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Intro and winners
Top 5 picks for best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023:
- Interactive Brokers is the best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023. - Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- DEGIRO - One of the lowest fees on the market. Regulated by top-tier authorities. Easy-to-use web and mobile platform.
- eToro - Free stock and ETF trading. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
- XTB - Commission-free stocks/ETFs for some. Free and fast deposit and withdrawal. Easy and fast account opening.
- Saxo Bank - Great trading platform. Outstanding research. Broad product portfolio.
How did we select the best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023?
- We checked whether the broker is regulated by a trusted regulator,
- Compared fees (including spreads, withdrawal fees, commissions),
- We checked and compared every aspect of their services,
- Opened an account and tested the platform (charting, features, usability) with real money.
Our expert team has done all the work for you, and reviewed brokers based on BrokerChooser's unique methodology.
Now let's jump straight to the results.
Best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023
International online brokers key info
While local UK brokers might be better known in Britain, there are several benefits when using an international broker. For instance, these international online brokers offer a broad range of markets and asset classes and are suitable for beginners and experienced traders alike. Their services are often cheaper than the prices of their local competitors. Besides having these adventages you also don’t need to let go of tax efficient ways to invest (such as ISA or SIPP accounts) as some of these international brokers also offer a wide selection of local products. However, if you are specifically looking for brokers that offer ISA accounts, check out our top recommendations here.
While many international online trading brokers offer an excellent service, the ones in our top 5 list go the extra mile.
| Interactive Brokers | DEGIRO | eToro | XTB | Saxo Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.9 stars | 4.9 stars | 4.9 stars | 4.8 stars | 4.8 stars |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $0 | $10 | $0 | $2,000 |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days | 1 day | 1 day | 1 day | 1 day |
| ISA available at broker | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| SIPP available | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
Popularity of the best online brokers in the United Kingdom
Interested in what others think? Here's how many of our users chose these best online brokers over the last 6 months.
Best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023
Fee comparison at the best UK online brokers
In most cases, the key broker selection criteria is how much you have to pay for a trade in spreads, commission and other trading costs, so we collected the most important fees for you in the table below.
| Interactive Brokers | DEGIRO | eToro | XTB | Saxo Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $1.0 | $1.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $10.0 |
| UK stock | $3.4 | $3.1 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $9.0 |
| EURUSD spread | 0.1 | - | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| US stock index options | $6.5 | $7.5 | - | - | $30.0 |
| Mutual fund | $15.0 | $3.9 | - | - | $0.0 |
| S&P 500 index CFD fee | $3.3 | - | $3.1 | $4.0 | $3.1 |
Best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023
Other fees at international online brokers
Non-trading fees are charges not directly related to a given trade and typically include the account maintenance fee, deposit/withdrawal fees, and the inactivity fee.
| Interactive Brokers | DEGIRO | eToro | XTB | Saxo Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No | No | No | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
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Best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023
Financial market regulation and safety in the United Kingdom
The main authority in the UK overseeing financial markets is the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA is a globally acknowledged authrity and widely considered a top-tier regulator. Brokers that operate under the surveillance of the FCA are very trustable. If a UK resident opens an account at a broker that operates under the FCA, their account will be held under the FCA entity. The brokers we recommend for UK residents are mostly regulated by the FCA.
Brokers that accept UK clients must be either authorized or regulated by the FCA. This will protect you from ending up with a scam broker. You can check whether your broker is registered with the FCA by entering the registration number of the broker in question (you will find it at the bottom of the broker's website) on the FCA website.
UK residents are entitled to investor protection under a system operated by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The current investor protection amount is £85,000 per person. This means that if your broker becomes insolvent, the FSCS will pay up to £85,000 to any customers of the firm who have lost money as a result. The FSCS also provides compensation for other types of investments, such as insurance policies.
Best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023
Taxation of trading in the United Kingdom
Profits from trading are taxed as capital gain in the United Kingdom. Capital gains up to an annual limit of £12,300 (as of 2023) are tax free. If the profit you make when you sell your shares or any other assets (i.e. forex, crypto, CFD) exceeds £12,300 in the given tax year, you will need to pay capital gains tax. The capital gains tax rate varies between 10% and 28%, depending on the asset you sell.
