Best Investment Apps UK – 2024 Guide
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The vast majority of investors simply don’t have time to sit in front of a computer all day to track the bonds, commodities, and stocks and shares market. But with a mobile trading app, you can start investing on the go.
UK investing apps are designed to help you manage your money on the go, allowing you to buy and sell assets instantly from anywhere in the world. Better yet, many of the top apps offer tools to help you come up with new trade ideas, so you can use your commute or any other free time to improve your investing strategy.
There is an enormous number of apps you can use on your smartphone or tablet. Most major brokerages offer their own apps, and there are even more third-party investing tools that integrate with whatever broker you’re using per trade.
From that pile of apps, we picked out some of the top investment apps in the UK that we think are worth a closer look, offering detailed information about them for our interactive investor to make their choice.
Best Investment Apps UK
Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the best investment apps UK for 2024.
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1. Fineco - Low-Commission Investment App
Fineco Bank is an Italian bank and financial services provides that, despite not being as well known as some other brokers, offers a fantastic mobile investment app for UK investors. The Fineco app offers shares, ETFs and funds from UK, European and US markets.
Fineco allows you to invest directly in the local currency, so you don’t have to worry about conversion fees. This platform charges an account fee of just 0.25% per annum, which decreases if you have a larger investment portfolio.
Trading fees are also competitive. For funds, you’re only charged the investment account fee, while for UK shares and ETFs you’re charged a fixed commission of just £2.95. This is USD/EUR 3.95 for US and European shares, and £6.95 for bonds.
The Fineco app is very easy to use and has some impressive features. These include push quotes, margin, Stop Loss, Take Profit and a range of other tools. There’s also the market-bar feature, which allows you to quickly switch from one portfolio to another.
- Investment Assets: Shares, ETFs, Funds
- Demo Account: No
- Trade Commissions: Yes
- Minimum deposit: £100
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees UK, US, and international shares (outright and CFDs), ETFs, forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrency £2.95 for UK shares
None for CFDs0.25% for fund investing Our Rating
Sponsored ad. There is no guarantee you will make money with this provider.2. AvaTrade - Top Investment App for Trading Toold
AvaTrade stands out for offering some of the most rigorous technical trading tools of any mobile app. When you sign up for AvaTrade, you can also get started with MetaTrader 4, a popular charting software with more than 100 included technical studies. You can access the mobile version of MetaTrader 4 through the AvaTrade app, meaning that you can create mobile trading alerts around custom-built trading strategies.
In terms of asset range, AvaTrade covers just about everything you could want to invest in. The platform enables stock market, bond, futures, commodity, cryptocurrency, and forex trading, all through CFDs. That means that you can also trade with leverage, up to 20:1 for stocks, which is a plus for traders who want to take bigger positions without tying up more money. Just keep in mind that CFD trading means you won’t be eligible for dividends, and holding long-term stock market positions can be more expensive.
fThe AvaTrade mobile app is well-designed. It gives you the ability to create multiple watchlists and portfolios and to access charts for individual assets with just a tap. You can zoom in on charts to look at detailed patterns as needed, and it’s easy to check your account balance and current holdings at a glance.
- Assets: Stocks and shares, ETFs, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Commodities (all as CFDs)
- Demo Account: Yes
- Trade Commissions: No
- Minimum deposit: £100
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees UK, US, and international shares, ETFs, forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrency (all as CFDs) None £50 per quarter inactivity fee Our Rating
Sponsored ad. Your capital is at risk.3. Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown is a financial services provider that offers one of the best investment apps in the UK. To start with, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment options that are sure to suit investors of all tastes.
If you’re looking for a regular share dealing account, you can trade thousands of shares, ETFs and bonds from around the world on Hargreaves Lansdown. Platform fees are competitive, too, ranging from £5.95 – £11.95 for shares, depending on how many trades you made in the previous month.
On top of a regular share dealing account, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a lifetime ISA, and SIPP accounts. You can take charge of your investments yourself, or you can invest via the range of managed portfolios available on the Hargreaves Lansdown app.
The Hargreaves Lansdown investment app also has a range of useful features. You can login in quickly via fingerprint or face ID, use linked accounts to manage your family’s accounts in one place, access live share prices, and make use of the many news and research materials provided by the platform.
Investments may fall as well as rise so you could get back less than you invest.
