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Best Investment App – Expert Analysis

Investment apps have made growing your wealth on the stock market truly mobile. But which apps have the best costs, options, and features so you get the most gains? Whether you’re a first-time investor or experienced, I’ve done the research for you.

check Fact Checked
  • By Antonia Medlicott
  • Published: November 8, 2024
  • Edited by: Clare West
  • Disclosure
  • Last Update: 1 month ago

My top picks

4.5/5

InvestEngine – Lowest cost way to invest in ETFs with an easy-to-use app

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Welcome Bonus of up to £100
Refer a friend and get Up to £100 free

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Account types include S&S ISA, GIA, SIPPs and Business Accounts

Visit Platform View Details

With investments, your capital is at risk. This could mean the value of your investments goes down as well as up.

4.5/5

Moneybox – Great money-saving tools for those with little to no starting capital

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Join over 1 million other investors and start investing from as little as £1

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Fully featured platform including S&S ISA, LISA, SIPP, Cash ISA

Visit Platform View Details

Capital at risk.

4.5/5

Trading 212 – The UK’s #1 trading app with ultra-low fees

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Free fractional shares worth up to £100

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4.9% APY on cash, paid daily

Visit Platform View Details

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results

4.5/5

AJ Bell – Great research tools that would suit active investors

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Switch your account and receive up to £500

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Refer a friend who transfers at least £10,000 and you both receive £100 in Amazon vouchers

Visit Platform View Details

Capital at risk.

5.0/5

Saxo Markets – Professional level investing for experts

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Trade UK stocks from £3 per trade

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Trade US stocks from $1 per trade

Visit Platform View Details

Capital at risk.

4.5/5

InvestEngine

– Lowest cost way to invest in ETFs with an easy-to-use app

point

Welcome Bonus of up to £100
Refer a friend and get Up to £100 free

point

Account types include S&S ISA, GIA, SIPPs and Business Accounts

Visit Platform

With investments, your capital is at risk. This could mean the value of your investments goes down as well as up.

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Reasons to use

  • Lowest-cost way to invest in ETFs
  • Over 580 ETFs for instant diversification
  • Easy-to-use app for beginners
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Reasons to avoid

  • Limited to just ETFs, no individual stocks
  • Limited historical data relating to the performance of managed portfolios

Antonia says

ETFs are easy. They offer instant diversification by grouping together assets, geographies and industries in a single fund. This effectively helps to spread your risk. After careful analysis of all the fees on all the platforms, I can confirm that InvestEngine is the lowest-cost way to invest in ETFs. This will reflect positively on your investment returns. Investors willing to pick their own funds will encounter zero charges of any type.

The app itself is very simple and easy to use, lacking any of the complexities that can be daunting to new investors.

Fees

Account Fees: None
Trading Fees: None
Managed Portfolios: 0.25% fee
ETF Charges: Starting at 0.05% per year

Investment Options

  • Thematic ETFs
  • ESG Funds
  • Dividend ETFs
  • Emerging Markets

Scores

Fees:

5.0

Trading platform:

4.0

Account opening:

4.5

Research:

4.0

Education:

3.0

Customer service:

4.0

For a detailed analysis of InvestEngine services, check out our review for 2024

Read full review

4.5out of 5

point Welcome Bonus of up to £100
Refer a friend and get Up to £100 free
point Account types include S&S ISA, GIA, SIPPs and Business Accounts
Visit Platform

4.5/5

Moneybox

– Great money-saving tools for those with little to no starting capital

point

Join over 1 million other investors and start investing from as little as £1

point

Fully featured platform including S&S ISA, LISA, SIPP, Cash ISA

Visit Platform

Capital at risk.

check

Reasons to use

  • Automating saving and investing for beginners
  • Fully managed options that perform well
  • Good range of account types for all investors
cross

Reasons to avoid

  • Higher than average fees on investment products
  • Fairly limited on investment options but not for beginners

Antonia says

This isn’t the cheapest option out there, however, Moneybox have achieved impressive historical results with their fully managed portfolios which could offset their high fees while still providing access to a great range of saving tools and account types. Round-ups and payday boosts make saving painless, allowing beginners to build a pot for investing free of any of the costs associated with investing on this app.

