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, Freetrade offers better pricing than Interactive Investor 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.
Interactive Investor and Freetrade both let UK investors buy shares, ETFs, funds, gilts and investment trusts, and neither offers CFD trading. Neither platform appears to offer crypto or spread betting either. For most everyday investors, that means both brokers cover the main market options you would expect for a general investment account, ISA or other account type, with a focus on traditional investing rather than more speculative products.
Where Interactive Investor stands out is its wider choice of assets, as it also offers corporate bonds and adviser services, while Freetrade does not offer corporate bonds or advice. That broader range helps explain why Interactive Investor scores 5 stars for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks #3 out of 21 brokers, compared with Freetrade’s 4.5 stars and #9 ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When it comes to trading tools, Interactive Investor gives UK investors a lot more to work with than Freetrade. It offers 12 drawing tools, 104 technical indicators, chart notes and stock overlays, which may suit more active traders who like to analyse price moves in detail. By contrast, Freetrade does not offer drawing tools, technical indicators, chart notes or stock overlays, so its charting is much more basic.
Both brokers do offer a browser-based trading platform and stock price alerts, which is helpful for managing investments online. Neither platform shows corporate events such as earnings, splits or dividends on charts, and neither provides real-time market data. For traders who want more chart features, Interactive Investor is the stronger choice, while Freetrade keeps things simpler.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 12 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | 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.
Interactive Investor vs Freetrade: both UK brokers offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, making it easy to manage investments on the go. UK.StockBrokers.com rates each app 4.5 out of 5 stars, with Freetrade ranked 7th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps and Interactive Investor close behind at 8th. If you’re choosing between them, both deliver highly rated iOS and Android experiences, with Freetrade edging the rankings slightly.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, Interactive Investor has the edge over Freetrade on education, offering live client webinars plus on-demand archived webinars, while Freetrade does not provide webinars at all. Both platforms cover key topics such as share trading, funds and retirement, but Interactive Investor is rated 5 stars for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks #3 out of 21 brokers, compared with Freetrade’s 4 stars and #13 ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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.
Comparing Interactive Investor vs Freetrade for UK market research: Interactive Investor offers wide coverage with research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, plus fund research reports and a portfolio allocation view by asset class. Freetrade provides the asset-class allocation view but lacks fund research reports and does not offer dedicated research on shares, ETFs, funds or bonds, so it suits straightforward monitoring rather than deeper analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 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.
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 | No | 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | 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 | £71.88 / £179.88 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £179.88 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £179.88 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £179.88 | £59.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £0 | |
| 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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| 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 | 12 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | 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 Investor | 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 Investor | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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