FreetradeGeneral account
£15 Free Share
Value
£15
Freetrade is a UK commission-free investment app with over 1.6 million users, owned by IG Group (the FTSE 250 trading and investments firm) since April 2025. The Freetrade app launched in October 2018, and the company has been authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 783189) since 2017. You can use it to buy and sell UK and US shares, ETFs, and investment trusts, all from a clean, beginner-friendly mobile app.
Customers
1.6m
UK accounts
Founded
2018
8 years old
App Store
4.4 ★
17k reviews
Google Play
4.4 ★
24k reviews
Live offers
1
Worth £15
Freetrade Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 783189). Investments are held in nominee accounts; FSCS protection applies up to £85,000 per person if Freetrade were to fail.
Freetrade at a glance
A great first investing account for UK beginners who don't want to pay per trade. There's currently a £15 Quidsy offer on the table, with commission-free trading on UK and US stocks. The one watch-out: heavy US traders will get clipped by FX fees unless they upgrade for tighter spreads.
Updated:
Current Freetrade offers
Review notes· 5 min read
Freetrade details
Freetrade is a UK commission-free investment app with over 1.6 million users, owned by IG Group (the FTSE 250 trading and investments firm) since April 2025. The Freetrade app launched in October 2018, and the company has been authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 783189) since 2017. You can use it to buy and sell UK and US shares, ETFs, and investment trusts, all from a clean, beginner-friendly mobile app.
Freetrade is a strong fit if you are new to investing and want to start small without paying trading commissions, or if you are a cost-conscious investor who mostly trades UK-listed stocks and wants a tax-efficient ISA or SIPP without paying a monthly platform fee.
It is less of a fit if you want deep research tools, a wide range of bonds and funds, or international markets beyond the UK and US. Active traders who care about extended-hours access or advanced order types may prefer Freetrade’s paid Standard or Plus plans, or a more feature-rich broker.
Is Freetrade safe?
Yes, Freetrade is safe for UK investors in the regulatory sense. Freetrade Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 783189), and it has been on the FCA register since October 2017.
Since April 2025, Freetrade has been wholly owned by IG Group plc, a FTSE 250 trading and investments group that has been around for over 50 years, which gives the platform a much bigger corporate backstop than it had as a standalone company.
Your money is protected in two ways.
Cash held in your Freetrade account sits in segregated client bank accounts, ring-fenced from Freetrade’s own balance sheet, and is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £85,000 per person if Freetrade fails. Investments (shares, ETFs, investment trusts) are held in a nominee account in your name, again separate from Freetrade’s own assets, with FSCS investment protection up to £85,000 per person if the firm fails.
FSCS does not cover losses from share prices falling, only from Freetrade itself going bust.
One thing worth knowing: on 8 February 2022 the FCA issued a Second Supervisory Notice ordering Freetrade to remove paid-for influencer promotions across social media. The concern was that the promotions, including TikTok and Instagram posts targeted at people in debt, did not meet the requirement for financial promotions to be fair, clear and not misleading.
It was a financial-promotions compliance issue, not a problem with client money or solvency, and Freetrade complied. Nothing similar has been published since.
Who is Freetrade for?
Freetrade is best suited for beginners and cost-conscious investors who want a simple way to buy shares and ETFs without paying commission. The free GIA makes it particularly attractive for people starting out with smaller amounts. It is also a solid choice for anyone who wants a clean, easy-to-use app without the complexity of traditional brokers.
What does Freetrade do?
Commission-free trading on UK and US shares
Buy and sell shares, ETFs, and investment trusts on the Basic plan with no per-trade commission, on either side of the Atlantic.
Free Stocks & Shares ISA and SIPP
Both the ISA and SIPP are included on the free Basic plan with no monthly fee (ISA free since September 2025, SIPP free since January 2026), making Freetrade one of the cheapest places to hold a tax-efficient investment account.
Fractional shares from £2
Buy a slice of expensive US stocks like Apple, Tesla, or Amazon with as little as £2, instead of needing to afford a whole share.
Clean, beginner-friendly app
A genuinely simple interface with curated stock lists and no overwhelming charts, designed for people who are new to investing rather than active day traders.
Paid plans for active traders
Standard (£4.99/month) and Plus (£9.99/month) lower the FX fee on US trades (0.59% and 0.39% respectively, vs 0.99% on Basic) and add interest on uninvested cash up to higher caps.
Pros and cons
What stands out
5 pros- Commission-free share dealing on UK and US stocks
- Free Stocks & Shares ISA (since September 2025) and SIPP (since January 2026) on the Basic plan
- Fractional shares let you start investing with as little as £2
- FCA-regulated with FSCS protection up to £85,000 per person
- Owned by IG Group (FTSE 250) since April 2025, with a much bigger corporate balance sheet behind it
Worth knowing
3 cons- 0.99% FX fee on the free Basic plan when buying US shares (lower on paid plans)
- Smaller stock universe than established brokers like Hargreaves Lansdown or AJ Bell
- Limited in-app research and analysis tools compared with traditional platforms
Freetrade is a great entry point for anyone new to investing in the UK. The Basic plan now includes the ISA and SIPP for free, on top of commission-free share dealing, which makes it one of the cheapest ways to hold a tax-efficient investment account if you are mostly trading UK stocks.
The app itself is one of the easiest to use in the UK investing space. It does not overwhelm you with charts and data, you can browse stocks, tap to buy, and you are done. The IG Group acquisition gives the business a much bigger backstop than it had as a standalone, which is reassuring if you have been put off by Freetrade's slower start-up years.
The main reasons not to use it are still the same. Heavy US traders will be hit by the 0.99% FX fee on Basic (worth paying for Standard or Plus if you trade a lot of US shares), and anyone who wants deep research, gilts, mutual funds at scale, or international markets beyond the UK and US will outgrow it. For a first investing account, though, it is hard to beat.
Recent ended Freetrade offers
- £100
1% Cashback on Transfers
Ended 5 Apr 2026
Freetrade FAQs
Freetrade makes money mostly from FX fees when customers buy or sell US shares (0.99% on the Basic plan, lower on paid plans), interest earned on uninvested customer cash held in client bank accounts, and monthly subscription fees from customers on the Standard (£4.99/month) and Plus (£9.99/month) plans. Since April 2025 it has been owned by IG Group plc.
Through Quidsy's referral link, eligible new Freetrade customers receive a free share worth up to £100 once they open a General Investment Account and deposit at least £50. The actual share you get is randomly selected from a pool, so the value varies. Quidsy estimates the typical profit at around £15 (as of May 2026), but the headline value can be higher.
Yes, you can lose money with Freetrade, but not because of Freetrade itself. Like any investment platform, the shares and ETFs you buy can fall in value, and there is no guarantee you will get back what you put in. FSCS protection covers your money up to £85,000 if Freetrade fails as a firm, but it does not protect you from your investments losing value. Investing is for the long term; do not put in money you might need within five years.
Freetrade's Basic plan is free and includes the GIA, Stocks & Shares ISA, and SIPP with no monthly account fee, commission-free UK and US share dealing, and a 0.99% FX fee on US trades. The Standard plan costs £4.99/month and lowers the FX fee to 0.59%; Plus costs £9.99/month and drops it to 0.39% with higher interest on uninvested cash. SIPP withdrawals (UFPLS) cost £240 each. (Pricing verified May 2026.)
Next step
Choose your route with Freetrade
£15 Free Share is the strongest live Freetrade route we have listed right now.