Freetrade Review 2026
Freetrade brought commission-free investing to the UK and remains one of the simplest ways to own shares. All plans — including the free Basic tier — trade UK and US stocks, ETFs and investment trusts at £0 commission, and unusually, the free plan includes both a Stocks & Shares ISA and a SIPP. The cost to watch is currency conversion: 0.99% on the free plan when you buy US shares, reduced to 0.59% or 0.39% on the paid Standard (£5.99/month) and Plus (£11.99/month) subscriptions.
Reviewed by Yaniv Barshaf, CPA · Fees verified 17 August 2026 · Our methodology
Disclosure: FeesWizard may earn a commission if you open an account through links on this page. This never affects our fee data or rankings — how we make money.
Our verdict on Freetrade
Freetrade is a strong free home for UK investors who want an ISA — and especially a SIPP — at zero platform cost, as long as US-stock trading stays occasional or you upgrade a plan to cut the FX fee.
Get started with FreetradeCapital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Fees
- stock Commission: £0 commission on all UK & US stocks, ETFs and investment trusts (all plans)
- withdrawal: Free standard withdrawals; £5 for same-day withdrawal
- inactivity: None
- conversion: FX fee on non-GBP trades: 0.99% (Basic), 0.59% (Standard £5.99/mo), 0.39% (Plus £11.99/mo)
- spread: No added spread markup; FX conversion is the main dealing cost on foreign shares
Wondering how your money is protected? Read what happens if a broker goes bust →
Who Freetrade is best for
Freetrade suits UK beginners who want to own real shares inside a free ISA, and pension savers drawn by the free SIPP — a rarity at this price. It is a weaker fit for frequent US-stock traders on the free plan, where the 0.99% FX fee bites on every dollar trade, and for advanced traders who want research tools, as the app stays deliberately simple.
Freetrade fees in plain English
Trading is commission-free on every plan, there is no inactivity fee and no minimum deposit, and standard withdrawals are free (same-day withdrawal costs £5). The real cost is the FX fee on non-GBP trades: 0.99% on Basic, 0.59% on Standard and 0.39% on Plus. That subscription maths matters — a Standard plan costs £71.88 a year, which only pays for itself if you convert enough currency to save more than that versus the Basic rate. UK-only investors can genuinely invest for almost nothing.
Safety and regulation
Freetrade is authorised and regulated by the FCA, and eligible client assets are protected by the FSCS up to £85,000 if the firm fails. Client money is held under UK client-asset rules. As always, regulation and compensation cover firm failure, not market losses — your capital remains at risk.
How Freetrade compares on cost
Against Trading 212, Freetrade wins on the free SIPP but loses on FX: 0.99% versus 0.15% is a wide gap for anyone buying US shares regularly. Against eToro, Freetrade is cheaper for straightforward UK investing — no per-trade commission, no withdrawal fee, and an ISA eToro lacks. Use our fee calculator to see the annual difference for your own trading pattern.
Our Freetrade score: 4.4/5
How this is calculated →Computed from the fee data on this page, not assigned by hand. Our commercial relationships are not an input.
- Cost (45% of the score)80/100
Averages 0.09% of the portfolio a year in charges across our three benchmark investors.
- Regulation & protection (20% of the score)75/100
Regulated by FCA. Tier-one regulators (FCA, BaFin, SEC and equivalents) carry the most weight.
- Market & account breadth (15% of the score)100/100
Covers 4 of the asset classes we price and 3 account types.
- Accessibility (10% of the score)100/100
Minimum deposit none; supports fractional shares; has mobile app.
- Fee transparency (10% of the score)100/100
Publishes a schedule complete enough to model every charge and charges no inactivity fee.
Pros and cons
Freetrade
Pros
- +Zero-commission trading on all stocks, ETFs and investment trusts
- +Free Basic plan includes a Stocks & Shares ISA and SIPP with no monthly fee
- +No inactivity fee and no minimum deposit
- +US fractional shares available on every plan
Cons
- −0.99% FX fee on the free plan makes frequent US trading relatively costly
- −Lower FX rates and better cash interest are locked behind paid subscriptions
- −£5 charge for same-day withdrawals unless you are on the Plus plan
Freetrade
Best free ISA and SIPP for commission-free UK investing
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Freetradefees & safety, in depth
Compare Freetrade head-to-head
Freetrade vs alternatives
| Feature | Freetrade | Lightyear | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 5 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 |
| Stock commission | £0 commission on all UK & US stocks, ETFs and investment trusts (all plans) | 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% |
| Withdrawal fee | Free standard withdrawals; £5 for same-day withdrawal | Free by local bank transfer. USD wire payments are charged (up to $8.50 UK, $6.11 EU). | Free |
| Inactivity fee | None | None | None |
| Min deposit | None | None | £1 |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | No | Yes |
| Regulators | FCA | FCA, EFSA | FCA, CySEC |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Freetrade safe and legit?
Freetrade is regulated by FCA and has operated since 2016. All investing carries risk of loss.
What are Freetrade's fees?
Stock commission: £0 commission on all UK & US stocks, ETFs and investment trusts (all plans). Withdrawal: Free standard withdrawals; £5 for same-day withdrawal. Inactivity: None.
What is the minimum deposit for Freetrade?
The minimum deposit is none.
Freetrade
Best free ISA and SIPP for commission-free UK investing
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.