Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Lloyds Bank 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 Lloyds Bank 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.
Lloyds Bank and Freetrade both offer UK share dealing alongside ETFs, funds, gilts (government bonds), and investment trusts. Neither platform supports crypto or CFD trading. For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both brokers at 4.5 out of 5.
There are key differences. Lloyds Bank also lets you trade corporate bonds and provides optional adviser services, while Freetrade does not offer either. In the same rankings for Investment Choices, Lloyds Bank is 8th out of 21 brokers, compared with Freetrade at 17th. If you want wider fixed‑income access and the option of advice, Lloyds Bank may suit; if you’re happy without advice, Freetrade is a straightforward alternative.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
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 | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
UK investors comparing trading tools will find that both Lloyds Bank and Freetrade provide browser-based platforms and price alerts, but neither shows corporate events like earnings, splits or dividends on charts. Index and stock overlays aren’t available on either, and neither supplies real-time market data.
For charting, Lloyds Bank is more feature-focused: it supports 93 technical indicators and lets you add notes to charts. The number of drawing tools at Lloyds Bank isn’t specified, while Freetrade lists no drawing tools and no technical indicators, and it doesn’t allow chart notes—making it better suited to basic watch-and-alert use rather than in-depth technical analysis.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 93 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing retirement accounts offered by Lloyds Bank and Freetrade, both online brokers in the UK provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering to diversified investment needs. Lloyds Bank, a traditional financial institution, and Freetrade, a more recent player focused on simple, app-based trading, both offer comprehensive solutions for those seeking tax-efficient savings and retirement planning. While Lloyds Bank might appeal to those who prefer a broader range of traditional banking services, Freetrade can be attractive for tech-savvy individuals who value ease of use and streamlined investment options. Ultimately, the choice between the two may come down to your preferred trading style and the level of service you expect.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing online brokers, both Lloyds Bank and Freetrade offer iPhone and Android apps, but Freetrade leads on quality: UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade’s mobile app 4.5/5 versus Lloyds Bank’s 3.5/5. In the site’s Mobile Apps ranking of 21 brokers, Freetrade is #12 while Lloyds Bank is #17. If you want an iOS or Android trading app, both cover the basics, though Freetrade’s higher rating suggests a smoother day-to-day experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing online brokers, neither Lloyds Bank nor Freetrade offers educational webinars, live or on demand. Freetrade does provide learning content on share trading, funds, and retirement, while Lloyds Bank does not. Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com; across 21 brokers, Lloyds ranks #14 and Freetrade #16. In short, Freetrade has broader topic coverage, but Lloyds scores slightly higher in the league table.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Comparing Lloyds Bank vs Freetrade for UK investors on market research: Lloyds Bank delivers research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, including fund research reports, but it doesn’t show your portfolio allocation by asset class. Freetrade offers a clear asset-class allocation view, yet lacks research reports and does not provide dedicated research on shares, ETFs, funds or bonds. Pick Lloyds Bank if you want fuller research coverage; choose Freetrade if seeing your portfolio mix matters more.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
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 | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Lloyds Bank or Freetrade? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Lloyds Bank to be a better trading platform overall.
It's easy for current Lloyds Bank customers to open a Lloyds Bank Share Dealing investment account. But there are other platforms that are easier, more comprehensive and cheaper to use, including Halifax, which is also owned by Lloyds Banking Group.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
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Freetrade
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|---|---|---|
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Both Lloyds Bank and Freetrade do not offer crypto trading, making them similar in this aspect for investors seeking online brokerage services.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Lloyds Bank | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Lloyds Bank Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Lloyds Bank | 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 | Lloyds Bank | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £9.50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £8 | £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 | £36 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £36 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £36 | £59.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £36 | £59.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £9.50 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £9.50 | £0 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £9.50 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £35 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Lloyds Bank | Freetrade | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Lloyds Bank | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 93 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Lloyds Bank | 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 | No | Yes |
| Education | Lloyds Bank | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Lloyds Bank | Freetrade | |
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| Review | Lloyds Bank Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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