Written by StockBrokers.com
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.
Your capital is at risk.
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, Freetrade offers better pricing than Interactive Brokers for share dealing.
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.
In the UK, both Interactive Brokers and Freetrade let you buy and sell shares and ETFs, as well as funds, gilts (government bonds), and investment trusts. Interactive Brokers goes further with crypto trading, CFD trading (contracts for difference), and corporate bonds, which Freetrade does not currently offer. Advisor services aren’t provided by either firm. Spread betting isn’t listed for either in the information provided.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5/5 stars and ranks it #1 of 21 brokers. Freetrade scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #9. If you want the widest range, including crypto, CFDs, and corporate bonds, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you’re focused on core shares, ETFs, funds, gilts, and investment trusts, Freetrade covers the basics.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade: for UK investors comparing trading tools, Interactive Brokers offers far deeper charting. You can show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, add notes, and layer on both stock and index overlays. It also includes 85 drawing tools and 155 technical indicators. Freetrade doesn’t support any of these charting extras: no events on charts, no drawing tools or indicators, and no notes or overlays.
Both Interactive Brokers and Freetrade provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts. However, neither offers real-time market data. If you want advanced chart analysis in the UK, Interactive Brokers fits the bill; if you mainly need a web platform with alerts, Freetrade may be sufficient.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
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.
UK investors comparing mobile trading will find that both Interactive Brokers and Freetrade offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers higher at 5 stars (ranked 5th of 21 for Mobile Apps) versus Freetrade’s 4.5 stars (ranked 7th of 21). If you want the higher-rated app experience, Interactive Brokers edges ahead, while Freetrade remains an easy option for everyday investing on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing educational resources, Interactive Brokers stands out with live client webinars and an on-demand library, while Freetrade offers no webinars or archived sessions. Both cover key topics like share trading, funds, and retirement, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers higher for beginner education (5 stars, ranked 4th of 21) than Freetrade (4 stars, ranked 13th of 21), making Interactive Brokers the better choice if you value structured lessons and ongoing events.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| 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.
For UK investors comparing Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade on market research, Interactive Brokers offers research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, plus research reports for funds, and it also shows your portfolio allocation by asset class. Freetrade shows portfolio allocation by asset class but does not provide research reports for funds or dedicated research on shares, ETFs, funds or bonds, so Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice if you want built-in research tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No |
| 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 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.
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Interactive Brokers
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Freetrade
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Interactive Brokers stands out from Freetrade by offering cryptocurrency trading options, which Freetrade currently does not provide.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | £59.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £0 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | $30 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
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| 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 | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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