TRADING PLATFORMS · UNITED KINGDOM
Trading platforms in the UK: a provisional comparison
Ten platforms for UK residents investing in pounds, scored for an everyday investor who buys UK and US shares and ETFs, mostly in a Stocks and Shares ISA.
Fees checked on each broker's price list on .
Provisional editorial comparison, not a total-cost ranking. These partial scores cover published fees and features. Spread, depth, slippage and effective execution costs have not been measured comparably and are not silently assumed to be zero. Read the execution review and unresolved research before choosing a broker.
Partial scores at a glance
| # | Broker | Partial score | Commissions (35%) | Currency exchange (15%) | ETF offer (25%) | Other advantages and costs (25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trading 212 | 9.0 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7.5 |
| 2 | Lightyear | 8.3 | 10 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 6 |
| 3 | Freetrade | 8.1 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | Interactive Brokers UK (IBKR Pro) | 8.0 | 7.5 | 10 | 9.5 | 6 |
| 5 | InvestEngine | 7.9 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| 6 | AJ Bell | 7.4 | 6.5 | 5 | 8 | 9.5 |
| 7 | IG (share dealing / ISA) | 7.3 | 9 | 5 | 7.5 | 6 |
| 8 | interactive investor (ii) | 6.8 | 6.5 | 5 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | eToro UK | 6.5 | 8.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 4.5 |
| 10 | Fidelity UK (Personal Investing) | 6.4 | 6 | 5 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
Spreads and execution: the missing part of a fee table
The bid is what you can sell for; the ask is what you can buy for. Their difference is the quoted spread. It varies with the instrument, time, available quantity and market. A low commission does not establish a low total cost. No synchronized executable quotes or comparable fills were collected for these brokers: the table below is a documentary review, not a measured spread league table.
| Broker | Execution evidence and limits | Comparable realized spread |
|---|---|---|
| Trading 212 | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| Lightyear | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| Freetrade | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| Interactive Brokers UK (IBKR Pro) | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| InvestEngine | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| AJ Bell | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| IG (share dealing / ISA) | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| interactive investor (ii) | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| eToro UK | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
| Fidelity UK (Personal Investing) | Comparable spread, depth and fill data have not been collected for this account and order profile. Do not infer execution quality from the headline commission. | Not measured |
When a lower commission costs more
Illustration only, not observed broker prices: for a EUR 1,000 immediate market purchase, route A with a EUR 1 commission and a 0.60% full quoted spread costs approximately EUR 4.00 relative to the midpoint. Route B with a EUR 3 commission and a 0.04% spread costs EUR 3.20. This assumes execution at the ask, enough depth, no market movement, no price improvement, no FX and no other costs. A EUR 1 commission saving is cancelled by a EUR 1 worse same-side execution price on this order (0.10%).
For one side, the illustration uses commission + half the quoted spread × order value + additional slippage beyond that quote + FX + other transaction charges. An immediate round trip at unchanged quotes incurs approximately the full spread. If actual execution shortfall is measured against a reference midpoint, do not add the quoted spread again. A limit order controls the worst acceptable price but may not fill.
A rigorous comparison needs the same ISIN/share class, order size, currency, side, timestamp, market depth, route and order type, including active underlying-market hours. Compare actual fills, rejected or unfilled orders, conversion rates, exchange and settlement fees. Add holding-period custody/subscription fees, transfer/dividend charges and applicable taxes separately; ETF TER and tracking difference are product costs, not a broker's spread.
Sources: SEC Investor.gov: order execution and price improvement. Broker-specific execution sources appear with each broker below. These general principles do not imply identical regulations across countries.
The provisional ranking
Trading 212
9.0/10
Profile: Low disclosed fees for an ISA or SIPP holding shares and ETFs
- Commissions
- 10
- Currency exchange
- 9
- ETF offer
- 9
- Other advantages and costs
- 7.5
Why it ranks here. There's no commission, no account fee in the ISA or SIPP and only a 0.15% FX fee, across a very large range with fractional shares.
