Does Freetrade offer business accounts? Alternatives in 2026

As your business grows and cash flows stabilise, it’s natural to start considering how to put your capital to work. With cash reserves available, you may be exploring options to diversify into the financial markets.

Freetrade is a strong option for retail clients – but is it available for businesses? We’ve explored this exact question.

This article examines whether Freetrade offers business or corporate accounts and explores other viable options based on reputation, security, fees, and customer support. Let’s dive in.

Does Freetrade offer business accounts?

No. Freetrade only offers accounts for retail investors (personal use) – not for business purposes – as confirmed to us via direct email exchange with Freetrade’s support team:

So, if you run a limited company or another type of corporation, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Here are our top picks for business brokerage accounts.

Best Freetrade alternatives for businesses

Comparison table

Founded in 1978 and publicly listed on NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR, S&P 500 constituent since 2024), Interactive Brokers is a global online broker that has weathered significant financial crises, demonstrating resilience and a rigorous risk management process.

Interactive Brokers offers an advanced investment platform that lets you invest globally in stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds from a single integrated account. Its advanced trading and account management tools allow you to control and delegate user permissions for a business brokerage account.

Businesses around the world can open a company account with Interactive Brokers. Eligible institutional account types include small businesses, hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, family offices, and more. The platform provides strong trade execution through IB SmartRouting, alongside a comprehensive set of technical and fundamental analysis tools to support investment decisions.

Interactive Brokers’ fee structure is on the complex side, the registration process is lengthy but fully online, and the broker does not offer commission-free trading outside the US. However, when factoring in FX fees, narrower spreads, and the stock loan programme, Interactive Brokers’ clients still achieve meaningful cost savings compared to most brokers.

Want to know more about Interactive Brokers? Read more details directly on Interactive Brokers’ landing page, or check our step-by-step guide on how to open a business brokerage account with Interactive Brokers.

Launched in 1992, Saxo (formerly Saxo Bank, now part of J. Safra Sarasin since March 2025) is one of the most established financial entities in the brokerage industry, with a strong long-term track record and an A- credit rating from S&P. The platform lets you trade over 71,000 financial instruments through its proprietary platforms: SaxoTraderPRO (advanced desktop) and SaxoTraderGO (web and mobile).

Saxo’s corporate account tiers are as follows:

• Classic: minimum £100,000 deposit required – gives access to competitive spreads and 24/5 customer and technical support;
• Platinum: minimum £200,000 portfolio value required. In addition to Classic features, lowers trading prices by up to 30% and prioritises local-language customer support;
• VIP: minimum £1,000,000 portfolio value required. Provides Saxo’s best pricing, direct access to trading experts, and exclusive event invitations.

Pricing varies by account tier. For example, a US stock order is 0.08% (min. $1) of the trade value in the Classic tier – the same trade would be 0.03% (min. $1) in the VIP tier.

Saxo states that the corporate account approval process usually takes around one week, assuming you provide clear copies of the following documents:

• Memorandum and Articles of Association;
• Certificate of Incorporation;
• Proof of the company’s business address if different from its registered address (e.g., a company bank statement or utility bill less than three months old, issued in the company’s name);
• Latest financial statement;
• Group structure diagram (for entities within complex group structures only).

In addition, every beneficial owner with a 25% or greater stake and each company director must provide:

• Passport;
• Proof of residency – a utility bill less than three months old showing the date, applicant’s name, and an address matching the one on the application.

For more details on Saxo’s corporate account, see their landing page for corporate investment accounts.

Lightyear is a European investment app that operates in the UK via Lightyear UK Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Business accounts can be opened by freelancers and sole directors, alongside small, medium, and large companies. You can invest in Money Market Funds (MMFs) – low-risk, highly liquid, AAA-rated investments offering interest on uninvested cash – alongside over 3,500 stocks and ETFs, and Lightyear also provides direct access to Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) registration for £40 + VAT. The platform automatically completes a W-8BEN-E form on your behalf to secure a reduced tax rate on dividends from US stocks.

