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Richard Berry
- Updated
Finding the best online stockbroker can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re new to investing. That’s where GoodMoneyGuide.com comes in.
Our experts have ranked and rated the best UK stockbrokers, all of which are FCA regulated for your peace of mind.
We’ll help you easily compare brokers, understand fees and other factors, and find the perfect platform that’s tailored for your investment goals.
Compare The Top UK Stock Broker Accounts
Our comparison of UK stockbrokers examines costs like platform fees, trading commissions, and foreign exchange charges. We break down different fee structures – whether it’s a flat monthly fee, a percentage of your portfolio, or a commission-free model and help you compare the account types.
| Stock Broker | Brokerage Account Fee | Stock Dealing Fee | Min Deposit | GMG Rating | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | £24 per quarter | £3-£8 | £250 | Visit Broker* Capital at risk |
|
 | Shares: £0 Funds: 0.45% | £5.95 | £1 | Visit Broker Capital at risk |
|
 | From £4.99 a month | £3.99 – £5.99 | £1 | Visit Broker Capital at risk |
|
 | 0.25% (capped at £3.50 pm) | £3.50 – £5 | £500 | Visit Broker Capital at risk |
|
 | £0 | £1 (or 0.05%) | £1 | Visit Broker Capital at risk |
|
 | €10 per month or 0.12% | 0.10% (min. GBP 8) | £1 | Visit Broker Capital at risk |
|
 | 0.2% to 0.4% | £4.95 | £1 | Visit Broker Capital at risk |
|
 | 0.15% | £0 | £1 | Visit Broker Capital at risk |
Our Picks Of The Best Stock Brokerage Accounts In The UK
Methodology: Our experts hand-picked the best stock brokers based on:
- User feedback: We analysed over 30,000 votes and reviews in the prestigious Good Money Guide annual awards
- Unbiased, real-world testing: Our team tests each stockbroker with real money to ensure you have a seamless and user-friendly experience
- In-Depth feature comparison: We conduct a thorough comparison of features, highlighting those that make each stockbroker stand out from the competition
- Exclusive insights from the top: Our exclusive interviews with stockbroker CEOs provide insider perspectives and valuable information to help you make informed decisions
Our review team’s top picks for you:
- IG: Best stock broker for investing and trading
- Hargreaves Lansdown: Best overall stock broker 2024
- Interactive Investor: Best fixed-fee stock brokerage account
- AJ Bell: Best for low-cost stock broking
- Bestinvest: Best stockbroker for investment advice
IG: Best Stock Broker For Investing & Trading
👍Featured👍
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, investment trusts & pre-made portfolios
- Minimum deposit: £250
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, derivatives
- Account charge: £24 per quarter
- Dealing fee: Shares £3 – £8
IG Review
Name: IG
Description: Founded in 1974 as Investors Gold Index, then IG Index, now just “IG” is one of the world’s largest margin trading brokers. IG offer CFDs, FX and Spread Betting (in the UK) alongside share trading and prime brokerage to over 313,000 active clients and offers 17,000 tradable markets. IG also recently introduced physical share dealing and smart portfolios for longer-term investors.
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs and spread bets with this provider.
Is IG a good trading platform?
Yes, IG provides an excellent all-round trading and investing brokerage service. IG pioneered online trading and financial spread betting for private clients and remains not only one of the largest online trading platforms, but also one of the best. IG stands out through deep liquidity, high market range and excellent added value such as trading tools and analysis.
Pros
- Vast range of markets
- Excellent liquidity & DMA equities
- Listed on the London Stock Exchange
Cons
- Customer service can be slow
- No DMA futures trading
- Still charges inactivity fee
-
Pricing
(4.5)
-
Market Access
(5)
-
Online Platform
(5)
-
Customer Service
(4)
-
Research & Analysis
(5)
Overall
4.7Hargreaves Lansdown: Best Overall Stock Broker 2024
🏆Award Winner🏆
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, bonds & funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, JISA, JISA, JSIPP
- Account charge: £0
- Stockbroking fee: £5.95
Hargreaves Lansdown is ranked as our best online stock broker in the UK. It won the 2024, 2022 and 2021 Good Money Guide award for best full-service stock broker because of it’s capped account fees, market range and research.
HL Stock Brokerage Fees:
There is no account charge for holding shares. Funds are charged at 0.45% for the first £250,000. There is no charge for buying funds, but shares are charged at £11.95 per deal or £5.95 if you do over 20 deals per month.
