Independent · fee-focused
Best Investing Apps for Beginners in 2026
If you are just starting out, the best investing app is the one that makes it easy to begin without quietly eating your money in fees. We looked for simple, well-regulated platforms with low costs, fractional shares so you can start small, and an experience you will actually stick with. Here is our top pick for beginners, followed by the full ranking.
Best overall: Lightyear
Lightyear is our top pick for this category: best low-fx investing app for the uk and eu with interest on cash.
Get started with LightyearCapital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
The ranked list
1. Lightyear
5/5Lightyear is a UK- and EU-available investing app offering commission-free stocks and ETFs, a very low currency-conversion fee, and interest on uninvested cash. UK personal accounts (GIA and Stocks & Shares ISA) pay just 0.10% FX; EU accounts pay 0.35%. There are no account, withdrawal or inactivity fees, and no minimum deposit — making it one of the cheapest ways to hold a global portfolio.
Read the full Lightyear review →Visit LightyearLightyear
Best low-FX investing app for the UK and EU with interest on cash
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
2. Trading 212
4.9/5Trading 212 offers genuinely commission-free investing with no withdrawal fee and an Invest/ISA account for UK users. A strong low-cost pick, though product depth is narrower than full-service brokers.
Read the full Trading 212 review →Visit Trading 212Trading 212
Best for low fees and UK investors
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
3. Robinhood
4.8/5Robinhood pioneered commission-free trading in the US and now offers UK investors commission-free US shares with a very low 0.10% FX fee and a free Stocks & Shares ISA. It trades US-listed stocks, ETFs and options — no UK-listed shares, and no crypto in the UK. A clean app that is light on research; note the $100 account-transfer-out fee.
Read the full Robinhood review →Visit RobinhoodRobinhood
Best for commission-free US-stock investing in the US and UK
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
4. Revolut
4.8/5Revolut bolts simple stock investing onto its popular banking app. Convenient if you already use Revolut, with one free trade per month on Standard, but the 0.25% per-trade commission makes it pricier than dedicated low-cost brokers for active investors.
Read the full Revolut review →Visit RevolutRevolut
Best for investing inside an all-in-one money app
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
5. eToro
4.6/5eToro is a multi-asset platform best known for copy trading and an extremely beginner-friendly interface. ETF investing is commission-free, but stock positions carry a $1–$2 charge on opening and again on closing, and the withdrawal and currency-conversion fees matter.
Read the full eToro review →Visit eToroeToro
Best for beginners and social/copy trading
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. 50% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
6. InvestEngine
4.6/5InvestEngine is a UK ETF-only investment platform with no platform fee, no dealing commission and no FX fee on its DIY portfolios, across ISA, SIPP and General accounts. All ETFs are GBP-denominated, so you pay only the underlying ETF's ongoing charge. ETFs only — no individual stocks.
Read the full InvestEngine review →Visit InvestEngineInvestEngine
Best for zero-fee DIY ETF investing with a free ISA and SIPP
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
7. Trade Republic
4.6/5Trade Republic is a German neobroker and licensed bank offering stocks, ETFs, bonds and crypto at a flat €1 external-settlement fee per trade, with completely free ETF savings-plan executions. It also pays interest on uninvested cash (linked to ECB rates) and runs a Saveback card scheme. Available across most of the eurozone; a mobile-first, no-frills platform.
Read the full Trade Republic review →Visit Trade RepublicTrade Republic
Best €1-flat neobroker for low-cost investing in the eurozone
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
8. Scalable Capital
4.6/5Scalable Capital is a German neobroker offering real stocks and ETFs on two plans. The FREE Broker charges €0.99 per trade (free for €250+ purchases of Prime ETFs) with no account fee, while PRIME+ Broker (€4.99/month) gives a trading flat rate with €0 per-trade commission. ETF savings-plan executions are free on both plans. Trades run via gettex and Xetra.
Read the full Scalable Capital review →Visit Scalable CapitalScalable Capital
Best broker with a free savings-plan tier and an optional flat-rate plan
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
9. Freetrade
4.4/5Freetrade is a UK mobile-first investing app offering commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs and investment trusts, with a genuinely free Stocks & Shares ISA and SIPP on its Basic plan. The main cost for most users is the FX fee on non-GBP trades: 0.99% on the free plan, dropping to 0.59% (Standard, £5.99/mo) and 0.39% (Plus, £11.99/mo).
