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Interactive Investor vs Freetrade 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

August 06, 2024

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.

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

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, Freetrade 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 Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.

12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.

36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.

120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.

3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £0 per year, while Freetrade would cost £1 per year.

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

When it comes to online brokers, both Interactive Investor and Freetrade offer share and ETF trading, making them attractive options for investors seeking these basic assets. However, Interactive Investor stands out with a broader range of offerings. It provides access to funds and a variety of bonds, including corporate bonds and government gilts, giving investors more versatile investment opportunities. Freetrade, on the other hand, doesn't offer trading for these investment types, which might limit investors looking for a more diverse portfolio.

Both platforms steer clear of crypto trading, spread betting, and CFD trading, so those options aren't available. Although both brokers allow trading in investment trusts, only Interactive Investor has received a higher rating of 5 stars for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 5th out of 18 brokers. This contrasts with Freetrade's 4-star rating and 13th place ranking, reflecting Interactive Investor's more expansive asset options and appeal to investors seeking a wider array of investment opportunities.

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

Featured Offers


4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Trading Tools

When evaluating the trading tools of Interactive Investor against Freetrade, it's clear that Interactive Investor provides a more robust platform for investors who rely on detailed charting and analysis. Interactive Investor shines with features like the ability to display corporate events on charts, and offers a considerable 18 drawing tools alongside 104 technical indicators, making it a strong choice for those who want in-depth chart analysis. It also allows users to enhance their assessment by adding notes, index overlays, and stock overlays to charts, which are options not available on Freetrade.

Both Interactive Investor and Freetrade cater to convenience with their browser-based trading platforms and provide real-time market data along with the ability to create alerts for stock price updates. However, for traders looking for an advanced charting experience with comprehensive technical tools, Interactive Investor significantly outpaces Freetrade, which currently doesn't offer any drawing tools, technical indicators, or chart customization features such as adding notes or overlays.

Feature Interactive Investor logoInteractive Investor
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 104 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 18 0
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No

ISAs and SIPPs

When comparing the retirement account offerings of online brokers Interactive Investor and Freetrade, both platforms provide options to suit your long-term investing goals. Interactive Investor offers both ISA and SIPP accounts, allowing investors to grow their savings in a tax-efficient manner with flexibility for retirement planning. Similarly, Freetrade also supports ISA and SIPP accounts, providing a straightforward and easy-to-use platform for managing investments and retirement funds. Whether you choose Interactive Investor or Freetrade, both brokers offer viable paths to bolster your financial future through ISAs and SIPPs.

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

Mobile App

Both Interactive Investor and Freetrade offer user-friendly mobile apps for iPhone and Android devices, making it easy to trade on the go. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor's mobile app receives a solid 4.5-star rating, slightly edging out Freetrade's 4-star rating for app performance. When it comes to overall rankings among 18 brokers, Freetrade holds the #8 spot, suggesting a more favorable reception compared to Interactive Investor's #12 ranking. Whether you're using an iPhone or Android device, both platforms provide robust mobile trading solutions, though Freetrade appears to have a slight edge in overall ranking.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

When it comes to beginner investor educational resources, Interactive Investor stands out compared to Freetrade. Interactive Investor offers a comprehensive suite of educational tools, including live and on-demand webinars, and resources covering share trading, funds, and retirement planning. Freetrade, on the other hand, lacks webinars but provides educational content on share trading, funds, and retirement. Reflecting their effectiveness, Interactive Investor is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education, while Freetrade holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks #9. For beginners seeking a richer learning experience, Interactive Investor offers a more robust educational platform.

Feature Interactive Investor logoInteractive Investor
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 it comes to market research features, Interactive Investor provides a more comprehensive suite compared to Freetrade. Both brokers offer the ability to see your portfolio's allocation by asset class and provide research on shares and ETFs. However, Interactive Investor stands out by offering additional research reports for funds and bonds, which Freetrade does not provide. Neither platform offers research on CFDs. Therefore, if having in-depth research on funds and bonds is important to your investment strategy, Interactive Investor could be the preferable choice.

Feature Interactive Investor logoInteractive Investor
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info No No
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 Investor vs Freetrade Winner

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 logoInteractive Investor
Freetrade logoFreetrade
Overall Rating 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Investor or Freetrade?

Both Interactive Investor and Freetrade do not offer crypto trading, making them comparable options for investors focused on stocks and other traditional assets.

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Compare

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Overall Rating Interactive Investor Freetrade
Overall Rating 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Investor Review Freetrade Review
Winner check_circle
Investments Interactive Investor Freetrade
ISA info Yes Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No Yes
Funds info Yes No Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No No
Crypto Trading info No No Yes
Advisor Services info No No No
Trading Fees Interactive Investor Freetrade
Minimum Deposit info £0 £1 £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £3.99 £0 £3
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £3.99 £0 £3
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £3.99 £0 £3
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £79.83 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £15
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £59.88 / £107.76 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £36
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £59.88 / £203.52 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £108
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £59.88 / £538.68 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £360
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £71.85 N/A £0 / £14.85
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 info £59.88 - £143.88 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £0
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K info £143.88 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £0
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m info £143.88 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £0
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over info £143.88 £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £0
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info £3.99 N/A 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR)
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info £3.99 N/A 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR)
ETFs - Fee info £3.99 £0 £3
Investment Trusts - Fee info £3.99 £0 N/A
Telephone Dealing Fee info £49 N/A £25
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 info Yes Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 104 0 96
Charting - Drawing Tools info 18 0 80
Charting - Notes info Yes No Yes
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No Yes
Research Interactive Investor Freetrade
Research - Shares info Yes Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info No No Yes
Research - Funds info Yes No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes No Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes Yes
Education Interactive Investor Freetrade
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No Yes
Overall Summary Interactive Investor Freetrade
Overall Rating 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Investor Review Freetrade Review
Winner check_circle
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