The app is simple and user-friendly without compromising on functionality.

Fees

Subscription: £1 per month (after three free months)
Platform Fee: 0.45%
Fund Costs: 0.09% – 0.88% annually
FX Fee: 0.45% for US stocks

Investment Options

  • Ready-Made Portfolios
  • Fractional US Shares
  • Tracker Funds
  • ETFs

Scores

Fees:

3.5

Trading platform:

4.0

Account opening:

5.0

Research:

3.5

Education:

3.5

Customer service:

3.5

For a detailed analysis of Monebox, check out our review for 2024

Read full review

4.5/5

Trading 212

– The UK’s #1 trading app with ultra-low fees

point

Free fractional shares worth up to £100

point

4.9% APY on cash, paid daily

Visit Platform

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results

check

Reasons to use

  • Fractional shares within an ISA
  • High APY on cash
  • Commission free trading
cross

Reasons to avoid

  • Mixed reviews for customer support
  • Poor copy trading function
  • Limited education

Antonia says

There’s no doubt that Trading 212 is a cost-effective option with a well-designed and user-friendly interface. There are unbeatable rates of interest on savings and serious traders would be well served here.

The app gets excellent accolades and is one of the most popular trading apps in the world. It manages to offer enough functionality without drowning out the key elements. There is also a pro version of the app for serious investors.

Fees

Commission: None
FX Fee: 0.15% (lowest in the market)
Inactivity Fee: None

Investment Options

  • Stocks & ETFs
  • Fractional Shares
  • Forex & CFDs

Scores

Fees:

5.0

Trading platform:

4.0

Account opening:

4.0

Research:

4.0

Education:

2.0

Customer service:

2.5

Read my full review of Trading 212

Read full review

4.5/5

AJ Bell

– Great research tools that would suit active investors

point

Switch your account and receive up to £500

point

Refer a friend who transfers at least £10,000 and you both receive £100 in Amazon vouchers

Visit Platform

Capital at risk.

check

Reasons to use

  • Low cost, especially for active investors
  • Excellent range of assets to choose from
  • Outstanding customer service
  • Well-designed app with detailed research tools and investment insights
cross

Reasons to avoid

  • Annual platform fees could start to add up for larger portfolios
  • Frequent traders could lament the dealing fees

Antonia says

In-depth research, a user-friendly interface and low fees combine to make this an excellent investment experience for active investors. The app itself is very intuitive, making it easy to access your investments and insights on the go. The ready-made portfolios offer a risk-tailored alternative for beginners seeking consistently good returns.

All in all a solid choice for investors seeking low-cost investing without sacrificing research tools.

Fees

Custody charges: 0.25% (capped at £10 per month) for shares/ETFs
Annual ongoing charges: 0.10%–0.65% for funds, depending on the type
Share dealing fees: £5.00 standard, £3.50 for frequent traders (10+ trades per month)
No fees for holding cash or transferring out funds

Investments

  • Stocks, bonds, and gilts
  • ETFs and investment trusts
  • Ready-made portfolios for various risk levels

Scores

Fees:

4.5

Trading platform:

4.5

Account opening:

5.0

Research:

4.5

Education:

5.0

Customer service:

5.0

For a detailed analysis of AJ Bell, check out our review for 2024

Read full review

5.0/5

Saxo Markets

– Professional level investing for experts

point

Trade UK stocks from £3 per trade

point

Trade US stocks from $1 per trade

Visit Platform

Capital at risk.

check

Reasons to use

  • Sophisticated tools
  • Huge variety of assets
  • Different platforms depending on experience level
cross

Reasons to avoid

  • High minimum deposit
  • Complex interface on some apps

Antonia says

Know what you’re doing when it comes to investing? Then this is the platform for you. Professional-grade tools and global market access make this hard to beat. There is a high minimum deposit that may be a barrier for some people, however, the strong education and expert research alongside competitive pricing make this a premium service that meets the needs of most investors, particularly seasoned professionals.

