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Best Stock Trading Apps UK of 2024

Elizabeth Anderson

Written by Elizabeth Anderson, Blain Reinkensmeyer
Fact-checked by Steven Hatzakis
Edited by John Bringans

September 13, 2024

people Why you can trust UK.StockBrokers.com

We've been reviewing financial products and services and writing about U.K. markets since 2016. Blain Reinkensmeyer, Elizabeth Anderson and Steven Hatzakis have each placed thousands of trades, including shares, options, futures, cryptos, and forex. Find out more about us and how we test.

In my hands-on testing of over 20 share trading apps available in the U.K., I found a lot to like. That said, all brokers offer similar app features and it wasn't easy to come up with a shortlist.

To rank highly on my guide to the best stock trading apps, they had to be easy to use and offer an extraordinary stock trading and investing experience across different usability categories. Keep scrolling to find my picks for the best stock trading apps in the U.K.

Best UK Stock Trading Apps

  • Saxo - Best stock trading app in the UK
  • Interactive Brokers
    - Best stock trading app for usability
  • AJ Bell - Best range of accounts on a mobile platform
  • Hargreaves Lansdown - Best app for everyday investors
  • eToro - Best app for a simple user experience
  • IG
    - Best app for traders
Saxo
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall
Summary Review Pros/Cons

Best stock trading app in the UK

Minimum Deposit£0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month0.08% (£3 min)
ISAYes
SIPPYes

Saxo’s trading platform is highly sophisticated and used by both professional traders and private investors. Saxo offers a huge range of investments across 50 global stock exchanges. However, Saxo has high trading fees compared to other brokers. Read full review

Pros
  • Excellent web and mobile trading app
  • Offers ISAs and SIPPs
  • Now offers mutual funds
Cons
  • High fees for share and bond transactions
  • Limited chart features on the mobile app
  • Steep learning curve for newer investors
Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall
Summary Review Pros/Cons

Best stock trading app for usability

Minimum Deposit£0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month£3
ISAYes
SIPPYes

Offering a range of tools and capabilities, Interactive Brokers is aimed at confident investors but also offers great value and resources for newer investors. Share trading fees are low at £3 and there are no custody charges. Read full review

Pros
  • Low commission for stock trading
  • No mutual fund fees
  • Powerful tools for experienced investors
Cons
  • Educational content is U.S.-focused
  • Can seem overwhelming to new investors
  • Charges can be confusing
AJ Bell
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall
Summary Review Pros/Cons

Best range of accounts on a mobile platform

Minimum Deposit£0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month£5
ISAYes
SIPPYes

AJ Bell is a major investment platform with almost half a million customers. It is a trusted platform used by investors with both low and high portfolio values. Its new Dodl app is also very competitive on costs and design. Read full review

Pros
  • Great range of accounts and investments
  • Great customer service
  • New Dodl app offers much lower fees
Cons
  • Expensive for those with larger fund portfolios
  • Chart tools are basic for more sophisticated traders
Hargreaves Lansdown
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall
Summary Review Pros/Cons

Best app for everyday investors

Minimum Deposit£1
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month£11.95
ISAYes
SIPPYes

As the U.K.’s largest investment platform, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investments and accounts. Its educational and research material is excellent, as is its mobile app, but pricing is expensive compared with other similar brokers. Read full review

Pros
  • Offers a wide range of accounts
  • No custody charges for Junior ISAs
  • Plentiful educational materials
Cons
  • Stock trading fees are high
  • Charting features are not as sophisticated as other platforms
eToro
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall
Summary Review Pros/Cons

Best app for a simple user experience

Minimum Deposit$100 info
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month£0
ISANo
SIPPNo

EToro is an investment platform known for its social trading features and low fees. It’s easy to use and is popular among younger investors looking to test stock market trading. A downside is that eToro does not offer ISAs or SIPPs. Read full review

Pros
  • Very cheap
  • Virtual account allows you to practice
  • Great mobile app
Cons
  • No bonds, mutual funds or investment trusts
  • Some hidden fees
  • No ISA account or SIPP
IG
4/5 Stars 4.0 Overall
Summary Review Pros/Cons

Best app for traders

Minimum Deposit£0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month£3-£8
ISAYes
SIPPYes

IG’s excellent online trading platform puts it among the U.K.’s top brokers – particularly for experienced and regular traders looking for high capabilities. IG offers shares, trusts and ETFs, as well as spread betting and CFDs. Read full review

Pros
  • Can trade through an ISA or SIPP
  • Great mobile app and trading platform
  • Excellent learning resources
Cons
  • Expensive for investors making small, infrequent trades
  • No mutual funds or bonds
Sponsored

