Best Stock Trading App Ireland 2024 – Top Share Apps Compared

Looking for a top-rated stock trading app in Ireland? If so, there are plenty of providers active in this arena.

In finding the best stock trading app for you, you’ll need to look at key metrics surrounding regulation, tradable shares, fees and commissions, payments, and more.

In this guide, we review the best stock trading apps in Ireland right now. We also walk you through the process of setting up a stock app account and placing your first trade!

The Best Stock Trading Apps in Ireland Ranked

Best Stock Market App in Ireland Reviewed

With so many stock trading apps offering accounts to Irish traders, it can be difficult to know which provider is best for you and your financial goals.

For example, are you looking to create a portfolio of long-term shares and trade stocks on a short-term basis? Similarly, you need to see what stock markets the app gives you access to and how much you will be charged to place trades.

To save you countless hours of research, below we review the best stock apps in Ireland to consider.

1. Lightyear – One of the Best and Most Affordable Stock Trading App in Ireland

Regarding investing in Ireland, we have the best options available. Founded in 2020 by Mihkel Aamer and Martin Sokk, two former TransferWise employees, Lightyear is a UK-based fintech company. Investment services are offered to 22 European countries, including Ireland, the UK, Germany, and France.

A user-friendly trading app is available for investors of all skill levels. Traders can start trading with just $1 as a minimum investment.

Lightyear isn’t a common mention when we talk about the best ETF apps, but it sure makes up for it in that through Lightyear, you can purchase over 3,500 stocks and ETFs, most listed on the US stock markets (NASDAQ and NYSE), ADRs, and shares traded in the EU and UK. With Lightyear, you can deposit, hold, earn interest, and invest in multiple currencies with 0.35% conversion fees. Lightyear may introduce an ISA option in the future, although it does not currently offer such an option.

Licensed by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (Finantsinspektsioon), Lightyear Europe AS is a regulated EU investment company that serves customers throughout the EEA. Moreover, the app offers more than 3500 stocks and ETFs for retail traders to trade transparently and straightforwardly.

Capital at Risk

2. Capital.com – Best Stock Market App in Ireland for AI Trading

Capital.com is the best stock app in Ireland if you are a complete novice. First and foremost, it takes just minutes to open an account via the app. When you do, you can start trading stocks right away via the demo account facility.

This means that you can get a feel for real market conditions without needing to deposit any funds. Although capital.com isn’t one of the best demo trading apps, it’s a great place to start. When you do feel ready to start buying and selling stocks, Capital.com requires a small minimum deposit of just $20. Not only is this great for experiencing what the live stock trading markets are like, but it’s an inconsequential amount of risk.

To complement the demo account and low minimum deposit, Capital.com also provides you with all of the educational tools you will need to improve your stock trading endeavors. This includes the likes of guides and explainers, and even a fully-fledged educational app called InvestMate.

When we explored the stock trading arena, we found that Capital.com specializes in CFDs. Once again, this allows you to take a flexible approach to trading, as you’ll have access to short-selling and leverage facilities. You’ll be able to trade thousands of different shares from multiple markets, many of which are listed in the UK and US.

You’ll also like this stock trading app, as you will not be charged any commissions. Instead, all fees at Capital.com are charged via the spread. If you’re trading major blue-chip stocks, the spread is typically very competitive. In terms of payments, Capital.com supports debit cards, credit cards, and several e-wallets.

You can also fund your account via bank transfer, but this means raising the minimum deposit from $20 to $250. The Capital.com app, which is compatible with Android and iOS devices, has a great reputation in this space for providing a great client experience. Crucially, it is authorized and regulated by the FCA and CySEC – so you can in a safe and secure environment.

Read our in-depth Capital.com app review to learn more about the app.

3. Libertex – Top Stock CFD Broker with Zero Spreads

Being one of the best day trading apps available to trading enthusiasts, Libertex is worth considering if you are planning to day trade shares. This is because you will benefit from a zero-spread offering across all markets and financial instruments.

Plus, in many instances, Libertex does not charge any trading commissions on major stocks, so it’s one of the most competitively priced apps in this space. The Libertex stock trading app, which is available on both iOS and Android, specializes exclusively in CFD instruments.

