eToro

This is the best option I've tried for someone starting out with investing. The demo account let me practise with fake money for a month before I put anything real in. Fees are clear on the page, withdrawals to my bank have never taken longer than a couple of days, and support answered a question about tax in under an hour. I'd point anyone looking for a first platform here.

I needed a cheap way to buy a couple of shares in companies I actually use, and the zero commission on UK stocks was the deciding factor. Set up took an evening and the deposit cleared the next day. I've made three trades so far and they've all gone through without any fuss.

Signed up on my phone and the sign-up itself was quick enough. Identity check took about four days to clear though, and I had to resend a photo twice because it was blurry. Once I was in, buying shares was easy and the app is decent. Just be patient at the start.

I was rather taken with the social feed, where you can see what other investors are doing and why. Opening the account was perfectly sensible, though the verification did ask for a second document after I'd sent the first. My withdrawal to the bank took a little longer than I expected, around four working days, but it did arrive. I'd still say it's a reasonable place to invest if you are patient with the admin.

The currency conversion spread is the first thing I looked at and it's tighter than what my bank was charging me for the same transfers. I've been trading CFDs for a couple of years so I knew to check the overnight financing costs before opening a position, and the platform shows them clearly on the trade screen before you commit. Makes a real difference on longer holds.

Compared it to the app I was using before and this is miles easier to follow prices on. Signed up on my phone in about ten minutes, bank transfer came through the next morning. Only been a few weeks but so far so good.

This is the best platform I have found for active trading on a UK account. The order types are flexible, the charts are detailed without being cluttered, and the fees are clear before you place each trade. I've been using it for a couple of years and the execution has been reliable even on volatile days. Support has been helpful whenever I've needed to ask about a trade.

Compared with the broker I was on before, this is much more pleasant to use day to day. Trades execute fast and the mobile app doesn't freeze when the market moves. I've been a customer for a few years now and nothing major has gone wrong.

I bought some Bitcoin here as my first ever crypto purchase, which felt a bit daunting. The buy screen walked me through it and the coins showed in my wallet within a minute. Fees were shown before I confirmed so no nasty surprises.

Compared it to my old broker and this is quicker to get into a trade on my phone. Sign up was pretty painless and I was funded the same day. Haven't had to call support yet.

I compared a few options before choosing this one, and the fees and the range of markets were what swung it. Signing up took about fifteen minutes on the site. Funds reached my account the same day and the first trade filled without any problems.

Opened an account to buy a few UK shares and the buying itself was straightforward. My concern is the currency conversion fee when I moved money over from my dollar account, which was higher than I expected and I only spotted it after the trade. The support chat took a couple of days to reply when I asked about it. It works, just check the small print before you move money across.

I opened an account for my grandson to help him start saving for his future, and I was grateful the process was clear enough that I could manage it myself. The forms asked sensible questions and the identity check was done within a day. Adding money was simple and I've been able to show him the portfolio on the app together, which he enjoys. It has been a worthwhile thing to do for him.

A solid platform for trading shares and ETFs, and I've used it for about three years now. The charting tools are good enough for what I need, and the watchlists are easy to set up. Dividends land in my account on the right date and the account statements are clear at year end.

I bought a small number of shares in a company I'd been reading about, and the buy screen made it simple to check the price and the amount before confirming. The shares appeared in my portfolio straight away and the dividend has been paid in on time since. Withdrawing a bit of cash later was quick too, which I wasn't expecting.

I needed a simple way to hold some US dollars for a trip and to pay a bit of tax on a share sale. I've been with them for about six years now and the account has never given me any bother. Money goes in and out when it should.

Bought a couple of ETFs here last spring, no commission on the buy and the fund fees are shown up front. The ISA wrapper was simple to set up too.

I wanted to start investing properly rather than just leaving my savings in a bank account doing nothing. Got set up on the website first, then the app, and the whole sign up took maybe twenty minutes once I had my documents to hand. Depositing was straightforward with my debit card and the money showed up almost immediately. I haven't traded much yet but the layout makes sense and I like that I can see my portfolio at a glance.

I used the demo account for the first few weeks, which I thought was a sensible way to learn the platform without risking real money. Once I moved to a live account, the process of depositing and trading was straightforward. My one question about a tax form got a helpful reply within the day.

Pulled some money out to my UK bank account last week and it landed the next working day. Got a notification on the app at each step so I knew where it was.