Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs Robinhood UK, 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, Robinhood UK 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 - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Freetrade would cost £1 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 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.
When choosing an online broker in the UK, understanding the investment choices offered by platforms like Freetrade and Robinhood UK is crucial. Freetrade provides options for share trading, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and investment trusts. In contrast, Robinhood UK, while offering share trading, lacks options for ETFs and investment trusts. Both platforms do not support crypto trading, spread betting, CFD trading, funds trading, or bond trading, whether corporate or government, and neither offers advisory services.
For UK investors looking for variety, Freetrade earns a higher rating of 4 stars according to UK.StockBrokers.com, compared to Robinhood UK's 3-star rating. Despite this, both platforms rank low amongst 18 brokers, with Freetrade at #17 and Robinhood UK at #20 for investment choices. This ranking reflects the limited scope both brokers provide in terms of variety beyond basic share trading. Investors should consider their specific needs and explore each platform's offerings carefully.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Funds | No | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing Freetrade and Robinhood UK for their trading tools, both platforms provide a straightforward experience. Neither platform allows users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends on charts and they both lack drawing tools for charting. However, Robinhood UK stands out slightly by offering three technical indicators for charting, whereas Freetrade offers none. Additionally, both do not offer features such as adding notes, index overlays, or stock overlays to charts.
Both Freetrade and Robinhood UK are equal in providing browser-based trading platforms, enabling users to create alerts for stock price updates, and offering real-time market data to keep users informed. These shared features ensure that both platforms cater to modern investors who value timely information and accessibility, though Robinhood UK's extra technical indicators may appeal to those seeking more detailed charting capabilities.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 3 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers Freetrade and Robinhood UK, UK investors will find key differences in their retirement account offerings. Freetrade provides both Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), allowing users to grow their investments tax-efficiently with options tailored to their future financial planning needs. In contrast, Robinhood UK does not offer ISAs or SIPPs, limiting its appeal to those looking to manage retirement savings. This makes Freetrade a more comprehensive choice for UK users seeking versatile investment accounts with a focus on long-term financial security.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Freetrade and Robinhood UK both offer mobile apps available on iPhone and Android devices, providing UK users with easy access to trading on the go. Rated equally with 4 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for their mobile apps, these platforms bring competitive and user-friendly experiences to the table. However, when it comes to overall rankings among 18 brokers, Freetrade slightly edges out Robinhood UK with a position of #12 compared to Robinhood UK's #13. Whether you're considering Freetrade or Robinhood UK, both offer well-received mobile trading options.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing Freetrade and Robinhood UK for beginner investor educational resources, both platforms fall short in offering live or archived webinars for clients. However, Freetrade provides educational content on share trading, funds, and retirement, whereas Robinhood UK only covers share trading. Despite these differences, both brokers receive a rating of 3.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for their beginner education offerings. In a ranking of 18 brokers, Freetrade is placed higher at 16th, while Robinhood UK comes in at 20th, suggesting Freetrade offers a slightly more comprehensive educational experience for newcomers in the UK.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Freetrade and Robinhood UK for their market research features, users will find both platforms offer similar options with some key differences. Neither Freetrade nor Robinhood UK provide research reports for funds, CFDs, or bonds. However, both platforms excel in offering shares and ETFs research. Freetrade stands out by allowing users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature not available with Robinhood UK. This makes Freetrade a better choice for investors keen on detailed portfolio analysis. Overall, both brokers offer comprehensive shares and ETFs insights, but Freetrade provides a useful tool for managing portfolio diversification.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or Robinhood UK? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Freetrade to be a better trading platform overall.
Overall Freetrade is a great platform to help you get to grips with investing. Costs are low, and its user-friendly mobile app offers great investment inspiration. Sophisticated investors, however, may find that other platforms offer a wider range of investment options and tools.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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Both Freetrade and Robinhood UK are online brokers that do not offer crypto trading, providing users with alternatives focused on traditional stock investments without the option for cryptocurrency transactions.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | No | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Platforms & Tools | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 3 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | Robinhood UK | |
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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