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.
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.
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.
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 Freetrade are popular choices for UK investors seeking online trading platforms, each offering unique strengths in investment options. Interactive Investor stands out with a wide array of choices, providing share trading, ETF trading, funds trading, and the ability to trade in both corporate and government bonds. Furthermore, it supports investment in trusts, making it a comprehensive platform for diverse financial strategies. Ranked as the third-best for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor earns a solid 5-star rating.
Freetrade, on the other hand, focuses on simplicity and accessibility, allowing users to engage in share trading, ETF trading, and investment trusts. Although it doesn't offer trading for funds or bonds, Freetrade is lauded for its user-friendly approach and still receives a respectable 4-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. Positioned 17th for investment choices out of 21 brokers, Freetrade suits investors who prioritise ease of use and straightforward trading options.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | ||
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When considering trading tools, Interactive Investor and Freetrade cater to different needs. Interactive Investor stands out with its ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, while Freetrade lacks this feature. For those keen on charting features, Interactive Investor offers an impressive array of 18 drawing tools and 104 technical indicators, allowing for detailed market analysis. In contrast, Freetrade provides none of these tools or indicators, potentially limiting more advanced trading strategies.
Interactive Investor also supports additional features such as the ability to add notes to charts and apply index and stock overlays, adding depth to its charting functionality. Both platforms offer browser-based trading and provide real-time market data as well as the ability to create stock price alerts. However, if you're looking for a platform with extensive charting capabilities, Interactive Investor clearly leads over Freetrade, which is more geared towards users who might not need complex analytical tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
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.
For UK beginner investors seeking educational resources, Interactive Investor and Freetrade present distinct offerings. Interactive Investor excels with educational client webinars, available both live and on-demand, offering comprehensive learning opportunities. They cover topics like share trading, funds, and retirement, contributing to their top-tier 5-star rating and second-place rank out of 21 brokers according to UK.StockBrokers.com. In contrast, while Freetrade does provide educational content on share trading, funds, and retirement, they lack in offering webinars or archived sessions, which may impact their effectiveness in delivering practical knowledge. Consequently, Freetrade secures a 3.5-star rating and ranks 16th, suggesting that Interactive Investor might be a more enriching choice for novice investors focused on exploring a variety of educational tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| 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.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Investor and Freetrade, it's clear that both platforms offer valuable tools for investors, though Interactive Investor provides a broader range of resources. Both Interactive Investor and Freetrade offer the ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class, as well as research for shares and ETFs. However, Interactive Investor also supplies research reports for funds and bonds, resources that Freetrade does not offer. Neither platform provides research for CFDs, leaving some gaps for investors interested in this area. Overall, Interactive Investor stands out with a more comprehensive selection of research options, catering to those looking for deeper insights across various financial instruments.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| 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.
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Freetrade
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Interactive Investor does not offer crypto trading, while Freetrade also does not provide crypto trading options, making both platforms more suitable for investors focused on traditional stocks and shares.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
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| 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 | |||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £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) | £79.83 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £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 | |
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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 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 | 18 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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