Investing Platforms
Choosing the right platform is like picking your investing co-pilot – it should complement your goals and risk strategy.
Here’s a list of FCA-regulated brokers, categorised by their specialities: stocks and shares, forex, ETFs, CFDs, and spread betting. This curated selection ensures you’re dealing with secure and trustworthy partners.
Stocks and Shares Brokers
Here are some broker options for investing in stocks and shares: For beginners, platforms like eToro, Freetrade, Trading212, and Robinhood are particularly beginner-friendly. For more experienced investors, options include Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor, Barclays, and HSBC.
eToro is a popular social investment platform offering commission-free share trading, along with a range of other investment options .
Freetrade is a commission-free trading app that allows users to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, with no hidden fees, making investing simple and accessible.
Trading 212 is a commission-free trading platform offering access to a stocks & shares ISA and ETFs with features like fractional shares.
CMC Invest is a commission-free investment platform offering access to a wide range of instruments, designed for beginners and experienced investors.
Robinhood is a commission-free trading platform that allows users to trade stocks, ETFs, crypto and options with no fees.
Lightyear is a commission-free investment platform focused on long-term investing, offering access to global stocks and ETFs.
Interactive Investor is a UK-based investment platform offering low-cost trading on stocks, ETFs, and funds, with a focus on long-term investing.
Hargreaves Lansdown is a leading UK investment platform offering a wide range of stocks, funds, and ETFs with competitive fees.
Interactive Brokers is a global trading platform offering low-cost access to a wide range of assets, including stocks, options, and futures.
InvestEngine is a UK-based investment platform offering low-cost, commission-free investing in ETFs, with a focus on automated portfolio management.
Barclays offers an ISA and SIPP investment platform, allowing users to trade stocks, funds, and ETFs with competitive fees.
HSBC provides an investment platform with access to stocks, funds, and ETFs, designed for straightforward investing with a focus on long-term growth.
ETF Brokers
ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) are investment funds that are traded on stock exchanges, similar to stocks. They typically hold a portfolio of assets such as stocks, bonds, or commodities, and allow investors to gain exposure to a diversified range of investments in a single trade.
AJBell offers an investment platform with low-cost ISAs, SIPPs, and trading accounts, providing a wide range of stocks and funds.
Vanguard provides a straightforward investment platform focused on low-cost index funds and ETFs, ideal for long-term investors.
Charles Schwab is a US-based platform offering commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs, and options, along with research tools.
Fidelity is a well-established investment platform with a wide selection of ETFs, and mutual funds, offering competitive fees and retirement accounts.
nvestEngine is a UK investment platform offering commission-free ETF investing with automated portfolio management, aimed at making investing simple.
Invesco provides a range of investment products through its platform, including bonds, and ETFs, with a focus on helping investors build diversified portfolios.
Forex Brokers
Forex, short for foreign exchange, refers to the global marketplace for trading currencies. Forex trading involves buying and selling currency pairs with the aim of profiting from fluctuations in exchange rates.
Darwinex, founded in 2012, is a forex trading platform established to provide a unique social trading experience.
FXPro, founded in 2006, is a no dealing desk forex broker offering order execution in under 13 millisecond.
FXCM (Forex Capital Markets) is a prominent online broker founded in 1999 that specialises in forex trading.
Oanda, established in 1996, is a well-regarded Canadian forex broker offering a range of financial instruments.
Forex.com, founded in 1999, is a forex and CFD broker owned by StoneX which also owns spread betting firm CityIndex.
Pepperstone, founded in 2010, stands out as a leading specialising in forex and CFDs.
XM, founded in 2009, is an online trading platform offering forex and CFD services with headquarters in Belize.
Change to FXOpen, founded in 2005 is a forex broker with headquarters in Australia.
Spread Betting Brokers
Spread betting allows you to speculate on price movements of shares or other assets, aiming to profit from prices rising or falling, and it’s tax-free in the UK.
Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a spread betting broker offering a wide range of trading instruments.
Founded in 1974, IG is one of the oldest spread betting and CFD trading brokers in the game.
Founded in 1983, City Index is a spread betting, FX and CFD Trading providerr owned by StoneX Group.
CFD Brokers
CFDs (Contracts for Difference) are financial derivatives that allow traders to speculate on price movements in various markets without owning the underlying asset.
eToro is a UK-based social trading platform allowing users to invest in stocks, crypto, forex and other assets, with a social networking feature.
Trading 212 is a UK-based online brokerage offering commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs as well as forex and CFDs.
Plus500 is a UK-based CFD trading platform enabling users to trade various financial instruments, including stocks, forex, commodities and indices.
Investing Apps
Investing apps are designed for risk-averse beginners by offering options to grow their savings with lower investment risks.
Wealthify offers a simple, low-cost investment platform with managed portfolios, making it easy for beginners to start investing with as little as £1.
Wombat is an investing app focused on fractional shares and themed portfolios, designed for beginner investors looking for a way to grow their money.
Nutmeg provides a robo-advisory investment platform with fully managed portfolios, offering ISAs, pensions, and general investment accounts.
Moneybox combines saving and investing by rounding up spare change into stocks and ETFs, offering ISAs, pensions, and savings accounts.
Plum is an automated saving and investing app that helps users grow their money effortlessly through AI-driven savings and investment options.
PensionBee simplifies pensions by consolidating old pots into one easy-to-manage online plan, offering a flexible approach to retirement savings.
Cryptocurrency
These crypto investing platforms are regulated by the FCA, but crypto assets themselves are not regulated or protected by the FSCS.
eToro offers a crypto investing through its platform with a wide range of digital assets, social trading features, and a user-friendly interface.
Revolut provides crypto investing alongside its banking services, allowing users to buy, sell, and hold digital assets within the app.
PayPal enables crypto investing with the ability to buy, sell, and hold major cryptocurrencies directly from its platform.