Best Apps For Trading Without Investment In The UK

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Go to broker’s website Plus500 Overview

If you're too busy to read the entire article and want a quick answer, the best free trading app in the UK is Plus500. Why? Here are its key advantages:

Is legit in your country (Identified as United States )
Has a good user satisfaction score 6.83 out of 10
A wide range of trading instruments, including Forex, stocks, commodities and cryptocurrencies, allowing you to diversify your investment portfolio.
Low trading fees and tight spreads, allowing you to reduce transaction costs and increase profits.

Go to broker’s website Plus500 Overview

Below, we'll explain in more detail why we believe this and how brokers were evaluated.

Best free trading apps in the UK:

Plus500 - Best premium client support (personal manager, exclusive analysis, webinars)
Pepperstone - Best for scalping strategies (spread from 0 pips)
OANDA - Best for trading with advanced technical analysis tools (TradingView charts support)
FOREX.com - Diverse range of tradable assets (80+ currency pairs)
Interactive Brokers - Best broker for international investors (assets from 33 countries, 150+ markets)
IG Markets - Favorable Forex trading conditions (0 fees, avg. EUR/USD spread - 0.8)
Pocket Option - Best for Social Trading (top rated service by customers)

Trading has become more accessible than ever in the UK, thanks to free apps designed for beginners. Some of these platforms go beyond the basics, offering intuitive tools and real-time market updates without charging a penny. In this guide, we’ll explore the best free trading apps in the UK that help you trade smarter while keeping your money where it belongs — in your pocket. With referral bonuses, cash prizes and simulated real-money trading, you can demonstrate your skills for potential rewards. Of course, consistency and discipline remain the keys to long-term success.

Best apps for trading without investment in the UK

There are several options for making money in trading without having to invest your own funds and here we will be focusing on 3 of them:

Broker affiliate programs.
Broker competitions.
Forex funded trading programs.

Broker affiliate programs

Many brokers offer affiliate programs that allow you to earn a commission by referral. This means that you get paid when new traders join the broker’s platform after following your affiliate link. It's a win-win situation for both parties, the broker and yourself: on the one hand you earn money for every new trader you refer to the broker, and the broker gains a new customer without going through the hassle and acquisition costs of getting new traders to join their platform.

There are different types of affiliate programs. In some cases you get paid a fixed amount for every new trader that you refer to the broker. Although this isn't always the case, you can expect to receive payment ranging from £50 to over £700 for each successful referral.

In other cases, you may receive a percentage commission on the spreads generated by trades executed by your referred clients. The commission here is usually around 30% on the total spreads generated by your referred clients in a given month.

Top Forex trading apps in UK with an affiliate program
	Min. deposit, $	Max. leverage	Investor protection	Max. Regulation Level	Open an account
Plus500	100	1:300	€20,000 £85,000 SGD 75,000	Tier-1	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
Pepperstone		1:500	£85,000 €20,000 €100,000 (DE)	Tier-1	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
OANDA		1:200	£85,000 SGD 75,000 $500,000	Tier-1	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
FOREX.com	100	1:50	£85,000	Tier-1	Study review
Interactive Brokers		1:30	$500,000 £85,000	Tier-1	Open an account Your capital is at risk.

Attractive lifetime commissions. Choose programs offering lifetime revenue shares for a steady income stream as long as referred clients remain active.
Access to tailored marketing tools. Look for brokers with advanced dashboards, custom email templates, and geo-targeted campaigns that boost your conversions.
Passive income with scaling potential. Build a referral network that scales over time, generating income even when you're not actively promoting.
High-paying niche markets. Promote specialized brokers like commodities or crypto futures platforms, where fewer affiliates mean higher commissions.

Delayed payments and payout thresholds. Check brokers’ minimum withdrawal limits and payout schedules to avoid cash flow disruptions.
Regulatory hurdles. Be aware of compliance risks if promoting brokers in restricted countries to avoid fines or account bans.
Data transparency issues. Stay away from brokers with unclear reporting metrics, as this makes tracking performance difficult.
Reputation risks from partner brokers. A broker’s bad market reputation can harm your credibility, so choose reputable brokers.

