The Ultimate Guide to the BEST Investment Apps in the UK

Today we’re going to talk about the best investment apps in the UK. 

When you’re out on the road, you don’t always want to be checking your work emails or stopping to pick up odd jobs. I know from experience that we all need our money to work harder for us.

It’s a really savvy idea to have some passive income coming in each month – essentially something you can set up and forget about while the money builds up. That’s where investment apps come in.

As a reminder: I am not a certified financial advisor. I cannot legally give you financial advice, all of the content on this page is for informational purposes only. Capital is at risk!

The Top 10 Best Investment Apps in the UK‍

What I’ll Cover in this Article:

• What are the best investment apps in the UK
• What is investing?
• Why invest in stocks and shares?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Best Investment Apps in the UK

Look, I get it, investments can be scary! For too long it’s been an old boys’ club, but with great tech, financial independence has never been more accessible.

From ISAs to stocks to crypto there are a lot of options to delve into. 

All these apps have their own pros and cons and some might be more suitable for your situation than others.

The great thing is that they’re all available on both iOS and Android, so whatever device you’re using, these will work. 

Of course, it’s worth noting with any investment that there is a risk of losing capital and you should do your homework and seek advice before doing anything drastic!

Okay, let’s dive into the best investment apps in the UK!

1. Freetrade

Platform Type: Trading App

Annual Platform Fee: £3 / month

Minimum ISA Deposit: £2

Are you a beginner trader looking for an easy-to-use app with low investment amounts? Freetrade is going to be right up your street.

With minimum deposits as low as £2 and the most expensive US share only being £2, you can dip your toe in the water with fractional shares.

Even when it comes to fees, Freetrade is pretty great with trading, depositing, and withdrawing all being commission-free.

Obviously, if you’re trading on stocks and shares outside of the UK there will be FX rates applied at the spot rate plus an additional 0.45%. It’s just something to keep an eye on!

2. Interactive Investor

Platform Type: ‍Investment Platform

Annual Platform Fee: £120 – £240

Minimum ISA Deposit:‍ £25

If you’re looking for a platform that has a ton of options to choose from then Interactive Investor might be the perfect solution for you.

One of the biggest benefits of this particular investment app is that you get one free trade every month so you buy or sell any of your investments.

That includes funds, investment trusts, UK and overseas shares, and more.

If the whole idea of investment apps fills you with dread, don’t worry. Interactive Investor has some ready-made funds to get you started and has plenty of expert advice on hand.

As an added benefit, there are no trading fees on their regular service, and it’s free to add to your ISA each month – something that’s pretty rare!

3. InvestEngine

Platform Type: Investment Platform

Annual Platform Fee: Free – 0.25%

Minimum ISA Deposit: ‍£100

If you’re looking for a cheap way to get started with investments, then InvestEngine has been made with your needs in mind.

It has fewer options than Interactive Investor but still has over 500 exchange-traded funds to choose from – more than enough for the majority of us!

The beauty of this app is its fee structure. When you sign up there are two options based on how confident you are in your investment decisions. 

For a 0,25% fee, you can choose from one of the ready-made portfolios, designed for beginners, where experts look after the running of your investments.

This is a great choice if you’re still unsure about the ins and outs of the investment world.

Alternatively, if you’re more confident, you can build your own portfolio and pay no fees at all.

It’s worth mentioning that InvestEngine doesn’t have any withdrawal, setup, ISA, or dealing fees, so it’s a super affordable investment app to choose.

4. Hargreaves Lansdown

Platform Type: ‍Investment Platform

Annual Platform Fee: ‍0.45% – 0% (Funds), 0.45% (Shares – max £45/year)

Minimum ISA Deposit: £100 lump sum or £25 per month

If you’re looking for a trusted and award-winning ISA provider to entrust your money and investments to, then you could do a lot worse than Hargreaves Lansdown.

Like a few of these investment apps, there are both do-it-yourself portfolio options or ready-made ones designed for beginners.

Hargreaves Lansdown offers thousands of investments including UK and overseas shares, funds, investment trusts, and ETFs.

It’s also not just limited to an app with website and phone management options available.

