What is Freetrade?
Freetrade* launched in 2018 with the simple aim of making stock trading and stock ownership accessible and affordable. There are none of the fancy calculators, guides or research on offer such as those provided by investing stalwarts such as Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell, but what you do get is a low-cost share trading account that allows you to build up a portfolio starting from just £2, solely through a smartphone app. You can even hold your shares in an ISA so any interest and dividends are tax-free.
It was founded by Adam Dodds and Davide Fioranelli, both of whom previously worked in corporate finance for KPMG. The platform’s unique selling point is that its app lets users buy and trade real shares with zero commissions or fees via their smartphone.
Freetrade has attracted a loyal following of more than 1,400,000 registered users. Many have contributed to crowdfunding rounds that have raised more than £10m and the platform has also benefited from a $7.5m Series A investment from one of Europe’s top tech-focused VC funds, Draper Esprit.
1 minute summary - Freetrade review
- Freetrade allows you to build a portfolio from as little as £2
- Buy, sell and hold stocks and ETFs commission-free
- 3 plans to choose from
- Money to the Masses readers can receive a FREE SHARE worth up to £100* when they deposit at least £50 into a Freetrade ISA (capital at risk) or Freetrade basic account (capital at risk)
Freetrade free share offer
Free share worth between £10 and £100 when you sign up
New users that sign up to a Freetrade account and deposit or transfer at least £50 (capital at risk) will receive a FREE SHARE worth between £10 and £100*.
How does Freetrade work?
Share trading can be pricey on traditional DIY investment platforms. This is mainly because providers such as Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell and Interactive Investor have a stronger focus on funds.
In contrast, Freetrade is solely focused on shares. You can build up your own portfolio from just £2 and there are no fees for buying or selling UK shares and trades are instant. You can purchase shares in companies listed in the UK, Europe and the US as well as exchange-traded funds (ETFs). There is nothing to pay for a basic trading account other than stamp duty and fund charges for ETFs. If you are buying overseas shares then you will pay a foregn exchange fee of 0.99%, 0.59% or 0.39%, depending on the type of account you choose. Holding your shares in an ISA will require an upgrade to a subscription plan at a cost of either £5.99 or £11.99 per month. There are two options for depositing cash. Either set up a bank transfer or make a direct payment from a debit or credit card.
There may be a wait for a bank transfer to clear but a card payment will be instant meaning you can start trading straight away. You can withdraw funds from Freetrade to the same bank account by transferring from the app for free. A standard withdrawal will take three to five working days. Cash from sold investments cannot be requested for withdrawal until the cash has settled. This is completed two days after the trade has executed.
How to set up a Freetrade account
Freetrade has a website where you can find information about the platform, read reviews and chat with other users on its forum, however, you'll need to download either its Apple or Android app on your smartphone to open an account. All new customers that sign up for a basic account via Money to the Masses and deposit a minimum of £50 will receive a FREE SHARE worth between £10 and £100* (capital at risk).
Once you have the app installed, the setup process takes just a few minutes. You start by entering your email and will be sent a verification code to activate your account.
Once you have entered your personal details such as your name, address, date of birth and national insurance number you are ready to start trading. Users can transfer funds by setting up a linked bank account or make a payment using Apple or GooglePay. The app lets you search for stocks and ETFs, see pricing and performance over a day, week, month or all time and see the most popular companies. Once you have invested you can also monitor how your portfolio is performing and buy and sell through the app. The buying and selling process is displayed in a user-friendly way, showing the share price and how much of the stock you will receive based on how much you want to buy.
Freetrade features
- Commission-free investing – DIY investment platforms can charge anything from £1 to more than £10 per trade for those buying and selling shares. Freetrade doesn’t charge anything for share dealing.
- Low minimum investment – You can start investing in shares from just £2.
- More than 6,000 UK, European and US stocks and ETFs – Invest in some of the world’s largest and best-known listed companies such as Google, Facebook and Apple or try to spot rising stars.
- Cash investments – Invest in low-risk ETFs that have the potential to provide a high yield
- UK Treasury bills – Achieve an interest rate off over 5.00% (Correct as of 13.03.24) by accessing UK government-backed treasury bills. Pay no custody fees until April 2024.
- ISA – Earn interest and dividends from shares tax-free through an ISA. You can also transfer old ISA money to your Freetrade ISA account.
- Free share – Receive a free share worth between £10 and £100 when you sign up via for a basic account via Money to the Masses* and deposit a minimum of £50 (capital at risk).
