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We put our fees next to the platforms UK investors actually use — Trading 212, Freetrade, AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown. Here's where you come out ahead.
Drag to your portfolio size and overseas exposure to see the estimated annual cost on each platform.
Estimated annual cost for an active investor: 12 free monthly auto-invests plus 13 manual trades a year, each ~10% of your portfolio. That's commission on the manual trades, plus FX on the 40% bought overseas, plus any account fee. Illustration only; see notes below.
The headline rivals look free until you read the small print.
| What you pay | AbervestYou | Trading 212 | Freetrade | AJ Bell | Hargreaves Lansdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account feeISA & GIA | £0 | £0 | £0 (Basic) | 0.25% (max £3.50/mo) | 0.35% (£150 share cap) |
| Commissionshares & ETFs, per order | £1 (free on auto-invest) | £0 | £0 | £5 (£3.50 frequent) | £6.95 (£3.95 frequent) |
| Currency conversion (FX)on non-GBP trades; tiered rates fall on larger deals | 0.01% | 0.15% | 0.99% (Basic) | 0.75% (first £10k) | 0.99% (first £10k) |
| Interest on uninvested cash | Yes | ~4.05% | 1–3.5% (by plan) | ~2% | 1.5–2.4% |
| Regular / auto-invest | Free | Free (Pies) | Free | Free | Free (Direct Debit) |
Tax wrappers and the things that matter beyond price.
| Accounts & features | Abervest | Trading 212 | Freetrade | AJ Bell | Hargreaves Lansdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks & Shares ISA | |||||
| Flexible ISA | |||||
| Junior ISA | |||||
| SIPP (pension) | Paid plan | ||||
| Never lends out your shares | Unconfirmed |
Competitor fees correct as of 11 July 2026and taken from each provider’s published pricing — always check current rates before deciding. Cost figures are illustrative estimates for an active investor making regular auto-invests plus some manual trades each year; your actual costs will vary. Not advice — capital at risk.
Every platform has its strengths. Trading 212 pioneered low-cost, app-first investing and is hard to beat on a small, all-UK portfolio. Freetrade has a clean app but charges up to 0.99% FX on its free plan. AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown offer deep research and the full range of accounts, but their percentage platform fees and per-trade charges add up quickly.
Abervest is built to be the best all-round home for a serious UK portfolio: near-zero 0.01% FX (so your lead grows the more you hold overseas), free recurring investing, no account fee, and the tax wrappers UK investors actually need — ISA, Junior ISA and SIPP. We charge a flat £1 on manual trades plus a small margin on cash interest, and we never lend out your shares to make money behind your back.
If you trade tiny amounts very frequently, a £0-commission app may edge us on cost. For everyone building a real, long-term portfolio — especially with US holdings — we think Abervest is the better choice.
Open an account in minutes and see why investors are choosing Abervest.