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Name: Hargreaves Lansdown
Description: Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the largest investment platforms in the UK. They offer investing, savings, ISAs and SIPP account to over 1.8 million clients with 142bn in assets under management. The company was founded by Peter Hargreaves and Stephen Lansdown in 1981 and is now listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Is Hargreaves Lansdown a good broker?
Yes, Hargreaves Lansdown is one of our best-rated stock brokers and investment platforms. HL offers access to a huge range of investment types, through a wide range of general and tax-efficient accounts and is suitable for almost all types of investors.
Pros
- Wide range of investments
- Most investment account types
- Excellent research and analysis
Cons
- There are cheaper options for fund investing
- Limited portfolio hedging tools
-
Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(5)
-
Online Platform
(5)
-
Customer Service
(5)
-
Research & Analysis
(5)
Overall
4.8Interactive Investor: Best Fixed-Fee Stock Brokerage Account
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, bonds & funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, JISA
- Account charge: £9.99 per month
- Stockbroking fee: £3.99 – £5.99
Interactive Investor is a low-cost online stock broker offers investors access to over 40,000 shares in over 20 markets. The flat account fee helps keep costs down for large portfolios and you get one free trade per month for smaller accounts.
II Stock Brokerage Fees:
You get a free trade every month, then UK Shares and Funds, US Shares charged £7.99 or upgrade to a £19.99 “Super Investor” account 2 free monthly trades and deal for £3.99. Regular investing is free.
Interactive Investor Review
Name: Interactive Investor
Description: Interactive Investor or II as its known is one of the UK’s largest self-determined investor platforms. II can trace its roots back to 1995 and the startup floated on the London stock exchange back in the year 2000 before being bought by the Australian business Ample in 2002. Today, Interactive Investor is a owned by abrdn with assets under administration of more than £50 billion and 400,000 customers to whom II offers share trading and investment services including, ISAs SIPPs and share dealing, alongside research and analysis. Including model portfolios, selected funds and thematic investments.
Why we like them
Interactive Investor differs from other investment platforms as it charges a fixed account fee, rather than a percentage of the funds you have on account. Which, over time, could save you thousands in costs.
Pros
- Fixed account fees
- Easy to use
- Good research
Cons
- No Lifetime ISA
- Expensive for very small accounts
- No derivatives for hedging
-
Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(4)
-
Online Platform
(4)
-
Customer Service
(4)
-
Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4AJ Bell: Best For Low-Cost Stock Broking
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, bonds & funds
- Minimum deposit: £500
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, JISA, JISA, JSIPP
- Account charge: 0.25%
- Stockbroking fee: £3.50 – £5
AJ Bell has the cheapest account fee for all the stock brokers we feature. The dealing account is low cost and unlimited. where you can invest as much as you want, whenever you want.
AJ Bell Stock Brokerage Fees:
Share account fees are capped at £3.50 a month. Dealing costs are £1.50 for funds and £5 for shares but drop to £3.50 where there were 10 or more online share deals in the previous month
AJ Bell Review
Name: AJ Bell
Description: AJ Bell is an award-winning, low-cost online investing platform for UK DIY investors. Founded in 1995, AJ Bell has grown to become one of the UK’s leading investment platforms. Today, it has more than 440,000 customers and assets under administration (AUA) of over £150 billion.
Summary
AJ Bell is an excellent full-service stock broker that offers access to UK and international shares, bonds and funds with some of the lowest fees in the industry.
Pros
- Wide range of investments
- Low account costs
- Discounts for frequent investors
Cons
- High charge when you deal over the phone
-
Pricing
(4.5)
-
Market Access
(4.5)
-
Online Platform
(4.5)
-
Customer Service
(4.5)
-
Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4.4Bestinvest: Good Stockbroker For Investment Advice & Low Costs
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, JISA, JSIPP
- Account charge: 0.4%
- Stockbroking fee: £4.95
Bestinvest has combined low-cost online investing and share dealing with personalised expert advice to help clients choose the right investments for their portfolio. A good choice for large long-term investors.
Bestinvest Stock Brokerage Fees:
Stockbroking dealing commissions are £4.95 per online share trade, fund dealing is free. For holding shares and other investments, the account fee is 0.4% up to £250k. Except for ready-made portfolios where there is a 0.2% account fee which reduces to 0.1% above £500,000.
Bestinvest Review
Name: Bestinvest
Description: Bestinvest is one of the most established investment platforms in the UK. Bestinvest was founded in 1986 and is now owned by Evelyn Partners (a financial services firm with £52 billion under management). Bestinvest primary offering is low-cost premade portfolios costing as little as 0.2% a year, fund investing and discount UK share dealing.
Is Bestinvest good for investing?
