Freetrade
Freetrade is a UK-based commission-free investment platform serving 1.6 million retail investors with £4 billion in assets under administration. It offers stocks, ETFs, funds, and tax-efficient ISA, SIPP, and Junior ISA accounts via tiered subscription plans, and operates as a subsidiary of IG Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Freetrade does
Freetrade is a UK-based retail investment platform offering commission-free trading across more than 8,200 investment choices, including stocks, ETFs, investment trusts, mutual funds, gilts, Treasury bills, REITs, crypto ETNs, and SPACs. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in London, the company serves over 1.6 million UK retail investors with approximately £4 billion in assets under administration. Account types include Stocks and Shares ISA, Junior ISA (JISA), Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), and a General Investment Account (GIA), with all tax-efficient wrappers available free of charge regardless of plan tier. The platform operates as a mobile-first, self-serve product with no minimum investment, starting from £1, and supports fractional shares for US-listed securities.
Freetrade firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Freetrade
- Legal name
- Freetrade Limited
- Website
- https://freetrade.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Freetrade is a UK-based commission-free investment platform serving 1.6 million retail investors with £4 billion in assets under administration. It offers stocks, ETFs, funds, and tax-efficient ISA, SIPP, and Junior ISA accounts via tiered subscription plans, and operates as a subsidiary of IG Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Freetrade industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Investment Platform
- NAICS
- Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (5232)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded Deposit Accounts & Digital Wallet Infrastructure (FSAGALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)
Keywords
Where Freetrade is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Freetrade business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription plan fees: Three-tier subscription model (Basic free, Standard £4.99/month or £59.88/year, Plus £9.99/month or £119.88/year). Higher tiers offer lower FX fees and higher interest rates on uninvested cash balances.
- FX (foreign exchange) fees: Currency conversion fee applied to non-GBP trades. Fee varies by plan: 0.99% (Basic), 0.59% (Standard), 0.39% (Plus). FX conversion via panel of banks; best spot rate plus Freetrade's margin.
- Interest on uninvested cash: Freetrade pays interest on uninvested GBP cash balances held in accounts, funded by returns on client money placed with financial institutions. Interest rates: 1% AER up to £1k (Basic), 2.5% AER up to £2k (Standard), 3.5% AER up to £3k (Plus).
- SIPP withdrawal fees: Each UFPLS (Uncrystallised Fund Pension Lump Sum) withdrawal from SIPP accounts costs £240, charged to cover administrative processing.
- IPO facilitation fees: Freetrade may receive commission or fees from issuers or intermediaries for facilitating IPO subscriptions. Disclosed to customers before the offer closes.
- Proxy voting service fees: Payments received from Broadridge Financial Solutions related to proxy voting services for US securities, originally paid by issuers to cover processing expenses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic plan with ISA, SIPP, JISA and GIA accounts. Commission-free investing in full stock universe. FX fee 0.99% on non-GBP trades. 1% AER on up to £1k uninvested cash. |
| Subscription | Annual | Mid-tier plan at £4.99/month (annual) with lower FX fees (0.59%) and higher cash interest (2.5% AER on up to £2k). |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium plan at £9.99/month (annual) with lowest FX fees (0.39%) and highest cash interest (3.5% AER on up to £3k). |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Freetrade product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Freetrade operates a UK mobile-first investment platform that enables retail investors to buy and sell 8,200+ securities (stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, gilts, Treasury bills, investment trusts, REITs, crypto ETNs, and SPACs) without paying trading commissions. Customers can hold these assets inside tax-wrapped Stocks and Shares ISAs, Junior ISAs, Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), or a General Investment Account, with FX conversion and interest paid on uninvested cash.
Product overview
Freetrade is a UK-based fintech investment platform offering commission-free trading through a tiered subscription model (Basic, Standard, and Plus plans). The platform provides access to 8,200+ investment choices including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, gilts, treasury bills, investment trusts, REITs, crypto ETNs, and SPACs. It offers four account types: General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA (free), Junior ISA, and Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). Freetrade generates revenue through plan subscriptions and FX fees on non-GBP trades. The company was acquired by IG Group in January 2025 and serves over 1.6 million users with approximately £4 billion in assets under administration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stocks and Shares ISA A UK tax-wrapped investment account providing no UK tax on growth or dividends for individual retail investors. Free to open on the Basic plan with no account fees.
- Junior Stocks and Shares ISA (JISA) A tax-wrapped investment account for children allowing contributions up to £9,000 per tax year with no UK tax on returns. Free to open on the Basic plan.
- Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) A self-invested personal pension with 20%+ tax relief on contributions and tax-free growth until withdrawal, operated in partnership with Platform One and Gaudi Trustees. Free to open on the Basic plan with UFPLS withdrawals available.
- General Investment Account A non-tax-advantaged investment account for individual retail investors seeking to invest beyond ISA and SIPP annual contribution limits. Free to open with commission-free trading.
- Freetrade Investment Platform Award-winning mobile (iOS/Android) and web-based investment platform serving 1.6 million UK users with approximately £4 billion in assets under administration, offering commission-free access to 8,200+ investment choices and three subscription tiers (Basic, Standard, Plus).
