Best UK trading platform for active traders – Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers stands out as the best platform for active traders in the U.K., thanks to its unparalleled trading tools, low fees, and global reach. Its Trader Workstation (TWS) is a sophisticated tool that I found tailor-made for serious traders. The platform supports trading across multiple asset classes, including stocks, forex, and options, offering advanced charting, real-time analytics, and customizable workflows. While the learning curve is steep, the demo account lets you test its features with virtual funds, making it easier to transition into live trading.
Pricing: When it comes to cost-efficiency, Interactive Brokers is also superb. I was impressed by the low commission structure, particularly for high-frequency traders. With shares and ETFs priced at just £3 per trade up to £6,000 and 0.05% above that, the fees remain competitive even for substantial portfolios. Notably, there are no custody charges or transaction fees for their extensive lineup of 19,000 mutual funds. This combination of low costs and comprehensive access to global markets makes it ideal for U.K. traders who prioritize both affordability and depth of investment options.
Mobile apps: The mobile experience is another highlight, offering flexibility for traders on the move. I tested both the IBKR mobile app and its GlobalTrader version, finding them intuitive yet powerful. The apps provide in-depth stock data, customizable dashboards, and unique tools like the Impact Lens, which aligns investments with ethical preferences. Whether trading fractional shares or managing a complex portfolio, Interactive Brokers’ mobile apps deliver a seamless extension of its robust desktop platform, perfect for keeping pace with active markets.
Learn more about its offerings at our full review of Interactive Brokers.
Award-winning platform suite – Saxo
| Company |
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Minimum Deposit |
Web Platform |
Mobile App |
 Saxo
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£0 |
Yes |
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Saxo Bank’s platform suite is a thoroughly attractive choice for active traders in the U.K., offering sophistication, versatility, and a global reach that few competitors match. The SaxoTraderPRO desktop platform is tailor-made for professional-grade trading, with advanced features like multi-screen support for up to six monitors. Meanwhile, SaxoTraderGO bridges the gap for web and mobile users, providing a seamless, intuitive interface to access the same wealth of tools. In my experience, these platforms deliver an unparalleled combination of speed and customization, ideal for the fast-paced decisions active traders face daily. The platforms’ ability to integrate market insights, performance tracking, and real-time data ensures you're always one step ahead.
Market access: One of Saxo’s key strengths is its comprehensive market access and trading tools. With over 23,500 stocks from 50 global exchanges, the breadth of investment options is extraordinary. For traders seeking high-growth opportunities or hedging strategies, Saxo’s offerings extend to ETFs, forex, commodities, and derivatives, including options and futures. I found the built-in tools — like 64 chart indicators and 20 drawing tools — robust enough for in-depth technical analysis. While chart customization could be more streamlined, the overall toolkit empowers traders to make informed and precise trades. This depth is rare among U.K. brokers, and Saxo’s global reach is unmatched, particularly for those venturing into less conventional markets like Tokyo or Hong Kong.
Research: Saxo’s research and educational resources further enhance its appeal for serious traders. The in-house strategy team produces timely, actionable content through daily market feeds, articles, and the popular Saxo Market Call podcast. News integrations from Dow Jones and other premium sources keep users in the loop about global trends, while webinars and video guides provide deep dives into trading strategies and market developments. These resources helped me better understand and react to complex market movements. Combined with trading volume discounts, Saxo rewards those who trade frequently and manage sizable portfolios, making it an ideal partner for committed U.K. traders in 2025.
Check out more details in our complete review of Saxo.
Great for advanced charting – IG
| Company |
Overall Rating |
Minimum Deposit |
Web Platform |
Mobile App |
 IG
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£0 |
Yes |
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IG is my pick if advanced charting is a top concern as its charting tools are ideal for active traders in the U.K. Whether you're day trading or executing swing strategies, IG’s ProRealTime charting suite offers professional-grade tools. I found features like multi-timeframe analysis, customizable indicators, and historical data overlays invaluable for pinpointing trends and making informed decisions. For those who trade frequently — placing at least three trades a month — this premium service is free, adding exceptional value for active traders.
Trading tools: IG’s integrated trading environment also sets it apart. The ability to trade directly from charts is a game-changer. With a simple drag-and-drop functionality, you can modify orders swiftly, perfect for managing positions in fast-moving markets. I’ve noticed this seamless approach helps me stay focused on strategy rather than toggling between screens, which is vital when trading small timeframes. Coupled with integrated research from TipRanks and trading signals, IG ensures you're always equipped with actionable insights.
Community resources: Another reason I rate IG highly is its educational and community resources. The IG news portal delivers up-to-the-minute market analysis, while IG Academy offers webinars, courses, and live trading sessions to sharpen your skills. I also appreciate the platform’s live-streamed trading show, which fosters a sense of community while providing expert commentary. If you're serious about refining your craft and staying connected with other traders, IG delivers the tools and support you need to thrive.
For more information, read our review of IG.
Compare the best UK brokers for active traders
FAQs
What is the best free trading platform in the UK?
Among the top brokers in 2025, Interactive Brokers is my top pick for a free trading platform suite for active traders. It offers several options for web and mobile, along with the broker’s flagship Trader Workstation Desktop platform, which comes fully loaded.
