Investment Apps Compared: Self-Directed Trading, Saving, and Guidance

Updated September 26, 2026.

The best investment app starts with two questions: can you use it in your country, and do you want to choose investments, delegate their management, or get guidance on accounts you already hold? eToro, InvestEngine, Plum, J.P. Morgan Personal Investing, and Mezzi answer different parts of that decision.

For a U.S. self-directed trading account, the eToro profile below covers its U.S. service. For eligible UK investors building an ETF portfolio, InvestEngine offers a DIY route. Plum combines saving rules with investment products. J.P. Morgan Personal Investing, formerly Nutmeg, is a managed alternative for eligible UK customers. Mezzi provides connected financial guidance while you keep implementation with your account providers.

Method and disclosure: Mezzi publishes this guide. Official terms and product pages were reviewed on September 26, 2026. We compare documented roles and costs, not personally tested execution quality or investment performance. Country-specific terms control; a feature offered by one regional entity may not exist in another.

Compare the job before comparing the price

Do not convert every fee into a single league table. A brokerage trade, savings subscription, managed portfolio, and guidance subscription buy different work. Your account type and eligibility may eliminate an option before price becomes relevant.

1. eToro: self-directed trading with a social layer

eToro's U.S. service is relevant when you want to select investments and place trades. Its social features can introduce ideas and show how other investors approach a portfolio. That can support research, but popularity does not establish suitability for your goals.

Costs to evaluate

The U.S. fee page lists zero commissions for stock purchases and sales, a 1% charge on crypto purchases and sales, and a $0 withdrawal fee with a $30 minimum. Miscellaneous services and certain transactions can have additional charges. These are U.S. terms, not a global promise about eToro pricing.

If you buy $1,000 of crypto and later sell the same $1,000 market value, the stated 1% fee on each side would total about $20, before any other applicable costs. That simplified example shows why “commission-free stocks” should not be read as “every asset is free to trade.”

Understand CopyTrader before enabling it

CopyTrader lets eligible users copy another investor's positions proportionally. The published minimum to copy an investor is $200, and copied positions below the $1 minimum may not open. eToro says there is no additional copying charge, but the underlying trading costs still apply. Availability varies by state.

The buyer question is not simply whether the copied investor recently did well. Review concentration, turnover, drawdowns, asset eligibility, and the effect of stopping the copy relationship. A portfolio that suits the original investor may conflict with your cash needs or existing holdings.

Best fit: an eligible investor who wants a brokerage and accepts responsibility for trade selection, including any copying choice. Choose another role if your main problem is understanding investments, bank balances, property, and debts held across several institutions.

2. InvestEngine: a focused UK ETF portfolio workflow

InvestEngine is a useful candidate for eligible UK investors who want to build an ETF portfolio. Its DIY approach lets you choose the funds and allocation; Managed and LifePlan portfolios represent a different level of delegation.

What the price does and does not cover

The published cost schedule charges no InvestEngine management fee for DIY portfolios. Managed and LifePlan portfolios carry a 0.25% annual management fee. ETF ongoing charges and market spreads still affect costs. InvestEngine also states that it retains interest on uninvested cash.

A £20,000 DIY portfolio therefore does not automatically have zero total investment cost. If its weighted fund charge were 0.20%, that would be approximately £40 annually at a constant balance, before trading spreads. The 0.20% here is an illustration, not a quoted fee for a particular InvestEngine portfolio.

Check the workflow you actually need

For a DIY investor, the essential trial is straightforward: confirm the exact ETFs you want, set target weights, inspect the proposed purchases, and understand how future contributions or rebalancing change the portfolio. Review the current minimum-investment guidance for the account and portfolio you intend to use; a £1 fractional ETF order is not necessarily the opening-account minimum.

This is an ETF-centered decision. Someone seeking individual-company trading, a broad options workflow, or personalized advice across every financial account should evaluate those needs separately.

Country and account fit

The Stocks & Shares ISA eligibility page specifies UK tax residence and other requirements. A U.S. reader should not treat this ISA as a substitute for an IRA. Cross-border investors need both provider eligibility and tax treatment confirmed.

Best fit: a UK investor whose strategy is a self-selected ETF allocation and who is comfortable maintaining it. The useful comparison with a managed option is who selects and maintains the investments, not just the difference in platform fees.

3. Plum: saving rules plus investment products

Plum combines money-management automation with access to investment products. Its appeal is the connection between recurring saving habits and financial goals, especially for users who want a structured routine rather than a trading-first experience.

Choose the subscription for the features you will use

The current UK subscription comparison lists Basic as free, Plus at £3.99 monthly, Boost at £7.99, and Max at £14.99. Automatic saving, round-ups, weekly and payday rules appear across the plans. Mutual funds begin on paid plans, with further investment and automation features depending on tier. Older subscribers may have different plan terms.

