Freetrade Review: Are they safe to trade stocks and is it really free?

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Freetrade has shaken up the UK retail investment market in recent years. Offering zero commissions on share trades, it has been stealing market share from legacy investment platforms such as Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, and Interactive Investor.

In this review, we look at Freetrade’s investment offering, account options, fees and more. Whether you’re a beginner investor or an expert stock picker, our review will help you decide if Freetrade is the right investment platform for you.

Customer Reviews

4.6
4.6 out of 5 stars (based on 1,336 reviews)
Excellent76%
Very good13%
Average7%
Poor3%
Terrible1%

Efficient and cost effective

17th October 2024

Their App is brilliant and so as web application for experience Investor. They are good for beginners and experience Investors equally. Their Forex charges are the lowest among peers.This is very important factor if you want to deal in US and Europe shares. When you have bigger portfolio,these cost plays big part in outperformance of your money in longer terms. CS is brilliant.

Bhav

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Efficient and cost effective

17th October 2024

Their App is brilliant and so as web application for experience Investor. They are good for beginners and experience Investors equally. Their Forex charges are the lowest among peers.This is very important factor if you want to deal in US and Europe shares. When you have bigger portfolio,these cost plays big part in outperformance of your money in longer terms. CS is brilliant.

Bhav

Excellent

27th June 2024

Excellent

Tamara Ricketts

limited range of ‘free’ products

26th June 2024

limited range of ‘free’ products

Paul Wheeler

Its a good platform, easy…

24th June 2024

Its a good platform, easy to access and trade on.

Justine Brophy

Easy to use

22nd June 2024

Easy to use

Lorenzo Dardi

Excellent for low cost trading.

21st June 2024

Excellent for low cost trading.

Andrew Barber

Simple, easy and cheap

20th June 2024

Simple, easy and cheap

Ben Lambert

Great for easy trades

20th June 2024

Great for easy trades

Chris Davies

Good start as a beginner

20th June 2024

Good start as a beginner

Neill Taylor

user friendly

20th June 2024

user friendly

Mara Blakemore

Could do much better to…

20th June 2024

Could do much better to make withdrawals easier

Drew Marsham

Easy to use, nice graphics

20th June 2024

Easy to use, nice graphics

Andrew B Doherty

It’s easy to use and…

19th June 2024

It’s easy to use and I can see what the investment is doing

Geraldine TOrin

Good

18th June 2024

Good

Daniel Toms

I’m not sure but I…

18th June 2024

I’m not sure but I Steven Talewa of Tari Hela Province of Papua New Guinea just select for investment platform provider for the year

Steven Talewa

5/5

18th June 2024
Tamara Ricketts

2/5

18th June 2024
Dan Caps

Good way to get going…

18th June 2024

Good way to get going as no fees

david smith

Fantastic Fin tech company

18th June 2024

Fantastic Fin tech company

Brian

Basic and simple. But pushing…

18th June 2024

Basic and simple. But pushing customers to pay subscriptions

Steven Litchfield

Prices not competitive. App not…

15th June 2024

Prices not competitive. App not great

Jose Eugenio Eugenio Da Silva Carvalho

Great for free share trading…

15th June 2024

Great for free share trading but not much elese

Neil Forland-Butten

Little used so noComment

15th June 2024

Little used so noComment

Phillip Fielding

Easy to use and feedback…

15th June 2024

Easy to use and feedback is good

Robert Kerr

Na

14th June 2024

Na

Anil Lala

Great but limitations

12th June 2024

Great but limitations

David Ross

Good trading platform

12th June 2024

Good trading platform

Paul Byham

Easy interface, but a bit…

12th June 2024

Easy interface, but a bit basic

Dan Evans

Good

12th June 2024

Good

Russell Martin Cook

Am not sure still support…

12th June 2024

Am not sure still support now

Steven Talewa

Good for cost and US…

12th June 2024

Good for cost and US stock choice

Andrew Ashworth

Slick app, easy to use

12th June 2024

Slick app, easy to use

Oliver Tomahawk

Used once or twice provides…

12th June 2024

Used once or twice provides free transactions for basic shares deals which is always avplus

Andrew O’Connor

Ok

12th June 2024

Ok

Stephen Duffy

.

12th June 2024

.

