Best UK Trading Platform for Beginners – Trading 212
| Company |
Overall Rating |
Minimum Deposit |
Ease of Use |
Mobile App |
 Trading 212
|
 |
£1 |
|
 |
I've found Trading 212 to be an ideal choice for investors who want to pay in small amounts or who are new to share trading. It’s free to trade, you can invest through a tax-free ISA, and the mobile app is easy to use.
Investment choices: With the Trading 212 Invest or ISA accounts, you can access thousands of global stocks and ETFs, offering ample options for beginner investors. You can also invest from as little as £1 and can buy fractional shares, which means you don’t have to own a share in full. For example, you can invest a few pounds in Apple without having to pay the full share price (currently over $200).
Fees: You’ll only pay a small amount in foreign exchange fees if you’re buying shares in companies listed overseas. That’s all the charges you’ll pay as there are otherwise no trading charges or management fees.
Cash interest: Another benefit of Trading 212 is that it pays generous interest — currently 4.9% — on uninvested cash and through a standalone cash ISA. Even as you familiarise yourself with the platform and consider your investment options before making the plunge into buying stocks, you'll continue earning interest on cash held within your account.
Learn more by reading my in-depth Trading 212 review.
Great for low fees – XTB
| Company |
Overall Rating |
Minimum Deposit |
Ease of Use |
Mobile App |
 XTB
|
|
£0 |
|
|
XTB has really ramped up its investment and account offerings in the past year as it aims to entice more everyday investors to its platform.
Fees: Like its rival Trading 212, XTB offers fee-free trading and charges 0% commission when buying and selling stocks, and also doesn’t charge management fees.
ISAs: One downside of XTB used to be that it didn’t offer an ISA, but this changed in December 2024 when XTB launched its own investment ISA. This means you can invest through the XTB ISA without having to worry about taxes such as capital gains tax or dividend tax.
Cash interest: XTB pays 4.75% interest on uninvested cash, so you can grow your money even if you don’t invest in anything. Interest is calculated daily and paid into your account monthly.
Investment choices: You can invest in stocks and ETFs through XTB. Forex and commodities CFD trading is also available, but may not be suitable for beginner investors as they are more risky.
Mobile app: I find the mobile app easy to use and if you’re starting out as an investor, you can get investment inspiration by selecting categories such as Top ETFs and Space Exploration to see what others are investing in and to filter companies by sector or trend.
Discover more about its wide range of features and offerings at my complete review of XTB.
Best range of investment choices – AJ Bell
| Company |
Overall Rating |
Minimum Deposit |
Ease of Use |
Mobile App |
 AJ Bell
|
|
£0 |
|
|
AJ Bell offers everything from shares and investment trusts to mutual funds and bonds. In addition to a standard investment ISA, AJ Bell is one of the few investment platforms in the UK to offer a Lifetime ISA for investors saving for their first home or retirement.
Fees: If you plan to invest in shares or ETFs, be mindful of fees that can take a large chunk out of your investment if you are only buying a small amount. AJ Bell charges £5 each time you buy or sell shares, reduced to £1.50 for regular trading. Management fees are also charged, capped at £3.50 per month.
Mutual funds: Mutual fund trades are free. Similar to ETFs, mutual funds are often popular with beginners because you get investment diversification even if you only have a small amount to invest. For example, you can invest in a fund that invests in potentially hundreds of companies worldwide. Annual management charges for funds are 0.25% of your portfolio (£2.50 per £1,000), so a percentage-based fee model works out well for those with smaller holdings.
Note that I particularly like AJ Bell’s new mobile app, Dodl, which comes with cheaper charges — it's worth exploring as well. Check out the full range of investment choices available by reading my AJ Bell review.
Best social experience – eToro
| Company |
Overall Rating |
Minimum Deposit |
Ease of Use |
Mobile App |
 eToro
|
|
$50 info |
|
|
Like Trading 212 and XTB, eToro does not charge anything to buy or sell stocks and does not have annual management fees.
Copy trading: eToro is an easy-to-use platform that also offers a copy trading option, which allows you to replicate other people’s portfolios. This feature should be considered with caution, but it’s an interesting way to see what others are investing in.
Demo account: Research is more limited than other platforms but eToro offers a great demo account to help you learn about trading without losing any real money.
ISAs: There is an eToro ISA but it’s not offered by eToro directly and is instead operated by the digital wealth management platform Moneyfarm.