Fees

Management Fees: 0.75% – 1.25% depending on the account
Trading Costs: Competitive spreads
FX Fees: Low for large trades

Investment Options

  • Stocks, Options, and Futures
  • ETFs and Forex
  • Thematic & ESG Portfolios

Scores

Fees:

4.0

Trading platform:

5.0

Account opening:

4.0

Research:

5.0

Education:

5.0

Customer service:

3.5

For a detailed analysis of Saxo Markets, check out our review for 2024

Read full review

Cost comparison

Whilst cost is not the only factor to consider when choosing an app, it is advisable that the pricing structure matches your investment strategy in order for you to keep more of your gains.

InvestEngine and Trading 212 excel in this area and offer a cost-effective solution for all investors. However, AJ Bell and Saxo provide comprehensive services that would undoubtedly be worth the cost for serious traders.

Ready-made portfolio returns

Managed or ready-made portfolios provide a hands-off alternative for investors lacking the confidence to choose their own investments. However, whether this is a good option or not comes down to the returns achieved. Whilst historical returns won’t guarantee future returns, they can provide an indication of how successfully the portfolio is being managed.

We have done all the analysis on ready-made portfolios for the past 10 years where information is available and pitched them against each other as a direct comparison. Head to the page here for comprehensive results.

How to choose the right investment app

    Your level of experience is important! The app you choose must be appropriate for your skill level and provide the level of services you require.

    Pay attention to fees. Large portfolios will be best served with a flat fee structure, while smaller ones could benefit from percentage fees or zero fees. InvestEngine is the most cost-effective platform I have encountered to date.

    Consider your investment goals. Are you a buy-and-hold investor or do you like to trade frequently? What sort of tools and resources do you need from your investment app?

How do you choose the best platform for you?

That’s actually pretty straightforward. First and foremost, think about your level of experience and knowledge when it comes to investing. We all need to start somewhere but are you happy to take risks with your money or would you rather leave the tough decisions to a professional? Moneybox and InvestEngine both offer the kind of service that a complete novice can happily sail through.

Trading 212 and AJ Bell are more suited to investors with a little know-how and both are well-priced as well as offering a decent range of investment options and research.

Cost is always a factor, but you won’t get recommended anything that is overcharging here. We factor in platform fees, management fees, A foreign exchange (FX) fee is added to all trades involving foreign currencies. If you buy a stock that trades in US dollars, for example, and your home account is in GB pounds, you’ll need to pay an FX fee.FX feesinfo, all the fees, before we even consider recommending a platform. The only platform on my list that has fees you should be aware of is eToro’s FX fee. It’s somewhat eye-watering so make sure you take steps to protect yourself from that if eToro is tickling your fancy.

FAQs

Yes! Because they cut out the ‘middle man’, these platforms are able to offer investment solutions at a fraction of the cost of traditional wealth management.

Firstly you must consider this a long-term endeavour. Once you have chosen your platform, a simple S&P 500 tracker fund is often the most lucrative investment.

* Wondering whether we get paid for writing good things about platforms? Good question! It’s how many comparison sites get paid.

The answer is – no, we proudly do things a little differently at Investing Insiders. Our sole criteria is what’s best for you – the consumer. So, although we do receive a commission if you choose to click through and open an account from any of our reviews, we will never bend our opinions to suit the requests of providers, or the needs of our bank balance. Bottom line – what you read on this page is what I’d recommend to my family, friends and colleagues, and indeed, what I choose for my own money.

Note from the insiders:

Opening and closing accounts at these platforms can usually be done in minutes. You are at liberty to change platforms at any time. When choosing an account, consider an ISA as this is the most tax effecient way to invest.

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