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Updated September 29, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team

Freetrade vs Police Friendly

Freetrade scores 8.8 and Police Friendly 9.0 out of 10. Compare their differences and shared features below.
Freetrade

Freetrade

8.8/10
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Police Friendly

Police Friendly

Higher score in this comparison

9.0/10
See alternatives

What sets them apart

Freetrade vs Police Friendly
CompareFreetradeFreetradeReviewSee alternativesSee alternativesPolice FriendlyPolice FriendlyReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives
Minimum deposit£1Lower£50
MarketsStocks, ETFs, Bonds, FundsCovers moreStocks, Funds
RegulatorsFinancial Conduct Authority (FCA)Financial Conduct Authority / Prudential Regulation Authority
Account typesISA, SIPP, JisaISA, Lisa, Jisa
Stock trade fee£0Not confirmed
Account fee£0Not confirmed
Currency conversion fee0.99%Not confirmed
Deposit and withdrawal feesNot confirmed25% government charge on non-qualifying withdrawals
PlatformsApp, WebNot confirmed
Interest on cash1%Not confirmed

Same on both: 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

  • Police Friendly scores higher overall: 9.0 vs 8.8.
  • Regulators: only Freetrade offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
  • Regulators: only Police Friendly offers Financial Conduct Authority / Prudential Regulation Authority.
  • Founded is lower at Police Friendly: 1893 vs 2016.
  • Minimum deposit is lower at Freetrade: £1 vs £50.
  • Markets: only Freetrade offers ETFs, Bonds.
  • Account types: only Freetrade offers SIPP.
  • Account types: only Police Friendly offers Lisa.
  • Support channels: only Freetrade offers Chat, Help centre.
  • Support channels: only Police Friendly offers Phone.

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.

Read the full Freetrade review

Police Friendly

Police Friendly runs a UK stock and shares ISA, LISA and JISA range from £50, run by Metropolitan Police Friendly Society Limited. It suits savers building a tax sheltered pot in stocks and funds who value a named legal entity and FSCS cover, and who can leave the money invested.

Read the full Police Friendly review

Score breakdown

Freetrade vs Police Friendly
AreaFreetradePolice Friendly
Cost9.1HigherBoth charges sit at the floor: account fee £0, stock trade fee £0, ranked 1 of 166.8.7Opening a stocks and shares ISA, LISA or JISA needs £50, and a non qualifying withdrawal carries 25% government charge on non-qualifying withdrawals.
Offer9.0Accounts listed are isa, sipp and jisa, features cover fractional shares, mobile app and demo account, and the minimum deposit is £1.9.0
Trust8.59.2Higher

Side by side, item by item

Freetrade vs Police Friendly
MarketsFreetradePolice Friendly
StocksYesYes
ETFsYesNo
BondsYesNo
FundsYesYes
Freetrade vs Police Friendly
Account typesFreetradePolice Friendly
ISAYesYes
SIPPYesNo
LisaNoYes
JisaYesYes

Choosing between them

Pick Freetrade if cost, minimum deposit, and markets matter most.

Pick Police Friendly if trust matter most.

Also worth a look

Hargreaves Lansdown has minimum deposit at £0, against £1 for Freetrade and £50 for Police Friendly.

Hargreaves Lansdown review

How they place

Freetrade vs Police Friendly
RankingFreetradePolice Friendly
Investing273 of 654210 of 654
Stock and ETF brokers197 of 358153 of 358
Stocks and shares ISAs11 of 257 of 25

Every fact side by side

Freetrade vs Police Friendly
FactFreetradePolice Friendly
FeaturesFractional shares, Mobile app, Demo accountNot confirmed
Pricing modelCommission freeNot confirmed
AudienceBeginnersNot confirmed
Legal entityFreetrade LimitedMetropolitan Police Friendly Society Limited
HeadquartersUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom
Founded20161893Lower
Support channelsEmail, Chat, Help centreEmail, Phone

Where each stands against the rest

Freetrade vs Police Friendly
FactFreetradePolice FriendlyMedian
Minimum deposit£1below the median£50above the median£15
Stock trade fee£0at the medianNot confirmed£0
Account fee£0at the medianNot confirmed£0
Currency conversion fee0.99%highest quarterNot confirmed0.4%
Interest on cash1%lowest quarterNot confirmed2.875%

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.

Police Friendly

Pros

  • Three tax sheltered options in one place: an ISA, a LISA and a JISA
  • Low entry point at £50 to open
  • Stocks and funds available to invest through stocks and funds

Cons

  • A non qualifying withdrawal is hit by 25% government charge on non-qualifying withdrawals
  • Investments are limited to stocks and funds, with no wider market list given
  • Support runs on email and phone only

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.

Police Friendly

Who it suits

  • UK savers building a tax sheltered pot for the long term
  • Parents saving for a child through the JISA account type
  • Savers who want a named legal entity behind the account

Who should look elsewhere

  • People trading shares frequently, since investable markets run to stocks and funds
  • Anyone likely to need the money early, because of 25% government charge on non-qualifying withdrawals

Current offers

Police Friendly

Current offer

  • Bonus

    Open a Lifetime ISA - Earn up to GBP50 in Gift Cards: Up to GBP50 gift card

    Pay GBP100 or more per month, or GBP50+ with Escalator; GBP30-99 gets GBP25; quote AUTUMN26

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

Country by country

Freetrade vs Police Friendly
CountryFreetradePolice Friendly
United KingdomYesYes

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.

Police Friendly

What accounts can I open with Police Friendly?+

You can open an individual savings account, a lifetime individual savings account or a junior individual savings account. The range is listed at isa, lisa and jisa. The account runs under Metropolitan Police Friendly Society Limited.

How much do I need to put in to start?+

The minimum deposit is £50, which is a low starting point for a tax sheltered account. Once the account is open you can invest that money in the assets listed at stocks and funds.

Other options to compare

Freetrade

See alternatives

Police Friendly

See alternatives