Watch out. The ISA can't hold US dollars, so each US trade pays the 0.15% FX fee both ways. Card deposits above £2,000 cost 0.7%. A Lifetime ISA and a Junior ISA were not confirmed.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- £0 commission (stamp duty 0.5% and the PTM levy still apply as taxes/levies)
- US shares
- £0 commission; SEC and FINRA fees on sales are passed on
- ETF orders
- £0 commission
- Regular investing
- Pies/AutoInvest with no commission; the 0.15% FX fee applies to foreign-currency instruments in a pie
- Platform fee
- None: no account or custody fee on Invest, Stocks ISA or SIPP. Card deposits cost 0.7% above a cumulative £2,000 free allowance
- Currency exchange
- 0.15% on top of the spot rate; not charged on dividends. Multi-currency (13 currencies) in Invest and SIPP accounts, not in the ISA
- ETF range
- Over 13,000 stocks and ETFs in total (no separate ETF count published)
- Fractional shares
- Yes; most instruments in Invest and ISA accounts can be traded fractionally
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks ISA: no account fee. SIPP: no account, custody, commission or transfer fee (personal contributions only; no employer contributions). Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA not confirmed
- Protection
- Trading 212 UK Ltd, FCA FRN 609146; FSCS up to £85,000 per person in total (cash and investments combined) if the firm fails
Sources: trading212.com: what are the fees in the invest isas an… · trading212.com: what is the fx fee invest stocks isa · trading212.com: what is a multi currency account · trading212.com: isa · trading212.com: what is a sipp account · trading212.com: etf investing · trading212.com: can i trade with fractional shares · trading212.com: trading 212 uk ltd funds and assets pro…
Lightyear
8.3/10
Profile: Cheapest currency conversion for buying US shares in an ISA
- Commissions
- 10
- Currency exchange
- 9.5
- ETF offer
- 7.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 6
Why it ranks here. There's no commission and no account fee, and its 0.1% FX fee is the lowest found for GBP-to-USD trades.
Watch out. No pension, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA, and a smaller range than the biggest platforms. Card deposits cost 0.6%.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- £0 per order
- US shares
- £0 per order
- ETF orders
- £0; no execution or custody fees (fund manager fees still apply)
- Regular investing
- Plans with weekly, fortnightly or monthly auto-investment (fractional instruments only); no fee stated
- Platform fee
- None (no account, execution or custody fees). Debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay deposits cost 0.6%; bank transfers are free
- Currency exchange
- 0.1% on the live interbank rate. Free multi-currency account (GBP, USD, EUR) in the GIA only
- ETF range
- About 6,000 stocks and funds in total, incl. 4,000+ US stocks (no separate ETF count)
- Fractional shares
- Yes on eligible ('fractional') instruments; these are the ones that can be auto-invested
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks & Shares ISA (no account, execution or custody fees), Cash ISA, GIA. No SIPP, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA listed
- Protection
- Lightyear UK Ltd, FCA FRN 987226; FSCS cover stated (investment claims up to £85,000 per person per firm)
Sources: lightyear.com: pricing · lightyear.com: stocks and shares isa · lightyear.com: en gb · lightyear.com: plans · fscs.org.uk: investments
Freetrade
8.1/10
Profile: Free ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA on one app
- Commissions
- 10
- Currency exchange
- 4
- ETF offer
- 8
- Other advantages and costs
- 8
Why it ranks here. No commission and no subscription on the Basic plan, which still includes an ISA, a SIPP and a Junior ISA.
Watch out. A 0.99% FX fee on Basic makes it expensive for regular US share buying unless you pay for a plan. Drawing from the SIPP costs £240 per withdrawal.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- £0 commission on every plan
- US shares
- £0 commission on every plan
- ETF orders
- £0 commission
- Regular investing
- Recurring orders available; no dealing charge
- Platform fee
- Basic plan £0. Optional Standard £5.99/month (£59.88/year if paid annually) or Plus £11.99/month (£119.88/year), mainly to lower the FX fee
- Currency exchange
- 0.99% (Basic), 0.59% (Standard), 0.39% (Plus) on non-GBP trades
- ETF range
- 9,000+ stocks, ETFs, funds and investment trusts in total
- Fractional shares
- US fractional shares on all plans
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks and Shares ISA, Junior ISA, SIPP and GIA on all plans, including the free Basic plan. SIPP has no SIPP-specific fee; each UFPLS withdrawal costs £240 and there is no flexi-access drawdown. No Lifetime ISA
- Protection
- Freetrade Limited, FCA FRN 783189; FSCS investment claims up to £85,000 per person per firm
Sources: freetrade.io: pricing · freetrade.io: sipp kfd · freetrade.io: corporate and regulatory information · fscs.org.uk: investments
Interactive Brokers UK (IBKR Pro)
8.0/10
Profile: Large US trades and the widest market access
- Commissions
- 7.5
- Currency exchange
- 10
- ETF offer
- 9.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 6
Why it ranks here. Its disclosed FX rate and percentage commissions can be competitive for large or frequent US trades, subject to minimum charges, with broad market access.
