Robinhood is a commission-free investing platform that gives UK users access to thousands of US-listed stocks, ETFs, and options through a single mobile app. Founded in California in 2013 and launched in the UK in March 2024, it now serves around 27.4 million funded customers globally, with a Stocks & Shares ISA added to the UK product in early 2026.
Customers
27.4m
UK accounts
Founded
2013
13 years old
App Store
4.8 ★
5k reviews
Google Play
4.1 ★
525k reviews
Live offers
1
Worth £5
Robinhood U.K. Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 823590). Investments held in your Robinhood brokerage account are not protected by the FSCS; US-based protections apply instead. Cash held in your Stocks & Shares ISA is protected by the FSCS up to £85,000.
A US-shares specialist that finally landed in the UK with commission-free trading and a Stocks & Shares ISA. Quidsy has a free-stock sign-up live now. Best as a second account alongside a UK broker. Important caveat: the standard brokerage account is US-protected, not FSCS-protected, so read the safety section before funding.
Updated:
Value
£5
Robinhood is a commission-free investing platform that gives UK users access to thousands of US-listed stocks, ETFs, and options through a single mobile app. Founded in California in 2013 and launched in the UK in March 2024, it now serves around 27.4 million funded customers globally, with a Stocks & Shares ISA added to the UK product in early 2026.
The pitch is straightforward: zero commission on trades, no FX fees on US share dealing, fractional shares from as little as $1, and a clean app designed for first-time investors.
It's a strong fit if you're a UK investor who wants exposure to US companies like Apple, Tesla, or Nvidia without paying the typical £5-£10 per trade that traditional UK brokers charge. It also suits anyone earning interest on uninvested cash, since Robinhood's cash sweep rate is competitive with the better savings accounts.
It's a less obvious fit if you mostly want to buy UK-listed shares (Robinhood doesn't offer them yet), if you need deep research tools and screeners, or if you want one platform that covers both your investments and a SIPP.
Yes, Robinhood U.K. Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 823590), which means it has to meet UK standards on how it handles your money, your data, and any complaints. That covers the operational side of safety. The investment side is more nuanced and worth understanding before you fund an account.
Cash and securities in your standard Robinhood brokerage account are held by Robinhood Securities, LLC in the United States. That means FSCS protection does not apply to brokerage holdings, and you're relying on US-based protections instead. Cash held inside the newer Stocks & Shares ISA, by contrast, sits with Quai Investment Services Ltd and is covered by the FSCS up to £85,000, which is the standard UK protection threshold.
The bigger point is that investing isn't banking. Even with the right protections in place, the value of your shares can go down as well as up, and you can lose money you put in. Robinhood is regulated and the company has been listed on Nasdaq since 2021 (ticker: HOOD), so it's not a fly-by-night operation, but treat any money you invest as money you can afford to leave alone for a few years.
Robinhood is ideal for beginners who want to dip their toes into investing in US stocks without paying commission fees.
It's particularly good for: - First-time investors wanting to buy US stocks - Anyone who wants to earn interest on uninvested cash (5% AER) - Night owls who want to trade outside normal market hours - People who want to start small with fractional shares
It might not be for you if you want to invest in UK stocks (not yet available), need an ISA wrapper for tax-free gains, or prefer a more traditional investment platform with research tools.
Buy and sell over 6,000 US-listed stocks and ETFs with no commission charges, and no FX fees on the trades themselves. You're paying nothing per trade compared to £5-£10 at most traditional UK brokers.
Earn 3.35% AER on uninvested US dollar cash in your brokerage account, as of February 2026. The rate applies to USD only; GBP cash isn't eligible for the sweep program, so it's most useful if you hold dollars sitting between trades. Paid daily, set by Robinhood's program banks, and subject to change.
Buy a slice of expensive stocks like Tesla or Amazon from as little as $1 instead of having to find the full share price. Useful for building a diversified portfolio with a small starting pot.
Place trades on most US shares outside the standard 9:30am-4pm New York hours, five days a week. Genuinely useful for UK investors who can't sit at a screen during the US trading day.
Robinhood has brought its signature commission-free trading to the UK, and for the right type of investor it's a genuinely strong option.
If you want exposure to US companies without paying the £5-£10 per trade that most UK brokers still charge, the maths is hard to argue with. Add in the interest on uninvested cash, the fractional shares, and the option of an ISA wrapper, and you've got a setup that didn't really exist for UK retail investors a couple of years ago.
That said, it's not the right home for everyone. If you mostly want to buy UK-listed shares, you can't (yet). If you want deep research tools, screeners, or a full SIPP alongside an ISA, you'll outgrow Robinhood quickly. And the FSCS picture deserves a careful read: brokerage holdings rely on US-based protections, so the safety story is different to what most UK readers are used to with their bank.
For me, Robinhood works best as a second investing account, sitting alongside an existing UK ISA platform. Use it specifically for US shares, the cash interest, and the option-style trades that traditional UK brokers won't let near you. Used like that, the free-stock sign-up is a useful nudge to actually open the account and try the app properly.
Next step
£5 to £125 Free Share is the strongest live Robinhood route we have listed right now.
A tax-efficient wrapper for UK investors, added to the product in early 2026. You can shelter up to £20,000 a year of gains and dividends from UK tax inside the ISA.
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