Tool Comparison
interactive investor vs Lightyear
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You want advanced order types and downloadable tax reports.
- You've outgrown the basics and want pro-level depth
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You want AI research, stock ideas, and ETF analysis.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick interactive investor instead if
interactive investor
Subscription · Web · Mobile
- You want advanced order types and downloadable tax reports.
- You've outgrown the basics and want pro-level depth
Start here
Lightyear
Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction · Web · Mobile
- You want AI research, stock ideas, and ETF analysis.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
interactive investor and Lightyear cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Lightyear simply does more: 8 categories to interactive investor's 5, including AI research, stock ideas, and ETF analysis. interactive investor counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
interactive investor
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Lightyear
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Key differences at a glance
- Broader coverage
- Lightyear8 vs 5 categories
What interactive investor does best
- Trading Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, and Personal Pension on every current plan.
- Junior ISA, joint account, and family benefits on Plus and Premium.
- More than 40,000 UK and international shares, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, bonds, and gilts.
- Direct access to 17 international exchanges and up to nine currencies in Trading Accounts and SIPPs.
- Free regular investing plus plan-specific included monthly trades and ad-hoc dealing prices.
What Lightyear does best
- Trade U.S., UK, and European stocks, with fractional shares where supported.
- European accounts pay no Lightyear ETF execution or custody fee, although fund manager fees still apply.
- General investment and eligible business accounts can hold GBP, USD, and EUR.
- Build custom plans, use ready-made plans, and optionally automate purchases of eligible fractional instruments.
- Lightyear AI summarizes material-move news, explains possible price-chart drivers, and presents sourced bull and bear cases.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Subscription | Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction |
Free tier | No | No |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 17 limits: Core: portfolio gbp: 100,000, Core: fund trade gbp: 3.99 +15 more | 9 limits: European account: US stock order: fee percent: 0.1, European account: US stock order: minimum usd: 0.1 +7 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | — | No |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate |
Best for | — | Retail Traders, Long-term Investors +1 more |
Categories covered | 5 | 8 |
Regions | Europe, North America, APAC | North America, Europe |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data partners | — | 3 partners: Alpaca, BlackRock +1 more |
Capabilities | — | Multi-currency and AI summaries: News |
| Try it | Visit interactive investor | Visit Lightyear |
Standout features
The best features of interactive investor and Lightyear.ShowHide
Standout features
What interactive investor does best
- Trading Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, and Personal Pension on every current plan.
- Junior ISA, joint account, and family benefits on Plus and Premium.
- More than 40,000 UK and international shares, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, bonds, and gilts.
- Direct access to 17 international exchanges and up to nine currencies in Trading Accounts and SIPPs.
- Free regular investing plus plan-specific included monthly trades and ad-hoc dealing prices.
What Lightyear does best
- Trade U.S., UK, and European stocks, with fractional shares where supported.
- European accounts pay no Lightyear ETF execution or custody fee, although fund manager fees still apply.
- General investment and eligible business accounts can hold GBP, USD, and EUR.
- Build custom plans, use ready-made plans, and optionally automate purchases of eligible fractional instruments.
- Lightyear AI summarizes material-move news, explains possible price-chart drivers, and presents sourced bull and bear cases.
All details
Every attribute we track for interactive investor and Lightyear.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual Funds | StocksETFsBondsFundsCryptos |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediate |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersLong-term InvestorsIndex/Passive Investors |
Regions | EuropeNorth AmericaAPAC | North AmericaEurope |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker and ISIN | Countries: US, GB, and EEExchanges: XNYS, XNAS, and XLONIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data partners | Not specified | AlpacaBlackRockJ.P. Morgan Asset Management |
| Access & integrations | ||
Import methods | Not specified | Manual |
Export formats | CSVPDF | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Not specified | Multi-currencyAI summaries: News |
Vendor & support | Interactive Investor Services LimitedCountry: United KingdomSupport: Phone and Email | Lightyear Financial Ltd.Country: United KingdomSupport: Email and Chat |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | Free“Account” |
| Entry paid plan | £5.99/mo“Core”portfolio gbp: 100,000 · fund trade gbp: 3.99 · +3 more | — |
| Tier 2 | £14.99/mo“Plus”free monthly trades: 1 · free family accounts: 5 · +4 more | — |
| Top plan | £39.99/mo“Premium”free monthly trades: 2 · free family accounts: Unlimited · +4 more | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between interactive investor and Lightyear?
interactive investor leans toward brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist, while Lightyear puts more weight on brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do interactive investor and Lightyear cost?
Neither has a free plan; you'll need a paid subscription for the full feature set of either. Check each tool's current plan details before buying.
Which is better for beginners: interactive investor or Lightyear?
Honestly, neither is aimed at beginners. Expect a learning curve either way; that's the trade-off for the depth they offer.
Should I choose interactive investor or Lightyear?
It depends on what you're after. Pick interactive investor if advanced order types and downloadable tax reports matter to you; go with Lightyear if you'd rather have AI research and stock ideas. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do interactive investor and Lightyear cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, and bonds. interactive investor also handles mutual funds. Lightyear adds funds and cryptos on top.
Can I export data from interactive investor and Lightyear?
interactive investor exports to CSV. Lightyear is stingier about getting data out.
Can I track my portfolio with interactive investor or Lightyear?
Yes, both do portfolio tracking: holdings, performance, and allocation in one place.
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