But by trading stock CFDs, you can apply leverage to all of your positions. You can also engage in short-selling if you believe that a stock is overvalued.

If you’re also planning to trade other CFD asset classes, Libertex supports everything from forex and commodities to cryptocurrencies and indices. Either way, you can trade your chosen asset via the official Libertex app or through third-party provider MT4. The latter is more suited for those who wish to perform high-level technical analysis.

When it comes to reputation, Libertex has close to 3 million clients using its platform. It is regulated by a reputable body, CySEC, and has been offering CFD brokerage services for almost two decades. Getting started with this top-rated stock trading app takes minutes, and you simply need to meet a minimum deposit of $100. You can do this with a debit or credit card, e-wallet, or bank wire.

78.31% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

4. AvaTrade – Multiple Stock Market Investment App in Ireland and Competitive Fees

AvaTrade is one of the best trading platforms in Ireland that offers markets on stock CFDs, commodities, digital currencies, indices, and forex. This provider supports several different stock-trading apps in Ireland. If you are a newbie, you might consider AvaTradeGO, which is the native app offered by AvaTrade.

This offers a great user experience and will give you access to all of the same markets and functionality features as found on the main AvaTrade website. Alternatively, if you are an experienced trader, you might consider linking the MT4 or MT5 app to your AvaTrade account. In doing so, you will have access to a lot more in the way of chart analysis tools, order types, and the ability to deploy a trading robot.

Irrespective of whether you go for AvaTradeGO or a third-party app, AvaTrade gives you access to dozens of shares. You can trade with leverage and all fees are built into the spread – meaning AvaTrade is commission-free. When it comes to safety, AvaTrade is regulated in six jurisdictions. This includes licenses with the IIROC (Canada), FSA (UK), and Central Bank of Ireland.

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money with this provider.

5. Plus500 – CFD Investment App with Tight Spreads

In our article on the best CFD trading apps, we explained why Plus500 is a popular CFD trading site that offers a fully-fledged iOS/Android app. The account opening process with this provider takes a couple of minutes, and the minimum deposit stands at just $100.  

Once you’ve opened your account, you can then start using the Plus500 demo account facility. Here, you’ll have access to live stock trading conditions in a 100% risk-free environment. You will find a highly diverse range of exchanges at Plus500, both large and small.

For example, you can trade stock CFDs listed in the US, UK, and heaps of European nations. You can also trade stocks based on less liquid marketplaces, such as in South Africa and Singapore. You can also trade Irish stock CFDs at Plus500. This includes the likes of Flutter Entertainment, Keery Group, Kingspan, and Smurfit Kappa.

Irrespective of which stock CFD markets interest, Plus500 allows you to trade in a commission-free manner. All trading costs are built into the spread, which operates on a dynamic model. In most cases, you should find the spreads on offer very competitive, especially during busy market hours.

Outside of its stock library, the Plus500 app covers thousands of other financial instruments. Think along the lines of hard metals, energies, agricultural products, forex, indices, ETFs, and even cryptocurrencies. Once again, these are commission-free. Finally, our Plus500 app review explains that the app is regulated in several jurisdictions – so investor protections are plentiful.

6. Fineco Bank – Best CFD App with Competitive Spreads

Italian financial institution Fineco Bank recently entered the stock broker scene. It allows you to buy and sell shares in a super-competitive manner at just £2.95 per trade. This is also the case for ETFs. If you’re looking to add some international shares to your portfolio, Fineco Bank gives you access to heaps of foreign markets.

If you’re keen to invest in the financial markets but don’t know how to pick stocks, Fineco Bank offers automated portfolios. But if you do not want to handle it all yourself, there are a couple of good options in the “best stock portfolio trackers” you can choose from.

All you need to do is select your preferred risk rating, and Fineco Bank will add assets to your portfolio based on your financial goals. Fineco Bank is also popular with Irish investors, as it allows you to get started with a small investment of £100. If you do feel comfortable investing on a DIY basis, Fineco Bank offers excellent research tools and ongoing market commentary, just as we expounded on in our “Fineco app review.”

7. Degiro – Best Stock Trading App in Ireland for Low-Cost Investments

If you’re looking for the best stock trading app in Ireland for making low-cost investments, Degiro is well worth considering.

