eToro Review UK 2023 - The Best Social Trading Platform? (2023)

In this eToro UK review I’ve tested every part of this trading platform to find out why eToro has over 20 million users, and why it’s one of the best trading platforms in the world.

eToro boasts one of the largest social trading communities online, but is this the best trading platform for your unique requirements?

I hope to demystify some of the information surrounding eToro so you can make an informed decision as to whether eToro can help you along the path to trading success.

Minimum Deposit £50

Visit eToro

eToro is an Israeli Fintech startup that has been getting a lot of recognition as providing an excellent social trading broking site since its conception in 2007. Social trading on eToro allows you to observe the strategies of some of the more expert traders on the eToro trading platform in order to maximise your own results by copy trading or mirror trading.

Here in the UK, eToro is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which guarantees you an element of safety. However, as eToro is a multi-asset trading platform that offers trading CFD assets, eToro can present a high risk option for traders who don’t have a thorough understanding of CFDs. However, eToro also offers 0% fees on stock trading which, for investors, makes it a trading platform to take seriously.

Pros

• Free trading on stocks
• Very quick and easy to open an account
• Well designed web trading platform with social trading available

Cons

• Very limited education
• Conversion and withdrawal fees
• High Forex fees

Our eToro review in 60 seconds

Quick facts about eToro

• eToro is a social trading and investing platform that allows users to trade a variety of assets, including stocks, forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
• eToro was founded in 2007 by brothers Yoni and Ronen Assia and David Ring.
• eToro has over 10 million registered users from over 140 countries.
• eToro offers a variety of features to its users, including social trading, copy trading, and leverage.
• eToro is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID).
• eToro offers a demo account to its users.
• eToro has a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices

How eToro’s Investment Options Compares to Other Brokers

From this table you can clearly see that eToro is standing out from the crowd for investors interested in trading Cryptocurrencies. Not only is eToro the cheapest place to trade in Cryptocurrencies, but eToro have launched their very own cryptocurrency wallet which allows users to buy, sell, convert, trade and pay for services using a wide range of cryptos including:(Please note: eToro users under FCA regulation cannot open CFD
crypto positions, only real assets available.)

• Bitcoin
• Bitcoin Cash
• Ethereum
• Ethereum Classic
• Ripple
• Litecoin
• Cardano
• IOTA
• TRON
• ZCASH
• Binance coin
• BNB
• Dash
• Stellar
• EOS
• NEO
• Tezos
• XRP

The eToro crypto wallet app incorporates military level encryption and can be used to store over 120 cryptocurrencies, reflecting the surge in popularity for crypto trading in recent years,

On a negative note, with eToro you will be sacrificing the ability to trade in options, bonds, investment trusts and funds.

What really sets eToro apart is their innovative features that change the way you trade which we will look at in more detail next.

eToro CopyTrader Review

Just as the name suggests, CopyTrader allows you to copy the portfolio of more experienced or successful eToro users by browsing through profiles and selecting traders based on their previous performance, both on an annual level and monthly level.

Just to make your selections a bit easier, eToro also assigns each trader with a ‘risk score’ as well as providing information on the number of trades per week, average holding time, charted performance, and news feed comments. This is enough information to give you a real insight and you have the ability to copy up to 100 eToro users at the same time.

Whilst conducting our eToro review we found one of the great advantages of CopyTrader is that you can start copying other traders with no extra charge as there are no management fees. However, the minimum amount you can start trading with at eToro is £50.

eToro CopyPortfolio Review

CopyPortfolio allows you to invest in two main types of portfolio, Top Trader Portfolios which simply put, allows you to invest in a portfolio consisting of the eToro users who are achieving the best returns, and Market Portfolios which allow you to pick a market or theme of CFD stocks, commodities or EFTs.