- Investment Assets: Shares, ETFs, Funds, Investment Trusts Bonds, Casino Utan Svensk Licens, Gilts
- Demo Account: No
- Trade Commissions: Yes
- Minimum deposit: £0
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees UK, US, and international shares, ETFs, mutual funds, investment trusts £5.95 – £11.95 0.45% for fund investments
Sponsored ad. Investments may fall as well as rise so you could get back less than you invest.4. IG
If you’re looking for an investment app that provides access to a huge range of assets at with a competitive platform fee, IG is certainly worth checking out. This broker offers over 10,000 shares, funds and investment trusts, so there’s plenty of choice on offer.
When it comes to fees, IG doesn’t quite match up to Fineco, but it is definitely competitive. UK shares have a commission of just £3 if you made three or more trades in the previous month and £8 if you didn’t. US shares, which you can trade out-of-hours, are free to use if you made three or more trades in the previous month and £10 if you didn’t, while all other shares have a 0.1% commission per trade at a minimum of EUR 10 or A$10.
IG offers several different ways to invest in the assets it offers. As well as a regular share dealing account, you can opt for a stocks and shares ISA, which allows for tax-free investing, or a SIPP account. This broker also offers professionally managed Smart Portfolios which allow you to invest with the help of expert guidance.
The IG investment app is one of the most impressive we’ve seen in terms of design and usability, and it offers charting tools and share price alerts. There’s even the separate IG Academy app which is designed to teach beginners about the world of investing.
- Investment Assets: Shares, Funds, Investment Trusts
- Demo Account: Yes
- Trade Commissions: Yes
- Minimum deposit: £250
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees UK, US, and international shares, ETFs, mutual funds, investment trusts £3-£8 for UK shares £8 per month Our Rating
There is no guarantee you will make money with this provider.5. Wealthify
Wealthify is classified as a robo-interactive investor integrated with a digital investment app, although the platform not fully automated. The company launch in 2016 and is headquartered in Cardiff. Wealthify are backed by Aviva, which are the largest shareholders.
The software is accessible both through a mobile and desktop interface. Customer services are available through the platform and over the phone.
The investment app places your money into a selection of diversified portfolios depending on your preferences. All portfolios spread the risk level of the fund across a range of industries and countries. A typical investment portfolio will include low-cost and passive investments, such EFTs, mutual and other index tracker funds.
Costs associated with Welathify start with a flat rate of 0.6% on your investment, plus fees, which vary based upon the funds invested in, which generally start at around 0.22% with higher fees associated with specialist funds such as ethical investing at 0.66%.
Benefits of the platform
- Standard Buying and selling of investments
- Ongoing management of your plan
- Live chat, phone and email address support
- News and insights on the blog and with a monthly market update
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees ETF-based portfolios None 0.82%-1.26% of your total investment Our Rating
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6. Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a UK based investment platform offering users both a mobile app and desktop system. The platform is a robo advisor and suggested to be the UK’s largest provider with a lump sum of £1.7 billion worth of funds invested for in excess of 70,000 customers.
A Robo Advisor invests on your behalf based upon your preferences. The basic investments you can choose with Nutmeg are a range of three ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) – Socially Responsible, Fully Managed and Fixed Allocation. These can also be invested in by UK customers in a Stocks & Shares ISA wrapper, which is a tax-free investment initiative that incentivises individuals to save money for the future.
Nutmeg charge an annual fee of 0.17% for fixed allocation investing, 0.19% for the fully managed portfolio, and 0.33% for the socially responsible package.
The app is clean and simple use as would be expected from a sizeable regulated player in the investment space.
Nutmeg offers 5 products:
- Stocks and shares ISA
- General investment account
- Lifetime ISA
- Personal Pension
- Junior ISA
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees 3 managed portfolios None 0.17%-0.33% of your total investment
7. Interactive Investor – Flat Fee UK Investment App with Model Portfolios
Interactive Investor stands out among UK investment apps because it operates on a flat fee pricing model. Instead of charging you a percentage of your total investments – which can get expensive as your portfolio grows – Interactive Investor charges £9.99 per month.
For that price, you can open a general trading account, an ISA, or a Junior ISA, and a SIPP is only £10 extra. Plus, you get a free trade each month. After that, share deals cost £7.99 per deal for UK shares, US shares, ETFs, and investment trusts.
Interactive Investor has a huge range of assets available to invest in. You can buy and sell UK and US shares, plus shares from across Europe and Asia. This investment app also has hundreds of ETFs, and you can find top picks thanks to categories like ‘ii Super 60 List’ and ‘Quick Start Funds.’
Interactive Investor offers 5 model portfolios for growth and income investors. You can choose between actively managed funds or low-cost passively managed funds, and there’s even a model portfolio for ethical investing.