If you are trading as an individual, any profits you make from trading will be subject to income tax. The rates of income tax vary depending on the amount of income earned, but they range from 20% to 45%. Income tax is payable on profits earned above the personal allowance threshold, which is currently set at £12,570.
If you are trading in shares or other securities, you may be liable to pay stamp duty on certain transactions. The rate of stamp duty on shares is currently set at 0.5% for the tax. You pay stamp duty at 1.5% if you transfer shares into some depositary receipt schemes or clearance services, when the shares are transferred to a service operated by a third party like, for instance, a bank.
Keep in mind that if you have an Individial Savings Account (ISA) or Self-invested personal pension (SIPP) account, the rules are different. You don’t need to pay income tax, tax on dividends or capital gains tax on the investments within your stocks and shares ISA. Also, your money grows free from dividend tax, capital gains tax and income tax in a SIPP account. Investments held outside of a tax wrapper such as a SIPP or ISA account are subject to dividend tax.
Best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023
Our assessment of best international online brokers for residents in the United Kingdom in 2023
At BrokerChooser we do our best to make it easier for you to compare and select the best broker for your needs. Here is a summary of our scores in the most important aspects of these trading platforms' services.
| Interactive Brokers | DEGIRO | eToro | XTB | Saxo Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.9 stars | 4.9 stars | 4.9 stars | 4.8 stars | 4.8 stars |
| Fees score | 4.5 stars | 4.5 stars | 4.2 stars | 4.3 stars | 3.0 stars |
| Mobile platform score | 3.5 stars | 4.5 stars | 4.9 stars | 4.4 stars | 5.0 stars |
| Deposit and withdrawal score | 3.0 stars | 3.0 stars | 3.8 stars | 4.5 stars | 4.8 stars |
| Account opening score | 3.2 stars | 5.0 stars | 5.0 stars | 5.0 stars | 4.3 stars |
If you are unsure how brokerage fees are charged, check out this article on the various fees, charges and costs.
And now, let's see the top international online brokers for 2023 for residents in the United Kingdom in detail one by one, starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.
#1 Best international online broker in the United Kingdom in 2022
Interactive Brokers
Recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment
| Interactive Brokers snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Interactive Brokers services, check out our review for 2023 |
#2 Best international online broker in the United Kingdom in 2022
DEGIRO
Recommended for traders and investors looking for execution only
| DEGIRO snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of DEGIRO services, check out our review for 2023 |
#3 Best international online broker in the United Kingdom in 2022
eToro
Recommended for traders interested in social trading (i.e. copying other investors’ trades) and zero-commission stock trading
| eToro snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, China UnionPay, Klarna, POLi, iDEAL |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, China UnionPay, Klarna, POLi, iDEAL |
| Withdrawal fee | $5 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | Yes |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of eToro services, check out our review for 2023 |
#4 Best international online broker in the United Kingdom in 2022
XTB
Recommended for forex and cfd traders looking for low fees and great deposit/withdrawal service
| XTB snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees class | Low |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, Paysafe, Skrill |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | Yes |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of XTB services, check out our review for 2023 |
#5 Best international online broker in the United Kingdom in 2022
Saxo Bank
Recommended for investors and traders looking for a great trading platform and solid research
| Saxo Bank snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $2,000 |
| Fees class | Average |
| Deposit method | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Withdrawal method | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Inactivity fee | Yes |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Saxo Bank services, check out our review for 2023 |
Best international online brokers in the United Kingdom in 2023
FAQ
Which is the best broker for international stocks in the UK?
Most of the brokers in our top list of online brokers for UK citizens grant you access to international stock markets, but the absolute best according to our methodology is Interactive Brokers due to its high degree of safety and broad spectrum of markets and instruments.
Is eToro safe in the United Kingdom?
Yes, eToro operates under the supervision of several top-notch national regulators, includeing the FCA in the UK, ASIC in Australia and CySEC in Cyprus. eToro's UK clients are also entitled to investor protection of up to £85,000 per person.
How do I find a broker in the United Kingdom?
Firs, you need to narrow down the selection to brokers that allow UK residents to open an account. The next step is to decide what products you plan to invest in or trade. From there, all you need to do is verify the safety of the broker and then open an account. Check out our broker finder tool to pick the best broker tailored to your investment needs.
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