers and Freetrade cater to users with iOS and Android mobile apps, ensuring accessibility across popular platforms. However, when it comes to user ratings and performance, Interactive Brokers excels with a 5-star mobile app rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the impressive rank of 4th out of 21 brokers. In comparison, Freetrade earns a respectable 4 stars, yet it falls to the 12th position in the same ranking. This suggests that while both apps provide functional mobile trading experiences, Interactive Brokers offers a more highly rated service according to user reviews in the UK.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For UK beginner investors comparing Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade on education, Interactive Brokers offers live client webinars plus an on-demand archive, while Freetrade does not provide webinars or replays. Both brokers cover share trading, funds, and retirement topics, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers higher for beginner education (5 stars, 8th of 21) than Freetrade (3.5 stars, 16th of 21). If you value regular lessons and rewatchable content, Interactive Brokers is likely the better fit; Freetrade still suits those after straightforward guides on core topics.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

When comparing the market research features of Interactive Brokers and Freetrade, UK investors will find that Interactive Brokers offers a wider range of options. Interactive Brokers provides extensive research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds, along with the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class. In contrast, while Freetrade allows users to see their portfolio allocation and offers research on shares and ETFs, it lacks research reports for funds and bonds. This makes Interactive Brokers a more comprehensive choice for those who prioritize in-depth market research across various investment types.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Research - Funds info Yes No
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade Winner

Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or Freetrade? 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.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Freetrade?

Interactive Brokers stands out from Freetrade by offering cryptocurrency trading options, which Freetrade currently does not provide.

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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Freetrade
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Freetrade Review
Winner check_circle
Investments Interactive Brokers Freetrade
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No
Mutual Funds info Yes No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes No
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes info
Advisor Services info No No
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers Freetrade
Minimum Deposit info £0 £1
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £3 £0
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £3 £0
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £3 £0
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info £0 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus)
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info £0 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus)
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info £0 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus)
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info £0 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus)
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) N/A
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) N/A
ETFs - Fee info £3 £0
Investment Trusts - Fee info £3 £0
Telephone Dealing Fee info £25 N/A
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Freetrade
Website Gallery (click to expand)
The home page of the Interactive Brokers website (demo account). The order ticket on the IBKR website. List of available indicators for the charts when viewing a share price on the IBKR website.
Home page of the Freetrade website. Discover tab of the Freetrade web platform. Discover by sector on the Freetrade web platform. A chart of Barclays share price on the Freetrade web platform.
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
The home screen of the IBKR mobile app. The customisation screen for the homepage of the IBKR mobile app. The watchlist on the IBKR mobile app. Share price information for Barclays stock on the IBKR mobile app. Viewing a stock chart for Lloyds Bank on the IBKR mobile app. The order ticket on the IBKR mobile app (slide to buy). Order fulfillment screen on the IBKR mobile app. Various order types available on the IBKR mobile app. Setting advanced order conditions on the IBKR mobile app. The Learn page of the IBKR mobile app. IBKR GlobalTrader home page. The trade ticket on the IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app. Order preview for purchasing Apple stock on the IBKR GlobalTrader app.
Showing the overall stats of a BP stock on the Freetrade mobile app. Discover tab for searching symbols on the Freetrade mobile app. A breakdown of total portfolio allocation on the Freetrade mobile app. A chart of L'Oréal stock price on the Freetrade mobile app. The trade ticket for purchasing shares of L'Oréal stock on the Freetrade mobile app.
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Interactive Brokers Freetrade
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 94 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 16 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No
Research Interactive Brokers Freetrade
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info Yes No
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Freetrade
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Overall Summary Interactive Brokers Freetrade
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Freetrade Review
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