Paul Allum

No fees is good for…

12th June 2024

No fees is good for me

Jenny Riley

It’s confusing

9th June 2024

It’s confusing

Bhuvan Lekkala

Good

7th June 2024

Good

Nik searle

Haven’t used in a while

6th June 2024

Haven’t used in a while

Anthon Jahreskog

Could be much better. The…

6th June 2024

Could be much better. The userface isn’t great

Sheku Alim Sesay

5/5

4th June 2024
Steven Talewa

2/5

3rd June 2024
Gabriel Antonie

Simple user experience, wide range…

3rd June 2024

Simple user experience, wide range of investment options perhaps too many obscure stocks

Bhrat Patel

Cheap but shoddy app

3rd June 2024

Cheap but shoddy app

Lachlan Davies

Fantastic

1st June 2024

Fantastic

Lawrence parker

Great for trading free

1st June 2024

Great for trading free

S Barlow

.

31st May 2024

.

Daniel Pennell

Not free at all. The…

30th May 2024

Not free at all. The most expensive SIPP

Lori Ho

Cheap

30th May 2024

Cheap

Barry Bowerman

3/5

30th May 2024
Sai patel

good starting point

29th May 2024

good starting point

Stephen Starr

Started out well, hard to…

29th May 2024

Started out well, hard to find information, needs some attention

Lloyd Fursdon

.

28th May 2024

.

Nick Fitton

5/5

28th May 2024
David Wagg

Decent platform

27th May 2024

Decent platform

Isaac Medhurst

Nice app which is easy…

26th May 2024

Nice app which is easy to use. Not keen on the various account upgrades required to gain access to all shares.

Ian Murray

Cheap to use, good customer…

26th May 2024

Cheap to use, good customer service but limited range of securities available for trading.

John Hewitson

5/5

25th May 2024
Suryabrata Banerjee

Mid

25th May 2024

Mid

Bilbo baggins

Longtime good experience and cheap…

25th May 2024

Longtime good experience and cheap trading of fractional shares

John Pilkington

3/5

25th May 2024
Adam Sidbury

Good start up for trading

24th May 2024

Good start up for trading

Brian mcgibbon

Not used despite being registered

24th May 2024

Not used despite being registered

Nigel goncalves.

5/5

24th May 2024
Daniel Falvey

Really good service, love that…

24th May 2024

Really good service, love that trades are free. Very accessible and easy to use

Daniel Falvey

Not great value

24th May 2024

Not great value

Salman Hussain

User friendly app

24th May 2024

User friendly app

Alex Webb-Bowen

Good platform, I like the…

23rd May 2024

Good platform, I like the layout of the app. I only have some of my money with Freetrade as I think they could be more competitive with their fees

Ryan Farrell

Fantastic, low cost and comprehensive…

22nd May 2024

Fantastic, low cost and comprehensive provider of financial services.

Edmund Duncan Platt

Easy to use and can…

22nd May 2024

Easy to use and can build up a portfolio in small amounts over time

James Preston

Clear and easy to use

22nd May 2024

Clear and easy to use

Steven Young

Excellent, simple, clear and functional

22nd May 2024

Excellent, simple, clear and functional

John Griffiths

Not really free any more.

22nd May 2024

Not really free any more.

W. K. Raphael

affordable investing platform, easy to…

22nd May 2024

affordable investing platform, easy to use

Milan Milicevic

low comissions

22nd May 2024

low comissions

Scott Gornall

cheap but limited

22nd May 2024

cheap but limited

Rupert James Fowden

Good platform but didn’t offer…

22nd May 2024

Good platform but didn’t offer an ISA

Matthew Pountain

cheap, basic, limited

22nd May 2024

cheap, basic, limited

David Gunson

Good diversity of stocks and…

17th May 2024

Good diversity of stocks and shares

Rachael Oku

Good for individual stock buy…

17th May 2024

Good for individual stock buy but not for all my investments to hold here

Jasper Martens

Simple to use but customer…

17th May 2024

Simple to use but customer support is not great in my experience

Ashil Harish Patel

3/5

17th May 2024
Nuria Tain Novo

4/5

15th May 2024
Jonathan Henly

2/5

15th May 2024
Adam Lees

5/5

28th February 2023

Pros:

Costs and selection of investments

GMG Awards Voter: [118255318509]

3/5

28th February 2023

Pros:

Cheap

Cons:

increase range of investments

GMG Awards Voter: [118255307788]

3/5

28th February 2023

Pros:

Low cost

GMG Awards Voter: [118255259210]

1/5

27th February 2023

Pros:

Great value share dealing

Cons:

Broader range of investing options

GMG Awards Voter: [118254281473]

3/5

27th February 2023

Cons:

if i can use on my any mobile or desktop

GMG Awards Voter: [118253826663]

3/5

26th February 2023

Pros:

Not sure

Cons:

N/A

GMG Awards Voter: [118253587505]

5/5

26th February 2023

Pros:

Free

Cons:

Bigger potofolio

GMG Awards Voter: [118253584618]

3/5

25th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118252744188]

3/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Free to use

Cons:

Better prices

GMG Awards Voter: [118252373825]

3/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Cheap

Cons:

biggermarket

GMG Awards Voter: [118252318979]

5/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Fees

Cons:

Communicate better

GMG Awards Voter: [118252223557]

4/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Ok for smaller portfolios

Cons:

Reduce hidden fees in share price, and provide confirmation of share price before trade..

GMG Awards Voter: [118252188550]

5/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Fantastic interface

Cons:

website has limited functionality

GMG Awards Voter: [118252103363]

4/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

No fees

Cons:

Increase the number of stocks available

GMG Awards Voter: [118252020190]

3/5

24th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118252020170]

2/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Initial sign up

Cons:

More insight on performance of investments

GMG Awards Voter: [118252011019]

5/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Free transactions

GMG Awards Voter: [118251978851]

4/5

24th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118251963534]

5/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

No transaction commision

Cons:

Improve UI

GMG Awards Voter: [118251956015]

4/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Free trading

Cons:

Wider choice of funds

GMG Awards Voter: [118251943179]

5/5

24th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118251939611]

3/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to use

Cons:

Change colour from pink!

GMG Awards Voter: [118251928995]

5/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to use

Cons:

Available on PC and Mac

GMG Awards Voter: [118251913149]

3/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Free stock for recomendation

GMG Awards Voter: [118251907779]

5/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

Low costs and great value for money.

Cons:

Nothing – IÔÇÖm very happy with their offering.

GMG Awards Voter: [118251898420]

3/5

24th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118251887417]

3/5

24th February 2023

Pros:

free

GMG Awards Voter: [118251873152]

5/5

23rd February 2023

Pros:

The app layout

Cons:

More stocks and etfs should be added

GMG Awards Voter: [118251257592]

5/5

22nd February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118249767711]

4/5

21st February 2023

Pros:

View

GMG Awards Voter: [118249677851]

5/5

21st February 2023

Pros:

Ease of trading

Cons:

More research

GMG Awards Voter: [118249660583]

4/5

21st February 2023

Pros:

Low costs

Cons:

Investment choice

GMG Awards Voter: [118249588140]

3/5

21st February 2023

Pros:

samiszewczenko@gmail.com

Cons:

samiszewczenko@gmail.com

GMG Awards Voter: [118249368029]

4/5

18th February 2023

Pros:

User experience

Cons:

Provide more ETF/ETP choice

GMG Awards Voter: [118247668734]

1/5

18th February 2023

Pros:

good App

Cons:

FX fees, No Overnight Share Borrowing

GMG Awards Voter: [118247529307]

5/5

18th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118247313173]

5/5

17th February 2023

Cons:

More step and guides functionality

GMG Awards Voter: [118247040603]

1/5

17th February 2023

Pros:

Nothing

Cons:

Fractional ETF investing

GMG Awards Voter: [118246739290]

5/5

17th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118246696669]

1/5

17th February 2023

Pros:

cheap S&S ISA

Cons:

transparency with customers

GMG Awards Voter: [118246604936]

5/5

17th February 2023

Pros:

Fees

GMG Awards Voter: [118246598108]

4/5

16th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118246315154]

4/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

Low cost

Cons:

Add more investment trusts

GMG Awards Voter: [118246251209]

2/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

Allow to trade any ETF

Cons:

Make a web site!

GMG Awards Voter: [118246130841]

4/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

Free

Cons:

make navigation better

GMG Awards Voter: [118245850810]

1/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

None

Cons:

Futures and options and a new platform for trading them

GMG Awards Voter: [118245720336]

4/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

App

GMG Awards Voter: [118245671316]

5/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to use

Cons:

Add a free ISA

GMG Awards Voter: [118245547280]

3/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

Costs

Cons:

Change its colour!