Yes, Bestinvest has combined low-cost online investing and share dealing with personalised expert advice to help clients choose the right investments for their portfolio. A good choice for large long-term investors who want a bit of added value from their broker.
Pros
- Expert advice
- Lowest comparable costs
- Ready-made portfolios
Cons
- Basic data on platform
- App a bit clunky
- No hedging products
-
Pricing
(5)
-
Market Access
(4)
-
Online Platform
(3)
-
Customer Service
(4.5)
-
Research & Analysis
(4.5)
Overall
4.2What Is A Stock Broker?
Want to buy or sell shares? You’ll likely need a stockbroker. These firms handle the transactions for you and hold your shares in investment accounts.
Think of them as the bridge between you and the stock exchanges (like the London Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange) where shares are traded.
👉Without a stock broker, you have very limited options when it comes to buying and selling shares.
Stockbrokers: Weighing Up The Pros and Cons
Are you wondering if a stockbroker is the right choice for you? Let’s break down the advantages and disadvantages to help you make a well-informed decision.
Pros
- Flexible: Stock brokers offer a personal service for high-net-worth investors
- Customer service: Stock brokers focus more on customer services than mass audiences
- IPO access: Stockbrokers can usually participate in IPOs and new issues for you
Cons
- Expensive: Due to their added value they can often be more expensive than investing apps
- Low tech: Some stock brokers apps are not as sophisticated as trading platforms
- Risk: As with all investments, you can get back less than you started with if the market goes down
Our Pick For Smaller Broker Accounts
AJ Bell is the cheapest stock broker for low-value investments by our ratings. This is because they offer some of the cheapest commission and account fees across all UK stock brokerage accounts we compare. On the downside, AJ Bell doesn’t offer as many investment options as Hargreaves Lansdown.
If you are only investing a small amount of money, it’s important to find a stock broker that has low fees and charges.
Best UK Stockbroker Investing Apps
Hargreaves Lansdown offers a high-quality investing app that lets you:
- Buy and sell thousands of investments including domestic and international shares, bonds, ETFs and investment trusts, and over 3,000 funds
- Manage your investments and view your transaction history
- Top up and withdraw cash on the go
- Login with fingerprint or Face ID
- Access fund and share factsheets
- Create watchlists
- Track market movements
- Access research from Hargreaves Lansdown’s investment experts
- Set stop and limit orders
On the downside, Hargreaves Lansdown’s fees and charges are higher than those offered by some other providers. In recent years, stock trading apps have become very popular. These apps allow you to monitor your portfolio and make trades on the go via devices such as smartphones and tablets.
- Related Guide: Best Investment Apps Compared & Reviewed
Best Choice Of Market Access
Interactive Brokers offers you the widest range of markets to invest in, according to our broker matrix.
If you plan to invest in international shares, the range of shares offered by each broker is particularly important. Some brokers only offer access to a limited range of international markets. For instance, Best Invest has only just started offering US stocks at the moment, whereas AJ Bell, Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor have done so for some time.
What Account Types Do Stockbrokers Offer?
Established brokers like Hargreaves Lansdown offer access to a range of different accounts, including general investment accounts, Stocks & Shares ISAs, Lifetime ISAs, and Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) accounts. Others, like eToro, only offer general and online share dealing.
Want to lower your taxes? Accounts like ISAs and SIPPs can help you do just that.
| Account Types | | | |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIA | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| ISA | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| SIPP | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Pension | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Junior ISA | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Junior SIPP | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Lifetime ISA | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
UK’s Best Stock Broker For Beginners
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) is one of the largest stock brokers in the UK, and we rank them as the best for beginners. They provide excellent easy-to-digest analysis, news and data screeners for new investors to learn the market. Hargreaves Lansdown won the 2021 Good Money Guide award for Best Full-Service Stock Broker.
So what makes HL so beginner-friendly?
- Buying and selling shares through Hargreaves Lansdown is simple
- The platform provides access to plenty of educational resources
- Their customer service is excellent
- The website and app are reliable and user-friendly
On the downside, Hargreaves Lansdown’s fees are higher than those of some UK online stockbroker. However, many beginners find the value they get in terms of ease of use, education, and support outweighs the slightly higher cost.
The user-friendliness of each broker’s platform. Ideally, you want a platform that is well laid out, easy to use, and can be accessed via an app so that you can monitor your account and place trades on the go. New investing apps are particularly good at making buying stocks easy and are much simpler and easier version of a stock brokers website.
Best Choice For Research & Analysis
Interactive Investor is the best broker for research and analysis, slowly overtaking Hargreaves Lansdown. They have been focussing a lot on fund interviews and providing relevant commentary on stocks people want to buy recently.