Honestly, this isn’t one of the most beginner-friendly investment apps on this list, but if you’re happy with your decision-making, then it’s a great option.

5. eToro 

Platform Type: ‍Investment Platform

Annual Platform Fee: ‍£0

Minimum Deposit: US$10

Okay, so what makes eToro different from the other investment platforms that we’ve looked at so far is that it includes crypto assets as well as stocks and funds.

With all the buzz around crypto, many are seeing it as the future, so if that’s where your interests lie, eToro might be worth checking out. 

A great thing about eToro that more investment apps should do is that it gives you a US$100,000 demo account for free to start with.

This way you can get to grips with the platform, see how it works and get a feel for the risk level before using your own money.

eToro is a super popular app thanks to it being free to join, having a low $10 minimum deposit, and offering ready-made portfolios for beginners.

Be warned, withdrawals will cost you five dollars plus any non-USD FX rates.

Before you get involved in the exploding world of crypto, remember that it is unregulated in the UK and EU so there’s no protection on your investments, unlike stocks and shares.

This is a risky business and if you’re new to trading, consider avoiding this area of the market.

Just Starting Out?

If you’re just starting out on your financial journey, check out my Beginner’s Budget Dashboard.

It’s a Google Sheets template that tracks your expenses, income, investments, savings, and more! There’s even a free video tutorial to help you get started.

6. Stake

Platform Type: ‍Trading App

Annual Platform Fee: ‍£0

Minimum Deposit: £50

If you’re looking for more of an expert guiding hand, you’ll be interested in Stake’s analyst ratings feature.

This feature is only available on their paid version, Stake Black, which costs US$9/month (or US$90 a year) and gives you a whole host of awesome features including full company financial statements, price targets, and more.

Stake is a commission-free brokerage rather than an investment platform so it doesn’t offer the ready-made packages and expert support that other apps offer.

It does however give you the choice of over 4,500 US stocks and ETFs, fractional trading, and unlimited commission-free trades – all of which are available on the free version as well as Stake Black.

7. Plum 

Platform Type: Robo Advisor

Annual Platform Fee: £12 (first month free)

Minimum ISA Deposit: ‍£1

If you’re wanting truly low hassle, passive investment income, then using robo advisor apps like Plum is a great way to go.

It’s a cheap and easy way to invest in multiple stocks and shares without the hassle or stress of picking them individually. 

Plum actually looks at what you can afford to invest and does the management for you. Choose the area of investment that interests you and the app does the rest.

It’s the most hands-off you can be and for only £12 a year, it’s a bargain. Definitely a worthwhile option for beginners.

8. Moneyfarm

Platform Type: Robo Advisor

Annual Platform Fee: 0.75% – 0.35%

Minimum ISA Deposit: ‍£500

Another UK robo advisor, Moneyfarm works in a very similar way to Plum but offers more of a personalized service.

That’s why its minimum deposit and fees are higher.

Interestingly, among its investment portfolio, there are some ethical investments so if you want your money to do some good, it definitely can with Moneyfarm!

They only have seven global, diverse portfolios to choose from, each rated by their risk level, but the Moneyfarm team manages them day-to-day to ensure you get the most out of your investment.

If you have any queries, it’s free to call, chat, meet, or email your financial consultant for advice. It’s a lot more than just an app!

9. Chip

Platform Type: Robo Advisor

Annual Platform Fee: 0.50% – 0.25% + (£3/month subscription)

Minimum ISA Deposit: ‍£1

If you want an investment app where you really don’t have to make that many decisions, you’re going to love Chip. It’s entirely managed by the world’s biggest investment managing company, BlackRock, so you know your money is in great hands.

Simply choose from their three funds: Cautious, Adventurous, and Balanced. As you can probably tell, these are named after their risk levels so you can pick the best one for you. 

Chip’s a great option for beginners or people who are too busy to be actively dealing with their investments.

10. DEGIRO 

Platform Type: Trading App

Annual Platform Fee: ‍£0

Minimum Deposit: ‍£0

Want an award-winning, global investment broker with over 1 million customers? Then you need to check out DEGIRO.

On this particular app, you can trade in everything from bonds to ETFs to stocks to certificates and more, benefitting from over 50 international exchanges.