GMG Awards Voter: [118245546295]

5/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

It’s very simple for a new investor.

Cons:

More assets.

GMG Awards Voter: [118245503104]

5/5

16th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118245463974]

3/5

16th February 2023

Pros:

App

Cons:

Account statements

GMG Awards Voter: [118245328114]

4/5

16th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118245275166]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

None

Cons:

Options

GMG Awards Voter: [118245210533]

4/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Low Fees, lot of options

GMG Awards Voter: [118245171244]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

none

Cons:

more features

GMG Awards Voter: [118245140729]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Easy access

GMG Awards Voter: [118245129858]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to use app

GMG Awards Voter: [118244985954]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Low costs / fees

Cons:

Show % / £ change at stock-level for configurable period on Portfolio screen

GMG Awards Voter: [118244888019]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Intuitive UI

GMG Awards Voter: [118244838691]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Low cost

Cons:

Tailor their advice more for my own interest areas

GMG Awards Voter: [118244835703]

1/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

None

Cons:

Customer Service, hidden fee

GMG Awards Voter: [118244808686]

4/5

15th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118244760643]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

User friendly

Cons:

Continue to improve on technology

GMG Awards Voter: [118244748058]

3/5

15th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118244734287]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

No favourites

GMG Awards Voter: [118244677440]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Free to trade

Cons:

Smaller spreads

GMG Awards Voter: [118244673622]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Easy of use

GMG Awards Voter: [118244668968]

5/5

15th February 2023

Cons:

Online presence

GMG Awards Voter: [118244619190]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

great App

Cons:

have a customer service number

GMG Awards Voter: [118244599356]

4/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Ease of use

Cons:

Charting facilities

GMG Awards Voter: [118244585044]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Free trafing

Cons:

Broaden the number of shares available to deal in.

GMG Awards Voter: [118244577456]

3/5

15th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118244564307]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Fractional Shares

Cons:

Provide a reliable desktop app

GMG Awards Voter: [118244562855]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Minimal fees

Cons:

Partial pension transfers

GMG Awards Voter: [118244556613]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

It’s free and fast

GMG Awards Voter: [118244553056]

4/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Commission free trading

Cons:

Web based platform

GMG Awards Voter: [118244545839]

3/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Nice app

GMG Awards Voter: [118244544778]

4/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

cheap and share decimals

Cons:

don’t use enough to comment

GMG Awards Voter: [118244539166]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Selection of things to invest in

GMG Awards Voter: [118244457589]

5/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Speed

Cons:

Query Scrip lending

GMG Awards Voter: [118244403649]

4/5

15th February 2023

Pros:

Cool app & website

Cons:

More trading information

GMG Awards Voter: [118244369357]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to buy shares

Cons:

Nothing that I can think of

GMG Awards Voter: [118244178408]

2/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

OK

Cons:

Forget securities lending

GMG Awards Voter: [118244150368]

3/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118244095375]

3/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to use

GMG Awards Voter: [118244088736]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Easy enough to use

Cons:

Can’t think of anything

GMG Awards Voter: [118244066455]

5/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Price

Cons:

Website offering instead of just app

GMG Awards Voter: [118243994007]

3/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243991713]

5/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

The free GIA acoount

Cons:

Lower ISA investing

GMG Awards Voter: [118243988402]

2/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243930963]

1/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

None

Cons:

pay dividends in a timely fashion

GMG Awards Voter: [118243919852]

4/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243905940]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to use

Cons:

They should lower fees

GMG Awards Voter: [118243896086]

4/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243884720]

3/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Non

Cons:

More user friendly app

GMG Awards Voter: [118243837736]

5/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Exposure to US stocks with Zero Commission

GMG Awards Voter: [118243822920]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Dividend yield

Cons:

N

GMG Awards Voter: [118243805199]

5/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Free

Cons:

Nothing

GMG Awards Voter: [118243794838]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

The range of freely accessible stocks

Cons:

Continue increasing the range of free stocks

GMG Awards Voter: [118243788363]

4/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243760130]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Individual stock purchase without fees

Cons:

More free stocks available without subscription

GMG Awards Voter: [118243743062]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Free trades

