Trading 212 wins on absolute cost (zero fees) for active stock picking. InvestEngine is best for ETF-only investors who want auto-rebalancing on diversified portfolios. Freetrade offers SIPP and broader-than-Trading-212 product range but charges a £4.99-£11.99 monthly subscription. None is “best” in absolute terms — the right fit depends on what you actually want to hold.
Direct fee comparison (2026/27)
| Feature | Freetrade | Trading 212 | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee ISA | £4.99/mo (Standard plan, required for ISA) | £0 | 0% on DIY; 0.25% on managed portfolios |
| Platform fee GIA | £0 (Basic plan) | £0 | £0 |
| Commission per trade | £0 on stocks and ETFs | £0 | £0 (auto-allocate to weighted portfolio) |
| SIPP available? | Yes (Plus plan £11.99/mo) | No | Yes (0% DIY platform fee, lump sum or regular) |
| Cash ISA available? | No | Yes (4-5% AER variable) | No |
| Product range | ~6,000 stocks + ETFs (LSE + US main) | 10,000+ stocks + ETFs (LSE + US main) | 700+ ETFs (no individual stocks) |
| Fractional shares | Yes (Standard plan) | Yes | N/A (ETF-only) |
| Auto-rebalancing | No | No (manual via Pies) | Yes — built in |
| FX fee on USD trades | 0.59-0.99% (varies by plan) | 0.15% | N/A (UK-listed ETFs only) |
| Min investment | £2 | £1 | £100 (lump) / £10 (regular) |
| FSCS protected? | Yes, up to £85,000 | Yes, up to £85,000 | Yes, up to £85,000 |
Real-world cost on a £10k ISA, 12 trades/year
| Platform | Platform/subscription cost | Dealing cost | FX cost on £2k of US ETFs | Total annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freetrade Standard | £59.88/yr | £0 | £12-£20 | £72-£80 |
| Trading 212 | £0 | £0 | £3 | £3 |
| InvestEngine DIY | £0 | £0 | £0 (LSE-listed only) | £0 |
The cost gap between Freetrade and Trading 212 is the £60-£80/yr subscription. Over 30 years of investing this is ~£2,400 in absolute fees — not life-changing but enough to be a real factor on a small ISA.
Where each platform shines
Freetrade Standard (£4.99/mo)
Best for: investors who want a wider product range than InvestEngine offers and the polish of a paid app, but Trading 212’s lower fees don’t outweigh that for them. Freetrade is profitable, UK-based, and has been operating an ISA since 2019. The app is well-designed, with cleaner research than Trading 212 in places. The £11.99 Plus plan opens up SIPP — meaningful for serious investors.
Trading 212
Best for: cost-sensitive investors who want maximum flexibility. Zero fees, full product range, fractional shares, Cash ISA included. The downside is no SIPP. Some investors are wary of Trading 212’s relative newness in the UK (FCA-regulated since 2018) and prefer paying a small subscription for an established alternative.
InvestEngine
Best for: ETF-only investors who want a portfolio approach. InvestEngine’s differentiator is auto-rebalancing — you build a portfolio of ETFs with target weights, and any new contributions are routed to the underweight positions automatically. No individual stocks, but the ETF universe (~700) covers everything most retail investors need. Free DIY tier is genuinely free. Managed portfolios (0.25%) are cheaper than Nutmeg/Wealthify but with less hand-holding.
Decision framework
Want zero cost with maximum range?
Best for: Investors who want individual stocks, ETFs and Cash ISA all in one place at no platform fee
Trading 212. Trade off: relatively newer UK platform. Reputation risk if that bothers you.
Want zero cost with ETF-only portfolio?
Best for: Investors building diversified ETF portfolios who want auto-rebalancing
InvestEngine DIY. The auto-rebalancing on contributions is uniquely valuable for passive ETF investing.
Want a SIPP at low cost with broad range?
Best for: Investors comfortable with subscriptions who want a SIPP alongside ISA on one app
Freetrade Plus (£11.99/mo). Still much cheaper than Hargreaves Lansdown's SIPP for portfolios below £200k.
Want established UK reputation?
Best for: Cautious investors who value 10+ year UK track record
Either AJ Bell or Vanguard Invest, not the three above. The newer platforms are FCA-regulated and FSCS-protected, but the track record is shorter.
Plan the full ISA stack
The best ISA platform comparison covers all 8+ UK platforms across fund-heavy, ETF-heavy and active scenarios.
Open the best ISA platform guide →How we built this comparison
Fee and feature data is taken directly from each provider’s published website as of 2026-05-12. UK Tax Drag has no commercial relationship with any platform listed — no affiliate links, no referral codes, no sponsored content. The methodology page documents our comparison standards. The independence page confirms our funding model.
This page is educational only and is not regulated financial advice. The choice of platform depends on your personal circumstances, investment style, and balance. Always read the provider’s key facts document and verify the latest fees before opening an account. Past performance is not a guide to future returns. Investments can fall as well as rise.
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