Best stock trading app in the U.K. – Saxo

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit iPhone App Android App Visit Site
Saxo logoSaxo
4.5/5 Stars £0 Yes Yes

Saxo again wins the crown for the U.K.’s best trading mobile app. The SaxoTraderGO mobile app is highly sophisticated, allowing you to replicate the best of Saxo’s impressive desktop platform through your smartphone. I'm a big fan of how cleanly the watch lists, positions and orders are laid out within the app. You can also view news, trending stocks, views from the trading floor, webinars and educational guides. The app’s chart tools are also impressive, allowing you to overlay different stocks and instruments on a single chart, and to customise charts. Learn more about Saxo's offering my checking out my Saxo review.

Saxo app stock list. Saxo app order slip. Saxo mobile app order confirmation. Saxo App buy BAE systems. Saxo app price alert.

Best for usability – Interactive Brokers

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit iPhone App Android App Visit Site
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars £0 Yes Yes

Interactive Brokers' IBKR app is extensive, whether viewing in demo mode or through a real trading account, with great chart tools and research. I like the ‘impact lens’ tab where you can select values you support and can see your portfolio impact score. The only thing that slightly lets IBKR down is its current lack of educational content aimed at U.K. investors. Read my Interactive Brokers review to learn more.

Interactive Brokers mobile home page Interactive Brokers mobile portfolio view Interactive Brokers mobile share chart Interactive Brokers mobile transaction fees Interactive Brokers mobile order confirmation Interactive Brokers mobile set ESG preferences

Best for range of accounts – AJ Bell

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit iPhone App Android App Visit Site
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
4.5/5 Stars £0 Yes Yes

AJ Bell’s mobile app offers everything an everyday investor would need, including the ability to view research and news, create a watch list, set limit orders and search investment ideas. One snag is that you can’t view charts in full-screen mode, unlike Hargreaves Lansdown, in fourth place. But I ranked AJ Bell as the third-best stock trading app in the UK because it also has Dodl, its new low-cost investment app that is easy to use, great for newer investors and one of the cheapest platforms in terms of fees. Learn more by checking out my AJ Bell review.

AJ Bell UK mobile app investment ideas. AJ Bell UK mobile app set limit order buy BP stock. AJ Bell UK mobile app charges buying 50 pounds worth of stock. AJ Bell UK mobile app BP stock view.

Best stock app for everyday investors – Hargreaves Lansdown

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit iPhone App Android App Visit Site
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
4.5/5 Stars £1 Yes Yes

Hargreaves Lansdown is the U.K.’s biggest DIY investment platform and offers a very detailed mobile app. You can explore 3,000 funds, ready-made investments and thousands of shares through the app, making it a great experience for trading on the go. The educational material offered through the app is great, and includes an in-app pension calculator that helps you see if you’re on track for your retirement income aims. Read my Hargreaves Lansdown review to learn more.

Hargreaves Lansdown mobile markets home page Hargreaves Lansdown mobile watch list Hargreaves Lansdown mobile news Hargreaves Lansdown mobile explore funds by sector Hargreaves Lansdown mobile Global Smaller Companies Trust financials Hargreaves Lansdown mobile Global Smaller Companies Trust buy

Best for simplicity of design – eToro

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit iPhone App Android App Visit Site
eToro logoeToro
4.5/5 Stars $100 info Yes Yes

EToro offers a fantastic mobile app experience that is likely to appeal to young or newer investors looking for investment tips and inspiration. The news feed on the home page gives investment updates from other users and through the ‘discover’ tab you can see popular and trending stocks, and sort by sector and asset class. The app also appeals to more experienced traders. EToro’s mobile chart tools are impressive, allowing you to view charts of more than 10 companies on a single screen. Check out my eToro review to learn more.

eToro UK popular investors feed mobile app. eToro UK portfolio mobile app. eToro UK mobile watchlist. eToro UK mobile multi-instrument chart overlay TradingView. eToro UK mobile buy Vodafone CFD trade 131023. eToro chart eToro mobile trading eToro mobile portfolio eToro mobile copy trading

Great overall mobile experience – IG

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit iPhone App Android App Visit Site
IG logoIG
4/5 Stars £0 Yes Yes

IG’s mobile app has many of the tools from its excellent web platform. IG’s trading app is very similar in design and layout to Saxo and we like how you can sort stocks according to sector or those with upcoming earnings. You can view and trade shares, investment trusts and ETFs, set price alerts and see news provided by Thomson Reuters. Two areas where I'd like to see IG improve is its mobile charting tools and general educational material for U.K. tradres (though it does have a separate educational app, the IG Academy). Learn more about IG by checking out my IG review.