What is the best platform for day trading in the UK?
Interactive Brokers is my top choice for active day traders in the U.K. in 2025. With a plethora of trading tools, platforms and research, and more access to global markets, IBKR should have you covered as an active day trader. That said, it’s worth adding that Saxo and IG are also excellent choices.
What are the best UK stock trading apps?
How can I trade forex in the UK?
The first step in trading forex in the U.K. is to choose a broker that is regulated and authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, and open a trading account. Note that it's important to read the full terms and conditions of your account agreement, which governs the relationship you have with your broker.
Next, to execute trades, you must fund your account with a small amount of capital that you can afford to risk. Here are three steps to take after opening an account:
Learn the platform. Before trading, learn how your broker's trading software works. Some brokers offer virtual, or "paper," trading, which allows you to practice without risking real money. Explore any free educational content that's available about the platform.
Develop a strategy. Once you feel fluent with your broker's trading platforms, outline a basic strategy for yourself that includes risk management. The next step will be to identify entry points and exits (the price you plan to enter and exit the market) for a given currency pair.
Trade your plan. Once you identify a price and direction you would like to enter, a market order or limit order can help you establish an open position; you can also attach a stop-loss order and take-profit limit order to manage the risk/reward of your investment.
How do I choose a forex broker in the UK?
The broker you choose should be regulated and authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and highly trusted, meaning the broker has many years in operation and holds numerous regulatory licenses.
Ideally, the broker will rank highly in all the categories that are important to you. For example, you should choose an FCA-regulated broker that can give you access to the markets you want to trade, from within excellent online trading platforms (web-based or desktop-based software) and mobile trading apps. The best forex brokers in the U.K. also offer comprehensive educational content and a rich offering of research tools in various media formats, such as articles, news headlines, videos and webinars.
For more insight, see our top picks among U.K. forex brokers on sister site ForexBrokers.com.
Who is the best forex broker in the UK?
IG holds the title of best forex broker in the U.K. in 2025. U.K. residents can access spread betting, share trading, ETFs, and investment trusts, as well as forex and CFDs. See a full review of IG's forex offerings on our sister site, ForexBrokers.com. See a full review of IG's forex offerings on our sister site, ForexBrokers.com.
What is the best crypto trading platform UK?
eToro wins the best cryptocurrency ribband in our extensive review. In addition to offering share trading and other asset classes, eToro offers a plethora of cryptocurrencies and coins to trade, including familiar names such as bitcoin and ether, but also all the less well-known cryptocurrencies and altcoins.
In addition, eToro allows you to invest in cryptocurrency portfolios and use its cryptocurrency copy trading feature, as well as the ability to hold cryptocurrency in the eToro wallet.
Discover how we rank and rated U.K. investment platforms for their crypto offerings at our extensive guide to the best crypto platforms in the U.K.
Other trading platforms tested
In addition to our top picks, we tested and analysed 11 more brokers in the U.K. Here are our high-level takeaways for each.
AJ Bell - Charges are on the high side for those with large portfolios in mutual funds and those looking to execute one-off share deals; but AJ Bell’s new app, called Dodl, offers much lower fees and also offers a more slim-lined and user-friendly service. Educational and research materials are strong, too.
Barclays Smart Investor - Barclays Smart Investor offers a wide range of investments and accounts and is a good value for those with a midsize portolio who like flat fees. On the downside, it can be complicated to open an account as a non-Barclays bank customer, and you can’t buy or sell investments through the app if you don’t have a Barclays bank account.
Capital.com - Capital.com is a U.K. broker primarily known for CFDs (contracts for difference) and spread betting. While it previously offered the chance to buy and sell shares commission-free, you can no longer buy shares directly through Capital.com. Trading is limited to an unleveraged CFD account.
CMC Invest - CMC Invest offers commission-free trading of U.K.-listed shares and U.S. equities via a mobile app only. Though a newer entrant to the U.K. share dealing market and currently somewhat limited, it’s powered by global contender CMC Markets, making it likely that its offerings will expand.
Fidelity International - Fidelity offers thousands of investments to choose from and also offers financial advice for those wanting more direction. It's best suited to traditional investors who hold a range of accounts through the platform, enjoy the great research material available and who may also use Fidelity for financial advice. The platform can be expensive for those with portfolios of less than £20,000 and those with portfolios above £40,000.
Freetrade - 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.
Halifax - Charges at Halifax are in line with some other brokers, but more expensive than others. If you have a large investment portfolio you may benefit from the low annual management fee of £36. If you are new to Halifax, there may be a better platform for you that is cheaper and easier to open.
Hargreaves Lansdown - As the U.K.’s biggest investment platform for individual investors, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment choices for either beginners or seasoned investors. However, its fees are generally more expensive than rival brokers, which can become an issue for large investment pots.
Interactive Investor - The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
Lloyds Bank - 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.
Vanguard UK Investor - Vanguard U.K. Investor, part of one of the world's largest fund managers, is cheap and easy to use and will appeal to investors looking for inexpensive index funds for long-term investing. Its platform, however, reveals many shortcomings compared to leading brokers, particularly relating to the narrow investment selection and lack of mobile app.
Our testing
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.
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