Is Webull available in the UK? Review and free shares (2024)

You have probably heard about the Webull app on YouTube and want to know if it’s available in the UK, right?

Webull is a modern and easy-to-use investment app from the US. It has introduced the concept of commission-free trading in financial products such as stocks and ETFs, alongside its biggest rivals, Robinhood, E*TRADE, and TD Ameritrade.

Want to know if Webull is available in the UK, the company’s expansion plans, and the alternatives available for British investors? We’ve got you covered!

Yes, Webull is available in the UK through the subsidiary “Webull Securities (UK) Ltd”. Until now, Webull could only be used in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.

The launch in the UK occurred on July 12, 2023, but it is still limited in terms of product offering: it only allows you to invest in US stocks and fractional shares – there is no access to ETFs, Options, or over-the-counter (OTC) securities.

Besides that, Webull is not commission-free in the UK: a 2.5 basis points commission applies in each trade you make.

In October 2022, Webull UK secured its authorisation from the FCA. So, it was a matter of time until it launched in the UK (the company has spent the last months hiring a team with local experience). While its offering will initially be limited to US-listed securities, the Webull UK CEO expects to expand this rapidly, opening new global investment opportunities for retail investors.

Webull UK pros and cons

To help you find a Webull UK equivalent, we focused on low-cost online brokers available in the UK. Here are our suggestions:

All the companies mentioned above are regulated and/or registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.

Founded in 2007, eToro is an international online broker with over 30 million users who can trade over 3,000 financial assets, including stocks, ETFs, cryptos, and CFDs on stocks, ETFs, commodities, Forex, indices, and cryptocurrencies. Stocks and ETFs are traded commission-free, as a whole, or fractional shares (other fees apply).

eToro’s investment platform, accessible through both web and mobile platforms, is a social trading hub. Here, investors can engage in discussions about investments, speculations, and market news with fellow investors. eToro also allows users to replicate trading strategies (CopyTrader™) and invest in ready-made investment portfolios (Smart Portfolios) based on thematic investment strategies.

The demo account is particularly useful for a beginner ($100,000 of virtual money). It lets you have real hands-on experience as you would be using real money. So, when switching to a real account, you will notice no difference between your training and the real-life of investing.

eToro is fully regulated and supervised by top-tier regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia. The subsidiary in Europe, formerly known as “eToro (Europe) Ltd,” is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities Exchange Commission (CySEC).

For more details, visit our eToro review.

Founded in 1978 and publicly listed on NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR), Interactive Brokers is a global online broker which surpassed major financial crises, showing resilience and a rigorous risk management process.

Interactive Brokers offers an advanced investment platform that includes a wide range of products (stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs, futures, bonds, and currencies) from 150 markets, solid trade execution (IB SmartRouting), and a set of technical and fundamental tools to help you in your investment decisions.

Beginners and intermediate investors have educational tools to explore, but the learning curve will be steep. That’s why we mainly endorse it to more advanced traders. Besides, the customer service gives crystal clear answers to your doubts, so there is no need to go back and forth.

On the downside, Interactive Brokers’ fee structure is quite complex, the registration process is lengthy but fully online, and the broker doesn’t offer commission-free trading. However, when considering FX fees, narrower spreads, and the stock loan program, Interactive Brokers’ clients still get significant savings compared to most brokers.

Interactive Brokers also launched IBKR GlobalTrader, a modern mobile trading app to trade Stocks, Options and ETFs, ideal for beginner investors. Some of the features of IBKR GlobalTrader include automatic currency conversions, fractional shares, demo account, and more.

Want to know more about Interactive Brokers? Check our Interactive Brokers Review.

Founded in 2008, Plus500 is an online broker offering a wide range of financial products, including real shares and CFDs on forex, indices, shares, commodities, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. It is available in over 50 countries and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

There are two distinct account types:

• Plus500 CFD: It only focuses on CFD products.
• Plus500 Invest: Where you can trade stocks (real shares).