Bearing in mind that trading on CFDs comes with a high risk of losing your money,it’s good news that eToro makes it easy to spot the proportion of CFDs in any specific portfolio. In addition to this, asset distribution, performance and investment strategy are all readily available to help you make the best possible decisions and we particularly like it that eToro will check whether you understand that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk.

eToro Accounts vs Interactive Investor and Hargreaves Lansdown

eToro ISA Review

I was disappointed whilst conducting this eToro review to learn that eToro had chosen not to offer an ISA account, thus removing the ability to trade in a tax efficient way within the UK. However, that’s not to say this won’t be rectified in the future and I will certainly be watching this space.

eToro SIPP Review

The lack of a SIPP account at eToro seems like another big void in their online offering. Giving investors the option to transfer in and invest their pension pots using eToro’s great range of investment options would certainly be a welcome addition.

The account offering at eToro is very basic with just one investment account. This really lets down their offering as an investment platform.

eToro Demo Account

The eToro demo account gives investors the opportunity to trade with $100,000 of demo money before risking any of their own funds on the main trading account. Given the general lack of education on the platform, this is a handy tool to help get to grips with all the products and features of the platform.

eToro WebTrader

eToro’s WebTrader platform is now in version 2.0, and allows users to directly manage stock market trades, and forex trading from the central platform using the portfolio section.

Users can trade personally by entering orders directly, manage and monitor their personal positions in the market and manage and monitor other traders’ transactions by using the Copy Trading function.

eToro Platform Review

eToro has designed a really clean, modern looking trading platform that is easy to navigate and highly functional. This is available both for web and mobile although they have yet to offer a desktop version to the market.

The eToro mobile app is most certainly an impressive offering to the market. Clean, easy to use, modern, and with a wealth of functionality, we enjoyed using it during our eToro review and it makes for a seamless trading experience whilst on the move. That being said, eToro have only scored 3.4 out of 5 on the app store with a lot of the reviews complaining about mobile app crashes.

In terms of security, eToro have installed an optional two-step login system which whilst it might make it slightly more fiddly to log in, it does provide you with an extra level of security.

Searching, placing orders, and alerts and notifications are all really straightforward and easy to use at eToro and provide investors with a great level of functionality. On the eToro mobile version you can even set a push notification when an asset reaches a certain price point or when your order has been fulfilled.

eToro has a really decent charting offering on the eToro trading platform, giving investors the option to change chart types, chart intervals and overlays, and the ability to compare six different charts at once with their eToro ProCharts functionality. You also have easy access to your eToro account balance.

eToro Research Service and Tools Review

For investors looking for a decent level of technical analysis, eToro won’t disappoint. Unfortunately they only offer recommendations on a limited number of stocks, however, for the ones that do have recommendations, there is a wealth of information available such as average price targets and analyst reports.

Whilst the research offered at eToro was good, it didn’t quite match up to providers like Interactive Investor or Hargreaves Lansdown, mostly due to the limited fundamental data on offer and insufficient research reports. As well as this, eToro has failed to provide investors with financial markets news or stock screeners unlike most of their competition, which feels like a bit of an oversight.

However, eToro makes up for a lot of this with their social trading network. This works like a social feed, where other investors will offer their thoughts on stocks, often with supporting data to help you with your decisions. This social aspect of trading is not widely available and is a great little feature.

In terms of education, eToro has missed the mark. Their only offering are some hour long videos in their trading school, which whilst these do provide useful information regarding trading, financial markets, placing trades and managing goals, they make it difficult for investors to find answers to specific questions without sitting through hours of webinars.

eToro Fees and Charges Review

Whilst eToro are quick to promote their zero commission stock trading fees, there are currency conversion fees, withdrawal fees, CFD fees and inactivity fees which investors need to be aware of.

When I compared eToro to similar trading platforms I found their CFD fees to be roughly in the same range so nothing out of the ordinary there. However, it is worth noting that when trading eToro Forex, the fees are high compared to their main competitors which is worth taking into consideration if you plan to trade on Forex.

As eToro only trades in USD, conversion fees are applicable when you deposit or withdraw money in any other currency. These vary according to the currency and how your money is deposited but range between 50 pips to 250 pips per conversion.

