Lightyear Review 2026
Lightyear is a newer investing app available in both the UK and across the EU, built around commission-free trading and a very low currency-conversion fee. Idle cash earns nothing by itself; interest comes from moving it into a Vault, which is an investment in a BlackRock money market fund rather than a deposit. UK personal accounts — the General Investment Account and Stocks & Shares ISA — pay just 0.10% FX, one of the lowest rates anywhere; EU accounts pay 0.35%. There are no account, withdrawal or inactivity fees and no minimum deposit.
Reviewed by Yaniv Barshaf, CPA · Fees verified 6 October 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 Lightyear
Lightyear is one of the cheapest ways to run a global portfolio from the UK or EU — commission-free trading, a market-leading 0.10% UK FX fee, and optional money-market Vaults for idle cash, with no account, withdrawal or inactivity fees. The main caveats are its short track record, its lighter research, and that cash earns nothing until you move it into a Vault.
Get started with LightyearCapital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Recent fee changes at Lightyear
- Lightyear cuts its UK currency-conversion fee to 0.10% — effective 1 January 2026
0.35% FX fee on UK accounts → 0.10% FX fee on UK GIA and ISA accounts
Fees
- 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.
- Withdrawal: Free by local bank transfer. USD wire payments are charged (up to $8.50 UK, $6.11 EU).
- Inactivity: None
- Currency conversion: FX fee 0.10% on UK GIA and ISA accounts; 0.35% on EU accounts
- Custody and spreads: No interest is paid automatically on uninvested cash. To earn a yield you move money into a Vault - an investment in a BlackRock money market fund, not a bank deposit - priced at 0.15% a year or less by Lightyear on top of the fund manager's own charge, with variable rates and no deposit-guarantee cover. UK customers also have a separate free Cash ISA. Debit-card deposits cost 0.6%
Wondering how your money is protected? Read what happens if a broker goes bust →
Who Lightyear is best for
Lightyear suits cost-conscious UK and EU investors who buy US and global shares and want to keep currency costs to a minimum, plus anyone happy to park cash between trades in a money-market Vault inside the same app, accepting that it is a fund investment rather than a protected deposit. UK investors also get a Stocks & Shares ISA. It is a weaker fit for those who want a long track record — the platform launched in 2021 — or deep research and advanced trading tools, which stay deliberately light.
Lightyear fees in plain English
Stocks and ETFs trade commission-free for UK accounts. The headline saver is the FX fee: just 0.10% on UK GIA and ISA accounts (reduced from 0.35% in 2026), versus 0.35% on EU accounts. EU accounts also see a 0.10% charge on US stocks, capped at $1. There is no account fee, no withdrawal fee (bank transfers are free) and no inactivity fee, and no minimum deposit. The costs to note are a 0.6% charge on debit-card deposits — avoided by using bank transfer — and, of course, each fund's own ongoing charge. Lightyear also pays interest on uninvested GBP, USD and EUR cash, with rates that vary over time.
Safety and regulation
In the UK, Lightyear is authorised and regulated by the FCA; in the EU it operates through Lightyear Europe AS, authorised by Estonia's Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA). It has operated since 2021. As with any broker, regulation covers firm failure and conduct, not the market risk on your investments — your capital is at risk.
How Lightyear compares on cost
For a UK investor buying US shares, Lightyear's 0.10% FX fee undercuts most rivals — well below Freetrade's 0.99% free-plan rate and level with Trading 212's 0.15% or better. Commission-free dealing and no withdrawal or inactivity fees keep the all-in cost among the lowest available. eToro, by contrast, charges per-trade commission and a higher FX fee. Use our fee calculator to see the annual difference for your own trading pattern.
Our Lightyear score: 5/5
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)98/100
Averages 0.01% of the portfolio a year in charges across our three benchmark investors.
- Regulation & protection (20% of the score)100/100
Regulated by FCA, EFSA. 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 2 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
Lightyear
Pros
- +Commission-free UK, US and European stocks and ETFs
- +Very low 0.10% FX fee on UK GIA and ISA accounts
- +Optional money-market Vaults for idle cash, plus a free Cash ISA in the UK
- +No account, withdrawal or inactivity fees; no minimum deposit
Cons
- −EU accounts pay a higher 0.35% FX fee than UK accounts
- −Uninvested cash earns nothing unless you move it into a Vault, which is a fund investment with a fee, not a protected deposit
- −0.6% fee on debit-card deposits (bank transfers are free)
- −Younger platform (founded 2021) with a lighter research offering
Lightyear
Best low-FX investing app for the UK and EU
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Lightyearfees & safety, in depth
Compare Lightyear head-to-head
Lightyear vs alternatives
| Feature | Lightyear | Trading 212 | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 | 4.9 / 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 and ETFs; options are $0 commission in the US and $0.50 per contract (buys and sells) in the UK, rising to $1.00 for 'professional' options accounts (390+ options orders a day on average) from 15 October 2026; crypto in the US only |
| 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 |
| Inactivity fee | None | None | None |
| Min deposit | None | £1 | None |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes | No |
| Regulators | FCA, EFSA | FCA, CySEC | SEC, FINRA, SIPC, FCA |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lightyear safe and legit?
Lightyear is regulated by FCA, EFSA and has operated since 2021. All investing carries risk of loss.
What are Lightyear's fees?
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.. Withdrawal: Free by local bank transfer. USD wire payments are charged (up to $8.50 UK, $6.11 EU).. Inactivity: None.
What is the minimum deposit for Lightyear?
The minimum deposit is none.
Lightyear
Best low-FX investing app for the UK and EU
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.