Updated September 29, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Freetrade vs InvestEngine
Freetrade
Higher score in this comparison
InvestEngine
Where Freetrade and InvestEngine differ
| Compare | FreetradeReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | InvestEngineReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £1Lower | £100 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, FundsCovers more | ETFs |
| Platforms | App, Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Jisa | ISA, SIPP, Corporate |
| Interest on cash | 1%Higher | 0% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.99% | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Not confirmed | Free |
Same on both: Stock trade fee (£0), Account fee (£0), Regulators (Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)), 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
- Freetrade scores higher overall: 8.8 vs 8.7.
- Founded is lower at Freetrade: 2016 vs 2019.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Freetrade: £1 vs £100.
- Markets: only Freetrade offers Stocks, Bonds, Funds.
- Platforms: only Freetrade offers App.
- Platforms: only InvestEngine offers iOS, Android.
- Account types: only Freetrade offers Jisa.
- Account types: only InvestEngine offers Corporate.
- Interest on cash is higher at Freetrade: 1% vs 0%.
- Support channels: only Freetrade offers Chat.
Our verdict on each
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.
InvestEngine
InvestEngine suits UK beginners who want a small, set-and-forget ETF pot with nothing charged for holding or trading. The account fee is £0, the minimum deposit is £100 and the only recurring charge is a management fee of 0.25%. The trade-off is that you hold ETFs and nothing else.
Score breakdown
| Area | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1HigherBoth charges sit at the floor: account fee £0, stock trade fee £0, ranked 1 of 166. | 9.0 |
| Offer | 9.0HigherAccounts listed are isa, sipp and jisa, features cover fractional shares, mobile app and demo account, and the minimum deposit is £1. | 8.8Account fee of £0, stock trade fee of £0 and a minimum deposit of £100. |
| Trust | 8.5Higher | 8.3 |
Cost in a real example
A year: 5,000 invested, 4 US stock trades a month
Freetrade
£0
48 × £0 + 1 × £0
InvestEngine
£0
48 × £0 + 1 × £0
Both come to the same total.
Excludes currency conversion fee (not stated by InvestEngine). Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Feature by feature
| Markets | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes |
| Corporate | No | Yes |
| Jisa | Yes | No |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|
| Investing | 273 of 654 | 298 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 197 of 358 | 217 of 358 |
| Stocks and shares ISAs | 11 of 25 | 15 of 25 |
| Pensions and SIPPs | 8 of 23 | 11 of 23 |
What we checked
Freetrade
- freetrade.io: 14 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
InvestEngine
- investengine.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- blog.investengine.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- help.investengine.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Fractional shares, Mobile app, Demo accountCovers more | Fractional shares, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Freetrade Limited | InvestEngine (UK) Limited |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2016Lower | 2019 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centreCovers more | Email, Help centre |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | Not confirmed | 0.25% |
| Minimum investment | Not confirmed | £1 |
| Portfolio types | Not confirmed | ETF |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Freetrade | InvestEngine | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £1below the median | £100above the median | £15 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.99%highest quarter | Not confirmed | 0.4% |
| Interest on cash | 1%lowest quarter | 0%lowest quarter | 2.875% |
Median across 77 listed providers.
Pros and cons
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.
InvestEngine
Pros
- No account fee at £0 and no stock trade fee at £0
- Fractional shares and a mobile app let you invest small amounts regularly
- Choose from ISA, SIPP and corporate accounts
Cons
- A management fee of 0.25% still applies, unlike a free commission-free brokerage
- Markets are limited to ETFs, so individual shares are not an option
- Support runs on email and help centre only, with no phone line
Who each suits
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.
InvestEngine
Who it suits
- Beginners who want to start small and add to the same pot each month
- Savers putting money into an ISA or SIPP for the long term
- Anyone who would rather hold a diversified basket than pick single shares
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders who want to buy and sell individual shares
- Anyone who wants to speak to support by phone, since support runs on email and help centre only
Country by country
| Country | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
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.
InvestEngine
What does it cost to hold an InvestEngine account?+
The account fee is £0 and the stock trade fee is £0, so there is nothing charged for keeping the account open or for dealing. The one recurring cost is a management fee of 0.25% on the money you hold. Deposits and withdrawals are free.
What is the smallest amount I can invest?+
The minimum deposit is £100, and the smallest investment the platform advertises is £1. Fractional shares are supported, so you can hold a slice of a fund rather than a whole unit. That keeps the starting point low even though the opening deposit is set higher than at many rivals.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Freetrade
InvestEngine