Popular investment apps in the UK have transformed the way people grow their money and manage their financial goals. Focused on convenience, they provide features that allow users to track everything in real time. Using inviting interfaces, apps make investment opportunities accessible to users who have no prior experience with investment.
In recent years, the UK has witnessed a surge in digital platforms designed to make investing easier. This shows the growing demand for flexible and transparent financial tools. From commission-free trading to automated investing, these apps provide different benefits depending on your goals and preferences. Below, we explore some of the most popular options available today.
1. eToro
Because of its wide range of services, eToro is regarded as one of the top investment platforms. Among other things, it enables users to trade options, futures, ETFs, stocks, and cryptocurrency. Additionally, customers of the investment site can earn up to 4.3% interest rates every year.
eToro provides a mobile app that works with iOS and Android smartphones to make it easier for users to access their investments. eToro enables users to make deposits and withdrawals using GBP to smoothly onboard members throughout the UK. Additionally, the investment site has an education part to inform readers as they access the investment vehicle of their choice.
2. AJ Bell
AJ Bell has more than 490,000 customers and is listed on the FTSE 250. It’s among the popular investment apps in the UK. Both share trading and fund purchases are subject to mid-range costs. However, its platform charge is limited to shares and is at the lower part of the mainstream providers’ range. Additionally, its foreign exchange fee is in the middle range, at 0.75% up to £10,000.
Customers can trade with no minimum investment on the website or through the app. Stocks and shares ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, Lifetime ISA, and a standard trading account are among the available accounts. Fractional shares are not available; however, it does provide a large selection of investments. The software is designed to be simple to use and has received great ratings on the App Store.
It only has basic charting tools, but it provides adequate company information, including essential financial data and a link to company reports. The website allows you to filter shares based on risers and fallers, but the app does not.
3. IG
IG, a FTSE 250 company, has more than 300,000 customers across 17 nations. It’s among the popular investment apps in the UK. While investors who make 12 trades in a year are not charged a platform cost, investors with bigger value portfolios may find its flat platform price appealing. While it is free to place deals online, each phone transaction costs £50.
Customers can trade on the website or through the app, and they must invest at least £50. Additionally, clients can choose to trade using third-party platforms, such as the well-known MetaTrader 4. ISA, SIPP, and a regular trading account are among the available accounts. IG provides a wide variety of investment options.
Although the application has a great rating in app stores, it is more geared toward seasoned investors than amateurs. The app provides news broadcasts, analysis, investing decisions, and complete corporate information in addition to a wide range of advanced charting tools.
4. Interactive Investor
One of the bigger platforms is Interactive Investor, which has more than 450,000 users. It’s among the popular investment apps in the UK. Although a multinational investment firm acquired it in 2021, it is still a whole-of-market platform. Each of its three primary plans has a fixed platform cost. The £4.99 monthly Investor Essentials package is only available for portfolios up to £50,000.
The Investor and Super Investor plans, which include a Junior ISA and free monthly transactions, cost £11.99 and £19.99 per month, respectively. The trading cost for US and UK shares and ETFs is £3.99. There is no minimum investment required for clients to trade using the website or the app.
A standard trading account, ISA, Junior ISA, and SIPP are among the available accounts. Although it does not sell fractional shares, it does offer a large selection of investments. Despite having one of the lowest reviews on app stores, the app is made to be simple to use.
5. Hargreaves Lansdown
One of the biggest trading and budgeting mobile apps, Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), has more than 1.7 million customers. It’s among the popular investment apps in the UK. Customer service is one of HL’s advantages, especially for customers who want extra assistance. However, there is a price for this degree of assistance: HL charges the highest platform fee (0.55%) for funds.
Despite this, it has one of the highest foreign exchange costs (beginning at 1.0%), but neither platform fees nor a trading fee for funds are offered. A minimum investment of £1 is required for clients to trade via the website or the app. ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, Lifetime ISA, and a standard trading account are among the available accounts.
