Best Day Trading Platform UK 2021 – Compare Brokers & Software

If you are an active trader, you probably have a list of to-dos drawn up when selecting the best UK day trading platform. This process could include, among many other things, low fees, average spreads, premium research tools, speed, and everyday payment methods.

This guide explores some of the best day trading platforms UK for making profitable trades. Keep reading as we’ll also cover all the key metrics from fees and payments, to regulations and customer support.

Best Day Trading Platforms List 2021

Day trading may seem easy on the outside, but active traders know that choosing the best day trading platform UK goes a long way in determining success. In light of this, we have itemized some of the top day trading brokers UK you can choose from depending on your trading needs.

Each UK day trading platform has been chosen based on low fees, speed, reliability, and regulation.

1. eToro – Overall Best Platform for Day Trading UK
2. Capital.com – Top UK Day Trading Platform For CFDs
3. Libertex – Best Day Trading Broker UK for Low Commissions
4. Avatrade – Best UK Day Trading Platform for Tight Spreads
5. Pepperstone – Top UK Day Trading Platform with Large Currency Support
6. Plus500 – Best Platform for Multiple CFD Trades
7. Fineco – Top Platform for Excellent Research Tools
8. IG – Best Platform for Competitive Spreads
9. Interactive brokers – Best Day Trading Platform for Professional Traders
10. Skilling – Top Day Trading Platform for Average Spreads

Best Day Trading Platforms Reviewed

As a savvy investor, finding the best broker for day trading UK could determine success or failure. We’ve rounded up some of the best UK day trading platforms out there and outlined where they shine and suffer, making it easy for you to make an informed choice.

1. eToro – Overall Best Platform for Day Trading UK

Popular online broker eToro is our recommended day trading broker for all active traders due to several reasons. First of all, eToro has a handsome number of tradable assets and covers over 17 international markets. Launched in 2007 by a group of fintech entrepreneurs, eToro has established itself from the crowd due to a user-friendly platform ideal for beginners and advanced traders.

It offers over 3,000 tradable assets covering stocks of major companies, bonds, 153 exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cryptocurrencies, commodities, and major FX currency pairs. The greater boon is that investors get to trade with 0% commission on stocks and ETFs like the best Bitcoin ETFs. Also, eToro offers competitive spreads for CFDs and cryptocurrencies.

One of the distinguishing features of eToro is its social trading capabilities. eToro operates like a social network for traders and allows investors to learn from one another. The trading platform also supports CopyTrade, which allows one investor to mirror or copy successful trades of another.

Regarding minimum deposit, eToro has a minimum requirement of $50. eToro supports an advanced social trading tool called CopyPortfolio, and this helps users better diversify their investment basket across several top-performing industries and sectors.

eToro is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and Financial Industry Authority (FINRA), making it one of the best FCA brokers out there.

Pros

Cons

68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

2. Capital.com – Top UK Day Trading Platform For CFDs

Capital.com is another top day trading platform UK you can explore to meet your day trading needs. This global CFD broker specializes in the field of contract for difference (CFD) trading and offers traders access to over 2,700 stock CFDs. This operation is spread across much of Europe and the Americas.

Regarding regulation, Capital.com is supervised by the UK’s FCA and CySEC and follows all the laid-down financial rules to ensure the safety of user funds. Like eToro, Capital.com is a zero-commission broker and allows users to trade assets without charging exorbitant fees. It offers tight spreads with Facebook shares charged at 0.08 pips only.

Capital.com has a low minimum deposit of £20, and the minimum withdrawal is set at £37.41. Aside from stock CFDs, Capital.com offers financial investment services covering indices, cryptocurrencies, commodities, and FX currency pairs.

The UK-based broker offers fast order execution with low latency and an AI-driven trading platform. Leverage is pegged at 1:30, and deposits incur zero fees. Everyday payment methods are supported, and you can fund your trading account with a regular bank account, debit/credit cards, Sofort, iDeal, GiroPay, Multibanko, and several others.

Pros

Cons

75.26% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

3. Libertex – Best Day Trading Broker UK for Low Commissions

Based in Cyprus, Libertex is one of the top day trading brokers for low commissions. Libertex has a long and successful history as a financial investment services provider, starting operations as far back as 1997. Libertex currently serves over 2.2 million customers spread across 11 different countries.

Popular financial instruments on Libertex are CFDs, FX currency pairs, cryptocurrency trading, stocks, commodities, and ETFs. This service is spread across only 250 tradable assets, showing that Libertex offers its services to a select group of traders.

The Libertex platform is entirely web-based and does not require any software downloads to work. Meanwhile, traders can choose to use the popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 (MT4 & MT5) for more sophisticated charting and research tools if the Libertex web trader is too basic for them.