For example, the app allows you to buy Irish-listed shares for just €2.00 + 0.05% per trade. Like all markets at Degiro, this is payable when you enter a stock trade and again when you cash out. If you’re interested in UK shares, you’ll pay €4.00 + 0.05%. Perhaps the most competitive marketplace on the app is US-listed stocks – which will cost you just €0.50 + $0.0004 per share.

In fact, the app covers over 50 exchanges from 30 different countries. On top of Ireland, the UK, and the US – this includes everything from Germany, Switzerland, and France to Australia, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

As such, Degiro is a great stock trading app for creating a highly diverse portfolio of long-term investments. With that said, we should note that Degiro does charge a small annual fee for each international exchange that you wish to buy shares from. This stands at €2.50 annually for each individual exchange that you wish to access.

Nevertheless, as is seen in our Degiro app review, Degiro also offers a sizable suite of ETFs, mutual funds, index funds, and pre-built portfolios. If you’re looking to place more sophisticated trades, you can also access options and futures. In terms of the specifics, the Degiro stock trading app is regulated in the Netherlands. This comes with a €20,000 investor protection scheme – should Degiro go bankrupt.

When it comes to payments, we like the fact that the Degiro app does not have a minimum deposit policy in place. This means that you can start trading stocks with just a few euros. However, there is no support for debit/credit cards or e-wallets, so you’ll need to wait a couple of days for your bank account transfer to arrive.

Here is an overview of the best stock trading apps in Ireland;

What is The Best Way to Invest in Ireland?

The best way to invest in Ireland is through a stock trading app that provides ready-made portfolios or social trading. These platforms use expert insight to generate diverse portfolios based on market analysis.

Another way to invest in Ireland is through social trading. This is a trading strategy that involves connecting with expert traders to learn how they make decisions. Social trading also involves copy trading which is the process of building a portfolio around another investor’s decisions. Social trading is popular with beginners because it takes away the need to do extensive market analysis. However, profits are never guaranteed, and social trading is risky. But if you decide to go on that path, you can look up the best social trading apps and make your choice.

Other popular investing strategies in Ireland include investing in ISAs, investing in a high-yield savings account, and investing in index funds. The best way to invest will depend on each investor’s individual goals and preferred investing style. Beginner investors may prefer methods that reduce the need to conduct advanced analysis, whereas experienced investors may feel more comfortable using the best investment tools and analysis software to find investment opportunities themselves.

How to Choose the Best Stock Market App for You

As you likely know, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of stock trading apps in the online space. This makes it extremely difficult to know which app is right for you and your trading goals.

Although we have reviewed the best stock trading apps in Ireland in the market right now, it’s wise to do some research of your own before opening an account.

As such, below we explain how to choose the best stock trading app in Ireland for you.

Available Stocks

As covered in our mini-reviews of the best stock apps in Ireland – there are dozens of stock exchanges around the world. While some apps give you access to heaps of markets, others focus on one or two – such as the NASDAQ and NYSE.

Mobile Trading Experience

You also need to have a grasp of the mobile trading experience before signing up with a stock app. After all, you are going to be risking money on your chosen stock positions, so it’s important that the app is easy to use and that your experience is not hindered by a small mobile screen.

In many cases, you won’t actually be able to test the mobile trading experience out until you open an account and make a deposit. This is, of course, somewhat problematic.

The good news is that all of the top-rated stocks apps discussed on this page offer a demo account facility. Although you’ll need to quickly register to gain access, this allows you to trade in live market conditions risk-free. Then, if you find that the mobile trading experience is conducive to your needs, you can proceed to make a deposit.

Fees

It goes without saying that even the best stock trading apps need to charge fees to remain in business. There are many fees that you might incur when trading stocks, so we’ve broken this down below for your consideration.

Commission

Most stock investing apps charge a commission when you enter and exit a trade. This can come via a flat fee or a variable fee.

For example:

• The app might charge a flat fee of €4 euro per trade. Irrespective of how much you trade, you’ll pay €4 to buy a stock and another €4 to sell it.
• If a variable commission is in play, you might pay in the region of 0.10% per slide. This is charged at both ends of the trade and multiplied by your stake.

The good news is that the best stock apps in Ireland – such as Capital.com and Plus500 – allow you to trade commission-free!

