In this independent review, we'll take a look at Lightyear, an investing app giving retail investors the option to invest in shares, ETFs, and Money Market Funds. We'll also take a look at similar alternatives such as Freetrade*, AJ Bell Dodl*, Sidekick* and Moneybox to help you decide which option works best for you.
What is Lightyear?
Lightyear* is an investing app which first launched back in September 2021. The goal was to solve a number of investing pain points the founders identified - often expensive and opaque investing fee structures, limited access to global markets, and limited information available to investors.
Fast forward to 2025, and Lightyear is an investment app available in several countries (and languages) with free multi-currency accounts, access to markets in the US, UK, and Europe, as well as a range of innovative tools to help investors understand how their money can work for them. The fee structure is transparent and competitive, rivalling similar options on the market.
Lightyear key features
If you open a Lightyear account, you could benefit from the following:
- Invest via a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA*
- Earn up to 4.85% AER via a low-risk Money Market Fund (correct as of 23.01.25)
- Earn up to 3% AER on uninvested GBP cash
- No execution fees when buying ETFs
- Multi-currency accounts (GBP, USD, and EUR) so you don't need to convert funds if you don't want to
- Flat 0.35% FX fee
- Invest in more than 4,000 stocks across the US, UK, and EU markets - including fractional shares
- Offers a business account allowing limited companies in the UK to put their cash to work through a range of investments
- Offers a range of tools, including as a savings interest calculator, a capital gains tax calculator, and an inflation calculator
What accounts does Lightyear offer?
Lightyear offers two types of investment accounts: personal and business.
Lightyear personal account
Lightyear's personal account is suited to retail investors looking to invest in shares, Money Market Funds, or ETFs either via a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, Cash ISA or a General Investment Account.
Lightyear business account
The business account is aimed at limited companies based in the UK. It allows you to put your business cash to work through Money Market Funds, interest on uninvested cash and stocks and shares and ETFs. More than 3,500 companies in Europe use Lightyear to invest currently. Those interested in the business account will need a Legal Entity Identifier to register. However, businesses that do not yet have a LEI can create one via the Lightyear app at a cost of £42.50 + VAT.
What can you invest in with Lightyear?
You can invest in UK, US and EU stocks, Money Market Funds and ETFs with Lightyear.
There are more than 3,000 US stocks to choose from, as well as hundreds of stocks across the UK and European markets. Popular options include Apple, NVIDIA, AstraZeneca, Shell, and Airbus to name a few. For investors who do not wish to buy the full share outright, there is the opportunity to invest in fractional shares as well. Hundreds of ETFs, including dividend ETFs, are also available. You can invest in funds in China, the US, Canada and Europe and filter by sectors such as finance, energy, health and technology to name a few.
Money Market Funds allow you to earn interest on your cash through low risk funds. Your capital is at risk with these types of funds. BlackRock manages the ones on offer through Lightyear and they are AAA rated. The funds are designed to give you a higher return than a regular savings account through investing in short-term debt bought from governments, banks, and other companies with high credit ratings. These institutions pay interest on the fund and allow you to earn interest in return. With Lightyear, you can earn up to 4.85% (variable) in interest on your GBP funds. (correct as of 23.01.25).
Does Lightyear pay interest on uninvested cash?
Lightyear pays interest on your uninvested cash held in GBP, EUR, and USD. Your GBP and USD funds will attract an interest rate of 3% AER and your EUR funds will attract an interest rate of 2%. You can earn higher interest if you choose to hold your cash in a Money Market Fund (MMF) which is a low risk fund where your capital is at risk. With an MMF, you can earn up to 4.85% AER (variable) on your funds (correct as of 23.01.25).
Is Lightyear free?
Lightyear does not charge a platform fee for holding your investments, and there are no setup, management or administration fees. Lightyear isn't totally free, however, as it charges fees based on your investment activity but these are transparent and relatively low. Trading fees for UK shares start at £1 and FX fees are set at 0.35%. Investing in GBP denominated ETF funds and GBP Money Market Funds is free (though fund manager fees will apply).
The table below outlines the fees you can expect if you choose to use Lightyear for your personal investments.