It’s a really comprehensive service with plenty of choices. 

If you’re looking to avoid commission fees and dealing charges, DEGIRO offers the opportunity to invest in up to 200 commission-free ETFs.

That being said, if you’re dealing in UK stocks, it’s going to cost you  £1.75 + 0.014% per deal and Irish stocks are €4 + 0.05% per deal.

The charges can be tricky to get your head around but DEGIRO has tons of guides on their site to help explain them all in detail.

What is Investing?

The concept of investing has gotten pretty complicated over time. At its core, it’s putting your money away somewhere where it’s going to grow over time.

Investment styles and methods vary greatly, from stocks and shares to investing in property. It’s basically taking some of your money and putting it in a safe place for future you to enjoy. 

Pensions are a great example of investments in the UK that not a lot of people realize is actually an investment.

You’re putting away a portion of your salary (that’s being matched by your employer) in a fund that’s expected to grow over time so that you can enjoy it and be comfortable when you retire.

Of course, no investment is free of risk. Like anything financial, there’s always the chance that you can lose your money, so it’s not a sure thing.

You have to know all the facts going in so that you can make an informed decision. The basic rule is if it’s a high-risk option, only invest what you can afford to lose.

Why Invest in Stocks and Shares?

One of the most popular ways to invest money and get some much-needed extra saving money is by investing in stocks and shares.

Whether you want to save for a house, get some holiday spends, or put some money towards a wedding, investing money is ideal for making your savings go further. 

Despite the risks associated with investing in stocks and shares, they still commonly do better than cash saving alone.

In fact, over ten years, stocks and shares grow your money better than cash nine times out of ten. 

If you have the spare money to invest on a long-term basis, then it’s well worth doing so and kind of forgetting about it.

You’ll get regular statements and updates about their progress, but most of these investment apps offer hands-off management approaches, leaving the daily running of your funds and investment portfolio to dedicated experts.

It’s important to note that the majority of the time you won’t be investing in one stock or share, but in a fund with several assets in it that can change based on the market and the expertise of your investment fund manager.

This is to minimize risk and give you the best chance at growing your money.

Think about it this way, if you put all of your eggs in one basket and that business tanked for whatever reason, you’d be lost. If your investment is split across several businesses and industries, it’s much less likely to crash out.

Basically, it’s the safer option.

You want a mixture of industries in your portfolio in case something happens to that particular market.

For example, if your entire investment portfolio was travel-related then when COVID hit, your fund would drop massively.

Although this is set to bounce back, if you needed that money this year, you’d have lost a lot of capital. More industries mean less risk from external factors. 

Also, if you can afford to keep your funds investing for longer you might be able to be a bit riskier with your portfolio.

Take pensions, for example, if you’re in your twenties or thirties, you can be riskier with your portfolio because you’ve got another 40 years for that market to rebound and flux.

The closer you get to the time that you’ll be needing the funds, the less risky you’ll want to be. 

That’s why you’ll find people who’ve had stocks and shares in the same fund for decades and have kind of forgotten about them.

They’ll be waiting until retirement or a special occasion to think about using that money for something fun and rewarding. Time is a great asset to have when it comes to investing.

Another thing to think about is investment fees. Depending on the app, platform, or company you invest with there will be some fees that you’ll incur, mostly for managing the portfolio, withdrawing, and dealing.

This is normally a percentage of the transaction so be aware of the different fees before you commit to one site, app, or business.

One of the major benefits of investing in stocks and shares is something called a dividend.

So, when one of the businesses that you’ve invested in makes a profit, they’ll kick back some of that profit to you as a loyal investor, giving you some juicy spending money.

Again, I’ll say that no investment is truly bulletproof, and just because a business has been consistently profitable for decades doesn’t mean that it’ll be the case in the future.

Even experts and algorithms can be wrong sometimes!

There are plenty of resources available online about starting your investment journey and how to make the most of it for your situation.

You can also find experts and consultants who will give you introductory advice for free to help you find your feet. Do your homework and you’ll reap the benefits of amazing passive income!

