Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs Saxo, 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 Saxo 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.
Freetrade and Saxo both let UK investors buy and sell shares, ETFs, funds, UK government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Where they differ is in market range: Saxo also offers crypto trading, CFD trading, and corporate bonds, while Freetrade does not. Neither broker provides advisor services.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade 4.5/5 (ranked 9th of 21) and Saxo 5/5 (ranked 2nd of 21). If you want straightforward share and fund investing, Freetrade covers the essentials, while Saxo suits those seeking a wider selection that includes crypto, CFDs, and corporate bonds.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Freetrade vs Saxo for trading tools: UK investors comparing platforms will find Saxo stronger for charting, with 20 drawing tools, 64 technical indicators and the option to add stock overlays. Freetrade offers none of these chart features. Neither platform shows corporate events on charts, allows notes, or supports index overlays.
On platform access and alerts, both Freetrade and Saxo provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts. Neither offers real-time market data. If you want deeper chart analysis, Saxo is the better fit; if you only need simple price tracking on the web, Freetrade covers the basics.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 64 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Comparing Freetrade vs Saxo for UK retirement accounts, both providers offer an ISA (Individual Savings Account) and a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension). With either broker you can invest tax-efficiently through an ISA and build your pension in a SIPP with tax relief, so the choice mainly comes down to fees, investment options, and platform usability rather than account availability.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing Freetrade vs Saxo, both brokers offer iPhone and Android mobile apps. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Freetrade’s app is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks 7th of 21 brokers, while Saxo’s app earns 5/5 stars and ranks 1st, making Saxo the higher-rated choice for mobile trading.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners, both Freetrade and Saxo offer education on share trading, funds and retirement. However, Freetrade has no client webinars or on demand recordings, while Saxo runs webinars and keeps them available to watch later. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Freetrade’s beginner education is rated 4/5 and ranked 13th of 21 brokers, whereas Saxo earns 5/5 and ranks 2nd. If webinars and deeper learning matter to you, Saxo stands out; for basic topics, Freetrade still covers the essentials.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing market research, Freetrade provides a simple view of portfolio allocation by asset class but lacks research for shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, and does not offer fund research reports. Saxo includes research across shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, offers fund research reports, and also shows allocation by asset class. If research tools are important, Saxo is the stronger choice; if you only need a basic allocation view, both platforms cover that.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or Saxo? 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
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Comparing online brokers Freetrade and Saxo: Freetrade does not offer crypto trading, while Saxo does, making Saxo the better choice for investors seeking access to cryptocurrency markets.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Freetrade Review | Saxo Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| 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 | £59.88 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £59.88 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £59.88 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £59.88 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | €20 minimum | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | €20 minimum | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | From $1 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | 0.03/0.06/0.08% | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Platforms & Tools | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 64 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Freetrade Review | Saxo Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review