Cons:

Increase range of ETFs available

GMG Awards Voter: [118243739973]

3/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243737539]

5/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Free

Cons:

After hours trading

GMG Awards Voter: [118243727547]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Trade

Cons:

More stocks around the world

GMG Awards Voter: [118243717951]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Free stock trading

GMG Awards Voter: [118243711229]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Easy and commission free

Cons:

Offer sipp drawdown

GMG Awards Voter: [118243710848]

4/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243707111]

5/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Easy to use

Cons:

Fees are increasing

GMG Awards Voter: [118243704608]

4/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243702694]

4/5

14th February 2023
GMG Awards Voter: [118243702509]

5/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

low cost/range

Cons:

pc access interface

GMG Awards Voter: [118243701517]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

fees

Cons:

more stocks

GMG Awards Voter: [118243700622]

3/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

More options to invest

Cons:

Include free stock’s and share ISAs (or an option to have a real interest on savings)

GMG Awards Voter: [118243697449]

4/5

14th February 2023

Pros:

Range of stocks

GMG Awards Voter: [118243697428]

Unclaimed review: Is this your business?

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Freetrade Expert Review

I’ve been following Freetrade since its inception and test out the app every time they have a big upgrade or product release. So, this review has been updated just after I interviewed Freetrade’s CEO Adam Dodds about their UK Treasury Bills offering. Over the years Freetrade has won a couple of Good Money Guide Awards. In 2019 Freetrade won ‘People’s Choice’ and in 2012 ‘Best Commission Free Stockbroker’. I first interviewed Adam in 2018 and since then Freetrade has come along way. But, is Freetrade a good investing app and is trading really free?

Freetrade Review
freetrade review

Name: Freetrade

Description: Freetrade is one of the original and biggest commission free investing apps in the UK. It now offers, GIAs, ISAs and SIPPs to over 1.5million UK & European investors. It is possible can have a free account with end of day orders and limited stock data. Or you can upgrade to either a “standard” or “Plus” account for tax efficient accounts, web access, reduced FX charges and most stock data.

Is Freetrade a good investing app?

In my view, yes, Freetrade is a great investing app for those with a small amount of money who want a very low-cost way to start investing in UK and US shares and ETFs. As your portfolio grows you can upgrade for better execution and data. It’s most suited to medium and long-term investing.

Pros

  • Zero commission
  • No fees for a basic account
  • Fractional shares
  • UK Treasury Bills

Cons

  • App only on the basic plan (no desktop)
  • 0.99% FX fee for the basic account
  • Relatively early stage company
  • Pricing
    (5)
  • Market Access
    (4)
  • Online Platform
    (4)
  • Customer Service
    (4)
  • Research & Analysis
    (3.5)
Overall
4.1

Freetrade Facts & Figures

⬜ Public Company
👉 Number Active Clients1,600,000
💰 Minimum Deposit£1
💸 Client Fundsn/a
📅 Founded2018
Account Costs
Investment Account
£0
SIPP
£11.99 per month
Stocks & Shares ISA
£5.99 per month
Junior ISA
Lifetime ISA
Dealing Costs
UK Shares
£0
US Stocks£0 + 0.99% FX (basic)
ETFs
£0
Bonds
Funds

So, What Is Freetrade?

Freetrade is an independent, privately-owned fintech company that offers a ‘freemium’ share dealing service. Its mission is to get everyone investing by making it simpler and more affordable.

Founded in 2016, Freetrade launched its iOS app in the UK in October 2018, and since then it has grown at an impressive pace. Today, it has over 1.5 million customers and more than £1.6 billion in assets under administration.

Freetrade’s popularity stems from two key features: commission-free trading for shares and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and the ability to buy fractional US shares. These features have made investing more accessible and cost-effective, especially for beginners.

It’s worth noting that Freetrade won the 2021 Good Money Guide award for ‘Best Commission-Free Stockbroker’. It also won the 2019 Good Money Guide ‘People’s Choice’ award.

  • Freetrade is an investment platform that offers commission-free stock trading
  • Through Freetrade, you can buy and sell a wide range of stocks and ETFs. But you can’t invest in regular investment funds
  • Freetrade offers three different ongoing plans. If you want access to the platform’s best features, you’ll need to pay for a premium plan
  • With Freetrade, you still have to pay FX fees if you buy US or European stocks.