The app has a high rating in the App Store and is made to be easy to use. Although it only provides a simple charting option, it is excellent at presenting company information, such as important financial figures, a news stream tailored to the company, and HL comments.
6. Trading 212
The UK fintech startup Trading 212 provides commission-free trading. It currently has 2 million customers and is profitable. With the lowest foreign exchange rate of 0.15%, it doesn’t charge for platform or share trading.
Customers can now store various currencies in their accounts, including euros and US dollars, according to a new functionality that is being introduced. Customers can use the website or the app to trade, and they must invest at least £1. A normal trading account and an ISA are among the available accounts.
Along with the possibility to purchase fractional shares, it provides a large selection of investment options. Additionally, Trading 212 gives users access to a demo trading account, online community trading forum, and investing guidance. All things considered, investors seeking a simple, affordable program could find Trading 212 appealing, especially those purchasing foreign stocks.
7. Revolut
Revolut boasts over 40 million users and recently introduced Revolut X, a dedicated cryptocurrency trading platform with over 100 tokens. It’s among the popular investment apps in the UK. Its user-friendly interface makes it possible for investors to trade fractional shares, which appeals to novice investors.
The company offers commodities, stock markets, cryptocurrency, and recently introduced exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for social trading. However, its investing alternatives are more limited than those of some other investing apps. It offers a variety of plans, ranging from regular to extreme, based on an investor’s preferences, and its costs are reasonably priced for amateur investors.
8. FP Markets
FP Markets is a well-known broker with over 20 years of expertise that provides a superior mobile trading experience via its MT5 Mobile Trader software. This app, designed for both novice and experienced investors, gives you access to a variety of financial products such as FX, futures, indices, commodities, and share CFDs.
The MT5 Mobile Trader app’s ability to work with Standard and Raw ECN accounts is one of its main benefits; it enables traders to choose the account type that best fits their investing preferences. Interestingly, the Raw ECN account has ultra-low spreads as low as 0.0 pips.
The FP Markets investment app is notable for its extensive trading capabilities, which include technical indicators, an economic calendar, real-time market news, educational materials, and sophisticated charting tools. Using tools like auto-open and close positions, investors may execute trades precisely while automating their strategies and risk management.
9. Moneybox
This app is resonating with early investors, and the business has been featured on Deloitte’s UK Technology Fast 50 for four years running. Its among the popular investment apps in the UK. Its AUM is over £5 and it has over 1 million customers. The 0.45% platform fee charged by Moneybox is not the best option for investors with bigger portfolios.
Although the program concentrates on trending stocks and cash ISAs, it lacks sophisticated functionality and research tools that traders with more experience could find useful. In comparison to certain other platforms, it offers a more limited selection of investments.
Because of its user-friendly interface and robo-investing capabilities, Moneybox’s platform is ideal for novice investors who lack the confidence to choose stocks. A benefit is being able to trade with no commission and a nominal monthly subscription charge of £1.
10. Freetrade
After only eight years of operation, the rapidly expanding app has over 1.4 million users and £1.3 billion in AUM. For intermediate investors who prefer commission-free stock and ETF trading over cryptocurrency, this platform is an excellent fit. In what it refers to as its freemium model, Freetrade offers a number of pricing plans.
The basic plan costs £0 and permits one free trade per month, while the premium plan costs £11.99 per month and offers a SIPP and preferential customer support. Although it provides fractional share trading and over 6,200 stocks, its site may be more challenging to use than other applications because it lacks robo-investing and has fewer automatic functions. For the lowest basic package, there is also little customer service.
Conclusion
Choosing from the many popular investment apps in the UK depends on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and the type of assets you want to explore. These platforms make it easier than ever to start investing, whether you are new to the market or looking to expand your portfolio. By understanding what each app offers, you can select the right one to support your journey toward smarter financial growth and stability.