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees US, UK, and international shares, ETFs, investment trusts £7.99 per share deal (1 free deal per month) £9.99 per month
8. MoneyFarm
MoneyFarm is a robo-advisor investment app that makes it easy to invest in a portfolio in minutes. After that, you can set up recurring investments and MoneyFarm will manage your portfolio for you. It’s one of the simplest apps for investors who don’t have a lot of time to spend on investing or who want to get started with as little fuss as possible.
MoneyFarm offers 7 different portfolios that range from ultra-low risk to high risk. To figure out which portfolio is right for you, the platform offers a questionnaire for new investors that asks about your risk tolerance and investment goals. Each portfolio is invested in ETFs that cover the UK, US, and international stock markets, plus the bond markets and real estate.
MoneyFarm charges an annual fee that’s based on the amount you have invested. After considering fund fees, the total charge comes out to around 0.97% of your total investment. While this might sound pricey, keep in mind that you never have to pay commissions for investing with this app.
Investment Products Commissions Account Fees 7 managed portfolios None 0.97% of your total investment Our Rating
Your capital is at risk.What is an investment app?
Put simply, an investor app is a mobile application that allows you to invest in various financial products. Investment apps are usually available for free on iOS and Android devices and are typically provided by brokers and financial service providers that also offer desktop or web platforms.
There’s a huge range of assets available to invest in on your mobile depending on the asset you choose. For example, many UK brokers offer everything from US stocks, ETFs and indices to cryptocurrencies, forex and commodities. It’s important to remember that some while some brokers allow you to buy assets and own them, others only offer contracts for difference (CFDs), which means you can speculate on the share price of assets without actually owning them.
As well as these financial instruments, some investment apps also offer a range of other services. These include investment ISA, such as stocks and shares ISA and a Lifetime ISA, and pensions. So regardless of what financial instrument or service you want to invest in, you’re bound to find the UK investing app that has what you’re looking for.
Best Investment Apps Features
When it comes to choosing an investment app, you need to find an app that suits your experience and skill level. Beginners often prefer more simple, user-friendly apps, while a more experienced interactive investor often prefer apps that are integrated with advanced platforms like MetaTrader 4, so that they can make use of the various trading tools available on the platform.
Of course, aside from the usability, you should also assess an investment app’s financial assets, fees, minimum deposit requirement and special features. To help you out, here’s a look at how UK investment apps stack up against one another.
UK Investment App Investment Options Commission Yearly Account Fee Minimum Deposit Special Features Fineco Stocks, funds, bonds £0 – £6.95 0.25% £0 No conversion fee, market-bar feature AvaTrade Shares, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, commodities, forex, indices, bonds (CFDs) 0% Commission (CFD spreads instead) £0 $100 MT4/5, ebook Hargreaves Lansdown Shares, ETFs, funds, trusts, bonds, gilts £5.95 – £11.95 for shares, no commission for funds 0.45% £0 Managed portfolios, ISAs IG Shares, funds, investment trusts £0 – £10 £0 $250 Educational resources, market news Wealthify Shares, ETFs, funds, ISAs, pension Fund charges, market spread 0.6% per year £1 Managed portfolios, market news Nutmeg Shares, ETFs, funds, ISAs, pension Fund charges, market spread 0.75% up to £100,000, 0.35% beyond £500 Managed portfolios, financial planning Interactive Investor Shares, ETFs, funds, ISAs, pension £7.99 for UK and US shares £119.88 £0 Flat monthly fee, model portfolios MoneyFarm ETFs None 0.97% of total investment £500 Automated investing, 7 managed portfolios What to Look for in an Investment App?
The app you choose will have a big impact on your success as an interactive investor. There’s nothing more important than getting the right tools at your disposal at a low cost that won’t compromise the margins on your trades.
So, let’s take a closer look at some of the aspects you should consider when you get started with an investing app.
Asset Variety
The first thing to look at when choosing a mobile trading platform is what types of assets are available for trading. While many traditional brokers have mobile apps, they largely limit you to trading stocks, ETFs, and bonds.
There are numerous other markets out there to trade. Many investing apps offer stocks, ETFs, and bonds, as well as cryptocurrency, commodity, and forex trading. Even if you aren’t interested in trading currencies or commodities right now, these assets can offer a chance to diversify your portfolio in the future.
Another thing to think about is whether your broker allows you to directly own assets you invest in or whether you can only buy and sell CFDs. This is an important difference. When you directly own stocks, you’re eligible for dividends and there are no fees associated with rolling over contracts from month to month if you want to hold a position for the long term. But, CFDs allow you to trade with leverage, so you can open larger short-term positions without tying up nearly as much cash as you’d need to with direct ownership.
