Updated September 29, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Dodl vs Freetrade
Dodl
Higher score in this comparison
Freetrade
What sets them apart
| Compare | DodlReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | FreetradeReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25 | £1Lower |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, FundsCovers more |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75%Lower | 0.99% |
| Platforms | Dodl app | App, Web |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Lisa | ISA, SIPP, Jisa |
| Interest on cash | 3.8%Higher | 1% |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | free deposits and withdrawals | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Stock trade fee (£0), Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Regulators: only Dodl offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Regulators: only Freetrade offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Minimum deposit is lower at Freetrade: £1 vs £25.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Dodl: 0.75% vs 0.99%.
- Markets: only Freetrade offers Bonds.
- Platforms: only Dodl offers Dodl app.
- Platforms: only Freetrade offers App, Web.
- Account types: only Dodl offers Lisa.
- Account types: only Freetrade offers Jisa.
- Interest on cash is higher at Dodl: 3.8% vs 1%.
Our verdict on each
Dodl
Dodl suits UK beginners who want a low-cost way into markets without a dealing desk. It runs an ISA, SIPP and LISA in one app, charges £0 to trade shares, and answers to the Financial Conduct Authority with investor protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000, so getting started is cheap.
Freetrade
Freetrade suits UK beginners and anyone opening an ISA or a pension, since dealing carries no charge and the platform is built for small, regular buys. Its overall score of 3.3 is held back by a narrow market list and support without a phone line.
Score breakdown
| Area | Dodl | Freetrade |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.9 | 9.1HigherBoth charges sit at the floor: account fee £0, stock trade fee £0, ranked 1 of 166. |
| Offer | 9.2HigherA £25 entry point, 0.75% on currency conversion and commission free and low fees dealing across the ISA, SIPP and LISA. | 9.0Accounts listed are isa, sipp and jisa, features cover fractional shares, mobile app and demo account, and the minimum deposit is £1. |
| Trust | 8.6Higher | 8.5 |
Pick Dodl if, pick Freetrade if
Pick Dodl if currency conversion fee and interest on cash matter most.
Pick Freetrade if minimum deposit and markets matter most.
Licences and countries
| Country | Dodl | Freetrade |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom |
Available in 1 country for both.
A third option
Hargreaves Lansdown has minimum deposit at £0, against £25 for Dodl and £1 for Freetrade.
Hargreaves Lansdown reviewHow they place
| Ranking | Dodl | Freetrade |
|---|---|---|
| Investing | 268 of 654 | 273 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 194 of 358 | 197 of 358 |
| Stocks and shares ISAs | 10 of 25 | 11 of 25 |
| Pensions and SIPPs | 7 of 23 | 8 of 23 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Dodl | Freetrade |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Mobile app | Fractional shares, Mobile app, Demo accountCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low feesCovers more | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Legal entity | AJ Bell | Freetrade Limited |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2016 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre | Email, Chat, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Dodl | Freetrade | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25above the median | £1below the median | £15 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75%above the median | 0.99%highest quarter | 0.4% |
| Interest on cash | 3.8%highest quarter | 1%lowest quarter | 2.875% |
Median across 77 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Dodl
Pros
- Commission-free dealing: £0 to buy or sell shares, with free deposits and withdrawals either side of the balance.
- An ISA, SIPP and LISA sit alongside stocks, etfs and funds in a single app, so wrappers and dealing stay in one place.
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with investor protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
Cons
- Foreign exchange costs 0.75%, so currency conversion is the charge that bites anyone buying shares outside sterling.
- Help runs on email, chat and help centre, with no phone route among them, so a complex dispute has to be put in writing.
- The market list is stocks, etfs and funds, which leaves out bonds, commodities and currency pairs.
Freetrade
Pros
- Dealing is commission free: the stock trade fee is £0 and the account fee is £0, so keeping the account open costs nothing in fees.
- A minimum deposit of £1 lets a position build up gradually, and cash waiting to be invested earns 1%.
- The account list is isa, sipp and jisa, so a pension, a tax-sheltered investment account and a junior account sit under the same login.
Cons
- Currency conversion costs 0.99%, where the typical fee across ISA and SIPP listings is 0.75%, putting it at the pricier end of that set for anyone buying in dollars or euros.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line among them, which is awkward when a position is moving fast.
- The market list stops at stocks, etfs and bonds, so anyone wanting forex or derivatives finds fewer instruments here than at a trading-focused broker.
Who each suits
Dodl
Who it suits
- Beginners in the UK who want their first ISA or SIPP and do not want commission on a share dealing.
- Investors who keep a cash buffer alongside a portfolio and want interest on the part that is not invested.
- Pension savers who prefer one app for the SIPP, the ISA and the general account rather than several providers.
Who should look elsewhere
- Forex traders, who should look at CFI: it opens from a $0 minimum, and currency markets sit outside the stocks, etfs and funds on offer here.
- Anyone after a euro bank account rather than a UK wrapper: bunq's minimum deposit is €10, and that product sits outside the isa, sipp and lisa range here.
- Readers after credit rather than investments: Fiesta Credito MX is supervised by CONDUSEF, a different market from the Financial Conduct Authority's.
Freetrade
Who it suits
- Beginners taking small first steps, since the stated audience is beginners and fractional shares plus a demo account sit in fractional shares, mobile app and demo account.
- ISA and pension savers who want isa, sipp and jisa under a single login with a minimum deposit of £1.
- Cost-focused investors, for whom an account fee of £0 and a stock trade fee of £0 keep holding inexpensive.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants everyday banking rather than isa, sipp and jisa: bunq is a bank account with a minimum deposit of €10, so it fits savers who need a current account, not a dealing platform.
- Traders who want a market range wider than stocks, etfs and bonds: CFI is the one to weigh instead, with a minimum deposit of $0.
- People after a lender rather than an investment account: Fiesta Credito MX is regulated by CONDUSEF, so it serves borrowing in Mexico rather than investing in the UK.
Country by country
| Country | Dodl | Freetrade |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Dodl
What does it cost to trade shares at Dodl?+
Dealing is commission free: £0 to buy or sell shares, and the same rate on the ISA, SIPP and LISA accounts. commission free and low fees describes the pricing. That dealing fee puts Dodl at position 1 of 166 brands ranked on stock trade fees on this site.
How much do I need to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is £25, low enough to start with a small amount and add to it later. On this site that ranks position 131 of 218 brands on minimum deposit, so it sits in the middle of the field rather than at the bottom of it.
Freetrade
What does it cost to hold and trade shares?+
The account fee is £0 and the stock trade fee is £0, on a commission-free model, so opening and holding an account adds no charge. The cost that does appear is currency conversion at 0.99% whenever you buy or sell something priced in another currency. Budget for that if your holdings are not all in sterling.
How much do I need to start investing?+
The minimum deposit is £1, which keeps the entry point low. Cash waiting to be invested earns 1%, so the balance is not idle while you decide what to hold. A small starting amount suits regular contributions rather than a single lump sum, and the account fee adds nothing to the running cost.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Dodl
Freetrade