Lightyear investing fees
| Activity | Fee |
| Trading US shares | 0.1% (min $0.10 per order - max $1 per order) |
| Trading UK shares | £1 |
| Trading EU shares | EUR 1 |
| FX fees - using the live interbank exchange rate | 0.35% |
| Money Market Funds (USD) | 0.25% per annum (including BlackRock's management fee) |
| Money Market Funds (GBP & EUR) | Free - BlackRock's 0.10% management fee applies |
| ETF funds | Free - fund manager fees apply |
| Multi-currency accounts | Free |
| Local bank transfers | Free |
The information in the table above is correct as of 23/01/2025.
Lightyear customer reviews
Lightyear is rated 4.7 out of 5.0 based on more than 1,250 reviews on Trustpilot. Approximately 82% of reviewers gave Lightyear 5 stars while less than 1% gave it 1 star. Those who gave it 5 stars were particularly pleased with how easy it was to use the platform as well as how low the fees were. But those who gave it 1 star said they had technical issues with a few customers complaining that it was difficult to withdraw their funds.
How to open an account with Lightyear
Opening an account with Lightyear is a fairly quick and seamless process. Here's how it works:
- Head to the Lightyear website* and click "sign up"
- Create your log-in credentials including your email, password and phone number
- Verify your email address and phone number via email and text
- Complete the rest of the form with basic details about yourself
- Await verification - this shouldn't take longer than two business days but typically only takes a few minutes.
You can also download the Lightyear app and sign up via your smartphone if you prefer.
Alternatives to Lightyear
If you're unsure Lightyear is the right choice for your needs, there are other options out there. Some similar alternatives include Sidekick, AJ Bell Dodl and Freetrade. In the table below, we compare all four options to help you decide what works best for you.
| Lightyear* | Sidekick* | AJ Bell Dodl* | Freetrade* | Moneybox | |
| ISA | YES | NO (due to launch soon) | YES | YES | YES |
| Fractional shares | YES | NO (though some Sidekick funds contain fractional shares) | NO | YES | YES |
| Interest on uninvested cash | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Platform Fee | FREE | FREE | £1 per month minimum fee (per product) | £5.99 or £11.99 per month | £1 per month subscription fee plus 0.45% annual platform fee |
| Trading fees (for ETFs) | FREE | Currently FREE for managed investments or 0.25% for self-directed investments | 0.15% | FREE | FREE |
| Trading fees (for shares) | £1 for UK shares/ EUR1 for EU shares/0.10% or up to $1 for US shares (min $0.10 per order) | Not applicable | 0.15% | FREE | FREE |
| FX fees | 0.35% | FREE | 0.25% to 0.75% | 0.99% (lower with paid accounts) | 0.45% |
| Trustpilot score | 4.7 out of 5.0 | 3.3 out of 5.0 | 4.5 out of 5.0 | 3.9 out of 5.0 | 4.4 out of 5.0 |
The information in the table above is correct as of 21/01/2025
Pros and cons of Lightyear
Below, we outline some of the pros and cons of investing with Lightyear
Pros of Lightyear
- Offers a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA* (with no platform fee)
- No fees for trading ETFs
- Hold your money in multi-currency accounts to make use of the best FX rates
- Fractional shares on offer
Cons of Lightyear
- Trading fees apply for UK & US shares
- Higher interest on cash only available through MMF (where your capital is at risk)
- Not all shares are available as fractional shares
Should you use Lightyear for your savings and investments?
Lightyear offers a range of different fractional shares and the opportunity to invest in some of the most popular companies on the market via a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA or General Investment Account. There is also a range of ETFs on offer for those who prefer to diversify their investments. Options like Money Market Funds can help investors make the most of their cash by earning interest through low-risk funds. The free multi-currency accounts mean investors can make the most of the best FX rates by holding and investing in USD, GBP, and EUR.
One limitation of the Lightyear app is that it doesn't currently offer a Personal Pension, Junior ISA or Lifetime ISA; products that are available through some of its competitors. That being said, Lightyear's app is easy to navigate and its low, transparent fees are likely to suit investors looking for a fuss-free way of investing in shares, ETFs and Money Market Funds.
If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses or take advantage of any exclusive offers - Lightyear, Sidekick, AJ Bell Dodl, Freetrade.