Broker competitions

Some brokers organize trading competitions where you can sign up, compete, and showcase your trading skills. In these competitions winners and top performers get often generous rewards. These rewards can include cash, trading account credits or valuable prizes such as electronic gadgets, trips or trading education courses.

Skill enhancement. These competitions are a great way to get hands-on experience, learn and become a better trader overall.
Interesting rewards. Winning these competitions can lead to financial rewards, prizes and other incentives.

Sticking to the rules. In order to win you must adhere to certain rules provided by the broker. These rules may include max daily drawdown ratios, limited leverage, a defined list of tradable assets, etc. This may not fit your specific trading style.

Forex funded trading programs

Certain brokerage firms provide funded trading accounts, allowing you to trade with their capital. If you demonstrate to be a consistently profitable trader, you can earn a share of the profits without investing your own money. There is not a clear limit to how much you can earn following this option since the amount at your disposal changes from one platform to another.

Top prop firms in the UK
	Funding Up To, $	Profit split up to, %	Min Trade Days	Open an account
Hola Prime	4 000 000	95	2	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
Instant Funding	2 500 000	90	3	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
GoatFundedTrader	2 000 000	95	3	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
Earn2Trade	400 000	80	10	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
FXIFY	4 000 000	90	5	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
Blue Guardian Capital	2 000 000	85	No time limits	Open an account Your capital is at risk.
Funded Trading Plus	400 000	90	No time limits	Open an account Your capital is at risk.

Profit sharing. You get paid a % amount of every pound you make.
Professional experiences. This is the closest you can be to professionally managing your own fund.
No financial risk. If you lose more than a certain amount, you may lose your funded account but you will not lose money personally.

Performance requirement. Some of these programs require you to achieve specific performance targets.
Risk management. You will have to adhere to certain risk management parameters. These tight rules may play against you depending on your personal trading style and strategy.
Terms and conditions. Review carefully the terms and conditions of your funded trading program to avoid bad surprises later.

As you can see, each option has its pros and cons, and the amount you can earn varies, so be sure to explore these opportunities to find the one that best suits your trading style and goals.

Rules and regulation

Licensing in the UK

Exchanges in the UK must be approved by the FCA and meet the requirements regarding anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). These rules came into effect in 2020. To obtain a crypto license in the UK, a company must:

register;
open an account with a British bank;
open an office;
observe AML/CFT policies;
establish a Know Your Client (KYC) procedure;
have an internal audit service.

Investor protection in the UK

Investor protection in the UK is primarily managed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FCA regulates financial markets and firms to ensure fair practices and safeguard consumer interests, while the FSCS compensates investors if a financial institution fails to return their money.

The FSCS provides compensation of up to £85,000 per person, per authorized firm, in cases of firm insolvency. This protection covers a variety of investment products, provided the financial institution is FCA or Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) authorized. Investors should ensure their chosen firms are duly authorized to benefit from these protections.

The UK also promotes responsible investing through the Stewardship Code. This code establishes standards for institutional investors and service providers to encourage responsible capital management and long-term value creation.

Recent regulatory developments include the FCA's initiative to simplify investment disclosures. This aims to make information clearer for consumers and enhance their confidence in financial markets, replacing complex EU regulations with UK-specific guidelines.

Taxation in the UK

Determine if you are a speculative trader. If Forex is a casual activity, your profits might be tax-free under the gambling exemption, though frequent trading raises tax liability concerns.
Understand self-employment implications. Trading regularly makes you self-employed, with Income Tax rates of 20%, 40%, or 45% based on income brackets.
Know when Capital Gains Tax (CGT) applies. If HMRC considers your Forex activity an investment, CGT at 10% or 20% could apply, depending on your tax band.
Use a limited company for tax efficiency. Setting up a limited company might reduce taxes since corporate tax is 25%, lower than the highest personal tax rates.
Claim losses strategically. You can offset trading losses against other income, minimizing your total tax bill when trading regularly.