Hargreaves Lansdown offers a range of features that can help you make better investment decisions such as stock screeners, fundamental data sets, and charts. Other more basic investment apps like Freetrade, just offer basic trading services.
Best UK Stockbroker For Advice & Guidance
Not sure what to buy or sell? Bestinvest is one of the few stockbrokers that offers personalized investment advice and guidance.
We rate Bestinvest as the best stock broker for advice and they won ‘best added value investment platform’ in our 2023 awards.
Bestinvest offers different services that can help you pick you investments:
- Free initial guidance: If you’re thinking of becoming a Bestinvest client, start with a free consultation. One of their coaches will talk you through what type of investments might be right for you
- Investing for your goals (£295 inc. VAT): Let Bestinvest create a personalized, ready-made investment portfolio tailored to your needs and goals. This is a great option if you’re looking for a professionally managed portfolio that takes the guesswork out of investing and offers diversification across various market-tracking investments
- Portfolio Health Check (£495 inc. VAT): Bestinvest will look at your portfolio and provide advice on your invesments. You can also discuss what other opportunities are in the market and other shares that may be worth buying for your portfolio.
Can stock brokers give you advice on what to buy and sell?
Generally, UK stock brokers cannot give advice and operate on an “execution only” or “self-directed basis” where you have to pick your own investments. There are three main types of service levels from stock brokers:
- Execution only: This is where you’ll only get a basic share dealing services and no investment advice
- Advisory: Advisory stock brokers give you share dealing services and also advise you on what shares to buy and sell
- Discretionary: Discretionary stock brokers manage your money for you and make trades on your behalf.
Further reading: How to invest in stocks online.
Best Stockbroker For Customer Service
When you’re choosing a broker, customer service should be a big consideration, especially if you’re a new investor.
Hargreaves Lansdown consistently scores highly for excellent customer care in the annual Good Money Guide awards. However, HL can be a bit more expensive than other brokers, so it is a case of ‘you get what you pay for’. If you value being able to speak to an expert quickly, it is worth it, but if you are confident investing online, there are other cheaper stockbrokers, such as Interactive Investor.
Access to support when you need it is important. Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor have excellent phone support as opposed to cheaper online share dealing services that rely on chat, email and support tickets only. This can be very helpful when placing trades or navigating complex investment decisions.
UK Stockbrokers Fees – What To Look Out For
Every stock broker has a different fee structure. This needs to be considered carefully because fees and charges can have a big impact on your overall investment returns over time. Some fees and charges to consider include:
- Trading commissions: Each time you make a trade, you’ll pay this fee
- Annual custody fee: A payment for the stockbroker to hold on to your investments
- Entry fees: Some brokers charge you a fee for opening an account
- Exit fees: If you leave a broker, you might get hit by a charge for doing so
Some brokers offer fee calculators that allow you to compare fees, which can be useful when comparing platforms. The cheapest stockbroker is not necessarily the best option for you.
What Can You Invest In With A Stockbroker?
Before you dive in to trading stocks, take a moment to consider what you want to achieve with your investments.
What are your financial goals? How much risk are you comfortable taking? Once you have a clearer picture, you can choose an investment strategy that aligns with your goals.
Here are some popular approaches:
- Growth Investing: This is where you invest in companies that are expected to grow faster than the market average. Growth stocks can offer high potential returns but can also be quite volatile and therefore riskier
- Value Investing: This means investing in companies that are trading at a discount to their true value. The idea is that if a stock is trading below its true value, it’s undervalued, and, therefore, may rise over time
- Sustainable Investing: This is investing in companies that meet environment, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Sustainable investors often avoid stocks in sectors like oil, tobacco, and defence
- Dividend & Income Investing: With this approach, you’re investing in companies that pay regular dividends. This is popular among retirees and those looking to generate passive income
- Small-cap investing: This means investing in small companies. Smaller companies often produce higher returns than larger companies over time, however, their stocks are generally more volatile than those of larger companies
These investment strategies aren’t mutually exclusive – you can combine a number of different strategies. Which strategy is best for you will depend on a number of factors, including your financial goals and risk tolerance.
Your Investments are Protected: Understanding FCA Regulation
All stock brokers that operate in the UK must be regulated by the FCA. The FCA is the Financial Conduct Authority and is responsible for ensuring that UK stockbrokers are properly capitalised, treat customers fairly and have sufficient compliance systems in place. Good Money Guide only features stock brokers where your funds are protected by the FSCS and regulated by the FCA.
Richard Berry
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