Libertex operates a variable spread system and, by standard, a maximum leverage cap of 1:30. The minimum deposit is pegged at £100, and Libertex does not charge for deposits and withdrawals. Regarding deposits, payments can be made through a host of everyday payment solutions spanning bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller, credit/debit cards, Multibanco, Sofort, and several others.

The company operates a demo account to easily integrate new users to how the Libertex platform works and offers 43 indicators for the live trading account. Order Management feature allows users to view the live quotes for assets easily.

Pros

Cons

74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

4. AvaTrade – Best UK Day Trading Platform for Tight Spreads

AvaTrade is another best day trading platform UK to use. Founded in 2006, AvaTrade is a top online CFD broker and one of the best investment apps UK. It is a key part of the AVA Group of Companies. Aside from the AvaTrade web trader, AvaTrade offers trading platforms with MT4&5, MetaTrader for Mac, and MetaTrader for mobile.

The broker has offices in four key locations spanning Japan, Australia, Ireland, and the British Virgin Islands. Tradable assets span 50 FX currency pairs, nine crypto assets, several indices, stocks, bonds, ETFs, commodities, and options trading.

 

Like eToro, AvaTrade comes embedded with a social trading feature through the AvaSocial platform. This way, users can replicate successful trades of other investors, mitigating against capital loss. AvaTrade is regulated in all regions it operates and has licenses from ASIC, the Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA), and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC).

In the aspect of fees, AvaTrade offers tight spreads, most especially for professional traders. For instance, AvaTrade charges 0.9 pips for the EUR/USD trading pair but will drop this figure to as low as 0.6 pips for advanced traders. AvaTrade has a minimum deposit of £74.71 and supports multiple everyday payment solutions, including bank wire transfer, credit/debit cards, and e-wallet solutions. AvaTrade charges an inactivity fee of £37 after three months.

Pros

Cons

71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

5. Pepperstone – Top UK Day Trading Platform with Large Currency Support

Pepperstone is another top UK day trading platform that features on our list. The online broker formally came into the broker scene in 2010 and is a hotspot for many algorithmic traders and copy traders.

It offers over 1,200 tradable assets, including major FX currency pairs, CFDs, cryptocurrencies, stocks, indices, and options. Aside from this, Pepperstone offers different account types giving users more choice in selecting an account type. The Razor account has a low 0.09 pips well below the industry average, while the Standard account comes with 0% commission trading.

 

However, the minimum deposit is pegged at £148. Pepperstone offers fully integrated MT4 and cTrader suites and supports web and desktop trading in terms of trading platforms.

The social trading option is accessible through the Mirror Trader and RoboX platforms and charges a base minimum of £3,738.3164 to access these copy trading tools. This comes with over 30 research indicators and multiple timeframes.

The FCA regulates Pepperstone in the UK and ASIC in Australia. The CFD broker also supports nine fiat currencies, including GBP, USD, CAD, and several others.

Pros

Cons

76.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.

Best UK Day Trading Platform Comparison

Platform	Tradable assets	Stock trading fees	FX Trading fees	Crypto trading fees	Overnight fees
eToro	Stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, commodities, FX currency pairs, CFDs, ETFs	0% commission on stocks	Tight spreads	Basic crypto fee stands at 0.75%	No charges on non-leveraged crypto, stocks positions
Capital.com	FX pairs, cryptocurrencies, indices, commodities, and shares	Variable with 0.05 pips for Apple shares	Variable 0.00006 for EUR/USD, 0.00013 for GBP/USD	150 pips for BTC/USD, 10 pips for ETH/USD, 0.02300 pips for XRP/USD	2% to 3%
Libertex	CFDs, FX currency pairs, crypto, stocks, commodities, and ETFs	Between 0.1% and 0.2%	0.008% for EUR/USD trading pair	0.47% and 2.5%	Not stated but applicable
Avatrade	FX currency pairs, crypto, indices, stocks, bonds, ETFs, and commodities, and options trading	Top stocks like Apple, Amazon attract 0.13% in spread	0.9 pips for EUR/USD, 1.6 pips for GBP/USD	Variable 0.25% over-market for BTCUSD, 0.28% over-market for ETH,  1% for XRP	Not stated but applicable
Pepperstone	FX currency pairs, Index CFDs, Commodity CFDs, ETF CFDs, shares CFDs, Currency Index CFDs	0.07%	0.09 pips for EUR/USD	Nil	Not stated but comes with admin fee of 2.5%

How to Choose the Best Day Trading Platform for You

Making a distinction on the most suitable day trading platform could be difficult due to the growing amount of day trading brokers UK now offering these services. To help with this, we have listed a few metrics you should look out for in selecting the best day trading platform UK streamlined for your active trading needs.