For withdrawals, eToro charges a flat fee of $5 with a minimum withdrawal amount of $30. There is also an inactivity fee of $10 per month once your account has laid dormant for 12 months. As a comparison, Plus500 don’t charge for withdrawals and whilst they do have an inactivity fee, this is not on a monthly basis.

Guide to opening an eToro account

There is nothing bad to say about opening an account at eToro. If you are looking for a seamless, fully digital experience that takes moments, then you will find it at eToro.

There are two main types of account on offer, their eToro Live Account where you can start trading and their eToro Virtual Account which gives you the option of experiencing the eToro trading platform with play money.

To open your eToro account you simply need to register your email address or Facebook / Google+ account and you will have immediate access to the eToro trading platform. There is a minimum deposit of £10 to start trading and the minimum amount for a bank transfer is $500.

Of course, in order to fund your eToro account you will need to verify your identity which is not unusual and can be done quickly by uploading a couple of supporting documents.

eToro Deposit and Withdrawal Review

eToro have certainly supplied customers with masses of options when it comes to depositing money including:

• Visa Credit Card
• MasterCard
• PayPal
• Skrill
• Neteller
• Wire transfer

It is important that UK investors understand that eToro only operates in USD which means any deposits will be converted and charged the relevant conversion fee. This fee will also be applicable upon withdrawal back to GBP.

eToro bank transfers tend to take 4-7 business days to appear in your eToro account.

When it comes to withdrawals, eToro does levy a $5 withdrawal fee which is fairly substantial when compared to other brokers. However, by bank transfer the whole process only takes around 2 business days and is very easy to complete on the website.

eToro Customer Service Review

Whilst not outstanding, we did find the customer service offering at eToro to be satisfactory with several channels of communication including a live chat function and a web based ticketing system. The eToro customer service reps are polite and knowledgeable and during our eToro review, our queries were answered in a timely fashion. However, unlike some platforms, there is no customer service on offer outside of normal office hours.

Who is eToro Suitable For?

eToro is a fantastic offering for retail traders who are interested in social trading and copy trading. It is also an ideal trading platform for very experienced traders as eToro offers rewards for successful traders who share their knowledge.

Investors should be aware that 65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

This is because CFDs are complex instruments that come with a high level of risk and before engaging with this provider you should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk investment strategy that comes with them.

Is eToro good for beginners?

I felt that eToro would be a suitable choice for beginners for a number of reasons. Firstly the web platform is easy to use, and very clear and quick to navigate and the same can be said for the mobile platform. In terms of fees it is highly competitive, although you do need to be aware of some of the non trading fees which can be a little steep. The account opening process is very quick and beginners can get started with a low minimum deposit.

The other aspect that makes this an appealing platform for beginners is the demo account. This gives traders an opportunity to practice their trading skills without risking any funds.

Alternatives to eToro

If you’re looking for alternatives to eToro, I’ve compared them to some of their major competitors including:

• eToro vs Freetrade
• eToro vs Trading212
• Interactive Investor vs eToro
• Hargreaves Lansdown vs eToro
• InvestEngine vs eToro

Useful Information

Here I have outlined some useful information to make your experience at eToro as seamless as possible.

How do I contact eToro?

eToro customer support can be contacted with their online ticketing system available on their webpages, or via live chat and email.

However, existing customers can make use of the eToro customer support web chat facility that can be found on your account.

How do I withdraw my money from eToro?

Withdrawing your money from eToro is quick and easy. Simply select ‘Withdraw Funds’ from the tab in the left hand menu and enter the amount you wish to withdraw. You will then be asked to complete an electronic withdrawal request form.

How do I close my account at eToro?

Closing your account with eToro is fairly painless and can be done by clicking the ‘Withdraw Funds’ tab in the left hand menu of your Account Settings page.

eToro FAQs

Please note:

eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.

Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.

Copy trading is a portfolio management service, provided by eToro (Europe) Ltd., which is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.

Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.

eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.