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 vs Freetrade: both let you deal in shares, ETFs, funds, gilts (UK government bonds), and investment trusts. Neither supports crypto or CFD trading, and neither provides adviser services. One key difference is bonds access: Interactive Investor also offers corporate bonds, while Freetrade does not.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Investor at 5 stars (3rd of 21) and Freetrade at 4.5 stars (9th of 21). If you want corporate bonds alongside shares, ETFs, funds, gilts, and trusts, Interactive Investor may suit you; for a straightforward lineup of shares, ETFs, funds, gilts, and trusts, Freetrade is a solid pick.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Freetrade
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|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | 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.
For charting and analysis, Interactive Investor offers far more than Freetrade. It can display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, supports stock overlays, and lets you add notes. It also includes drawing tools and 104 technical indicators. By contrast, Freetrade does not show corporate events on charts, has no drawing tools or technical indicators, and does not support notes or stock overlays. Neither platform offers index overlays.
Both Interactive Investor and Freetrade provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts. However, neither offers real-time market data, so prices may be delayed. If you’re a UK investor who values deeper chart analysis, Interactive Investor is the stronger pick; if you prefer a simple setup with alerts and web access, Freetrade may be enough.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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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.
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 UK beginners comparing educational resources, Interactive Investor and Freetrade both cover share trading, funds, and retirement, but neither offers live webinars or on-demand replays. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor achieves 5/5 for beginner education and ranks 3rd out of 21 brokers, while Freetrade scores 4/5 and ranks 13th, making Interactive Investor the stronger choice overall for learning support.
| 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 |
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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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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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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 | 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 | £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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| 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 | 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 | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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