Freetrade Review UK

So is Freetrade a good platform?

I would say this is easy to use and can be a low-cost option, especially for those who don’t need a tax wrapper. There are also a decent number of shares and ETFs, including fractional shares.

And what are Freetrade’s limitations?

Freetrade’s Basic plan is free and includes a Stocks and Shares ISA, a SIPP and a General Investment Account. The paid Standard and Plus plans add lower FX fees, extra features and higher interest on uninvested cash. The range is still limited mainly to stocks, ETFs and funds, so it may not suit investors who want a wider variety of assets.

So would I recommend Freetrade?

Yes! The free Basic plan includes a General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA and SIPP, with commission-free trading on a large range of stocks and ETFs. It suits beginners who want a simple, low-cost way to start investing.

Who is Freetrade?

Freetrade is a UK investing app launched in 2018, offering commission-free share dealing. It is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. It operates a freemium model, with a free Basic plan and optional paid Standard and Plus plans.

Who Owns Freetrade?

Freetrade was acquired by IG Group in a deal valued at around £160 million, announced in January 2025. It continues to operate as a standalone brand. Their current CEO is Jenny Zhao. Freetrade was founded in 2016 by Adam Dodds and others, and was previously funded by venture capital and several crowdfunding rounds.

Product Range Overview

Freetrade does not offer options, futures or cryptocurrency trading, so it may not suit investors who want a broader range of asset types.

Freetrade General Investment Account Review

While you can’t take advantage of the tax savings offered in the ISA, the General Investment Account is a free account that can be used once investors have used up their UK ISA allowance and is a very effective, easy-to-use investment account.

Freetrade Stocks and Shares ISA Review

This is still a cost-effective solution when compared to other stocks and shares ISAs on competing trading platforms, most of which will charge between £5 and £12 for a single trade when using their stocks and shares ISA account.

Freetrade SIPP Review

With commission-free dealing on all trades and the option to trade fractional shares, this is a competitively priced offering from an already successful platform. Freetrade does not charge for transfers out, or an exit fee if the SIPP is closed following a transfer or death.

Also consider: The most important pros and cons of investing in SIPPs

Freetrade SIPP vs Hargreaves Lansdown SIPP

Freetrade Plans

There are three plans to choose from at Freetrade, depending on your particular needs as an investor.

How do Freetrade’s plans compare?

Here is a visual comparison of the plans on offer at Freetrade and the benefits of each.

Freetrade Basic

£0.00/mo

Freetrade Basic gives access to the General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA and SIPP, with commission-free trades and US fractional shares. FX fees are 0.99%.

Freetrade Standard

£4.99/mo

The Standard plan adds automated order types such as limit orders and stop losses, advanced stock fundamentals, a lower FX fee of 0.59% and a higher interest rate on uninvested cash.

Every plan, including Basic, gives access to Freetrade’s full range of around 9,000 stocks, ETFs, funds and investment trusts, so Standard is about lower costs and extra tools rather than extra investments.

The other big advantage of this account is the automated order types, including limit orders and stop losses, in addition to advanced stock fundamentals. There is also an interest rate of 2.5% AER on uninvested cash held within the account, up to a maximum of £2,000.

Freetrade Plus

£9.99/mo

Freetrade Plus offers the lowest FX fee (0.39%), higher interest on uninvested cash, priority customer service and extended support hours.

Freetrade Plus offers advanced investment tools, priority customer service with extended hours, curated collections, and various order types like limit orders and stop losses. Freetrade also has a referral program called Free Share, where you and your friend can earn free shares worth at least £10.

Freetrade App

Freetrade is also available through a web platform, so you can manage your account from a desktop as well as through the iOS and Android apps.

I found the security to be first-class with both a digital password and biometric authentication (face and touchID), and once inside the app, investing is fast and slick as you would expect from such an innovative offering. However, beyond that, there is not much to report, as one of the most alluring features lies in its simplicity.

On the App Store, Freetrade has scored 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 5,000 reviews, and they have a similar rating on Google Play, which speaks volumes about how user-friendly the app is for investing. When held up against all the trading apps on the market today, the Freetrade app is certainly a good place to complete your trades.

Research Service and Tools Review

There are some charts and graphs to help track the performance of your investor portfolio; however, the charts aren’t actually labelled, and the amount of data available won’t actually give you much of an idea of how your stocks and ETFs are performing. That being said, Freetrade seems to be aware of this failure and is constantly rolling out new updates, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if this issue was rectified in the long term.

There is a really vibrant community forum on Freetrade where discussions, comments, and education are readily available, as well as really helpful articles outlining upcoming updates and trading insights. And for completely novice investors, there is Investing Deep Dives, which provides information on investing such as what ETFs are and what a share is.

Fees and Charges Review

Of course, there are other trading platforms where this is available. Revolut will also offer zero commission per trade; however, when compared to other similar platforms, this is still an excellent offering. As an example, Hargreaves Lansdown charges £11.95 per trade on US stock when you trade between 0 and 9 trades per month. Of course, Hargreaves Lansdown has notoriously high trading fees; however, this still serves to illustrate the excellent value Freetrade is offering when it comes to buying and selling stocks.

When it comes to non-trading fees, Freetrade is still coming out on top, with no inactivity fee, no withdrawal or deposit fees, and no account fee for the GIA, ISA or SIPP on the free Basic plan. The paid Standard plan (£4.99 per month) and Plus plan (£9.99 per month) are optional, and add lower FX fees and extra features.

Conversely, Hargreaves Lansdown charges 0.45% of the trade value on their ISA with an annual cap of £45, still considerably more than what Freetrade is offering, and Interactive Investor  charge a  monthly account fee ranging from £9.99 to £19.99 depending on what plan you choose.

Here is a quick breakdown of all the fees you can expect to encounter at Freetrade:

Deposit and Withdrawal Review

In terms of fees, Freetrade doesn’t charge any deposit fees or withdrawal fees unless you require your withdrawal to be rushed through the same day, in which case you can expect to pay £5 in withdrawal fees.

While Freetrade doesn’t accept credit or debit cards, it does accept bank transfers from your bank accounts and Apple Pay and Google Pay as deposit options, which, given that the platform is aimed at millennials, seems quite sufficient. However, withdrawals can only be done using a bank transfer from your bank account, and without the express service, they can take around 2 business days. This seems reasonably quick to me.

Freetrade FAQs