- Shareholder perks – Some companies will provide shareholders with freebies once you earn a minimum amount. For example, if you own 500 shares in Fuller Smith & Turner, you can get a discount card for its pubs and hotels.
- Most traded shares – This allows users to see the most popular shares and ETFs bought and sold on the Freetrade app over the last week, ranked by the total value of buy orders.
How much does Freetrade cost?
A breakdown of Freetrade's costs.
| Freetrade Cost | |
| Basic trades | Free |
| Basic account | Free |
| ISA with plus account | Free |
| ISA with standard account | £5.99 per month (or £59.88 per year) |
| Freetrade Plus (Including SIPP) | £11.99 per month (or £119.88 per year |
| Standard bank transfer | Free |
| FX fees | 0.99% with Freetrade Basic, 0.59% with Freetrade Standard or 0.39% with Freetrade Plus |
| Custody fee on UK Treasury bills |
No charge until April 2024, then 0.45% with Freetrade Basic or 0.10% with ISA or ISA plus account.
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Freetrade’s Basic account is free. It lets you buy, sell and hold around 4,700 shares. If you want to earn your interest and any dividends tax-free, you will need to open an ISA, which requires an upgrade to the standard plan, costing £5.99 per month or £59.88 per year. If you are buying overseas stocks, the exchange rate will also be reflected in the price. This is based on the price plus FX fees of 0.99%, 0.59% or 0.39%, depending on the type of account you have.
Freetrade Basic vs Freetrade Standard vs Freetrade Plus
Freetrade offers three different plans and we provide a detailed review of each of the plans below. We also provide a comparison table so that you can compare the features and costs of all of the Freetrade plans.
Freetrade Basic Plan
The Freetrade ‘Basic' plan allows users to buy and sell shares via a General Investment Account (GIA) commission-free. There is no monthly subscription fee and users can access around 4,700 stocks and ETFs. Previously, the Freetrade basic plan only allowed access to around 1,500 shares, however, this was increased to 4,700 in November 2023. FX fees for buying overseas stocks are charged at 0.99% on this plan.
Freetrade Standard Plan
The Freetrade ‘Standard' plan is a paid subscription service that gives users access to a Stocks and Shares ISA in addition to a General Investment Account. Standard plan subscribers can access the full range of over 6,000 stocks and ETFs. In addition, Freetrade standard plan users can earn 1% interest on up to £2,000 of uninvested cash. The price for the Freetrade basic subscription plan is £5.99 per month or £59.88 per year. FX fees for buying overseas stocks are charged at 0.59% on this plan.
Freetrade Plus Plan
The Freetrade ‘Plus' plan is a paid subscription service that gives users access to a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) in addition to a General Investment Account and Stocks and Shares ISA. Freetrade plus users also get access to the full range of over 6,000 stocks and ETFs as well as access to priority customer support. In addition, Freetrade plus users can earn 3% interest on up to £4,000 of uninvested cash. The price for the Freetrade plus subscription plan is £11.99 per month or £119.88 per year. FX fees for buying overseas stocks are charged at 0.39% on this plan.
How do the Freetrade plans compare?
| Freetrade Basic Plan | Freetrade Standard Plan | Freetrade Plus Plan | |
| Cost | £0.00 | £5.99 per month (or £59.88 per year) | £11.99 per month (or £119.88 per year) |
| FX fees | 0.99% | 0.59% | 0.39% |
| General Investment Account |  |
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| Stocks and Shares ISA |  |
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| Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) | |
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| Commission-free trading | |
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| Investment Range (Stocks and ETFs) | 4,700 | 6,000+ | 6,000+ |
| Interest paid on uninvested cash | |
(1% on up to £2,000) |
(3% on up to £4,000) |
| Priority customer service | |
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How does Freetrade make money?
Freetrade’s basic service is free but it generates income from its two paid subscription plans as well as charges for same-day bank transfers.
Is Freetrade safe?
Freetrade is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority so it must follow rules on segregating client money and treating customers fairly. You can complain both to the platform and the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are unhappy with the offering. Up to £85,000 of your money will also be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if Freetrade becomes insolvent. Losses that occur through poor investment performance are not covered and so you are fully responsible for the investment decisions you make.
Is Freetrade available in Europe?
Freetrade has expanded into Europe beginning with Ireland and the Netherlands, where there is a waiting list to join. It plans to expand into the rest of the European Economic Area (EEA) soon.