Watch out. Small trades cost at least £3 (UK) and the ISA has a £3 monthly minimum. There's no in-house SIPP, and FSCS cover is described as limited.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- Fixed: 0.05% of trade value, minimum £3 per order (Tiered: 0.05%, minimum £1)
- US shares
- Fixed: USD 0.005 per share, minimum USD 1, maximum 1% of trade value
- ETF orders
- Same as shares: 0.05% (min £3) for UK-listed ETFs; USD 0.005/share for US-listed
- Regular investing
- Recurring investment available, depending on account type and region; normal commissions apply
- Platform fee
- No custody fee, no account minimum, no inactivity fee in the general account. ISA: £3 minimum monthly activity fee (Junior ISA £1)
- Currency exchange
- 0.20 basis points (0.002%) of trade value, minimum USD 2 per conversion; multi-currency account
- ETF range
- Very wide; fractional trading alone covers 10,500+ US stocks and ETFs (no UK ETF count published)
- Fractional shares
- Yes, from USD 1, in all UK account types except the ISA and Junior ISA
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks and Shares ISA (£3/month minimum activity fee; no fee to transfer in), Junior ISA (£1/month). SIPP only through third-party SIPP administrators, whose fees are separate. No Lifetime ISA found
- Protection
- Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited, FCA register 208159; the firm says its products are covered by the FSCS only in limited circumstances
Sources: interactivebrokers.co.uk: commissions stocks europe · interactivebrokers.co.uk: commissions stocks · interactivebrokers.co.uk: commissions spot currencies · interactivebrokers.co.uk: isa accounts · interactivebrokers.co.uk: fractional trading · interactivebrokers.co.uk: required minimums · interactivebrokers.co.uk: sippaccount · interactivebrokers.co.uk: disclaimers
InvestEngine
7.9/10
Profile: Free ETF-only ISA or SIPP with fractional buying
- Commissions
- 10
- Currency exchange
- 6
- ETF offer
- 9
- Other advantages and costs
- 5
Why it ranks here. It's completely free for DIY ETF investors, ISA and SIPP included, with a large fractional ETF range.
Watch out. You can't buy individual UK or US shares. Transfers out are cash only (fractional holdings).
All fees and features
- UK shares
- Not offered (ETFs only)
- US shares
- Not offered (ETFs only)
- ETF orders
- No dealing fees
- Regular investing
- Savings Plans for automated regular investing; no dealing fee
- Platform fee
- 0% on DIY portfolios; Managed portfolios 0.25% a year. No account fee on ISA or SIPP; no withdrawal or transfer fees
- Currency exchange
- No FX fee listed (comparison table: free); US exposure only through ETFs
- ETF range
- 879 ETFs (shown as 870+)
- Fractional shares
- Yes; from £1 in any ETF
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks & Shares ISA, SIPP (no account fee), GIA, Business account. Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA not listed
- Protection
- FCA FRN 801128; FSCS up to £85,000
Sources: investengine.com: costs · investengine.com: etfs · investengine.com: personal · investengine.com
AJ Bell
7.4/10
Profile: Full set of wrappers (ISA, LISA, SIPP, JISA) with capped fees
- Commissions
- 6.5
- Currency exchange
- 5
- ETF offer
- 8
- Other advantages and costs
- 9.5
Why it ranks here. It offers every wrapper, a large ETF range, free regular investing and an ISA custody fee capped at £42 a year for shares and ETFs.