Additionally, if you’re trading cryptocurrencies, commodities, or forex, taking direct ownership of an asset can be much more difficult for regulatory or logistical reasons. CFDs make it much easier to trade these assets since you are only speculating on the future price.
Research Tools
One thing that the apps can offer aside from a variety of assets are research tools. These could be market news feeds or, more commonly, technical charting tools. Some mobile apps, like AvaTrade, integrate directly with the popular MetaTrader 4 mobile app to provide in-depth charts and pre-built technical studies. Other investing apps have their own custom charting software that’s optimised for small smartphone screens.
In any case, make sure that the research tools available fit your investing style. If you trade primarily based on fundamental financial data, having advanced charts probably won’t help you nearly as much as having access to recent corporate filings. On the other hand, traders who prefer to open and close positions quickly around market news will want access to an up-to-date news feed and the ability to create custom trading alerts.
Social Trading
A number of investing apps, like those of AvaTrade, offer some form of social trading. These two apps allow you to follow successful traders’ public profiles on the apps and to see how their portfolios are distributed at any time. More than that, you can instantly designate a set amount of money from your account to copy that traders’ positions to reach your investment goals.
This is extremely helpful because it allows you to follow a strategy that’s already working. Better yet, you can hedge your bets by copying multiple traders and trying out several different strategies at once. For beginner traders and investors who don’t have a lot of time to spend on developing custom strategies, this style of social trading is a major plus.
Low Cost Commissions and Fees
Of course, your choice of broker also needs to take into account what kinds of fees you’ll be charged for using an investing app. The annual fee can be broken down into three categories: commissions, spreads, and other fees.
Trade commissions were once everywhere, but in recent years they’ve largely disappeared from mobile investing apps. That’s generally a good thing, since it means you’re not paying money simply to open and close a position. It also means that you don’t have to worry about trading with small amounts of money, since you’re not paying flat fees regardless of the size of your trade.
That said, brokers do still make money off your trading through the spread. This is the difference between the price you buy an asset for and the price it’s sold for. Usually, the spread isn’t more than one to two percent of the value of any trade, but be on the lookout for investing apps that charge higher spreads. The lower the spread, the better, since you start off every trade with a slight loss as a result of spreads.
Finally, it’s important to look at account minimums and any other fees your investing app charges. Some brokers charge monthly fees. On top of that, some brokers charge fees when you withdraw money from your account or if you don’t trade (and spend money on the spread) at least once every three months. These fees can add up quickly, so be sure to check what your investing app will be charging.
How safe are investment apps in the UK?
In the UK, trading apps are authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). Some of the FCA-set safety conditions that any trading app must meet before receiving an operating license include a commitment to the safety of client data and funds.
How do investment apps work?
Investment apps can be DIY, semi-DIY, or Hands-free. DIY investment apps will only provide you with a trading platform but you will be responsible for all the trading/investment decisions like the product to invest in, when, and how much to invest.
Semi-DIY investment apps, on the other hand, give you access to investment support from other traders or the brokerage management who hold your hand and give financial advice on investments. But you ultimately have to make the final trade/investment decisions.
Hands-free investment apps only require you to deposit cash and have another party – either an expert trader or automated trading software – take charge of the investment decision.
Conclusion
With UK best investment apps, you can trade much more than just stocks to diversify your portfolio, and you can do so from the palm of your hand. There are many different apps for UK investors to choose from, so make sure you do your research to find the right app for you.
FAQ
Is there a monthly subscription fee to use an investing app?
Some investing apps charge monthly subscription or management fee, although this isn’t that common. Just watch out for inactivity fees, which may be assessed if you don’t place a trade with your app for a period of three months or longer.
Do I need to be connected to WiFi to trade from anywhere?
You do need to be connected to the Internet to place trades with any investing app. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a WiFi connection. You can trade using mobile data in many places that don’t have WiFi available.
When trading stocks, should I trade CFDs or buy and sell stocks directly?
For stock trading, both direct ownership and CFDs have advantages. Direct ownership is typically better for long-term positions since you are eligible to collect dividends and don’t have to worry about contract rollover fees. CFDs are better for short-term positions when you want to trade with leverage.
Can I access my mobile trading account from a desktop?
Most brokers that offer mobile investing apps also have a desktop or browser-based platforms where you can access your account and make trades. However, some brokers are mobile-only, in which case you’ll have to use the app to access your account.
Michael Graw
Michael Graw
View all posts by Michael GrawMichael is a writer covering finance, new markets, and business services in the US and UK. His work has been published in leading online outlets and magazines.
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