Best Stock Trading Apps in the UK for 2024

Looking to sign up with a UK stock app? Investors can use a stock app on their smartphone to trade stocks and other assets on the move. But which apps are the best? It all depends on what sort of trading the investor has in mind.

Below we review the best stock trading apps in the UK. All are accessible from the UK. Some focus on plain share trading, whilst others offer the powerful advantages of CFD (Contract-For-Difference) trading. Further, we outline what key metrics to look out for in a UK stock app, as well as show you how to get signed up and into action.

Best Stock Trading Apps in the UK Reviewed

Where to buy the best shares in the UK? Investors can trade online via their desktop or laptop computer – or via a smartphone app. This has made investing much more accessible, with some investors looking for the best ways to invest £20k in the UK via a popular trading app.

Smartphone apps offer the prime advantage of portability. Investors with a stock app UK can keep an eye on exciting stocks as well as their own portfolio wherever they are in the world, as well as take decisive action to wisely invest during inflation.

Investors wanting to go short on a stock, for example, or leverage their trade for amplified gains may be interested in Contracts-For-Difference (CFDs). Many of the stock apps UK available nowadays offer CFDs only.

1. XTB – CFD Stock Broker with ‘Best Customer Service’ Award

XTB is a full-service broker serving 400,000 clients with almost 20 years experience. Although not headquartered in the UK, XTB has an office in London – as well as 13 other countries.

Clients can invest in stocks available from international exchanges from many countries in the world, with more than 2,000 assets on offer and leverage up to 1:500 on stocks, crypto, forex, ETFs, indices and commodities.

It is extremely beginner friendly and also has one of the best mobile stock trading apps on the market and XTB provides a free demo account for stocks.

XTB won Best Customer Service from ForexBrokers.com in 2021 and is fully regulated and protected in the UK and a number of other countries.

XTB has some of the lowest fees in the country, although some beginners may initially find them difficult to understand as the broker uses a spread-based structure rather than charging a flat commission.

For example, Apple stock would cost £0.50 and EUR/USD just £0.0001 on the Forex platform.

The platform also has non-trading fees such as an inactivity fee – which starts after one year – and deposit and withdrawal fees.

What We Like

Your capital is at risk. 75% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

2. AvaTrade - Stock Trading app offering low spreads and leverage trading

Our next pick for the best UK stock trading app is AvaTrade, a popular platform with over 300,000 members.  On AvaTrade, investors can access more than 90 stock CFDs, such as Apple and Microsoft. The trading app, AvaTradeGO offers a sophisticated trading dashboard that includes a series of charting features and management tools. 

AvaTrade’s app offers a market trends feature, allowing traders to see the markets develop in real-time and analyze different social trends. The AvaTradeGO app lets all members view their trades and portfolio instantly. Users can access live markets and prices and create watchlists to track their favorite assets. 

A multi-asset trading platform, AvaTrade also supports commodities and FX trading. AvaTrade was even voted as the number one forex trading app in 2020. In total, more than 1,000 financial instruments can be traded on this platform.

Advanced traders can also access MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 with AvaTrade. These popular web-based trading platforms allow users to trade assets by leveraging a series of technical tools and indicators. Moreover, AvaTrade allows users to apply up to 10x leverage on multiple stock options. 

AvaTrade charges spread when trading stocks and can charge overnight fees on particular assets as well. After three months of inactivity on AvaTrade, a fee of $50 is charged. An administration fee of $100 is charged after 12 months of inactivity.

Interested readers can access the AvaTradeGO app on Google Play and the App store, making it one of the best mobile stock trading apps. Charging a minimum deposit of $100, AvaTrade lets users make payments via Credit, Debit card options and multiple e-wallet providers.

What We Like 

71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

3. Trade Nation - Commission-Free Stock Trader With an Inclusive Fee Model

Trade Nation is a great pick for traders in the UK who are looking for an app featuring an inclusive fee model. Launched in 2014, Trade Nation offers upwards of 25 forex pairs, stocks, commodities, and more. With its three-tier account system - common, RAW, and TN Trader, investors will be able to trade at as low as 0.0 pips.

The low broker charges consist of a fixed spread of 0.6 pips for the EUR/USD pair. The rollover period can increase the spreads to up to 1.4 Pips.

Trade Nation provides users with easy access to markets, offering leverage up to 500x. The platform is also available on MT4  - Meta Trader 4 and offers copy trading utilities for those who want to follow in the footsteps of successful traders. That is done through Trade Nation's unique app offering known as TradeCopier.