Read the full Freetrade review →Visit FreetradeFreetrade
Best free ISA and SIPP for commission-free UK investing
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Compare side by side
| Feature | Lightyear | Trading 212 | Robinhood | Revolut | eToro | InvestEngine | Trade Republic | Scalable Capital | Freetrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Stock commission | UK personal accounts (GIA and ISA): no execution fee on UK, US and European stocks or ETFs. EU accounts: GBP 1 per order on UK stocks, EUR 1 per order on EUR-denominated stocks, 0.1% on other European stocks, and 0.10% (min $0.10, max $1) on US stocks. ETFs are execution-fee-free on both. | 0% | $0 / £0 commission on US stocks, ETFs and options (crypto in the US only) | 1 commission-free order a month on Standard (3 on Plus, 5 on Premium, 10 on Metal and Ultra); beyond the allowance 0.25% of the order amount, or 0.12% on Ultra, minimum GBP 0.01; the Stocks and Shares ISA shares the same allowance and rates | $1–$2 per side on stock positions (charged on opening and on closing, varies by country of residence); ETFs 0% | £0 dealing commission on all ETFs (DIY portfolios); no platform fee | €1 flat per trade (Best Price execution); €2 per order for Direct Price routing to a chosen exchange (Xetra, NYSE, etc., since July 2026) | FREE Broker: €0.99 per trade (€0 on €250+ Prime ETF purchases). PRIME+ Broker (€4.99/mo): €0 per trade on €250+, else €0.99. Xetra trades €3.99 on both plans | £0 commission on all UK & US stocks, ETFs and investment trusts (all plans) |
| Withdrawal fee | Free by local bank transfer. USD wire payments are charged (up to $8.50 UK, $6.11 EU). | Free | Free (bank/ACH); instant withdrawal 1.75% (US); account transfer out $100 | Free | $5 per withdrawal on USD accounts ($30 min); free on GBP/EUR accounts | Free — no withdrawal fee | Free to a linked bank account | Free to a linked bank account | Free standard withdrawals; £5 for same-day withdrawal |
| Inactivity fee | None | None | None | None | None (eToro removed the inactivity fee in 2026) | None | None | None | None |
| Min deposit | $0 | $1 | $0 | $0 | $50 | $100 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Regulators | FCA, EFSA | FCA, CySEC | SEC, FINRA, SIPC, FCA | FCA, CySEC | FCA, CySEC, ASIC | FCA | BaFin, Bundesbank | BaFin, Bundesbank | FCA |
How to choose
As a beginner, prioritise three things: low or zero commissions so small trades are not swallowed by fees; fractional shares so you can diversify with little money; and a simple, regulated app. Currency-conversion and withdrawal fees matter more than they look over time — our fee calculator shows the real annual cost for your situation.
How much money do you need to start?
Less than most people think: on every app in this ranking you can start with £1–£50 thanks to fractional shares, which let you buy a slice of a share instead of a whole one. A single Apple share costs over $200, but a fractional platform lets you own $5 of it. What matters at small amounts is not the minimum deposit — it is the fees. A £1.50 charge on a £50 investment is an instant 3% loss, which is why every platform we recommend to beginners trades stocks and ETFs commission-free.
The fees beginners overlook
Almost every beginner app now advertises zero commission, so the real differences hide elsewhere. First, currency conversion: when you buy US shares from a pound or euro account, apps charge anywhere from 0.15% (Trading 212) to roughly 0.75% (eToro) to convert your money — on regular investing this quietly becomes the biggest cost you pay. Second, withdrawal fees: most apps here are free, but eToro charges $5 on USD accounts. Third, inactivity fees: none of our beginner picks charge one, but many CFD-focused platforms do. Our fee calculator turns these small percentages into a real annual number for how you plan to invest.
Common beginner mistakes to avoid
Three mistakes cost new investors the most. Picking an app on sign-up bonuses instead of running costs — a free share worth £10 does not offset years of high FX fees. Confusing investing with CFD trading — several well-known platforms make leveraged CFD bets the default, and the majority of retail CFD accounts lose money; as a beginner you almost certainly want to own real shares and ETFs instead. And checking the app every day — the evidence is boring but clear: beginners who buy diversified ETFs on a schedule and leave them alone do better than those who trade often, and frequent trading multiplies every fee on this page.
Which apps you can actually use in your country
Availability matters more than rankings: Robinhood is US-only, while Trading 212, eToro, Freetrade, InvestEngine and Lightyear serve the UK — Trading 212 and Lightyear also cover most of the EU, where Trade Republic and Scalable Capital are the German-based favourites. UK beginners should also look for a Stocks & Shares ISA, which shelters gains from tax; Trading 212, Freetrade, InvestEngine and Lightyear all offer one for free. US investors do not need an ISA — commission-free is standard, so compare research tools and account types instead.
How we rank
Rankings are based on published fees, regulatory standing, available features, and the real cost of common actions (trading, withdrawing, currency conversion). We do not accept payment for placement; affiliate relationships do not influence the order. The fee data behind this ranking comes from the same verified dataset as our UK Broker Fee Index — a quarterly data study where FX fees alone vary almost tenfold between platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best investing app for beginners?
eToro is our overall pick for beginners thanks to its simple app and copy-trading feature that lets you learn by mirroring experienced investors — just budget for its ~0.75% currency-conversion fee. If keeping costs minimal matters more to you, Trading 212 is the value pick: commission-free with a 0.15% FX fee, free withdrawals, and a free UK ISA.
How much money do I need to start investing?
You can start with as little as £1 or $1. Every app in this ranking offers fractional shares, so a small deposit still buys you a diversified slice of the market. Starting small while you learn is a feature, not a limitation — just make sure the app charges no commission, so small purchases are not eaten by fees.
Are investing apps safe for beginners?
The apps in this ranking are regulated by major authorities such as the FCA (UK), CySEC (EU), or SEC/FINRA (US), and client assets are held under segregation or compensation-scheme rules — FSCS protection of up to £85,000 applies to eligible UK platforms. Regulation protects you if the firm fails; it does not protect you from investments falling in value. Your capital is at risk with any investing app.
What fees should a beginner watch out for?
Commission is usually zero now, so watch the quieter charges: the currency-conversion (FX) fee when you buy US shares from a GBP or EUR account (0.15%–0.99% depending on the app), withdrawal fees, and — on trading-focused platforms — inactivity fees. Over a year of regular investing, the FX fee is typically the largest real cost a beginner pays.
Should a beginner trade CFDs?
No. CFDs are leveraged bets on price movements — you never own the shares, and the large majority of retail CFD accounts lose money. As a beginner, choose a platform for buying real stocks and ETFs and ignore the CFD section even where the app offers one.