IG mobile popular markets IG mobile watch list IG mobile investment trusts IG mobile client sentiment IG mobile share chart

Trading apps comparison

Company Mobile App Minimum Deposit Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 Visit Site
Saxo logoSaxo
5/5 Stars £0 0.08% (£3 min) 0.4% p.a. up to £200k; 0.2% p.a. after £200k
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
5/5 Stars £0 £3 0
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
4.5/5 Stars £0 £5 £0 - £625
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
4.5/5 Stars £1 £11.95 Up to £1,125
eToro logoeToro
4.5/5 Stars $100 info £0 £0
IG logoIG
4.5/5 Stars £0 £3-£8 £0 / £96

FAQs

What is the best stocks and shares app for beginners in the UK?

Beginners will likely want to prioritise low fees. This means you can invest small amounts without being stung by high trading charges. The U.K. brokers with the lowest stock trading fees are Freetrade, Trading 212, XTB and eToro.

You may also want to consider an app that offers good educational material to help you on your way. All the low-cost apps mentioned above — Freetrade, Trading 212, XTB and eToro — offer some educational content and FAQs, but you will find more in-depth articles on their websites. Other apps offering great learning resources are Dodl (run by AJ Bell) and IG Academy (run by broker IG). IG Academy has articles on how to use and trade investment products, and in-depth courses for those wanting to learn more about trading.

What is the best day trading app in the UK?

Of the 20+ brokers I've reviewed for UK.StockBrokers.com, Saxo, Interactive Brokers, AJ Bell, Hargreaves Lansdown, eToro and IG all stand out for day trading. However, be mindful of trading fees if buying smaller quantities of shares. EToro, Freetrade, XTB and Trading 212 offer the ability to trade stocks commission-free, so these may be a better fit if you are starting out.

Which app is best for stock analysis?

SaxoTraderGO, by Saxo, offers the best research, analysis and educational material of any app we tested. When selecting a stock, you’ll see a chart, analyst recommendations, key financials, news and general company information. You can also compare different stocks on a single chart.

Are trading apps safe?

All 17 trading apps we tested are owned by investment platforms that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means they adhere to strict oversight and supervision to protect your money. Two-factor authentication is typically offered by investment platforms, enhancing app security. However, you should do careful research before investing to reduce the chances of losing money — remember that security and regulation cannot protect against market gains and losses.

Other stock apps tested

In addition to our top picks above, we tested and analysed 11 other platforms. Here are our high-level takeaways for each broker.

Barclays: Mobile app does not function fully unless you have a Barclays current account. Read Full Review

Capital.com: Does not offer direct share dealing. Read Full Review

CMC Invest: Great new mobile app with the ability to filter by ESG. Read Full Review

Fidelity International: A basic offering compared to other platforms with more comprehensive mobile apps. Read Full Review

Freetrade: Great mobile app for newer investors. Low charges and easy to use. Read Full Review

Halifax: Limited mobile app. Your share dealing account needs to have been funded before you can use the app. Read Full Review

Interactive Investor (ii): Interactive Investor is our favourite U.K. investment platform overall but its mobile app is not as good as other platforms. Read Full Review

Lloyds: We found the Lloyds share dealing app to be pretty basic. Like with Halifax, you need to have paid money into your investment account before you can get full use of the app. Read Full Review

Trading 212: Great for investment inspiration and offers a demo account funded with £5,000 of virtual money. Read Full Review

Vanguard UK Investor: Vanguard does not yet offer a mobile app in the U.K., so you have to log in through a web browser on your phone. Read Full Review

XTB: The mobile app is nicely laid out and has low charges, making it a good choice for beginner investors. Read Full Review

​​

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 macOS 14.5, and the iPhone 15 running iOS 17.6.1
  • For Android, we use the Samsung Galaxy S9+ and Samsung Galaxy S20 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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About the Editorial Team

Elizabeth Anderson

Elizabeth Anderson, lead writer and researcher, has been a financial journalist for more than a decade. In addition to her work with UK.StockBrokers.com, she has written extensively for major publications including BBC, The Times and Bloomberg. A keen investor herself, she is passionate about helping people understand finance and investing.

Blain Reinkensmeyer

Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.

Steven Hatzakis

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for UK.StockBrokers.com and ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, Steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.

John Bringans

John Bringans is the Managing Editor of UK.StockBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has close to a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.