Users will also be able to get access to. 24/7 customer support through this platform. And in terms of payment options, Trade Nation supports all the traditional fiat methods, including VISA, Mastercard, and eWallets.

What We Like 

75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

4. Pepperstone - CFD Share Trading with Access to Key Trader Platforms

With a 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot based on 1,748 reviews, we can conclude that the Pepperstone app is perhaps one of the best stock apps UK according to users.

Pepperstone's app is called the Pepperstone cTrader. It has received an average rating of 4.3/5 on Google Play from 2.7k reviews and 4.2/5 on the App Store from 40 reviews. This stock app offers plenty of customisability for expert traders, but does not offer biometric log-in.

Pepperstone offers social trading via partner DupliTrade. The broker is regulated by the FCA, CYSEC, BAFIN, ASIC, CMA, DSFA and SCB.

• Read our extended Pepperstone review.

What We Like

75.3% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.

5. Vantage - CFD Stock Trading with Multiple Social Trading Options

This stock app UK offers access to CFD trading in stocks, commodities, forex and indices. A total of 400 instruments is available in all, with up to 500:1 leverage on offer as well as a convenient minimum deposit of $50. Vantage is also popular as one of the leading spread betting brokers in the UK.

Vantage offers comprehensive news and market information, as well as powerful charting tools (including Bollinger Bands, MACD, Moving Averages).

When it comes to stocks vs. forex trading, the emphasis with Vantage is on forex. But 500+ US stocks - including popular new stocks - are available as CFDs.

Vantage offers its own Vantage Social Trading platform, as well as established providers ZuluTrade and DupliTrade. Support for MT4 and MT5 is also available.

What We Like

Trading derivatives carries significant risks. It is not suitable for all investors and if you are a professional client, you could lose substantially more than your initial investment.

6. Libertex - Award-winning CFD Broker with Streamlined Share Offering

With almost 25 years in business, Libertex is a dedicated CFD broker with 40+ international awards under its belt - including Best CFD Broker Europe 2022 from Global Brands Magazine and Best Trading Platform 2020 from World Finance.

250+ tradable assets are on offer including stocks, forex, indices, crypto and ETFs. Libertex offers three trading platforms: Libertex's home platform and MT4/MT5. A slimline selection of shares is available, including popular energy stocks and tech stocks.

Libertex's app has achieved a rating of 4.7/5 from 26k reviews on Google Play from 5m downloads, making it one of the best mobile stock trading apps. On the App Store, this stock app UK gained a score of 4.3/5.

Note that Libertex. although regulated by the FCA, is in the process of winding down its UK operations.

What We Like

62.2% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

7. Hargreaves Lansdown - UK-based Provider of Funds and Shares

Mutual funds are a popular way for investors to invest in many shares at once to spread risk - and the Hargreaves Lansdown stock app UK offers 3,949 of them as well as ETFs, bonds, gilts and shares.

Hargreaves Lansdown is headquartered in Bristol, UK. The broker employs over 2,000 staff to service over 1.7m clients.

Over £120bn of client funds is entrusted with Hargreaves, which has been operating since 1981 and is a FTSE 100 company in its own right and regulated by the FCA - making it one of the most trusted and best stock market apps.

Although this broker offers a pricing system based on commission, it is worth noting that spreads on buying and selling prices appear to be tight. For example, Apple is available to buy at $146.17 and to sell at $146.16 - which equates to a very tight spread of 0.006%.

What We Like

8. Freetrade - UK-based Dedicated Share Trading App with 1m Clients

The Freetrade brokerage service is available as a smartphone app only.

Headquartered in London UK, this stock app UK has a fresh, modern feel and offers a maximum of 6,000 shares, ETFs, REITs and SPACs to deal in. Commodities and CFDs are not available.

Access to stocks depends on account type:

• The Basic account is free, but allows access to only 1,500 shares and ETFs.
• The Standard account costs £4.99 per month and offers the full range of 6,000 shares and ETFs - as well as 1% on uninvested cash.
• The Plus account costs £9.99 per month, offers all shares/ETFs and pays 3% on uninvested cash.

What We Like

9. IG - Popular trading platform with over 12,000 stocks

Established in 1974, IG is one of the best stock trading platforms, with over 313,000 users. Through the IG trading app, traders can invest in over 18,000 markets with the click of a button. Along with CFD stocks, the IG app lets investors trade forex pairs, indices, and options.

The IG app lets investors set price alerts, receive real-time market updates and enter limit orders and trailing stops. IG's interactive price charts contain 28 technical indicators, including MACD and Bollinger Bands. While the IG app is only available on Android devices, the web-based platform is compatible with iOS as well.

