Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs XTB, 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, XTB offers better pricing than Freetrade 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 vs XTB: Both let UK investors buy and sell shares and ETFs, and neither supports crypto, corporate bonds, or adviser services. Freetrade adds funds, UK government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, but it doesn’t offer CFD trading. XTB is the reverse: it offers CFDs, but not funds, gilts, or investment trusts. Details on spread betting aren’t provided in this comparison.
On investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both at 4.5 stars; Freetrade ranks 9th of 21 brokers, while XTB ranks 12th. In short, pick Freetrade if you want funds, gilts, or investment trusts alongside shares and ETFs; pick XTB if you need CFDs.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, XTB offers far deeper charting than Freetrade. XTB lets you display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, add notes, and layer index or stock overlays. It includes 4 drawing tools and 13 technical indicators, plus real-time market data. Both Freetrade and XTB have a browser-based platform.
Freetrade’s toolset is minimalist: no drawing tools, no indicators, no chart notes or overlays, and no corporate events on charts, and it does not provide real-time market data. Its main edge here is simple stock price alerts, which XTB does not offer. Choose Freetrade if you only need basic monitoring; pick XTB if you want richer charts and live data for analysis.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 13 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 4 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
Freetrade vs XTB for UK tax wrappers: both brokers offer a Stocks and Shares ISA for tax-efficient investing, but only Freetrade also provides a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) for retirement saving, while XTB does not offer a SIPP. If you want both an ISA and a pension in one place, Freetrade is the more complete choice; if you only need an ISA, either platform can work.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Freetrade and XTB both offer iPhone and Android trading apps for UK investors, and UK.StockBrokers.com rates each mobile app 4.5 out of 5 stars; however, Freetrade ranks slightly higher for Mobile Apps—7th out of 21 brokers—while XTB sits 9th, so if you’re choosing on mobile experience alone, Freettrade edges it while both remain strong choices.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing Freetrade vs XTB education, neither broker offers client webinars or on‑demand replays. Both provide learning on share trading, while Freetrade also covers funds and retirement (pensions), which XTB does not. Even so, XTB scores higher for beginner education at 4.5/5 and ranks #8 of 21, compared with Freetrade’s 4/5 and #13. Pick Freetrade if you want extra guidance on funds and retirement, or XTB if you value a higher-rated overall learning experience.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
For UK investors comparing Freetrade vs XTB on market research, XTB offers in-app research on shares and ETFs, while Freetrade does not. Neither broker provides research reports for funds, nor research on funds or bonds. Freetrade does, however, let you see your portfolio allocation by asset class, a view XTB doesn’t offer. Choose XTB if you want built-in share and ETF insights; pick Freetrade if seeing your asset mix matters more.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | No | 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 XTB? 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
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Neither Freetrade nor XTB offer crypto trading, making their online brokerage options suitable for investors focused on other financial markets.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Freetrade Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||
| 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 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £59.88 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £59.88 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £59.88 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Platforms & Tools | Freetrade | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 13 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 4 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Freetrade | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Freetrade | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Freetrade Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
IG Group Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Freetrade Review
XTB Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Saxo Review
eToro Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review
CMC Invest Review