Frequently Asked Questions About Investments in the UK

• How do I invest money in the UK?
• How much money should a beginner invest for the first time?
• What is the best investment app for beginners in the UK?
• What’s the best way to invest small amounts of money in the UK?
• How do I invest in stocks in the UK?
• What is a robo advisor?
• What is a ready-made portfolio?

1. How do I Invest Money in the UK?

First things first you need to decide what you want to invest in. If you’re a beginner and looking for a relatively low-risk, low-hassle option then you’ll probably be looking at funds.

That’s because there’s a selection of stocks and shares in one managed place which not only makes them more convenient, but it also makes them much cheaper.

Secondly, you’re going to need to figure out where you’re going to invest. The fact that you’re reading this article is a pretty great sign.

As you’ve seen you can choose from brokers, robo-advisors, trading platforms, actual banks, and more.

This choice largely depends on the individual, so have a look around, reread what each option has to offer, and make a judgment that feels right for you and your situation.

Finally, you can then pick a tax wrapper that’s going to save you money on the level of tax you pay on your investments.

These kinds of tax wrappers include pensions and ISAs so if you’re going with an ISA you’re already covered.

2. How Much Money Should a Beginner Invest for the First Time?

The cardinal rule is only to invest as much as you’re comfortable with.

As a beginner, it can feel daunting to start investing but really a lot of platforms will let you start off with just £25 and some platforms with fractional investment options will let you start with £1. 

As you feel more comfortable you can up your investment amount if you want, but always remember the risks involved and don’t overextend yourself!

3. What’s the Best Way to Invest Small Amounts of Money in the UK?

Especially if you’re just starting out in the wonderful world of investments, chances are you’re going to want to start small. Really, there are three main ways to invest small amounts of money in the UK.

First is Automatic Investing which is where you let your finance app automatically invest your odds and ends.

Say you ask all your purchases to be rounded up to a whole pound, that spare change is going to be invested in the stock market on a regular basis.

Some digital banks have started offering this service as well!

Next, you can opt for our old friend robo investing.

This is where you’d use a robo advisor who picks where the best funds are for your interests and risk levels and you can just forget about it.

The best part? Many robo-advising apps let you start with just £1 making it a great starter option.

Finally, you can use a Regular Investment Service via a Direct Debit.

It’s similar to automatic investment but instead of spare change, you set up a direct debit for a standard amount and scheduled time, and the investment service does the rest.

The benefit here is that the fees tend to be a lot lower if they even exist at all!

4. What is the Best Investment App for Beginners in the UK?

There is a great selection of UK investment apps for beginners, and many of the ones on my list are suitable for starting out.

Essentially any app that has ready-made portfolios or gives you the opportunity to test the waters risk-free (like eToro’s demo accounts), will be a great place for beginners to start investing.

5. How Do I Invest in Stocks in the UK?

If you want to invest in stocks and shares in the UK, there are two ways that you can go about them. The easiest and relatively low-risk way to do so is by investing in a fund.

A fund is a collection of shares from different industries that are backed by multiple investors.

The second way is to buy shares from an individual company through one of the investment platforms I’ve mentioned here or through a broker.

This is a more advanced way of investing and probably not the best way to start out.

6. What is a Robo Advisor?

I’ve spoken a fair amount about robo advisors in this guide and basically, they’re automatic investment managers that find the ideal ready-made investment funds for you.

This algorithm matches your interests and risk levels to find the right avenue for each investor. 

Even in huge investment firms, there are often still robo advisors services, or as they’re otherwise known in the UK, do-it-for-me investment platforms, on offer. 

7. What is a Ready-Made Portfolio?

Again, I’ve spoken a lot about ready-made investment portfolios, especially for beginners and they’re pretty self-explanatory.

It’s a fund that’s been pre-made by fund managers that could have hundreds of individual investments inside them.

You don’t have to make dozens of decisions and the manager will keep an eye out and look after things. It’s the perfect beginner option!

Disclaimer: Reminder, this Content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on wanderonwards.co or my Youtube channel – Wander Onwards – constitutes as a solicitation, recommendation, nor endorsement by Wander Onwards LLC or its owner. All Content on this channel is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Capital is at risk. Invest at your own risk.

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