- Freetrade is rated highly on Good Money Guide as a low-cost and simple-to-use investment app.
- Experts rate Freetrade as a strong beginner-friendly investment app offering commission-free trading, simple access to shares, ETFs and ISAs, and good value for new investors wanting an easy mobile experience.
- Customer reviews, however, are more divided, with some users praising the app’s simplicity and low costs, while others raise concerns about customer support delays, account restrictions and limitations compared with full-service brokers.
Freetrade Customer Reviews
Pros: Initial sign up Cons: More insight on performance of investments Pros: Free transactions Pros: No transaction commision Cons: Improve UI Pros: Free trading Cons: Wider choice of funds Pros: Easy to use Cons: Change colour from pink! Pros: Easy to use Cons: Available on PC and Mac Pros: Free stock for recomendation Pros: Low costs and great value for money. Cons: Nothing – IÔÇÖm very happy with their offering. Pros: free Pros: The app layout Cons: More stocks and etfs should be added Pros: View Pros: Ease of trading Cons: More research Pros: Low costs Cons: Investment choice Pros: samiszewczenko@gmail.com Cons: samiszewczenko@gmail.com Pros: User experience Cons: Provide more ETF/ETP choiceTell us what you think of this provider.
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Freetrade Expert Review
Freetrade Won Best Investing App In The 2025 Good Money Guide Awards
Is Freetrade a good investing app?
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.
Freetrade is one of the original and biggest commission-free investing apps in the UK. It now offers, GIAs, ISAs and SIPPs to over 1.5 million UK & European investors. It is possible to 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.
Freetrade also won “Best Investing App” in the 2025 Good Money Guide Awards.
Freetrade offers a ‘freemium’ share dealing service and it’s 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.
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.
Pricing:
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
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).
Market Access: In terms of accounts, Freetrade offers three options, a General Investment Account, a Stocks and Shares ISA and a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension). But, to open a stocks and shares ISA or SIPP you need to sign up for a premium plan.
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
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4.1Freetrade News
Is Freetrade’s Junior Stocks & Shares ISA Any Good?
Freetrade has launched its new Junior Stocks and Shares ISA (JISA), giving parents and guardians a new way to invest for their children ahead of the tax year deadline. In this guide, we test and review Freetrade’s new Junior Stocks & Shares ISA to see if it is a good way to invest for your
Freetrade Makes SIPPs, Funds and Gilts Free on All Plans in Major Pricing Shake-Up
Freetrade has announced that Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)s, mutual funds, and UK gilts are no longer restricted to paid subscribers. Instead, these products are now accessible across every plan, including the free Basic option, meaning investors no longer need a monthly subscription to open a pension or diversify into funds and government bonds. The move
Freetrade Plus Accounts Can Earn Up To 5% Interest On Uninvested Cash
Commission-free share trading and investing app Freetrade’s new cash investment facility which offers easy access and attractive interest rates now pay up to 5% for Plus account holders. This is 0.5% more than the 4.5% current Bank of England Interest Rates. However, there are limitations: The high rate of interest only applies up to £4,000
Can you buy fractional shares on Freetrade?
Yes, you can buy Fractional shares 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
Is Freetrade Safe?
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), especially now they are owned by IG. I’ve been following Freetrade since its inception and test out the app every
Can you short on Freetrade?
No, you cannot short stocks on Freetrade, but you can still earn money from other people going short as the commission-free share trading platform has a share lending for its customers. Freetrade’s share lending program allows its users to lend out their eligible shares held in either a GIA, a general investment account, or SIPP,
Freetrade Investment ISA comes with a free share worth between £100 and £2,100
In this review, we look at Freetrade’s stocks and shares ISA 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. Richard BerryRichard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker
Freetrade launches Gilt investing in 9 UK Government bonds
You can now buy Gilts on Freetrade, the investing app recently acquired by established stock broker IG. The great thing about adding gilts to a portfolio is that they are much lower risk than dealing in shares, and they are income-paying bonds backed by the UK government. Freetrade also launched UK Treasury bill investing, which
Investing in UK Treasury Bills on Freetrade with Adam Dodds, CEO
Freetrade has just launched UK Treasury Bills for their customers, which have previously only been available to UK investors in minimum order sizes of £500,000. So, I have a chat with Adam Dodds, the Freetrade CEO, about how to invest in UK Treasury Bills on Freetrade and how investors can benefit from them. With Freetrade
Freetrade’s valuation is cut by more than 60% from £650m to £225m
Freetrade the commission-free share investing app has undergone a dramatic cut in its valuation as it seeks to raise new cash through crowdfunding and is now valued at just £225 million. Freetrade has reduced its valuation ahead of a new crowdfunding campaign. In November 2021 the free share dealing service was valued at £650 million
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).
Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
Richard’s contributions and expertise have been recognized by respected publications such as The Sunday Times, BusinessInsider, Yahoo Finance, BusinessNews.org.uk, Master Investor, Wealth Briefing, iNews, and The FT, among many others.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Good Money Guide has evolved into a valuable destination for comprehensive information and expert guidance, specialising in trading, investment, and currency exchange. His commitment to delivering high-quality insights has solidified the Good Money Guide’s standing as a well-respected resource for both customers and industry colleagues.