Fees

First on your list of picks should be an online broker with reasonable fees. Most offer zero-commission trades on several trades and this should make your list. Other trading fees surrounding deposits, withdrawals, and low spreads should also be chalked up on your list when selecting a day trading platform UK to use.

Tradable assets

Although most offer major financial instruments, including CFDs, stocks, bonds, commodities, cryptocurrencies, you still need to consider the widespread coverage of the broker. eToro offers access to over 17 international markets coupled with over 3,000 tradable assets. A large library of tradable assets ensures that you can buy and sell the hottest assets from one broker instead of visiting several platforms to do this.

Platforms

Most proprietary platforms are usually beginner-focused and are always watered down in a way. If you are looking for more powerful charting and research tools, you should look out for one with multiple trading platforms comprising popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 (for the Best MT4 Brokers read our guide). These come with more sophisticated indicators which can help in giving better market insight.

Tools

Unique broker features and tools will go a long way in ensuring you end the day with a profit. eToro offers one of the most innovative tools in its CopyTrader functionality, which allows you to mirror successful trades of other investors. The leveraged positions will adjust according to the copied trader’s moves, taking a lot of work out of your hands.

Analysis resources

Analytical resources should also feature in your pick. Always look out for brokers with strong technical analytical tools you can use to gain better market insight.

Mobile app

Mobile app support gives you more flexibility in your trading. Most brokers still use the web-based platform format while a few like eToro offer a mobile trading app. This lets you trade while on the move allowing you to access similar market data and open and close trades as you would on the web platform.

User experience

While day traders may not count this as important, it is still necessary. Exceptional user trading experience means you can easily and rapidly place trades without requiring any outside help in doing so. A complex trading platform can make you lose out on ideal buying opportunities, thereby slashing your profit by a significant margin.

Payments

Last but not least on the metrics to look out for is the kind of payment methods the broker supports. The best FCA regulated brokers support several everyday payment solutions with popular options like bank wire transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and other e-wallet solutions. More payment methods mean more flexibility in how you can easily fund your account with little to no fees.

How to Get Started on the Best Day Trading Broker

Now that you have learnt all about how day trading brokers UK work and what to look out for, we will show you step-by-step how to open and fund your account on our best day trading platform UK, eToro, in this section.

Step 1. Create an account on eToro

To open a free account on eToro, head over to the official website and click on ‘Join Now’ to open the registration page. You will need to provide your full name, email address, mobile number, username, and password to complete this step. You can sidestep this process by just signing up with your Facebook or Google account directly below the fill-in form.

Step 2. Upload ID

After completing the registration, the next step is to verify your identity. eToro is a regulated broker which means you will need to submit some documentation if you want to unlock the full potential of your new account. All you need to do is upload a clear snapshot of your driver’s license or government-issued ID card. You will also be required to upload a copy of your recent utility bill or bank statement for proof of address.

Step 3. Make Deposit

eToro has a low minimum deposit bar of only £37.41 for UK residents. You also get the added bonus of having access to loads of everyday payment solutions like bank wire transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and several others. Deposit on eToro is free which means you will get the full value of your transferred funds without fees eroding your capital.

Step 4. Buy Your Asset

Now that you have completed the previous steps, you can actively buy and sell the financial asset you want to trade. eToro offers a quick path to locating the asset you are looking for. All you have to do is type in the ticker symbol for the asset into the search bar and click on ‘Trade’ when the relevant result pops up.

This will directly take you to the order page where you can input the amount of the asset you want to buy. eToro has a minimum investment peg of £18.68 to open any new position. Choose whether to use leverage or not and click on ‘Open Trade’ to complete the trade.

NB: If you choose to use leverage, remember to use mitigating risk tools like stop loss (SL) and also take profit (TP) to reduce your level of exposure.

Best UK Day Trading Platform – Conclusion

Day trading is a highly profitable yet risky endeavour and you need all the right tools in place to ensure you limit your potential loss on any given day. Day trading platforms go a long way in determining your success and if you are searching for the best uk broker for day trading, we recommend using social trading leader eToro.

Our choice largely lies in the online broker’s strong reputation in the financial investment services circles. It has a reputable brand backed by years of proven customer excellence. It is also a platform where over 20 million active traders call home. Bar its strong regulatory oversight, eToro offers unique tools like CopyTrader and CopyPortfolio, which have proven useful tools for many beginners and experienced traders.

eToro – Best Day Trading Platform in the UK

68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Day Trading Platform UK

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