One can trade more than 12,000 stock CFDs with IG. Stock trading on IG is commission-based. For instance, the minimum fee for trading stock CFDs on IG is $15.  To get started with IG, users are required to make a minimum deposit of $300. When making the deposit with VISA or Mastercard, the platform charges an additional fee of 0.5% and 1% per transaction, respectively.

What We Like

10. Admirals - Popular UK Stock App with Multiple Awards Under its Belt

Admirals is an award-winning stock app highly sought after by investors and traders across the UK. It has been in operation for more than 20 years and has garnered over 20 awards from highly acclaimed entities. As a licensed platform, Admirals has established offices worldwide, serving more than 130 countries at present.

The platform offers a selection of over 8000 instruments, including the most traded currency pairs, indices, and commodities. It also grants traders access to 15 of the world's largest stock exchanges. Admirals places a strong emphasis on providing comfort to its customers, evident in its user-friendly interface and a dedicated learning section. Users can access the platform by downloading its software or via the web, as Admirals supports the Supreme version of MetaTrader.

With an excellent rating on Trustpilot, Admirals has firmly established itself as one of the best stock apps in the UK. Backed by reliable customer support, a wide array of trading tools, and an extensive range of assets, it stands out as an excellent choice for traders in the UK and around the world.

What We Like

Best Stock Trading Apps UK According to Traders Compared

Choosing a Stock Trading App in the UK - Key Metrics to Look Out For

How to judge the best stock trading apps UK? Below are some key features to consider.

Regulation

Whether a broker is providing a London stock exchange trading app or an app that allows international share dealing too, it is important that the broker is regulated somewhere in the world.

Range of Stocks

The range of stocks offered by each stock trading app UK varies massively. Libertex, for example, offers just 50+ stocks. Hargreaves Landsdown offers 1,000+ stocks and over 3,000 mutual funds to browse.

Fees

Some brokers (like Freetrade) charge a monthly subscription. However, the UK's best trading apps charge zero commission on trades. Most brokers charge a spread fee, which is the difference between the price an investor can buy at, and the price they can sell at, at any given time.

The best stock trading apps are always 100% transparent about their fees.

There can also be other fees included such as inactivity fees, which can be expensive.

Mobile Experience

Niggles with smartphone apps are common - whether they are stock apps UK or designed for other purposes.

We look for high ratings across multiple assessing platforms (like the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot) as well as a willingness from a broker to remedy user issues promptly to decide which are the best mobile stock trading apps.

Trading Tools

Trading tools fall into two categories: market orders and charting tools.

• Market orders allow investors to get sophisticated about market entries and exits. Setting a Stop Loss, for example, is a key safety measure offered by many brokers which allows the investor to exit a position if it starts to lose too much money.
• Charting tools are ideal for technical trading, but tend to be tricky to use on smartphone stock trading apps UK.

Minimum Deposit

Even penny stock trading apps UK must set a minimum deposit and most stock trading apps are free to download.

Nowadays, investors are not expected to stump up thousands of pounds - you can find platforms with low minimum deposit and investment amounts.

Demo Account

Most stock market apps UK offer free demo accounts. We recommend investors take advantage. Although there will generally be few hoops to jump through in terms of providing some ID, free demo accounts come with no obligation and investors can learn how a broker's app works without committing funds.

Payment Methods

Gone are the days when UK stock market apps made it difficult to deposit funds. It is, of course, in the interest of apps to make it easy for clients to deposit funds because then business can be done, and fees earnt!

Nowadays, investors can expect to be able to deposit GBP funds via bank card, bank transfer and some payment wallets, notably Skrill, PayPal and Neteller. Many brokers do not charge deposit fees. But currency conversion fees may apply.

Customer Service

Ideally, the best UK stock apps should offer 24hr customer service seven days a week via the telephone. We have not identified a broker that offers this, although some offer 24/7 customer service 5 days a week via online ticket system.

Conclusion

Above we have reviewed the 12 best stock trading apps UK.

Let us be clear: it is not possible to say that one stock app UK is better than the rest; it all depends on what type of investing the user is aiming for.

CFD trading apps are popular with investors who want to benefit from the options of Contracts-For-Difference. Many other brokers offer CFD trading, which allows investors to go short on shares as well as leverage their trade. But overnight fees apply for positions held.

Customer service is, of course, a key metric when it comes to stock apps UK. This is difficult to gauge without having an extended relationship with a stock app.

Overall, we recommend that investors do their own research when it comes to stock apps UK and take advantage of the free trials offered by many brokers.

FAQs