Crypto: If you’re interested in more high-risk investments such as crypto, one benefit of eToro is that it’s just one of two of the major platforms we reviewed to offer crypto trading.
Read my eToro review to learn more.
Best for account range – Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown is the U.K.’s largest investment platform for everyday investors. As you’d expect from an industry leader, it offers very good investment options and is rated highly by users who like its ease of use.
Investment choices: Hargreaves Lansdown can be a great place to start if you are looking to invest in mutual funds, or one of its ready-made funds. You can invest through a general dealing account, ISA, Lifetime ISA, or SIPP. Hargreaves Lansdown is also one of only a few platforms to offer Junior SIPPs. Overall, you can hold a wide range of accounts through Hargreaves Lansdown, something I consider to be one of the platform’s key benefits.
Fees: Mutual fund trades are free, with annual management charges of 0.45%. Shares and ETFs are £11.95 per trade, which works out very expensive if you are investing a small amount (such as under £100). However, there are no management fees if you hold shares or ETFs through a general dealing account, and if you own them through an ISA then the management charges are 0.45% or capped at just £45 a year. If you are investing a large amount and the one-off trade charge works out to be a small percentage of your overall trades, then Hargreaves Lansdown can work out as a very cheap platform to hold shares or ETFs.
Check out my Hargreaves Lansdown review to learn more.
Best for global markets – Interactive Brokers
My view is that Interactive Brokers is a great choice for those looking to access a wide range of global markets. As a beginner, Interactive Brokers (IBKR) can be complicated to navigate but if you can get to grips with the platform, there are plenty of choices and fees are low. You can also open a demo account to learn more about IBKR before committing any real money.
Investment choices: You have the opportunity to invest in 48,000 funds worldwide and more than 90 stock markets through IBKR. Shares and ETFs are priced at a fixed £3 per trade up to the value of £6,000 and $1 for US stocks.
Fees: Transaction fees on around 14,000 funds are free, and there are also no management charges. This could make Interactive Brokers a good choice if you plan to invest solely in funds.
Read my Interactive Brokers review to learn more about their wide range of available markets in which to invest.
Compare the best UK trading platforms for beginners
FAQs
What is a trading platform?
A trading platform, also called an investment platform or broker, is where you buy and sell investments such as shares, funds and bonds. You may also be able to trade alternative assets such as currencies, oil, gold and crypto. Beginners may want to consider sticking to traditional investments — shares, funds and bonds — to begin with, as alternative assets can be more volatile.
How do I choose a UK trading platform?
I've found that some of the most important considerations for choosing a UK trading platform include the broker's fees and the available investment options. If you are savings or retirement-focused, I'd recommend seeing whether they offer ISAs (like a stocks and shares ISA or a cash ISA) or SIPPs. It's worth noting that there's nothing stopping you from opening separate accounts with different platforms, if you like aspects of different brokers and want to try out several. Some platforms offer commission-free trading but may have more limited investment options or accounts. I recommend taking the time to read some of my U.K. broker reviews to help you pick the best platform for your needs.
How do I open a UK trading account?
First, you'll want to choose the best platform for your needs – whether you are a beginner trader, an active trader, or you just want the best broker for mobile trading. Then, you'll want to open the broker's website or app and select the ‘open account’ option. Most platforms will allow you to sign up and fund your account within minutes. You’ll need to provide ID such as a photo of your driving licence or passport, along with providing your National Insurance number and proof of address. You can then pay money into your account through a bank transfer or using your debit card.
How does regular investing work?
Regular investing is where you invest a fixed amount on a monthly basis, to be paid directly into your investment or investments of choice. You benefit from saving little and often, which feels more achievable for some, and you can benefit from pound cost averaging to help smooth out fluctuations in the stock market. Most U.K. investment platforms offer discounted fees — or charge nothing at all — for regular investing.
Are online trading platforms safe?
All the U.K. trading platforms we review are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which means they comply with stringent regulatory requirements. Your money is protected up to the value of £85,000 should a platform go out of business. However, be aware that all investing comes with an element of risk and your returns will depend on your own investment decisions.
What is the best crypto trading platform for beginners in the UK?
If you are just becoming familiar with investing, I recommend starting out with traditional investing in instruments such as stocks and funds. Cryptocurrencies are complex products, and, moreover, the cryptocurrency market tends toward the volatile, carrying a high risk of loss. If you do want to try your hand at trading crypto, use a regulated broker. eToro is one of our top recommendations; other reputable brokers that offer crypto in the U.K. include Saxo, Interactive Brokers and XTB.