The web platform you will use is the WebTrader, Plus500’s proprietary platform, offering a stable trading experience and reliable access from multiple devices, including a mobile app. All platforms are accessible and responsive, and you can start testing the features by opening a demo account.

Their customer support is helpful and readily assessed through a chat that is always shown on the trading platform. Their spreads are low, offering accounts in sixteen currencies, including USD, EUR, and GBP. Still, they charge a 0.70% currency conversion fee and a $10 monthly fee following three months with no activity. On Plus500 Invest, they only charge a small commission per trade (US market: $0.006/share).

Finally, it is regulated by financial regulators like the FCA and CySEC, meaning that Plus500 is appropriately supervised and that there is an investor protection scheme under the entity you open an account. For instance, If you open an account as a European investor through Plus500CY Ltd, you are protected up to €20,000. Additionally, Plus500 provides negative balance protection for CFD trading on a per-account basis.

Want to know more about Plus500? Check our Plus500 Review.

InvestEngine is a UK-based broker and robo-advisor launched in 2020. It provides users with access to low-cost, diversified portfolios of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) designed to meet their investment goals and risk tolerance. InvestEngine offers both managed portfolios and a do-it-yourself (DIY) option for investors who prefer to build and manage their own portfolios.

Pros:

1. Low-cost investing: InvestEngine provides a low-cost solution for investing, with competitive fees for both managed portfolios and the DIY option.
2. Diversification: The platform offers a range of ETFs, enabling investors to create a diversified portfolio tailored to their risk tolerance and investment objectives.
3. Auto-rebalancing: For managed portfolios, InvestEngine periodically rebalances the portfolio to maintain the desired level of risk and diversification.
4. User-friendly interface: The platform is easy to navigate and provides helpful tools, such as risk assessment questionnaires and educational resources.

Cons:

1. Limited investment options: Compared to some other platforms, InvestEngine offers a smaller selection of ETFs. Investors looking for a wider range of investment options might find this limiting.
2. No individual stocks or bonds: InvestEngine focuses exclusively on ETFs, which might not be suitable for investors who wish to invest in individual stocks, bonds, or other types of instruments.

All in all, it is a great solution for buy-and-hold investors looking to only invest in ETFs for the long term.

Want to know more about InvestEngine? Check our InvestEngine review.

Freetrade is a mobile-only commission-free UK stockbroker founded in 2016 that lets you invest in more than 6,000 stocks (US, UK, German, Finnish and Dutch), as well as ETFs, for free.

Freetrade came to revolutionize the traditional brokerage industry. A lot of brokers still present high complexity over their platforms and product offer. Freetrade is on a mission to help customers achieve better long-term financial outcomes and, for that purpose, it wants to be as transparent and trustworthy as possible. Ultimately, their goal is to allow everyone to benefit from wealth creation.

In the Freetrade app, you will not find CFDs and other related complex products; it does not promote day trading and has no hidden fees. The accounting opening process is quick and smooth. The mobile app is remarkably user-friendly. The main drawback is the limited product offering (no options, Forex, CFDs, Commodities or Cryptocurrencies).

As displayed on their website, Freetrade makes money through 3 revenue streams: ISA, £3/month, their premium service (£9,9/month), a fee of 0.45% of the Base FX rate on each US order placed, and a small amount of interest earned from banks on customers’ cash.

They operate under a freemium (free+premium) business model. For £9,9/month, users get extra features, such as limit orders, the ability to set stop loss, more stocks, etc. If you’re interested, you can also read our full Freetrade Review.

Which platform should you choose?

Some factors you should be aware of when choosing an online broker are the fees charged if it is regulated by top-tier institutions such as the FCA in the UK and the range of products it allows you to trade (not all platforms allow you to trade cryptocurrencies or stocks listed on the London Stock Exchange, for instance), among other factors.

The best online broker in your specific case will depend on your profile, preference, and objectives. Explore the websites above and decide for yourself!

A reminder that the above should not be construed as investment advice and should be considered information only. Investors should do their own research and due diligence about the services and opportunities best suited for their risk, returns, and impact strategy.

Happy investing!