Spreads

Understanding what spreads you are paying when you trade stocks is important. This is especially the case if you are a short-term trader who plans on opening and closing positions over the course of a few hours or days.

In its most basic form, the spread is the difference between the bid and ask price of a stock. The wider the gap between the two prices, the more you are paying to trade.

Other Fees

Other fees that you need to consider when searching for the best stock trading apps in Ireland include:

• Deposit/Withdrawal Fees: Depending on the stock trading app and the type of payment method you use, you might need to pay when depositing and withdrawing funds.
• Swap Fees (Overnight Financing): When you are trading stock CFDs, you will need to pay a swap fee if you keep the position open overnight. This is a variable fee, so the larger the stake, the more you will pay.
• Inactivity: If you have an active account balance and daily to place a trade for a certain period of time (usually 12 months), the app might charge you a monthly inactivity fee.

Trading Platform & Tools

The best stock trading apps in Ireland that we came across offer a selection of notable tools and features that you may find of interest.

This includes:

Leverage

The best stock trading apps in Ireland offer leveraged facilities. This allows you to boost your account balance by a certain amount, within EU limits. As an Irish resident, you can boost your stock trades by as much as five times your stake.

When trading other assets, such as forex, you can get as much as 30 times your stake. This can be useful if you want to actively day trade stocks but you don’t have access to a large amount of capital. Just be careful though, as leverage will boost your profits and losses.

To understand leverage more, you can read our article on “What is leverage in crypto trading?”

Shorting

Most stock traders will buy shares and hold on to them for several months or years. But if you think that a company is potentially overvalued and, thus, its stock price is likely to go down in the coming days or weeks, you might consider shorting.

To do this, you will need to choose a stock trading app that offers CFDs. All you need to do is then place a sell order on your chosen stock and the app will execute the shorting position immediately!

Orders

It’s also a good idea to check what orders the stock trading app offers. While buy and sell orders are mandatory, it’s useful to have access to stop-loss and take-profit orders, too. This will allow you to trade stocks in a risk-averse way.

Additionally, if you like to enter a stock trade at a specific price, you’ll want access to limit orders. Trailing stop-loss orders can also be valuable, as they allow you to remain in a profitable position for as long as possible.

Research

To be a proficient stock trader who makes consistent gains, you need to perform research on all of your positions. This generally comes in two forms: technical and fundamental analysis.

The former will see you analyze the stock price history of the respective company with the view of finding trends that could influence its future price. To do this, you’ll want to choose a stock trading app that offers technical indicators, such as the MACD or RSI.

In terms of fundamental research, this is the process of staying abreast of key market developments. As such, you might need the best stock tips services to offer real-time news feeds and market insights.

Payment Methods

Support for convenient payment methods will vary across stock trading apps.

Plus, you can process the deposit directly from within the app, as opposed to needing to go through the main desktop website. At the other end of the scale, although Degiro has no minimum deposit in place, it only allows you to deposit via bank transfer. This usually takes a couple of days to process, so you won’t be able to start trading until the funds clear.

Customer Service

And finally, don’t forget about customer service. Although it is hoped you do not have any issues with your chosen stock trading app – there might come a time when you need assistance.

The best stock trading apps in Ireland offer a live chat facility. This allows you to click the ‘Help’ icon and start chatting with a customer representative right away. You might, however, find that a lot of stock trading apps only offer a support form.

This means that you won’t have access to instant support and instead – you’ll need to wait several hours (or days) before you receive a reply.

Below is a summary of the key metrics for choosing a stock trading app in Ireland:

Best Stock Trading App Ireland in Conclusion

In summary, finding the best stock market app for your long-term financial goals is crucial. As we have discussed, there are a considerable number of providers in this space, so you’ll need to do your own research before selecting an app.

References

• https://www.finra.org/about/firms-we-regulate#:~:text=FINRA%20Regulates%20Broker%2DDealers%2C%20Capital,to%20a%20narrower%20rule%20book.
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/men-and-money–the-stockbrokers-world/zfgsqp3
• https://www.bbc.com/news/business-34264380
• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-29/why-contracts-for-difference-are-back-under-scrutiny-quicktake-kroehqag
• https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67087678#:~:text=Shorting%20is%20done%20on%20eToro,will%20start%20closing%20the%20position.

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