Broker Custody and Platform Fees Compared
None of the leading commission-free investing apps charges a custody or platform fee: Trading 212, XTB, eToro, Freetrade, InvestEngine, Revolut, Robinhood and Webull all let you hold shares and ETFs at no recurring holding charge. This is a sharp contrast with traditional full-service investment platforms, which commonly levy a percentage or flat annual custody fee. On these apps the only ongoing costs are the underlying fund's ongoing charge and any FX fee when you trade foreign shares. The holding-cost details below are drawn from each broker's data, verified June 2026.
Reviewed by Yaniv Barshaf · Fees verified June 2026 · Our methodology
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| Broker | Dealing & holding charge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trading 212 | 0% | No platform or custody fee; commission-free dealing. |
| Freetrade | £0 commission on all UK & US stocks, ETFs and investment trusts (all plans) | No platform or custody fee; free Basic ISA and SIPP included. |
| InvestEngine | £0 dealing commission on all ETFs (DIY portfolios); no platform fee | No platform fee and no dealing commission on DIY portfolios. |
| XTB | 0% up to €100k monthly turnover, then 0.2% (min €10) | No platform or custody fee; commission-free under the turnover cap. |
| Revolut | 0.25% per trade (min ~$1), 0.12% on Ultra; 1+ free trades/month by plan | No custody fee; per-trade commission is the cost, not a holding charge. |
| Robinhood | $0 on US stocks, ETFs, options and crypto | No platform or custody fee. |
| Webull | $0 on stocks, ETFs and options (regulatory fees on sells) | No platform or custody fee. |
| eToro | $1–$2 per stock trade (varies by country/exchange); ETFs 0% | No platform or custody fee for holding shares. |
Fee data verified June 2026 from each broker’s published schedule. Figures are estimates of published costs, not quotes — confirm current fees on the broker’s own site before opening an account.
What a custody or platform fee is
A custody fee, often called a platform fee or account fee, is a recurring charge for simply holding your investments with a broker, regardless of whether you trade. It is the cost of the broker safeguarding your assets and administering your account. Traditional investment platforms typically levy it as an annual percentage of the value you hold — for example a fraction of a percent a year, sometimes capped — or as a flat annual charge. The important feature is that it is unavoidable while you hold assets there: unlike a dealing commission you pay only when you trade, a custody fee accrues continuously on your whole portfolio. Over years, even a small percentage custody fee compounds into a meaningful drag on returns, which is exactly why the commission-free apps that charge none have become so attractive to cost-conscious long-term investors.
The apps that charge no custody fee
Every platform in this comparison charges no custody or platform fee. Trading 212, XTB, eToro, Freetrade, InvestEngine, Revolut, Robinhood and Webull all let you hold shares and ETFs indefinitely without a recurring holding charge. InvestEngine states this most explicitly, advertising no platform fee and no dealing commission across its ISA, SIPP and general accounts. Freetrade includes a free Stocks and Shares ISA and SIPP on its Basic plan with no monthly platform fee for holding. For a buy-and-hold investor this is the ideal structure: once you own your assets, holding them costs nothing at the platform level, and your only ongoing cost is the ongoing charge of whatever fund or ETF you hold, which is set by the fund provider rather than the broker. This makes these apps particularly well suited to long-term ISA and pension investing where a percentage custody fee would otherwise erode compounding.
How a custody fee compounds over time
The reason a zero custody fee matters so much is the effect of a percentage charge compounding across a long horizon. Consider a hypothetical traditional platform charging, say, a modest annual custody percentage on a growing portfolio: because the fee is levied every year on the full balance, it is deducted from the very capital that would otherwise compound, and its drag grows as your portfolio grows. Over decades that can amount to a significant slice of your final pot. By contrast, on a no-custody-fee app the same portfolio compounds untouched by any platform-level holding charge. This is illustrative rather than a quote — actual traditional-platform fees vary — but the direction is unambiguous: for long-term investing, avoiding a percentage custody fee is one of the highest-value cost decisions you can make, often worth far more than shaving a few basis points off a dealing commission you rarely pay. Capital at risk.
What you still pay when custody is free
No custody fee does not mean no cost. On these apps you still face the trading-level charges: an FX fee when you buy foreign-currency assets, which for UK investors buying US shares is usually the largest recurring cost; any per-trade commission where it applies, such as Revolut's 0.25% or eToro's $1–$2 stock commission; and the underlying ongoing charge figure of any fund or ETF, paid to the fund manager rather than the broker. You may also meet a withdrawal fee on some platforms and, rarely, an inactivity fee. The point is that a free custody fee removes the continuous, portfolio-wide holding drag, but the transaction-level costs remain and are where the meaningful differences between these apps now lie. When comparing platforms, treat zero custody fee as a baseline these apps share, then differentiate them on FX, commission and withdrawal charges — the costs that actually vary.
Custody fees versus fund charges
It is worth distinguishing a platform custody fee from a fund's ongoing charge, because they are often confused. The custody or platform fee is charged by the broker for holding your account, and on these apps it is zero. The ongoing charge figure, or OCF, is charged by the fund or ETF provider for running the fund itself, and it applies wherever you hold that fund — it is not a broker fee and is unavoidable if you own the fund, though you can choose cheaper funds. So on InvestEngine, for instance, you pay no platform fee to the broker, but you still pay the OCF of whichever ETFs you buy, set by the ETF issuer. A genuinely low-cost portfolio therefore combines a no-custody-fee platform with low-OCF funds. Comparing brokers on custody fees answers only half the question; the fund charges you choose complete the picture, and both compound over the long term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do investing apps charge a custody or platform fee?
The commission-free apps in this comparison — Trading 212, XTB, eToro, Freetrade, InvestEngine, Revolut, Robinhood and Webull — charge no custody or platform fee. You can hold shares and ETFs with no recurring platform-level holding charge, unlike many traditional investment platforms.
What is the difference between a custody fee and a fund charge?
A custody or platform fee is charged by the broker for holding your account, and is zero on these apps. A fund's ongoing charge (OCF) is charged by the fund provider for running the fund, applies wherever you hold it, and is unavoidable if you own that fund, though you can choose cheaper funds.
Why does a custody fee matter for long-term investors?
Because it is a percentage charged every year on your whole portfolio, it is deducted from the capital that would otherwise compound, and its drag grows as your portfolio grows. Over decades that can cost a significant slice of your final pot, so avoiding it is a high-value decision.
If custody is free, what do I still pay?
Trading-level costs remain: an FX fee on foreign-currency trades, any per-trade commission where it applies (such as Revolut's 0.25% or eToro's $1–$2), possibly a withdrawal fee, and the underlying ongoing charge of any fund or ETF you hold, which is set by the fund provider.