Watch out. £5 one-off trades and a 0.75% FX charge make occasional US purchases costly.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- £5.00 per online deal; £3.50 if 10+ share deals in the previous month
- US shares
- £5.00 per online deal plus FX charge
- ETF orders
- £5.00 per online deal (£3.50 frequent dealer)
- Regular investing
- Free monthly regular investing into selected investments, from £25 a month
- Platform fee
- Shares/ETFs: 0.25% a year, capped at £3.50/month in the ISA, Lifetime ISA and dealing account, £10/month in the SIPP, £2.50/month in the Junior ISA
- Currency exchange
- 0.75% on the first £10,000, 0.50% on the next £10,000, 0.25% above £20,000
- ETF range
- Over 3,000 ETFs
- Fractional shares
- No fractional dealing mentioned
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks & Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, dealing account; no exit fees; covers up to £500 of exit fees on transfers in of £20,000+
- Protection
- AJ Bell Securities Limited, FCA 155593; FSCS up to £85,000 for investments
Sources: ajbell.co.uk: charges · ajbell.co.uk: charges · ajbell.co.uk: charges · ajbell.co.uk: charges · ajbell.co.uk: charges · ajbell.co.uk: international · ajbell.co.uk: etfs · ajbell.co.uk: charges · ajbell.co.uk: investor protection · ajbell.co.uk: regulatory
IG (share dealing / ISA)
7.3/10
Profile: Commission-free UK shares from a large listed broker
- Commissions
- 9
- Currency exchange
- 5
- ETF offer
- 7.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 6
Why it ranks here. UK and US shares and ETFs carry no commission or platform fee in the ISA.
Watch out. FX costs 0.7% (the page also shows 0.49%). The SIPP has a £205 yearly administrator fee, and fractional shares are GIA-only.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- £0 commission (GIA, ISA, SIPP); £3 if you convert currency manually
- US shares
- £0 commission; 3¢ per share (min $15) with manual currency conversion
- ETF orders
- £0 commission
- Regular investing
- Not confirmed on official pages
- Platform fee
- No platform, custody or inactivity fees
- Currency exchange
- 0.7% over the exchange rate (charges page); the share-dealing page also shows 0.49%
- ETF range
- 13,000+ companies, investment trusts and ETFs (FAQ); the page also says 20,000+ stocks
- Fractional shares
- From £1 on 6,400+ stocks, GIA only
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks and shares ISA (no account fee); SIPP administered by Options Pensions, which charges £205 a year; no Lifetime ISA mentioned
- Protection
- Share dealing by IG Trading and Investments Ltd, FCA 944492; FSCS up to £85,000
Sources: ig.com: charges · ig.com: share dealing · ig.com: uk · fscs.org.uk: investments
interactive investor (ii)
6.8/10
Profile: Flat monthly fee for larger ISA and SIPP portfolios
- Commissions
- 6.5
- Currency exchange
- 5
- ETF offer
- 7.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 7.5
Why it ranks here. Its flat fee covers an ISA and a SIPP together and becomes cheap in percentage terms as the portfolio grows, with free regular investing.
Watch out. At least £71.88 a year plus £3.99 per one-off trade is expensive for small portfolios, and FX on Core is 0.75%.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- £3.99 per online trade (Core and Plus); £2.99 on Premium
- US shares
- £3.99 per trade (£2.99 Premium) plus FX
- ETF orders
- £3.99 per trade (£2.99 Premium)
- Regular investing
- Free on all plans
- Platform fee
- Core £5.99/month for portfolios up to £100,000 (ISA, SIPP and Trading Account included); Plus £14.99/month (1 free trade); Premium £39.99/month (10 free trades)
- Currency exchange
- 0.75% on Core; Plus 0.75% on the first £50,000 then 0.25%; Premium 0.25%
- ETF range
- 'Thousands' of ETFs
- Fractional shares
- Not mentioned
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- ISA, SIPP (pension admin included in the fee) and Trading Account on all plans; Junior ISA only on Plus and Premium; no Lifetime ISA mentioned; no transfer-in or transfer-out fees
- Protection
- Interactive Investor Services Limited, FCA 141282; FSCS up to £85,000
Sources: ii.co.uk: our charges · ii.co.uk: etfs · ii.co.uk: disclosures · ii.co.uk: your protection
eToro UK
6.5/10
Profile: Commission-free ISA from a GBP account
- Commissions
- 8.5
- Currency exchange
- 5
- ETF offer
- 6.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 4.5
Why it ranks here. The ISA has no commission or custody fee, and ETFs are commission-free.
