Share dealing and stock trading in the modern era really is changing before our eyes. If you’ve spent any time browsing here at Project Financially Free in the past, you’ll have noticed that I’m bringing more and more comparison guides for investment and trading engines to the fore.
The UK investment platforms I’m going to be looking at today are Degiro and Fineco Bank. Both offer flexible, affordable ways for you to get into trading across a wide range of options. But which is best – Fineco or Degiro? Let’s take a closer look.
As always, if you don’t have the time to read my full review and breakdown right now, make sure to check out my quick Degiro vs Fineco summary below.
Fineco vs Degiro: Quick Overview
- Products: Both services offer ETFs, stocks, options, bonds, futures and funds. Fineco offers CFDs and Forex, too, while Degiro supports crypto trading.
- Advice: Both services offer educational videos and guides, but neither has a demo mode.
- Representative Fees: No fees for starting up. Fineco offers flat fees on trading shares at £2.95, with annual rates of 0.25%. Degiro offers rate of 0.2% and flat fees of £1.75 plus 0.014%.
- Apps and Programs: Both services offer mobile and desktop versions.
- User-Friendly: Both services are user-friendly, however, it can take time for you to get used to either.
What is Fineco?
Fineco is a trading platform which processes thousands upon thousands of orders each and every day. It’ll give you the chance to trade across world markets and to invest in a variety of funds. It’s risk-friendly, too, meaning that you can choose to set up your trading account as you wish, based on your own knowledge and your own experiences.
Fineco is seen as a trusted brand by many people across Europe, having been trading for more than 20 years. However, it’s only just emerging in the UK. That’s not necessarily a bad thing!
Fineco tends to appeal to many people who are looking for cheap ways to invest. As you’ll soon find, this is a platform that gives you plenty of free rides. But does it compare against Degiro?
To read a detailed review about Fineco UK, check our out post: Is Fineco UK the best low-cost trading platform?
What is Degiro?
Degiro, much like Fineco, is absolutely invested in saving its users as much money as possible. Investment decisions are made easier through a flexible, streamlined trading service, and what’s more, you’ll have access to trading across 18 different countries on the continent.
Degiro has been on the scene since 2013, given it plenty of weight in the battle with regard to experience. However, it also offers a great range of investments, and it’s still likely to appeal to investors all the same.
Fineco vs Degiro: Investment Options
Before you get any deeper into using an investment platform, always check the products on offer. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to see what both Fineco and Degiro are offering from the get-go.
Both platforms offer a healthy array of different products and markets which you can invest in. Across both platforms, you’ll be able to invest in stocks, funds, ETFs, bonds and futures.
However, Fineco differs slightly in that it offers forex trading, as well as CFDs. This is markedly more than what you’ll expect from Degiro, though Degiro does have a slight edge in that you can invest in crypto here, too.
Sign up to Fineco &
Get £500 in Trading Commissions!
Sign up to Fineco using the link below and you will get up to £500 in trading commissions to use within the first 3 months of opening your account.
Fineco vs Degiro: Fees
Ok – so this is where we really get into the nitty gritty. Which of the two UK investment platforms are likely to be cheapest for you to use? Both Fineco and Degiro base themselves around this clear idea of making trading simpler and more affordable to everyday traders. However, we need to drill down and look at the specifics.
There are absolutely no inactivity fees, platform rates or minimum deposits required when you get started with Fineco. That’s going to be very appealing to anyone who is just getting started in the world of investing.
Fineco offers a flat share trading rate of £2.95, as well as for ETFs, with a fee of £6.95 that applies to bonds. The annual rate of payback is 0.25%, which is a little higher than Degiro. You can also get your £500 in trading commissions to use within the first three months by signing up via our link.
Degiro does seem to perform well in this regard, too, with an annual rate of 0.2%, and with cheap rates for ETFs, investment trusts and telephone dealing. Do also take a look at their share trading rates. They charge around £1.75 as a base rate, with 0.014% applicable across the board. There’s a cap of £5 for more than nine deals per month.
Sign up to Degiro & Get £20 Off Fees
If you sign up to Degiro using the link below and generate £20 worth of transaction fees within the first 3 months of trading you will get £20 reimbursed to your account.