Lightyear’s execution fees are free for ETF trades. For stocks, commissions do not exceed €/$/£1 per order, and there is a flat 0.35% currency conversion fee (which can be minimised by using the multi-currency account in EUR, GBP, and USD). Lightyear offers one of the highest interest rates on uninvested cash through MMFs – including 3.77% in GBP (as of May 2026, variable and tied to Bank of England policy). Cryptocurrencies are charged at 0.45% per trade.

Lightyear also offers a free share worth up to €100 with our promo code.

That said, Lightyear’s product range has some limitations: no options, commodities, or forex are currently available.

What is a business brokerage account?

A brokerage account is an investment account that gives you access to a range of financial products – stocks, ETFs, bonds, futures, crypto, and more. The word “business” simply indicates that the entity opening the account is a corporate structure (limited company, partnership, etc.) rather than an individual investor.

In practice, the product offering for corporate investment accounts is largely similar to retail accounts. However, some differences may apply – typically higher minimum deposits, tighter spreads, lower commissions for larger volumes, and more personalised customer support.

Some reasons businesses choose to invest through a corporate account include:

• Tax efficiency: investing through a corporate legal entity can help optimise tax treatment depending on your jurisdiction and structure (consult a qualified tax adviser for specific guidance);
• Diversification: putting accumulated business cash reserves to work alongside operational capital;
• Limited liability protection: keeping investment activity within the corporate veil to separate personal and business assets.

You will need an LEI code – what is that?

“LEI” stands for “Legal Entity Identifier”. It is a 20-character unique identifier assigned to entities such as limited companies, trusts, or any organisation involved in financial market transactions. In other words, any legal entity involved in financial transactions is required to have one.

For example, a company investing in stocks, ETFs, or derivatives traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is required to hold an LEI. This ensures that every transaction can be attributed to a recognised and verified entity, reducing the risk of fraud and making the entire process more transparent and efficient.

The LEI functions as a transparency marker in financial markets – whether you’re a multi-national corporation, a local UK company, a trust, or a charity, if you’re participating in the financial markets, you’ll need to obtain an LEI.

Several providers can register your LEI – LEIservice is one of the cheapest options we’ve found. As mentioned earlier, Lightyear can also handle the LEI registration on your behalf as part of opening your business account, which simplifies the onboarding process if you’re starting from scratch.

Documents needed to open a business account

When applying for a business account with any of the providers mentioned above, you’ll typically be asked to provide the documents listed below (this is a general overview – your broker may ask for additional documentation). Unless specified otherwise, all documents must be less than six months old.

• Company name and registration number;
• Principal place of business address;
• Tax residency and tax identification number;
• Description of your business activities, any products and services you offer, and the countries in which you operate;
• Information on the source of funds, with a description of the activity from which you fund your business and the account you are opening;
• W-8BEN-E form: if you wish to trade US-incorporated stocks, you’ll need to complete this form to claim treaty benefits and reduced withholding tax rates;
• Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) code: required for trading on EU and UK regulated markets – see the LEI section above for details.

Bottom line

With a business investment account, you have plenty of options to put your company’s capital to work. You can opt for more conservative instruments within the money market – like UK Gilts, Money Market Funds, or other interest-bearing instruments – or, if you have higher risk tolerance, use the account for share dealing with your limited company’s capital.

Whatever your investment objectives, we hope these alternatives help you find the right fit:

• Interactive Brokers: best overall – the most comprehensive multi-asset platform with the broadest product range and most competitive FX/spreads for active traders;
• Saxo: best for premium service – institutional-grade research, A- credit rating, and strong client support, though £100,000+ minimum required;
• Lightyear: best for cash management – one of the highest interest rates on uninvested GBP cash via MMFs, plus integrated LEI registration.

Please remember that the above should not be construed as investment advice and is only intended as an information resource. Investors should conduct their own research and due diligence on the services and opportunities to determine which are best suited to their risk tolerance, return objectives, and investment strategy.

We wish you great success with your business.