---
title: "Share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the platforms people in the UK use to buy shares, funds and ISAs. Share of Search among Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, Trading 212, eToro, Vanguard, Freetrade and InvestEngine, the share dealing platforms Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-share-dealing-platforms"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?

Compare the platforms people in the UK use to buy shares, funds and ISAs. Share of Search among Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, Trading 212, eToro, Vanguard, Freetrade and InvestEngine, the share dealing platforms Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Share dealing platforms
- **Market**: United Kingdom
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Hargreaves Lansdown, 54.5%

## Which brand is most popular in search among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom?

- In September 2026, Hargreaves Lansdown was the most searched among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 550K branded searches, 54.5% of all searches for the seven we track.
- AJ Bell is in 2nd place, 38.1 percentage points behind at 16.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hargreaves Lansdown’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom increased from 49.9% to 54.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AJ Bell’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom increased from 12.2% to 16.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Trading 212’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom decreased from 22.3% to 16.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, eToro’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom decreased from 10% to 7.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hargreaves Lansdown’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom peaked at 56% in August 2026 and was lowest at 49.9% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, eToro’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom peaked at 10% in October 2025 and was lowest at 6% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vanguard’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom peaked at 4.1% in May 2026 and was lowest at 3% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AJ Bell rose from 3rd to 2nd among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Trading 212 fell from 2nd to 3rd among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vanguard, Freetrade and InvestEngine held steady: their share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top share dealing platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, AJ Bell, Trading 212 and InvestEngine were mentioned most often, in three of the five answers. Trading 212 was recommended most often, coming first in all three answers that gave a list. Vanguard was second, and InvestEngine was third. Hargreaves Lansdown, which ranked first in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Trading 212 | 1st | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Vanguard | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| InvestEngine | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| AJ Bell | 4th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| eToro | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Freetrade | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about share dealing platforms

- Asked ChatGPT "Which share dealing platform should I use in the UK?": 1. Trading 212, 2. AJ Bell, 3. InvestEngine
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best investment platforms in the UK?": 1. Trading 212, 2. Vanguard, 3. InvestEngine, 4. AJ Bell
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best stocks and shares ISA platform in the UK for beginners?": 1. Trading 212, 2. Vanguard, 3. InvestEngine, 4. AJ Bell
- Searched Google, AI Overview "stocks and shares isa": named none of the brands we track
- Searched Google, AI Overview "share dealing": named none of the brands we track

Not named in any answer: Hargreaves Lansdown, eToro and Freetrade.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Hargreaves Lansdown vs AJ Bell: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/aj-bell-vs-hargreaves-lansdown): 54.5% against 16.3% Share of Search.
- [Hargreaves Lansdown vs Trading 212: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/hargreaves-lansdown-vs-trading-212): 54.5% against 16.3% Share of Search.
- [Hargreaves Lansdown vs eToro: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/etoro-vs-hargreaves-lansdown): 54.5% against 7.3% Share of Search.
- [Hargreaves Lansdown vs Vanguard: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/hargreaves-lansdown-vs-vanguard): 54.5% against 3% Share of Search.
- [AJ Bell vs Trading 212: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/aj-bell-vs-trading-212): 16.3% Share of Search each.
- [AJ Bell vs eToro: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/aj-bell-vs-etoro): 16.3% against 7.3% Share of Search.
- [AJ Bell vs Vanguard: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/aj-bell-vs-vanguard): 16.3% against 3% Share of Search.
- [Trading 212 vs eToro: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/etoro-vs-trading-212): 16.3% against 7.3% Share of Search.
- [Trading 212 vs Vanguard: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/trading-212-vs-vanguard): 16.3% against 3% Share of Search.
- [eToro vs Vanguard: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/etoro-vs-vanguard): 7.3% against 3% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom share dealing platforms in September 2026?