What Investments Does Freetrade Offer?

Freetrade offers access to over 6,200 stocks, investment trusts, and ETFs. The stocks include UK, US, and European equities while the ETFs include index funds, leveraged ETFs, and thematic ETFs.

You can also invest in UK Treasury bills and cash investments through its platform. So, there are options for those seeking lower-risk investments.

To access the full list of stocks you need to sign up for a Freetrade Premium plan. Through the Freetrade Basic plan you can only access around 4,700 stocks.

What Accounts Does Freetrade Pffer?

In terms of accounts, Freetrade offers three options:

  • A General Investment Account
  • A Stocks and Shares ISA
  • A SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension)

To open a stocks and shares ISA or SIPP you need to sign up for a premium plan.

How Does Freetrade’s Compare To Other Platforms?

While Freetrade offers a wide selection of stocks, it doesn’t offer as many as other more established platforms like Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor.

Looking at the full list of stocks, which can be found here, many small-cap and penny stocks are not available on the platform. So, if you like to invest in these types of stocks, Freetrade may not be the best platform for you.

It’s a similar story with account types. With Freetrade, it’s not possible to open a Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, or Junior SIPP. If you’re looking to invest within one of these vehicles, you will need to go with another broker.

What Are Freetrade’s Fees?

With Freetrade you can buy stocks with zero commissions.

However, if you’re buying US or European stocks, you’ll need to pay foreign exchange (FX) fees. These fees vary depending on the ongoing plan you choose.

There are three options when it comes to plans. These are:

  • Freetrade Basic – Free
  • Freetrade Standard – £4.99 per month billed annually or £5.99 per month billed monthly
  • Freetrade Plus – £9.99 per month billed annually or £11.99 per month billed monthly

Key things to note about these plans:

 

  • To access the full list of stocks, you’ll need to go with a Standard or Plus account
  • To invest within a stocks and shares ISA, you’ll need to go with a Standard or Plus account
  • To invest within a SIPP, you’ll need a Plus account
  • To access the desktop platform, you’ll need a Plus account. (With the Basic and Standard plans, you only get access to the app)
  • FX fees are lower with the two premium plans
  • With the two premium plans you can pick up more interest on your cash.

Freetrade Fees

As for how Freetrade’s fees compare to other platforms, they are pretty competitive. But there are lots of variables to consider here including the type of plan you have, the type of stocks you invest in (i.e. UK vs US stocks), and how many trades you make per month.

If you just wanted to buy a few blue-chip UK shares within a General Investment Account, you could potentially pay no fees at all (you would have to pay Stamp Duty on trades).

However, if you wanted to buy and hold UK shares in a stocks and shares ISA, you would be looking at annual charges of at least £59.88.

That’s not particularly high but it can be beaten. AJ Bell, for example, offers an annual charge of 0.25% for ISAs and this is capped at just £42 per year (this doesn’t include any trades).

How Do Fractional Shares Work On Freetrade?

With fractional shares, you can buy a fraction of one US stock. So, for example, you could buy one quarter of a share in Amazon.

This can be handy if you want to buy a stock that has a high share price. For instance, if a stock was trading at $1,000 and you only had $100 to invest, you could buy one tenth of a share with fractional shares.

With Freetrade, you can only buy fractional shares within a General Investment Account or SIPP. You can’t buy them within a stocks and shares ISA.

Earn Money Lending Stock To Short Sellers On Freetrade

In August 2024 Freetrade introduced a share lending program letting users lend out their eligible shares held in either a GIA, a general investment account, or an SIPP, a self-invested personal pension, to earn additional income.

If you opt-in, Freetrade may lend your shares to vetted borrowers where you can earn up to 50% of the fees generated, whilst Freetrade retains the other 50%.

The stock loan market is an important liquidity provision tool and it’s a part of the market infrastructure that retail traders wouldn’t normally see.

Long-term holders of stocks lend those stocks out to other traders for a fee or borrowing charge, or, in this case, in exchange for high-quality collateral such as government bonds.

The loan of stock allows the other parties to settle outstanding trades, and once those trades are closed, they can then return that stock to the lender.

Stock lending supports short sales and market making, and without it, we wouldn’t have the continuous liquid markets that we enjoy today.

Stock loan and borrow deals usually take place between institutions, with both parties, often transacting anonymously, through a specialist intermediary.