Fineco vs Degiro: Advice & Learning Resources
If you’re new to any kind of short term trading, it’s safe to say you’re probably going to welcome some help and advice. Luckily, both Fineco and Degiro do a lot to help their users.
Let’s get the negatives out of the way – there’s no way for you to open a demo account on either platform right now. This is a shame, as a demo platform – like the fantastic playground that Trading 212 offers – is great for helping you find your feet.
However, both Fineco and Degiro offer video content for you to watch at your leisure before you get started. Fineco even sets up its own webinar scene, too, meaning there are chances for you to dip into the process.
Degiro offers something a little similar in the sense that there’s a full tutorial. However, there really could be more here to help people get to grips with the platform.
Research is a different matter. Fineco goes all out on this front – there are plenty of interesting charts and data for you to crunch. What’s more, it even throws up a few ideas here and there for you to put into practice.
The edge that Degiro has over Fineco here is the fact that there is a bit more interactivity. Traders who want to ‘deep dive’ into their data will likely enjoy the tools available which they can use to filter their finances down to a fine art.
Fineco vs Degiro: Is My Money Safe?
Yes. Both services are regulated by the FCA. This means that, should anything happen to either firm, your money will be protected up to an extent.
Degiro offers confidence in the fact that, as well as being authorised and regulated, it handles the affairs of big names in financial authority. However, Fineco Bank has the added edge in a pretty obvious way – it’s a bank!
When considering Fineco or Degiro, do also keep in mind that Fineco offers a lot more detail in terms of its financial performance and dealings.
Fineco vs Degiro: Mobile and Desktop Features
In this day and age, it makes sense that a trading platform should be readily available for mobile as well as for desktop.
Both services offer intuitive desktop platforms which should be pretty easy for beginners to get into over time. Searching through Fineco is particularly easy, while Degiro does have the edge on reporting, on the whole.
That said, neither platform really seems to inch ahead in terms of customisation online. This is where you’re likely going to need to drift towards the mobile versions instead.
Both mobile versions perform brilliantly – Degiro is missing out on a couple of features here and there, but it’s pretty close to call otherwise. Fineco seems to have more of a handle on what mobile traders expect and demand from their interfaces.
Fineco vs Degiro – Good for Beginners?
While on the face of things it’s clear beginners might not have much of an issue getting into trading on either service, the way things are set up here are more likely to appeal to people who want to invest more money, and who may have experience with other platforms. If you are a complete novice you may want to consider an investment platform better suited to beginners.
For example, if you’re drifting away from something like Moneyfarm or Interactive Investor, you might want to give Fineco or Degiro a try for added controls.
Fineco vs Degiro: Pros and Cons
It’s time to break things down – here’s the verdict on either platform.
Fineco Pros and Cons
- Fineco’s flat fees and free signup will appeal to anyone looking to save money on trading for the first time.
- You’ve got the backing of a bank with more than 20 years of experience!
- There’s a great variety of trading options here – all the way from shares and CFDs through to spread betting, there’s perhaps more on offer here than you might expect from most other UK investment platforms.
- I do think that Fineco takes a bit of time getting used to. There’s plenty here for beginners to really get into, but the way it’s all presented might just appeal to seasoned traders more.
- The service could also use more charts and a little more flexibility all around.
Degiro Pros and Cons
- Degiro, like Fineco, offers free account setup and flat trading rates.
- Degiro has a slight edge over Fineco in the fact that you can use the service to trade in crypto.
- Degiro supports flexible desktop and mobile modes, meaning that you can trade in whichever manner suits your needs the most.
- Additional login protection and slightly easier interface to adapt to means it may be a better choice for newbies.
- However, there is not the experience or clarity on finances that you can expect from Fineco.
- Degiro also seems to offer little in the way of alerts or notifications.
Fineco vs Degiro: Verdict?
On the whole Fineco really does seem to have the edge here. Both platforms offer clear, flat rate trading. However, it’s safe to say that Fineco benefits from additional banking backing, and the fact that it has a leading offer to help get you into trading. There is also more variety in terms of trading options, too.
However, Degiro does still have plenty of pros – meaning that it’s worth taking a close look at either platform before you put your money where your mouth is. For my money, however, Fineco edges it.
