Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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, Interactive Investor offers better pricing than Freetrade 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.
When choosing between Interactive Investor and Freetrade, UK investors will find distinctive offerings in their investment options. Both platforms support share and ETF trading, allowing users to benefit from a wide range of popular stocks and funds. However, Interactive Investor extends its investment choices further by offering funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds. This broad spectrum of options contributes to its impressive 5-star investment choice rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, positioning it as the third-best among 21 brokers in the UK.
Freetrade, on the other hand, emphasizes simplicity and accessibility, particularly for newcomers to investing. While it doesn't offer the same variety as Interactive Investor, particularly in bonds and funds, it still allows for investment in shares, ETFs, and investment trusts. Securing a 4-star rating for its investment choices, Freetrade ranks 17th out of 21 brokers, making it an appealing choice for those who prioritize straightforward share and ETF trading without the complexities of an extensive range. Both platforms do not support crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, nor do they offer advisory services.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, Interactive Investor offers far richer charting features than Freetrade. Interactive Investor lets you display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), add notes to charts, and apply stock overlays, plus it includes 104 technical indicators. Freetrade, by contrast, has no technical indicators, no drawing tools, no notes, no stock overlays, and cannot show corporate events on charts. Neither platform supports index overlays.
Both Interactive Investor and Freetrade provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts. One key difference is market data: Freetrade offers real-time data, while Interactive Investor does not—something to keep in mind if live pricing is important to you.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
For UK investors exploring retirement account options, Freetrade and Interactive Investor both provide essential services, including Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). If you're seeking an online broker to manage your ISA, both platforms offer ISA accounts to help you save or invest in a tax-efficient way. For those interested in retirement planning through pension investments, both Freetrade and Interactive Investor also support SIPP accounts, enabling more control and flexibility over your retirement funds. Whether you prioritise the user experience or pricing structures, both brokers offer a solid foundation for managing your financial future.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing mobile app offerings, Interactive Investor and Freetrade both provide apps for iPhone and Android, ensuring accessibility across popular devices. Interactive Investor’s app is highly valued, receiving a 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, and ranks 7th out of 21 brokers for mobile app offerings. In contrast, Freetrade’s app holds a solid 4-star rating, placing it at 12th in the same ranking. This suggests that while both apps serve the needs of mobile investors, Interactive Investor offers a more highly rated experience among UK users.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Interactive Investor vs Freetrade for UK beginner education: neither platform runs educational webinars or offers on-demand sessions, but both provide learning on share trading, funds, and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor stands out with a 5-star rating and a #2 ranking out of 21 brokers, while Freetrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks #16. If education is your priority, Interactive Investor offers a stronger learning experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features offered by Interactive Investor and Freetrade, UK investors will find notable differences between the two brokers. Interactive Investor provides comprehensive research reports for funds, a feature that Freetrade lacks. Both platforms enable users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class and offer research on shares and ETFs. However, for those interested in in-depth insights into funds and bonds, only Interactive Investor offers this advanced research support, while Freetrade does not include these in their research offerings. This makes Interactive Investor a more suitable choice for investors who rely on extensive market research across various asset types.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | 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 Freetrade? 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 |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Both Interactive Investor and Freetrade do not offer crypto trading, making them comparable options for investors focused on stocks and other traditional assets.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £1 | |
| 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) | |||
| 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 | £59.88 / £143.88 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £143.88 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 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 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| 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 | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review