Quantifiable outcome
- Users can invest starting from £1 with no minimum, enabling micro-investing accessibility.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Freetrade
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Freetrade technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Freetrade partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- TrueLayercoreTrueLayer provides open banking connectivity allowing Freetrade customers to link their UK bank accounts for fund transfers. TrueLayer is FCA-authorised (firm reference number 793171). TrueLayer's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply to the open banking service.
- Platform OnecorePlatform One Limited operates as the trustee and operator of the Freetrade SIPP. Gaudi Trustees Limited serves as the SIPP trustee. Platform One provides the pension infrastructure enabling Freetrade's self-invested personal pension product.
- UK Retail Service Provider (RSP) NetworkcoreThe UK RSP network is a collection of FCA-registered market makers designed to service retail customer orders in listed securities on the London Stock Exchange. Freetrade routes UK-listed equity, bond, and ETF orders through this network to obtain best execution prices.
- ClearstreamcoreClearstream handles settlement and clearing for mutual fund orders. Freetrade aggregates customer buy/sell instructions daily and forwards them to Clearstream, which passes them to the relevant fund's transfer agent for processing.
- US Broker-DealercoreThird-party US-based broker-dealer executes US-listed security orders. Fractional share orders executed as principal (using broker's own inventory); whole share orders executed as agent (routed to executing brokers/venues). Extended hours trading also routed to US broker with 2.5% price collar.
- UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)coreFreetrade Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA (registration no. 783189). Eligible deposits and investments are covered by FSCS. Freetrade holds MIFIDPRU disclosures and complies with FCA rules including best execution obligations, client money rules, and order execution policy requirements.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Freetrade competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hargreaves Lansdown: UK's largest direct-to-consumer investment platform with broad ISA/SIPP/JISA offerings and an active customer base of over 1.8M. Established incumbent competing on breadth, brand, and research rather than price.
- Vanguard UK: Low-cost UK investment platform from Vanguard offering ISAs, SIPPs, and a fund/ETF-led universe. Competes with Freetrade on cost-of-ownership messaging and fund/ETF selection.
- AJ Bell: UK investment platform serving retail and advised clients with ISAs, SIPPs, and a full funds/shares universe. Competes with Freetrade in low-cost SIPP and ISA segments where Freetrade has won multiple awards.
- Interactive Investor: UK flat-fee investment platform offering ISAs, SIPPs, and a wide investment universe. Comparable to Freetrade on low-cost subscription pricing but with a longer track record and broader account types.
Emerging players
- Revolut: UK-headquartered neobank expanding into commission-free stock and crypto trading. Comparable to Freetrade on mobile-first UK retail investing and on overlapping customer base, but with a much broader primary banking product.
- Moneybox: UK micro-investing app focused on ISA, pension, and general investment accounts with round-up features. Comparable to Freetrade on UK retail tax wrappers and mobile-first beginner-investor positioning.
Others
- IG Group: FTSE 100 listed parent company of Freetrade since January 2025. Adjacent rather than competitive: IG operates CFD/spread-betting and exchange-traded derivatives, while Freetrade is the group's long-only investment platform offering, with cross-sell distribution.
Direct peers
- eToro: Global commission-free trading platform with social/investor-copy features and direct crypto trading. Comparable to Freetrade on commission-free stocks/ETFs but broader internationally and differentiated by social trading.
- Robinhood: US pioneer of commission-free self-directed retail investing. Closest international analogue on product model (commission-free, mobile-first, fractional shares) although geographically separate from Freetrade's UK focus.
- Trading 212: UK and Europe-based commission-free trading platform offering stocks, ETFs, and CFDs. Closest direct competitor to Freetrade on commission-free UK retail investing and explicit target in Freetrade's comparison pages.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Freetrade social profiles
Digital presenceFreetrade compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Freetrade financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Freetrade leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Freetrade funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds14 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Freetrade M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Freetrade
What does Freetrade do?
Freetrade operates a UK mobile-first investment platform that enables retail investors to buy and sell 8,200+ securities (stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, gilts, Treasury bills, investment trusts, REITs, crypto ETNs, and SPACs) without paying trading commissions. Customers can hold these assets inside tax-wrapped Stocks and Shares ISAs, Junior ISAs, Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), or a General Investment Account, with FX conversion and interest paid on uninvested cash.
Is Freetrade a public or private company?
Freetrade is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Freetrade founded?
Freetrade was founded in 2018. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Freetrade based?
Freetrade is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Freetrade make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Subscription plan fees are the primary driver. The others are FX (foreign exchange) fees, interest on uninvested cash, SIPP withdrawal fees, IPO facilitation fees and proxy voting service fees.
Who are Freetrade's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hargreaves Lansdown, Vanguard UK, AJ Bell and Interactive Investor. Emerging players are Revolut and Moneybox. IG Group is listed as an others. Direct peers are eToro, Robinhood and Trading 212.
Does Freetrade have an API?
No public API is recorded for Freetrade.
What industry is Freetrade in?
Freetrade's product category is Retail Investment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGALAE, Embedded Deposit Accounts & Digital Wallet Infrastructure, with a secondary code of FSAGALAB, Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets). Its NAICS code is 523 and its SIC code is 6200.