Intro and winners
Find below the strengths of the best brokers for buy-and-hold investors available in the United Kingdom, updated for 2024:
- Interactive Brokers - the best broker for buy-and-hold investors in the United Kingdom in 2024. Extremely low fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- Interactive Investor - User-friendly trading platforms. Fast and easy deposit and withdrawal. Interest on cash balances.
- Charles Schwab - Free stock and ETF trading. Outstanding research. Great customer service.
- TradeStation Global - Low stock and ETF fees. Wide range of products. Easy-to-use web trading platform.
- Firstrade - Free stock, ETF, fund and options trading. Solid research tools. Quality educational tools.
- Hargreaves Lansdown - Easy-to-use trading platforms. High-quality educational tools. Interest paid on uninvested cash.
- Fineco Bank - Low non-trading fees. Great mobile trading platform. Rock-solid background.
- Halifax - Low fees. Good options for deposit/withdrawal. Quick and easy account opening.
- flatex - Low fund and bond fees. Strong company background. Great educational tools.
- CapTrader - Low stock and ETF fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools. Pays interest on uninvested cash.
Key features of the top brokers for long-term investing
The best brokerage accounts for long-term investing need to meet several criteria. We picked what we deemed the most relevant and important for buy-and-hold investors.
| Broker | Stock fee class | Bond fee class |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | Low | Low |
| Interactive Investor | Low | Low |
| Charles Schwab | Low | Low |
| TradeStation Global | Low | Low |
| Firstrade | Low | Low |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | High | Low |
| Fineco Bank | Low | Low |
| Halifax | Low | |
| flatex | Average | Low |
| CapTrader | Low | Low |
Popularity of the best online brokers for buy-and-hold
Interested in what others think? Here's how many people chose these brokers at BrokerChooser in the last 6 months.
Fees and products
Trading fees at the best brokers for long-term investing
See how much you would have to pay in commissions and other charges if you invested $2,000 in one of these asset classes.
| Broker | US stock | UK stock fee |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | $1.0 | $3.8 |
| Interactive Investor | $5.0 | $5.0 |
| Charles Schwab | $0.0 | - |
| TradeStation Global | $1.5 | $2.0 |
| Firstrade | $0.0 | - |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | $14.9 | $14.9 |
| Fineco Bank | $4.0 | $3.7 |
| Halifax | $0.0 | $11.9 |
| flatex | $6.4 | - |
| CapTrader | $2.0 | $10.0 |
Non-trading fees at the best brokers for long-term investing
| Broker | Account fee | Inactivity fee |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | ||
| Interactive Investor | ||
| Charles Schwab | ||
| TradeStation Global | ||
| Firstrade | ||
| Hargreaves Lansdown | ||
| Fineco Bank | ||
| Halifax | ||
| flatex | ||
| CapTrader |
Product selection at the best brokers for long-term investing
| Broker | Stock markets (#) | ETFs (#) |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | 90 | 13,000 |
| Interactive Investor | 16 | 1,680 |
| Charles Schwab | 4 | 2,300 |
| TradeStation Global | 90 | 13,000 |
| Firstrade | 5 | 2,300 |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | 21 | 2,500 |
| Fineco Bank | 13 | 5,500 |
| Halifax | 8 | 600 |
| flatex | 22 | 1,500 |
| CapTrader | 90 | 13,000 |
Can I trust these brokers for long-term investing in the United Kingdom?
Yes, BrokerChooser exclusively recommends legit brokers, overseen by at least one globally acknowledged regulator. We track more than 30,000 brokers and trading platforms that we don't recommend. To make sure that a broker is reputable and reliable, use our Scam Broker Shield tool.
Key criteria determining a broker's trustworthiness are regulation, availability of investor protection, as well as a long and spotless track record. Explore the interactive table below, encompassing this array of vital data.
| Broker | Top-tier regulators | Trusted broker |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | FCA in the UK, SEC in the US, and ASIC in Australia | |
| Interactive Investor | FCA in the UK | |
| Charles Schwab | SEC and FINRA in the US | |
| TradeStation Global | FCA in the UK | |
| Firstrade | SEC and FINRA in the US | |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | FCA in the UK | |
| Fineco Bank | Consob in Italy and FCA in the UK | |
| Halifax | FCA in the UK | |
| flatex | BaFin in Germany | |
| CapTrader | CBI in Ireland |
And now, let's see in detail the best online brokers for long-term investing in 2024, one by one.