- In September 2026, AJ Bell overtook Trading 212 to rank 2nd among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom, with 16.3% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Hargreaves Lansdown lost share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom, from 56% to 54.5%.
- In September 2026, Vanguard lost share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom, from 3.7% to 3%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for eToro in the United Kingdom fell 45.2% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 74K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Trading 212 in the United Kingdom fell 45.2% over 12 measured months, from 301K to 165K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Freetrade in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 18.1K to 14.8K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for InvestEngine in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 9.9K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 54.5% | 550K | 0.0% | Hargreaves Lansdown |
| 2 | AJ Bell | 16.3% | 165K | +22.2% | AJ Bell |
| 3 | Trading 212 | 16.3% | 165K | 0.0% | Trading 212 |
| 4 | eToro | 7.3% | 74K | 0.0% | eToro |
| 5 | Vanguard | 3% | 30.7K | -16.3% | Vanguard |
| 6 | Freetrade | 1.5% | 14.8K | +22.3% | Freetrade |
| 7 | InvestEngine | 0.98% | 9.9K | 0.0% | InvestEngine |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 673K | 49.9% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Trading 212 | 301K | 22.3% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | AJ Bell | 165K | 12.2% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | eToro | 135K | 10% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Vanguard | 44.9K | 3.3% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Freetrade | 18.1K | 1.3% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | InvestEngine | 12.1K | 0.9% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 550K | 52.9% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Trading 212 | 201K | 19.3% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | AJ Bell | 135K | 13% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | eToro | 90.5K | 8.7% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Vanguard | 36.7K | 3.5% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Freetrade | 14.8K | 1.4% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | InvestEngine | 12.1K | 1.2% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 550K | 53.9% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Trading 212 | 201K | 19.7% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | AJ Bell | 135K | 13.2% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | eToro | 74K | 7.2% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Vanguard | 36.7K | 3.6% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Freetrade | 12.1K | 1.2% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | InvestEngine | 12.1K | 1.2% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 673K | 52.4% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Trading 212 | 246K | 19.1% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | AJ Bell | 165K | 12.8% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | eToro | 110K | 8.6% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Vanguard | 45.9K | 3.6% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Freetrade | 27.1K | 2.1% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | InvestEngine | 18.1K | 1.4% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 550K | 50.7% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Trading 212 | 201K | 18.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | AJ Bell | 165K | 15.2% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | eToro | 90.5K | 8.3% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Vanguard | 44.9K | 4.1% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Freetrade | 22.2K | 2% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | InvestEngine | 12.1K | 1.1% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 673K | 53.6% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Trading 212 | 246K | 19.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | AJ Bell | 165K | 13.1% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | eToro | 90.5K | 7.2% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Vanguard | 44.9K | 3.6% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Freetrade | 22.2K | 1.8% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | InvestEngine | 14.8K | 1.2% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 673K | 54.5% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Trading 212 | 246K | 19.9% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | AJ Bell | 165K | 13.4% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | eToro | 74K | 6% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Vanguard | 44.1K | 3.6% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Freetrade | 18.1K | 1.5% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | InvestEngine | 14.8K | 1.2% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 550K | 51.7% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Trading 212 | 201K | 18.9% | 2 |
| May 2026 | AJ Bell | 165K | 15.5% | 3 |
| May 2026 | eToro | 74K | 7% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Vanguard | 44.1K | 4.1% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Freetrade | 18.1K | 1.7% | 6 |
| May 2026 | InvestEngine | 12.1K | 1.1% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 550K | 51.3% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Trading 212 | 201K | 18.7% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | AJ Bell | 165K | 15.4% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | eToro | 90.5K | 8.4% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Vanguard | 36K | 3.4% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Freetrade | 18.1K | 1.7% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | InvestEngine | 12.1K | 1.1% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 450K | 51.5% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Trading 212 | 165K | 18.9% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | AJ Bell | 135K | 15.4% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | eToro | 74K | 8.5% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Vanguard | 30K | 3.4% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Freetrade | 12.1K | 1.4% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | InvestEngine | 8.1K | 0.93% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 550K | 56% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Trading 212 | 165K | 16.8% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | AJ Bell | 135K | 13.7% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | eToro | 74K | 7.5% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Vanguard | 36.7K | 3.7% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Freetrade | 12.1K | 1.2% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | InvestEngine | 9.9K | 1% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Hargreaves Lansdown | 550K | 54.5% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | AJ Bell | 165K | 16.3% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Trading 212 | 165K | 16.3% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | eToro | 74K | 7.3% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Vanguard | 30.7K | 3% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Freetrade | 14.8K | 1.5% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | InvestEngine | 9.9K | 0.98% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **AJ Bell**: Measured on the search term “aj bell”.
- **eToro**: Measured on the search term “etoro”.
- **Freetrade**: Measured on the search term “freetrade”.
- **Hargreaves Lansdown**: Measured on the search term “hargreaves lansdown”.
- **InvestEngine**: Measured on the search term “investengine”.
- **Trading 212**: Measured on the search term “trading 212”.
- **Vanguard**: Measured on the search terms “vanguard investments” and “vanguard uk”, summed into one figure.

- [AJ Bell](/demand/uk/brands/aj-bell)
- [eToro](/demand/uk/brands/etoro)
- [Freetrade](/demand/uk/brands/freetrade)
- [Hargreaves Lansdown](/demand/uk/brands/hargreaves-lansdown)
- [InvestEngine](/demand/uk/brands/investengine)
- [Trading 212](/demand/uk/brands/trading-212)
- [Vanguard](/demand/uk/brands/vanguard)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom?

In September 2026, Hargreaves Lansdown was the most searched among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 550K branded searches, 54.5% of all searches for the seven we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-share-dealing-platforms

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-share-dealing-platforms. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.