What is the best trading app in the UK?
Verdict
- For leveraged trading through CFDs and spread bets, Pepperstone's app is our pick in the UK. One login covers spread-betting, Standard and Razor accounts at FCA-regulated Pepperstone Limited.
- If you want to buy and own shares in an ISA, you need an investing app. Trading 212, for example, lists Invest and Stocks ISA accounts. Pepperstone doesn't offer ISAs.
- Pepperstone also connects to the MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView mobile apps, so you can trade on a phone with the screen you already know.
- We don't publish app-store ratings or invented scores. We compare what each firm says its app and account can do.
'Best trading app' means two different things in the UK. One is an app for short-term leveraged trades, and the other is an app for buying shares you'll hold for years. Pepperstone is our pick for the first. For the second, look at an investing app such as Trading 212.
For leveraged trading, Pepperstone's app is our pick
The Pepperstone app handles all three of Pepperstone's UK account types, so you can place a spread bet in pounds per point, a Standard CFD with one all-in spread, or a Razor CFD at raw pricing from the same screen. Retail accounts get negative balance protection, eligible clients have FSCS cover up to £85,000, and the FCA regulates the company that holds your money (Pepperstone Limited, 684312). Deposits by Apple Pay or Google Pay start at £10.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Which broker has the best mobile trading app?
For mobile trading flexibility we pick Pepperstone, because you aren't tied to one app. Besides its own, the same account works with the mobile versions of MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. On CFDs, MT4 and TradingView need a Razor account. Capital.com is second: it has its own app, MT4, MT5 and TradingView, and adds guaranteed stops. CMC Markets, Plus500 and eToro each build their own apps. Neither Plus500 nor eToro lists a MetaTrader platform. Rather than ratings, we check four things:
- Can one login trade every account type you hold?
- Can you deposit and withdraw in the app, and how quickly does money come back?
- Are all the broker's markets available on mobile, or only some?
- Does a stop-loss set on your phone carry over to desktop?
Trading app or investing app?
| You want to… | App type | Examples from our data |
|---|---|---|
| Trade price moves short-term, long or short, with leverage | CFD / spread-betting app | Pepperstone, Capital.com |
| Have a guaranteed exit price on a trade | App that offers guaranteed stops | Capital.com, Plus500, IG |
| Buy and own shares, including in an ISA | Investing app | Trading 212 (Invest, Stocks ISA) |
| Trade crypto as a UK retail client | Not available as CFDs under FCA rules | None |
Checks before you install any UK trading app
- Find the company behind the app on the FCA register. Pepperstone Limited is 684312, Capital Com (UK) Limited 793714, Trading 212 UK Ltd 609146 and eToro (UK) Ltd 583263.
- Look for the provider's retail loss figure. Pepperstone Limited states 73.6% for spread bets and CFDs.
- Check whether the app charges for inactivity. Pepperstone doesn't.
- Make sure the app doesn't nudge you into higher leverage than you planned. FCA caps still apply, but you choose the size.
Sources
Can I hold a stocks and shares ISA with Pepperstone?
No. Pepperstone's UK accounts are for spread betting and CFDs. Trading 212 is one FCA-regulated firm that lists a Stocks ISA.
Is the Pepperstone app free?
There's no charge to use it and no inactivity fee. You pay the costs of trading: spreads, commission on Razor and share CFDs, and overnight financing.
Which trading apps in the UK offer guaranteed stops?
Of the firms in our data, Capital.com, Plus500 and IG do. Pepperstone's UK terms say its stops can't be guaranteed.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex and leveraged, and a trading app makes it easy to trade often and lose money quickly. 73.6% of retail investor accounts lose money with Pepperstone Limited on these products. Investing apps carry different risks. This page is not investment advice.