Online Share Dealing: 5 Top Picks For Traders

Written by Editorial Team
Last updated: 28th November 2022

In selecting an online share dealing broker we have selected our top 5 picks based on costs and service levels.

Whether you are looking to buy or sell:

  • Company shares
  • Bonds or gilts
  • Investments funds
  • Investment trusts
  • Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) or Exchange Traded Commodities (ETCs)
  • Other securities

The online share dealing platform you select should be aligned with your investment requirements.

1. Fineco Bank

Fineco offer low cost trading from £2.95 per trade.

Special Offer:

Get 50 Free Trades For 2 Months*

Open An Account »

*Terms Apply (See Fineco Bank website for details)

Access to over 26 markets Finecobank offer a serious online share trading platform for serious traders.

Voted “Best Live Trading Events 2020” by ADVFN, they have a top rated mobile app which is perfect for traders on the go (although maybe not so necesary during lockdown!). They offer professional trading tools which for serious traders takes your trading to the next level offering interactive charting, customisable timeframes and technical indicators. They offer acess to UK, EU and US markets. They offer news feeds from Reuters, MF-DJ, Twitter and more.

Founded in 1999 Fineco are one of Europe’s largest banks listed on the Euro Stoxx 600. They are a authorised bank by the Bank of Italy and fully regulated by the FCA and PRA. With 1.3 million clients in Italy they have financial assets of €81bn.

There are no tables for this criteria

 

2. AJ Bell

AJ Bell Youinvest offers low cost trading from £4.95 per trade.

Voted by Which? “Recommended Provider” in 2019, AJ Bell offer a wide choice of investments including shares, funds and investment trusts. You can trade shares in 24 international markets. AJ Bell offer a range of investment tools, videos and research to support your trading.

According to Which?  AJ Bell reported more than 17,000 new account openings for its YouInvest consumer platform in the first 3 months of this year, making it a record quarter for the firm. The platform provider saw a 9% increase in new customer platform growth.

AJ Bell is one of the UK’s largest online platforms with assets of £48bn under administration for 250,000+ customers. In 2019 they won the Which?

Trade From
£3.50
Features
ADVFN "Best Execution Only Broker 2020"
Platform Fees
0.25% pa
Good to know: There is no charge to set up or transfer a share dealing account and no charge to pay money into the account. You can deal from as little as £1.50, and you will never pay more than £5.00 per online deal. Voted ‘Best Execution Only Broker 2020’  by ADVFN International Financial Awards. Capital at risk.
 

3. Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown offer trading from £5.95 per trade.

Voted “Best For Share Dealing” in 2019 by Boring Money. With HL you get free live share prices with stop loss and limit order functionality, with access to a range of technical analysis tools. HL provide expert research and share alerts. Their trading platform offers 8 customisable display options.

HL was founded in 1981 and serves over 1.2m customers with £105bn under administration. HL are a FTSE 100 Company based in Bristol employing over 1500 people.

Trade From
£5.95
Features
UK's No1 broker. Trusted by over 1 million investors.
Platform Fees
No fees for share dealing

Good to know: Online trading charges based on previous month’s activity. 20+ trades made in previous month is £5.95 a trade. 10-19 trades are £8.95 a trade. Less than 10 trades it’s £11.95. Get Access to live prices. Easy set up – Buy & sell shares in minutes! Capital at risk.

 

4. Interactive Investor

With ii you pay a fixed £9.99 fee pm and then you pay from £7.99 per trade for UK and US shares and ETFs. For other international shares you pay £19.99 per trade. For active investors you pay a fixed £19.99 pm and then £3.99 per trade for UK shares and ETFs. For US shares £4.99 per trade and £9.99 for other international shares per trade.

Voted by ADVFN “Best Low Cost Stockbroker” 2020, ii offer over 40,000 UK and global stocks across 17 stock exchanges. You can reduce your FX costs by managing money in up to 9 currencies. Access to award winning Quotestream, Level 2 streaming prices.

ii are the number one flat fee investment platform in the UK with £30bn of assets under administration and over 300,000 customers. With offices in London, Leeds and Dundee they employ over 500 people.

Trade From
£4.99 pm
Using the Investor Essentials plan
Features
Ideal for investors who want flexibility and uncapped investment options.
Platform Fees
No transfer or exit fees. From £4.99 using the Investor Essentials plan

The best things in life are free trades. Open an ii Trading Account and get £100 free trades. Offer ends 30 April. Capital at risk. Terms Apply

 

Why we like it: An award-winning trading account. The second largest platform in the UK with the widest choice of investment options in the market including funds, investment trusts, ETF’s and more. Open online in less than 10 minutes. Access to expert independent ideas and analysis. Low cost fees and trading. Capital at risk.

 

5. IG

IG offer a low cost trading from £3 per trade. Buy and sell over 12,000 international stocks.

Voted winner “Best Trading App” Investors Chronicle Investment Wealth Management Awards, IG offer extensive functionality through their trading platform. IG provide advanced platforms and charting including L” dealer, ProRealTime and MT4 with a full suite of alerts and risk management tools. IG also provide free trading courses and webinars as well as an online community where you can share ideas.

Founded in 1974, IG are a FTSE 250 company authorised and regulated by the FCA. They have 1,5500+ employees and a £1.98bn market cap.

Trade From
£8
0% commission on US shares
Features
Pay zero commission on US share trades. Unique out of hours US share dealing offering.
Platform Fees
£0 to £24 per quarter

Good to know: Pay zero commission on US share trades, and just £3 on UK share trades, when you trade three or more times a month with IG. No admin or transfer fees. Custody fee of £24 per quarter, charged if you hold share dealing or ISA assets at the end of the quarter. Capital at risk. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider

 

Important Risk Information:

This website contains information only and does not constitute advice or a personal recommendation in any way whatsoever. The value of investments and income from them can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the full amount invested. The tax efficiency of ISAs is based on current tax law and there is no guarantee that tax rules will stay the same in the future.

Different types of investment carry different levels of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Prior to making any decision to invest, you should ensure that you are familiar with the risks associated with a particular investment and should read the product literature. If you are in any doubt as to the suitability of a particular investment, both in respect of its objectives and its risk profile, you should seek independent financial advice.