B
Barclays logo

Barclays

8.4/10
freetrade logo

freetrade

8.9/10
7/10WinnerRegulation5/10
10/10FeesTied10/10
9/10PlatformsWinner10/10
10/10Education & ResearchTied10/10
4/10Deposits & WithdrawalsWinner10/10
10/10SupportTied10/10

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Overview

Barclays was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in United Kingdom, while freetrade was established in 2016 and is based in United Kingdom. Barclays holds licences including Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), while freetrade is regulated by Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales (no. 09797821) among others. Barclays serves 10,000+ clients worldwide; freetrade has 890,000+. Both brokers share the same minimum deposit of $0.

freetrade wins this category
FeatureBarclaysfreetrade
Min. Deposit$0$0
RegulationFinancial Conduct Authority (FCA), Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales (no. 09797821)
Founded20112016
CountryUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom
Clients10,000+890,000+

Fees

Fees are a critical factor when choosing between Barclays and freetrade, directly affecting your bottom line as a trader. Both require a minimum deposit of $0. Neither broker charges withdrawal fees. The two brokers are broadly comparable on fee structure.

Tied
FeatureBarclaysfreetrade
Min. Deposit$0$0
Withdrawal FeesNoNo
Inactivity FeesNoNo
Deposit FeesNoNo
CFD FeesNoNo

Platforms

Barclays offers MT4, MT5, cTrader, while freetrade supports MT4, MT5, cTrader, a proprietary platform. Both brokers provide mobile trading apps for iOS and Android. freetrade supports social and copy trading features, which Barclays does not offer. freetrade edges ahead on platform breadth and functionality in our scoring.

freetrade wins this category
FeatureBarclaysfreetrade
MT4YesYes
MT5YesYes
cTraderYesYes
Windows AppYesYes
iOS AppYesYes
Android AppYesYes
Trading PlatformsDesktop, Tablet & Mobile appsMT4, MT5, Mac, ZuluTrade, Web Trader, cTrader, Tablet & Mobile apps

Education & Research

Education and research tools help traders at every level make more informed decisions, and here's how Barclays and freetrade compare. Both brokers run regular live webinars. Both provide video tutorials, including advanced content. Daily market commentary is available from both brokers. Both integrate third-party research tools including Trading Central. Archived webinars are available at both brokers for self-paced learning. The two brokers are evenly matched on educational content.

Tied
FeatureBarclaysfreetrade
Forex EducationYesYes
CFD EducationYesYes
Weekly WebinarsYesYes
Daily CommentaryYesYes
Trading CentralYesYes
AutochartistYesYes

Deposits & Withdrawals

Convenient deposit and withdrawal options reduce friction for traders, especially important when managing positions across time zones. Barclays accepts 2 of the tracked payment methods (bank transfer, credit/debit card), while freetrade supports 5 (bank transfer, credit/debit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller). freetrade uniquely supports PayPal and Skrill and Neteller among the two brokers. freetrade scores higher on deposit and withdrawal flexibility.

freetrade wins this category
FeatureBarclaysfreetrade
Bank TransferYesYes
Credit CardYesYes
PayPalNoYes
SkrillNoYes
NetellerNoYes

Support

Responsive customer support matters most when you're locked out of your account or need urgent help with a trade. Both Barclays and freetrade offer live chat support. Both provide phone support. Email support is available at both brokers. Barclays supports 2 languages and freetrade supports 8, giving freetrade broader global reach. Both brokers are comparable on support quality.

Tied
FeatureBarclaysfreetrade
Live ChatYesYes
Phone SupportYesYes
Email SupportYesYes
LanguagesEnglish, and ChineseEnglish, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Arabic