Alternatives to Freetrade
Freetrade vs Trading 212
Trading 212 is one of Freetrade's closest rivals. Both apps work in a similar way by offering a cheap, user-friendly way of dealing shares and ETFs. Trading 212 offers a larger choice of shares with around 12,000 stocks listed in the UK, USA and Europe, compared to Freetrade which offers a choice of around 4,700 on its free plan and over 6,000 via its subscription plans. Freetrade users need to upgrade to one of its subscription plans to access an ISA whereas Trading 212 doesn’t charge. Freetrade does however offer new users a free share worth between £10 and £100* when they sign up and deposit a minimum of £50. Check out our independent ‘Trading 212 review‘.
Freetrade vs eToro
eToro is a popular online trading app with over 13 million users worldwide. eToro users must start with an initial investment of $10 compared to just £2 with Freetrade. Freetrade and eToro both offer commission-free investing however eToro users will have to pay a conversion fee of 0.5% every time they deposit money as well as a withdrawal fee of $5 if they wish to withdraw their money. Check out our independent ‘eToro review‘.
Freetrade vs Moneybox
Freetrade may offer a low-cost way to invest in shares but you can get exposure to the markets without much effort using Moneybox. The Moneybox app links to your bank account and rounds up your spending, putting your spare change into a choice of products from a savings account to a Lifetime or stocks and shares ISA. Its savings product and Lifetime ISA is free while the stocks and shares ISA could work out cheaper than Freetrade’s at just £1 a month – waived for the first three months – however, it does charge a platform fee of 0.45%. The Moneybox ISA invests in funds rather than shares and may get more expensive depending on the underlying fund charges and strategy chosen. Moneybox users can also invest their spare change in a pension that costs 0.45% per month up to £100,000 and 0.15% over £100,000 plus fund charges. Read our ‘Moneybox review‘.
Freetrade vs Plum
It can be hard to work out how much you can afford to invest into the financial markets. Plum helps by analysing your spending and using its algorithm to decide how much you have left to invest or save. Plum lets you invest in either just shares or a mixture of shares and bonds. Investing in an ISA with the app costs £2.99 per month, of which the first is free, with management fees that average 0.48%. Read our ‘Plum review‘.
Freetrade customer reviews
The Freetrade app is rated highly on both the Apple and Google Play app stores, with a ranking of 4.3 on Apple and 3.9 on Google Play. It was named the best online trading platform at the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 British Bank Awards and was named the ‘Best Commission Free Broker' by the Good Money Guide 2021.
Independent review site Trustpilot rates it 4.0 out of 5.0 from over 3,800 reviews, achieving a status of ‘Great'. The majority or 67% rank it as excellent and cite its user-friendly app and good customer service. Around 18% rate it as poor or bad, raising individual issues such as payments not reaching the app or being unable to download onto a new phone if a device gets lost.
Pros
- Easy setup – You can be invested in the stock markets within minutes with a fast and simple setup process.
- User-friendly – The app isn’t too complex and is divided into five simple sections. View your portfolio, get insights into how your money is allocated across sectors, search and view information on the most popular stocks and ETFs, see your recent activity and top up your account. All this can be done quickly on your smartphone app.
- Low cost – Stock trading can often be pricey on traditional investment platforms but Freetrade has removed any commission meaning you can hold your shares in a low-cost ISA.
- Community – You can get hints and tips from other users through Freetrade’s regularly updated blog. It also features updates from platform staff.
Cons
- Risk of making losses – The key to successful investing is diversification. The downside of the app being so user-friendly is that it can be easy to just buy stocks you like but not get the right balance, which could mean if one sector has an issue your whole portfolio could collapse. There are not many clear warnings about the risk of loss when buying shares on the app. It can also be easy to get addicted due to how easy it is to buy and sell shares. It may be useful for the app to set payment limits similar to gambling websites.
- Lack of research – Other platforms have plenty of research tools so you can dig into a company’s performance and recent stock market updates to get a sense of how the stock is progressing and what the future could hold. Freetrade does offer graphs showing the historical share price but little else. Its blogs advise that you should do your research and also highlight the type of factors to look out for, but this all has to be carried out on your own, outside of the app.
Conclusion
Freetrade helps bring stockbroking out of the stuffy city offices and into the 21st century with an easy to use app and low-cost offering. It is good for beginner investors and those that have small amounts to invest as there are no administration costs or subscription fees on its basic plan. Additionally, new users who sign up via Money to the Masses and deposit a minimum of £50 can receive a FREE SHARE worth between £10 and £100* (capital at risk).
Users must remember that just because the app is easy to use, investing in shares is still risky business and requires research and focus to build a diversified portfolio to ensure your money is put to good use.
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