However, more retail brokers are now enfettering the space to aggregate and lend out their client’s stock holdings, to provide both themselves and their customers, with an additional source of revenue.

What are the risks of Freetrade stock lending program?

The primary risk is that a borrower might fail to return your shares. However this is an unlikely event and Freetrade will hold government bonds as collateral and would cover any shortfall.

Can I opt out of the program?

Yes, you can opt in or out anytime through your profile settings in the Freetrade app.

What happens if a borrower doesn’t return my shares?

Freetrade will sell the collateral it holds on your behalf and repurchase your shares. If the collateral is insufficient, Freetrade will make up any difference.

Are there any downsides to lending your stock out?

You won’t be able to vote any shares on loan and you may receive manufactured dividends, which could have different tax treatment.

Short selling supported by stock loans may also put downward pressure on the prices of the shares that are being lent out.

UK Treasury Bills On Freetrade Let You Earn Interest From The Government

With Freetrade you can invest in 28-day UK Treasury bills with as little as £50. The catch here is that you cannot sell or cash out of your Treasury bills – you will need to wait for them to mature to get your capital back.

And your money could be tied up for longer than the maturity period. For example, your money is generally tied up for about 31 days for a 28-day UK Treasury bill.

So, you need to be sure that you won’t need access to your money before the maturity date.

Is Freetrade Trustworthy?

Yes, you can consider Freetrade to be trustworthy. Freetrade is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. Meanwhile, all Freetrade accounts are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

How Do You Open An Account With Freetrade?

Opening an account with Freetrade is relatively straightforward. Here’s how it works:

  • Step 1: Download the app
  • Step 2: Enter your details (you will need your National Insurance number)
  • Step 3: Choose the plan that is best for you
  • Step 4: Transfer funds into your account

Freetrade Pros & Cons

 Pros

  • You can trade stocks with zero commissions
  • Plenty of investment options including stocks, index funds, and thematic ETFs
  • You can generate interest on your cash balances
  • Ongoing charges are very reasonable
  • You may be able to receive a free share when you sign up for an account and deposit money

Cons

  • Not every stock is available on the Freetrade platform
  • You cannot invest in regular investment funds with Freetrade
  • Freetrade offers some guides and analysis but much of this is out of date
  • You can contact Freetrade through email or in-app chat, but not by phone
  • Many users complain of poor customer service
  • Only those who pay for a Plus account can use the desktop platform

Who are Freetrade’s Main Competitors?

Some recommended alternatives include:

  • Trading 212 – It also offers commission-free stock trading
  • Hargreaves Lansdown – It has more investment options than Freetrade
  • AJ Bell – It’s another platform that offers a wide range of investments
  • Interactive Investor – It offers a flat fee so can be cost-effective for those with large portfolios
  • Moneybox – It’s a good platform for beginners

Freetrade’s Flexible ISA

One of the advantages of Freetrade’s ISA is that it is a flexible one. That means you can withdraw money from your Freetrade ISA and, provided you return it within the same tax year, won’t lose that part of your allowance.

This means that if you are short of cash for any reason, you can access you money (once you liquidate your investments) and use it for emergencies.

Freetrade FAQ

Overall, Freetrade is a good platform that offers a broad selection of investments and very competitive fees and charges. But it’s not perfect. And it’s not going to be the right platform for everybody. As always, the best platform for you will depend on factors such as the size of your portfolio, the investments you like to own, and the extra features you are looking for.

Freetrade is an independent, privately-owned company.

No. While Freetrade offers zero commissions on trades, you still need to pay Stamp Duty, FX fees, and annual charges (if you choose a premium plan).

When you buy UK stocks with Freetrade, the company deducts Stamp Duty at a rate of 0.5%. This does not apply to investment trusts or shares listed on AIM.

The minimum investment with Freetrade is currently £2.

Yes, it does. But you can only access this with a ‘Plus’ account.

There is always investment risk when you buy shares or ETFs. So, if you trade through Freetrade, it’s possible that you could lose money. However, the platform itself should be regarded as safe. It is regulated by the FCA, and accounts are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

With Freetrade, customer assets are held in ring-fenced accounts. So, if the company goes bust, your assets will be returned to you or transferred to another broker. If you hold cash with Freetrade, you will be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000.

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