Watch out. FX is about 0.7-0.75% on US assets, there are no pension or junior accounts, and the general account can charge $1-2 per stock trade.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- ISA: 0% commission (since 29 July 2026). GIA: $1 or $2 commission may apply per stock open/close
- US shares
- ISA: 0% commission. GIA: $1 or $2 may apply, calculated in USD
- ETF orders
- Zero commission
- Regular investing
- Recurring investments available; conversion fees on recurring deposits are free
- Platform fee
- No ISA custody fee; no management or inactivity fees; $5 for withdrawals from the USD account (GBP account withdrawals free)
- Currency exchange
- 0.75% GBP account to USD (Club discounts 20-80%); ISA: '0.70' on non-GBP assets
- ETF range
- 'Thousands' of UK, US and European stocks, ETFs, bonds and funds in the ISA
- Fractional shares
- Not confirmed on official pages
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks & Shares ISA only; no SIPP, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA found
- Protection
- eToro (UK) Ltd, FCA FRN 583263; FSCS up to £85,000
Sources: etoro.com: etoro removes fees from stocks shares i… · etoro.com: fees · etoro.com: conversion · etoro.com: regulation license
Fidelity UK (Personal Investing)
6.4/10
Profile: Low capped ETF fee in an ISA or SIPP with regular saving
- Commissions
- 6
- Currency exchange
- 5
- ETF offer
- 6.5
- Other advantages and costs
- 7.5
Why it ranks here. ETF fees in an ISA or SIPP are capped at £90 a year, and regular purchases cost £1.50.
Watch out. One-off trades cost £7.50, and small accounts without a regular savings plan pay a flat £90 a year.
All fees and features
- UK shares
- £7.50 per online deal
- US shares
- £7.50 per online deal plus FX charge
- ETF orders
- £7.50 per online deal
- Regular investing
- £1.50 per regular-savings purchase, from £25 a month
- Platform fee
- Service fee 0.35% (0.20% from £250,000); on shares/ETFs in an ISA or SIPP capped at £7.50/month; no service fee on exchange-traded investments in the Investment Account. Under £25,000 without a regular savings plan: flat £7.50/month
- Currency exchange
- 0.75% up to £10,000, 0.50% £10,000-£20,000, 0.25% above £20,000
- ETF range
- Full ETF range searchable (no count published)
- Fractional shares
- Not mentioned
- ISA, SIPP and other accounts
- Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP (no drawdown admin or transfer-out charges), Junior ISA and Junior SIPP with no service fee; Lifetime ISA not confirmed
- Protection
- FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited, FCA 121939
Sources: fidelity.co.uk: charges fees · fidelity.co.uk: fees and charges · fidelity.co.uk: etfs · fidelity.co.uk: legal information
Also considered
- Dodl by AJ Bell (score 6.1): no dealing charges and 0.15% a year (min £1/month), Lifetime ISA available, but only 'over 100' investments in total, no fractional shares, no Junior ISA and 0.75% FX on US shares
- Hargreaves Lansdown (score 5.9): all four wrappers and free regular investing, but £6.95 per share/ETF deal (£3.95 only after 20+ trades), 0.35% on shares capped at £12.50/month, and 0.99% FX on the first £10,000
- Vanguard Investor: £4/month account fee under £32,000 (0.15% capped at £375 above), £500 lump-sum or £100/month minimums, a range built around Vanguard funds and ETFs, £7.50 ETF quote-and-deal charge; not suited to buying UK and US shares
- Charles Stanley Direct: 0.30% platform charge on all investments and £10 per online share trade (indexed official page; live page returned 404)
- Saxo UK: 0.12% a year custody fee on stocks/ETFs on the Classic tier and €50 per ISIN to transfer out (capped at €160); commissions could not be confirmed
- Robinhood UK: no commission and 0.10% FX, but its ISA is described as giving access to around 5,000 US-listed stocks and ADRs; no UK shares, UK-listed ETFs or pension were found on its pages
- Revolut: only 1 free trade a month on Standard (3-10 on paid plans), then 0.25% per order; a paid plan is needed for the ISA; no pension, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA found on its pages
What remains unverified
- Trading 212: whether a Junior ISA or Lifetime ISA is offered (both words appear on the ISA page but availability was not confirmed); minimum order or AutoInvest minimums; a separate ETF count (only 13,000+ stocks and ETFs combined is published)
- Lightyear: exact number of ETFs; whether fractional buying works inside the ISA specifically; any minimum investment