What is an ISA?
What is a SIPP?
A Self-Invested Personal Pension, or SIPP, is a tax-efficient means of saving funds for retirement in the U.K. SIPPs are government approved, and enable individuals to make their own investment decisions. Unlike more traditional pension models where investment choice is often restricted to a limited number of funds, a SIPP offers investors the ability to self-direct their investments.
Other trading platforms tested
In addition to our top picks, I fully analysed 11 additional regulated brokers in the U.K.
Barclays: Barclays Smart Investor offers a wide range of investments and accounts. The platform is good value for those with a midsize portfolio who like flat fees, but the mobile app is limited if you don’t have a Barclays current account.
Capital.com: Capital.com no longer offers direct share ownership, so you’ll have to trade through CFDs.
CMC Invest: One to watch, CMC Invest is relatively new and still in development. It offers low fees and you can interest on uninvested cash.
Fidelity: Fidelity offers thousands of investments to choose from and great research material. It is also one of few investment platforms to offer financial advice.
Freetrade: Freetrade is another good option for new investors, as it offers commission-free stock trading. The ISA option costs £4.99 a month, which can work out quite expensive if you have less than £10,000 to invest.
Halifax: If you are already a Halifax bank customer, it may be worth signing up to Halifax’s online share dealing service for simplicity. But fees can work out high for infrequent or low trades.
IG: The IG platform is more aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades. It may not be the best option for beginners.
Interactive Investor: My top pick for overall UK investment platform due to its cost-effective flat-fee structure, it may not be the best platform strictly for beginners since it charges a fee for mutual funds and can work out expensive to those with small portfolios of less than £15,000.
Lloyds Bank: Trading fees are among the highest of any broker, at £11 to buy and sell U.K. shares. The broker is most likely to be of use if you are already a Lloyds Bank customer.
Saxo: Saxo’s trading platform is highly sophisticated and used by private and professional investors. The biggest downside is the cost, as its charges are significantly higher than its U.K. competitors.
Vanguard: Vanguard’s U.K. platform does not offer access to share dealing. You can only invest in Vanguard ETFs and funds. But the platform is popular among those looking for low fees and who don’t want to be overwhelmed by choice.
Why you should trust us
Elizabeth Anderson has been a financial journalist for more than a decade. She’s written for major national newspapers, contributed to corporate reports and research, and reviewed dozens of share dealing platforms, SIPP providers, ISAs, and brokerage firms. Elizabeth started her career at Bloomberg and has worked for the BBC, The Telegraph, The Times and the i newspaper. She is passionate about helping people understand finance and investing. A keen investor herself, Elizabeth invests through general dealing accounts, ISAs and several SIPPs.
Steven Hatzakis is a well-known finance writer with 25+ years of experience in the foreign exchange and financial markets. He is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for Reink Media Group, leading research efforts for ForexBrokers.com since 2016. He has served as a registered commodity futures representative for domestic and internationally-regulated brokerages. Steven holds a Series III license in the US as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).
All content on UK.StockBrokers.com is handwritten by a writer, fact-checked by a member of our research team, and edited and published by an editor. Our ratings, rankings, and opinions are entirely our own, and the result of our extensive research and decades of collective experience covering the U.K. brokerage industry.
Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .1% each year, providing site visitors with quality data they can trust. Click here to learn more about how we test.
How we tested
At UK.StockBrokers.com, our online broker reviews are based on our collected quantitative data as well as the observations and qualified opinions of our expert researchers. Each year we publish tens of thousands of words of research and collect hundreds of data points while testing brokerage firms, share dealing platforms, SIPP providers, ISA providers, and other financial service providers relevant to U.K. investors.
Mobile testing is conducted on modern devices that run the most up-to-date operating systems available:
- For Apple, we use MacBook Pro laptops running the latest version of and the iPhone 15 running the latest version of iOS.
- For Android, we use the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra devices running Android OS 14.
All websites and web-based platforms are tested using the latest version of the Google Chrome browser.
Our researchers thoroughly test a wide range of key features, such as the availability and quality of trading platforms for web, desktop, and mobile, charting, real-time and streaming quotes, and educational resources – among other important variables. We also evaluate the overall design of the mobile experience, and look for a fluid user experience moving between mobile and desktop platforms.
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
