Freetrade vs Lightyear : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Freetrade

Lightyear

Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

STP broker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2016

2020

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

1.5 M

Info not available

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FCA

FCA EFSA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Online trading platform 2024

No major awards listed

Security Measures

Yes

SIPC, EIPSF Upto Euro 20,000

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

6200+ U.S Treasury Bills, Investment trust

US / EU / UK Stocks (3500+) Interest Money Market Funds Baltic Stocks Baltic Bonds

Currency Pairs

Commodities

Indices

Cryptocurrencies

CFDs

ETFs

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Options

Futures

Bonds

Yes

Mutual Funds

Fractional Shares

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Precious Metals

Yes - through Exchange Traded Commodities

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Yes

Yes - through REIT stocks

Equities

Yes

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

MT4

MT5

cTrader

Social Trading

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Freetrade web and mobile trading platform

Lightyear's proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

General investment account, Stocks and shares ISA, Personal pension account

Personal Business

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Minimum Deposit

Leverage Available

100:1

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

depends on asset class

Varies for each product

Commission (per account type)

Euro 0

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Beginners to experienced traders

Beginners

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Bank transfer, debit card, Apple pay, google pay

EUR - SEPA, Debit Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay GBP - FPS, CHAPS, BACS, SWIFT, Apple Pay, Google Pay USD - ACH, FedWire, SWIFT HUF - Bank transfers within Hungary

Withdrawal Methods

Linked bank account

Bank Transfers

Other E-Wallets Supported

Apple pay , google pay

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Learn (Trading Education), Freetrade Blog (Market Insights), Webinars, Investing Guides, Video Tutorials, Community Forum

Savings interest calculator Inflation calculator Ticker time machine Rate comparison calculator

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

FX fee of 0.59%

US Shares per order - 0.1% upto $1 maximum EU Shares per order - Euro 1 UK Shares per order - Euro 1 Money Market Funds - 0.25% annually Nasdaq Baltic - Euro 1 ETFs -Euro 0 Multi-currency account -Euro 0

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Per Lot Fees

Options Contract Fees

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

100:1

Info not available

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

Advisory Fees

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Statement or Document Fee

Account Opening Fee

Account Maintenance Fee

£10.97

Deposit Fee

£5

In EUR & GBP Debit Card / ApplePay / Google Pay - First Euro500 lifetime free, 0.5% after In USD FedWire & Swift - $6.11

Currency Conversion Fee

Exchange rate + 0.99%

0.35%

Withdrawal Fee

£5

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM GMT Monday to Friday: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET (2:30 PM - 9:00 PM GMT) European Market Hours- Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM CET (8:00 AM - 4:30 PM GMT)

Vary for each asset class

Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

24/5

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Help hub, community forum, E-mail, Social media

Email: mailto:[email protected], Live chat Phone number:+1 332-333-4220.

Support Languages

20+

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Level 2, The Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, England, E1 6QL

Volta 1 Tallinn 10412 Estonia

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.

Both Freetrade and Lightyear offer affordable fee structures, but Freetrade generally edges out with no inactivity fees and lower commissions on standard trades, whereas Lightyear shines with bundled research and platform access.

The account creation flow at Freetrade is modern and app-driven, making it seamless for new users. Lightyear , however, leans toward traditional processes with forms and verifications that take more time.

Freetrade integrates well with algorithmic trading tools and third-party plugins. In contrast, Lightyear emphasizes educational content and built-in research features within its platform.

Freetrade strength lies in high-performance trading, while Lightyear provides a more accessible route for everyday investors.

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