| Interactive Brokers snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment |
| Overall score | 4.9 stars |
| US stock fee | $1.0 |
| Stock markets (#) | 90 |
| Fund providers (#) | 600 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Research score | 4.8 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Interactive Brokers, check out our review for 2024. |
| Interactive Investor snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Beginners and investors focusing on the UK market |
| Overall score | 4.6 stars |
| US stock fee | $5.0 |
| Stock markets (#) | 16 |
| Fund providers (#) | 190 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Research score | 3.0 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Interactive Investor, check out our review for 2024. |
| Charles Schwab snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Investors and traders looking for solid research, low fees and great customer service |
| Overall score | 4.7 stars |
| US stock fee | $0.0 |
| Stock markets (#) | 4 |
| Fund providers (#) | 600 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Research score | 4.3 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Charles Schwab, check out our review for 2024. |
| TradeStation Global snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Traders and investors looking for low fees and a wide selection of products |
| Overall score | 4.5 stars |
| US stock fee | $1.5 |
| Stock markets (#) | 90 |
| Fund providers (#) | 550 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Research score | 4.3 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of TradeStation Global, check out our review for 2024. |
| Firstrade snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Beginners and investors looking for zero-commission trading, focusing on the US market |
| Overall score | 4.4 stars |
| US stock fee | $0.0 |
| Stock markets (#) | 5 |
| Fund providers (#) | 450 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Research score | 5.0 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Firstrade, check out our review for 2024. |
| Hargreaves Lansdown snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Beginners and buy-and-hold investors looking for an easy-to-use trading platform |
| Overall score | 4.2 stars |
| US stock fee | $14.9 |
| Stock markets (#) | 21 |
| Fund providers (#) | 180 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Research score | 4.0 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Hargreaves Lansdown, check out our review for 2024. |
| Fineco Bank snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Traders and investors looking for a great trading platform and a broker with a solid background |
| Overall score | 4.5 stars |
| US stock fee | $4.0 |
| Stock markets (#) | 13 |
| Fund providers (#) | 5 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Research score | 3.8 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Fineco Bank, check out our review for 2024. |
| Halifax snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Beginners and long-term investors |
| Overall score | 4.1 stars |
| US stock fee | $0.0 |
| Stock markets (#) | 8 |
| Fund providers (#) | 140 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards |
| Research score | 3.5 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Halifax, check out our review for 2024. |
| flatex snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Investors and traders speaking German and focusing on European securities |
| Overall score | 4.0 stars |
| US stock fee | $6.4 |
| Stock markets (#) | 22 |
| Fund providers (#) | 60 |
| Inactivity fee | No |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Research score | 2.8 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of flatex, check out our review for 2024. |
| CapTrader snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for | Investors and traders looking for low fees and sophisticated trading platforms |
| Overall score | 3.9 stars |
| US stock fee | $2.0 |
| Stock markets (#) | 90 |
| Fund providers (#) | 550 |
| Inactivity fee | Yes |
| Minimum deposit | $2,000 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Research score | 4.3 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of CapTrader, check out our review for 2024. |
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How did BrokerChooser pick the best online brokers for long-term investing in the United Kingdom in 2024?
Safety, cost efficiency, and the ability to diversify are the most important for long-term investors. Therefore,
- we checked whether the broker is overseen by a trusted regulator;
- We examined the selection of assets favored by long-term investors (i.e. bonds, stocks, funds);
- We looked at long-term product fees;
- We Opened an account and tested the platform (charting, features, usability) with real money.
Save hours of research!
Our expert team has done all the work for you, and reviewed brokers based on BrokerChooser's unique methodology. This includes collecting more than 600 data points for each broker.
FAQ
Which broker is best for beginners?
If you're considering long-term investments and are just starting your investment journey, you should pick a broker that, in addition to low fees, offers an easy-to-use mobile trading platform and good educational materials. A free demo account is also handy if you want to practice trading with virtual money first. To make your choice easier, we collected the best brokers for beginners.
Which is the best platform for stock trading?
When deciding where to buy stocks, you should look for low stock commissions, low inactivity and withdrawal fees, and smooth deposit and withdrawal functions. Here's our list of the best online stock brokers.
What is the safest trading platform?
There are many aspects to safety, but perhaps the most important is for the broker to be regulated by a top-tier financial authority, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, or one of a handful of similar regulators worldwide. We at BrokerChooser only recommend brokers where a majority of clients belong to an entity overseen by a top-tier regulator.
Further reading for long-term investors
Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.