Hidden features in UK trading apps that boost profits

Most beginners miss out on custom order types. Don’t just stick with market orders; explore stop-limits and trailing stops, which help secure profits and control losses even when you're offline. These hidden settings can make a massive difference, especially if you can’t monitor trades all day.

Data integration with third-party tools is another goldmine. Some UK trading apps let you export trade data or connect to platforms like TradingView. This allows you to run advanced analysis for free, leveling up your trading strategy without premium subscriptions. Choose an app with data export options and pair it with a free analysis tool for a powerful, low-cost trading setup.

Methodology for compiling our ratings of Forex brokers

Traders Union applies a rigorous methodology to evaluate brokers using over 100 quantitative and qualitative criteria. Multiple parameters are given individual scores that feed into an overall rating.

Key aspects of the assessment include:

Regulation and safety. Brokers are evaluated based on the level/reputation of licenses and regulations they operate under.
User reviews. Client reviews and feedback are analyzed to determine customer satisfaction levels. Reviews are fact-checked and verified.
Trading instruments. Brokers are evaluated on the range of assets offered, as well as the breadth and depth of available markets.
Fees and commissions. All trading fees and commissions are analyzed comprehensively to determine overall costs for clients.
Trading platforms. Brokers are assessed based on the variety, quality, and features of platforms offered to clients.
Other factors like brand popularity, client support, and educational resources are also evaluated.

Find out more about the unique broker assessment methodology developed by Traders Union specialists.

Conclusion

Earning on Forex without your own investments is a real opportunity for those who are ready to invest time and effort in training and practice. Using demo accounts, bonus programs and trader contests, you can not only get start-up capital, but also develop trading skills without financial risk. It is important to focus on a strategic approach, risk control and discipline to prepare for real trading. Additional methods, such as affiliate programs, allow you to earn income even without active participation in the market. Gradually accumulating experience and knowledge, you can confidently reach a new level and turn trading into a source of stable income.

FAQs

How to start trading without a minimum deposit?

Many brokers in the UK do not require a minimum deposit, or the minimum deposit is quite nominal (usually around £10-£100). Additionally, some brokers offer trading contests that you can participate in without any deposit. Keep in mind that there are also free prop evaluation firms that give you the opportunity to start trading without an initial investment.

How much do you need to invest to make decent money?

Typically, traders recommend starting with a minimum of $1,000 and up for trading experience that can provide decent cash rewards. If you are looking for options to make money without investment in the UK, there are trading apps and programs that can help you get started without putting your own funds at risk.

How to trade without investment?

Choosing a Forex broker can be a daunting task, and trading without investment requires careful selection of the right platform if you are new to trading. We recommend starting by checking out the online trading apps we've reviewed in this article, which can help simplify your decision-making process.

Is it possible to earn money on Forex using affiliate programs?

Yes, affiliate programs allow you to earn income by attracting new traders. The reward depends on the activity of the attracted users and can become a stable source of income if you promote resources correctly.

Team that worked on the article

Maxim Nechiporenko has been a contributor to Traders Union since 2023. He started his professional career in the media in 2006. He has expertise in finance and investment, and his field of interest covers all aspects of geoeconomics. Maxim provides up-to-date information on trading, cryptocurrencies and other financial instruments. He regularly updates his knowledge to keep abreast of the latest innovations and trends in the market.

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Chinmay Soni is a financial analyst with more than 5 years of experience in working with stocks, Forex, derivatives, and other assets. As a founder of a boutique research firm and an active researcher, he covers various industries and fields, providing insights backed by statistical data. He is also an educator in the field of finance and technology.

As an author for Traders Union, he contributes his deep analytical insights on various topics, taking into account various aspects.

Mirjan Hipolito is a journalist and news editor at Traders Union. She is an expert crypto writer with five years of experience in the financial markets. Her specialties are daily market news, price predictions, and Initial Coin Offerings (ICO).