The best stock market apps for UK investors
Three different products get called a stock market app, and buying the wrong category is the usual mistake. Here's what separates brokers, free data apps and paid research tools — written by the founder of one of them.
First, decide which kind of app you need
“Stock market app” covers three completely different products, and buying the wrong category is the most common mistake.
A broker
Where you actually hold and trade shares. Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, interactive investor, Trading 212, Freetrade, IG. You need one of these; the choice turns on fees, account types and what markets you can reach.
A data and news app
Prices, charts, headlines, watchlists. Yahoo Finance, Investing.com, your broker's own app. Almost all free, and adequate for following what you own.
A research and analysis app
Tools that form a view: quality scoring, valuation, screening. Simply Wall St, Stockopedia, SharePad, Oak Growth. This is the category people are usually looking for when free apps stop being enough.
What separates the research apps
| App | Coverage | Fair value? | Mobile app | From /month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simply Wall St | ~150,000 | Yes (DCF) | iOS + Android | ~£9 |
| Stockopedia | 32,000+ | Rank only | Mobile web | £32 (UK) |
| SharePad | UK, US, EU | No | Mobile web | ~£30 |
| Oak Growth | ~1,000 / 8 markets | Yes (DCF) | Mobile web | £18 |
| Broker apps | Varies | No | Yes | Free |
If a native phone app matters most to you, Simply Wall St is the clear answer and it is also the cheapest paid option. If a valuation in pounds per company matters more, that narrows the field to the two that publish one. If you want to build and backtest screens, Stockopedia or SharePad, and nothing else is close.
Things worth checking before you pay
Does it cover your market?
Several tools price UK and US coverage separately. If you hold AIM shares or European listings, check they are included rather than an upgrade.
Are there usage caps?
At least one popular service limits how many company reports you can open per month on lower tiers. Fine if you research deeply; irritating if you research widely.
Trial terms
Some require a card, some don't. Note the first charge date when you sign up rather than discovering it later.
Does it duplicate your broker?
Your broker app already gives prices, charts, news and a watchlist for nothing. Only pay for something that adds judgement — quality scoring, valuation, screening — rather than more of what you already have.
The test that matters
Open a company you already know well. If the app tells you something you didn't know, or saves you an hour of spreadsheet work, it's earning its fee. If it mostly re-presents figures you could read in the annual report, it isn't — however good it looks on a phone.
Nine markets, one screen, £18 a month
Oak Growth estimates intrinsic value and margin of safety across roughly 1,000 companies, scores each on Buffett's four pillars, and flags entry signals on the chart.
Explore Oak GrowthCommon questions
What is the best stock market app in the UK?
It depends which of three things you need: a broker to hold shares, a free data app to follow prices, or a research app that forms a view. For research, Simply Wall St is cheapest with the widest coverage, Stockopedia and SharePad are deepest for screening, and Oak Growth publishes a fair value across eight markets at £18 a month.
Are free stock market apps good enough?
For prices, charts, news and watchlists, yes — your broker's own app usually covers all of it at no cost. Free tools generally don't estimate what a business is worth or judge quality, which is the point at which people start paying for something.
Which UK investing app gives a fair value for shares?
Simply Wall St and Oak Growth both publish a discounted cash flow estimate per company. Stockopedia ranks companies against each other rather than publishing a fair value figure, and SharePad provides the underlying data for you to value companies yourself.
Do I need a separate app from my broker?
Only if you want analysis your broker doesn't provide. Broker apps handle holding, trading, prices and news perfectly well. A paid research app is worth it when you need quality scoring, valuation or screening that the broker doesn't offer.
Also see: Best stock screener UK → · Simply Wall St alternatives → · Stockopedia alternatives →