- Freetrade: separate ETF count (9,000+ covers stocks, ETFs, funds and trusts); fractional UK shares or ETFs (only US fractional confirmed); transfer-out fees
- Interactive Brokers UK: whether commissions count toward the £3 ISA minimum monthly activity fee; number of free ISA withdrawals per month (one IBKR page says two, a costs summary says one); fees of third-party SIPP administrators; number of UK-listed ETFs
- InvestEngine: the £100 minimum account opening amount (seen only in search snippets, not on a fetched page); Savings Plan minimum; whether Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA exist
- AJ Bell: whether ETFs are eligible for the free regular investing service (page lists FTSE 350 shares, selected funds, trackers and investment trusts)
- IG: FX fee 0.7% (charges page) vs 0.49% (share-dealing page); meaning of the footnote that the best commission rates need 3+ trades in the previous month and apply up to £25,000; Junior ISA availability; regular investing; exact instrument count (13,000+ vs 20,000+)
- interactive investor: number of ETFs; regular investing minimum; Lifetime ISA availability
- eToro UK: unit of the ISA FX charge ('0.70' in the July 2026 press release); exact GIA stock commission for UK residents ($1 or $2); fractional shares; number of ETFs
- Fidelity UK: number of ETFs; Lifetime ISA availability; FSCS limit statement on Fidelity's own pages
- Hargreaves Lansdown: number of ETFs (ETF page returned 403); fund platform fee tiers
- Charles Stanley Direct: current charges (the official rates page returned 404 on 2026-10-17; an indexed copy shows a 0.30% platform charge and £10 online share trades)
- Saxo UK: share and ETF commissions (tier tables did not render) and FX fee
- Vanguard Investor: whether individual company shares can be bought
- Revolut: minimum fee per trade beyond the free allowance (£0.01 vs £1 on different help pages) and current plan prices
- Robinhood UK: weekend FX fee window (0.30%) definition differs between pages
Is my money protected?
UK investment platforms must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If a platform fails and clients' investments are missing, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) pays up to £85,000 per person per firm. It does not cover falls in the value of your investments.
ISAs and pensions
Gains and income inside a Stocks and Shares ISA are free of UK tax, within the annual ISA allowance, and a SIPP adds tax relief on pension contributions. Platform fees often differ between a general account, an ISA and a SIPP, so each card lists the accounts on offer and what they cost.
How we score
The partial editorial score uses four criteria: commissions 35%, currency exchange 15%, etf offer 25%, other advantages and costs 25%. It is a weighted judgment about published fees, features and account conditions, not a measurement of total realized cost. Execution is reviewed separately and remains unmeasured; no missing spread is entered as zero and no execution advantage is awarded without comparable evidence. Cash interest and temporary promotions are excluded.
Each platform gets a 0-10 score on four criteria, weighted as follows: commissions and account/custody fees 35%, currency exchange 15%, ETF range and regular investing 25%, and other advantages and costs (ISA, Lifetime ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA availability and fees, exit fees, FCA/FSCS) 25%. The total is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal. The profile is a UK resident investing in pounds, buying UK and US shares and ETFs a few times a month, mainly through a Stocks and Shares ISA. Every figure comes from the platform's own pricing, help or key-features pages (or the FSCS site for the protection limit), checked on 2026-10-17. Interest on uninvested cash was ignored.
Fee claims link to broker price lists, schedules or help pages checked on 17 October 2026. Missing or incomplete items remain visible. Scores are editorial judgments, not factual measurements; differences of a few tenths should not imply a precise or universal preference. No affiliate links: Plain Economy earns nothing from any broker on this page, and no broker has seen or paid for it.
Other countries
Trading platforms in Germany: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in Singapore: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in Japan: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in the United States: a provisional comparison
Trading platforms in Spain: a provisional comparison