A useful first test is whether the saving rule works with your pay cycle and bills. Choose an amount you understand, review where money is moved, and confirm how to pause or change the rule. Automation is most useful when the rule remains affordable; it does not prove that every suggested amount is safe for every household.

Add product charges to subscription costs

Plum's product-fee schedule lists investment charges separately. For the paid plans that include mutual-fund access, its published Stocks & Shares ISA management rates are 0.45% for Plus, 0.30% for Boost, and 0.15% for Max after the described rebates from the 0.60% charge. The rebates go to the Primary Pocket; underlying fund charges remain. Individual-stock trading has its own trading and currency-conversion terms.

The annual subscription alone is £47.88 for Plus, £95.88 for Boost, or £179.88 for Max. On a £2,000 balance, £95.88 represents roughly 4.79% of that balance before product costs. That does not make Boost inherently unsuitable—the subscription covers other services—but it is a meaningful cost if your only purpose is investing a small amount.

Best fit: a UK customer who will use the saving rules and relevant subscription benefits. Less compelling if you only need an uncomplicated ETF allocation and will not use the extras. Compare the actual product and tier rather than assuming every Plum account has the same investment fee.

4. J.P. Morgan Personal Investing: the managed alternative formerly called Nutmeg

Nutmeg became J.P. Morgan Personal Investing. Keeping the former name in mind helps when comparing an older review with the current product.

This is a discretionary management service: you choose the relevant investment parameters and the provider makes portfolio investment decisions. It is appropriate to compare as an alternative to self-direction, not to label it an app for picking individual stocks.

Management costs and minimums

The fee schedule lists 0.75% annually on the first £100,000 in managed investment styles and 0.35% above that. Fixed Allocation uses 0.45% on the first £100,000 and 0.25% above. Fund and transaction costs are additional.

For £150,000 entirely in a managed style, the management-fee illustration is £750 plus £175, or £925 annually, before additional costs and changes in account value. It is not 0.35% on the entire balance after crossing £100,000.

The current terms specify a £500 minimum for an ISA, General Investment Account, or Personal Pension, with different minimums for certain other products. The service generally targets UK residents and does not provide portfolios or services to U.S. Persons.

Evaluate management rather than an AI label

Ask how the chosen investment style works, what risk level means in a severe decline, and how withdrawals or a changed goal affect the portfolio. A digital interface or a strategy name is not evidence that AI predicts returns.

The optional financial-planning service is separately priced: the published schedule lists Core at £900, Enhanced at £1,350, and Advice Review at £450, including VAT. Review the scope rather than assuming the annual portfolio-management charge includes comprehensive recurring financial advice.

Best fit: an eligible customer who wants to delegate portfolio decisions. A self-directed investor who wants to choose each security should use a service designed for that responsibility.

5. Mezzi: guidance while your accounts stay with their providers

Mezzi is useful when your question extends beyond the next trade. It connects investments and banking, includes liabilities such as credit cards, and records assets such as real estate. AI Personalization adds goals, preferences, and constraints that account balances cannot explain.

That supports questions such as: “How much cash remains available after known commitments?”, “Where do supported funds overlap with my direct holdings?”, or “Which portfolio costs should I investigate?” Exposure X-Ray helps inspect underlying exposure in supported funds.

A practical self-directed workflow

Connect supported accounts and verify balances and dates. Add the goal and the decision you are considering. Ask for the assumptions behind the answer and the information that could change it. Then review any investment action at the broker, including tax lots and transaction costs.

For example, a proposed stock purchase may look small in one account but add to a company already held through several funds. Seeing those exposures together can improve the decision. The analysis remains dependent on available account and holdings data.

Pricing and implementation

Plans include Free, Advisory at $399 annually, and Concierge at $999 annually. Mezzi does not custody your investments, place trades, move money, or file tax returns. It is a guidance purchase alongside the institutions where implementation happens.

Confirm that your institutions, account types, and location are supported before subscribing. A U.S.-focused financial workflow should not be assumed to provide UK-specific tax advice simply because a UK investment appears in a comparison.

Best fit: someone who wants to make their own decisions with more financial context. An investor who wants to hand over daily portfolio management should compare a managed service and its agreement instead.

A simple selection process

1. Confirm eligibility. Country, residency, account type, and provider entity come first.
2. Choose your responsibility. Select trades, delegate a portfolio, automate saving, or seek connected guidance.
3. Calculate total cost. Include subscriptions, management fees, fund charges, trading, currency conversion, and transfers.
4. Test one real task. Use your actual fund, cash goal, or account combination; avoid judging solely from a feature list.
5. Plan the move. Understand whether a transfer preserves holdings or sells them, what records move, and which tax or account rules apply.

These five products are intentionally compared by role. For a broader U.S. portfolio-management decision, see AI portfolio-management options. For guidance across existing holdings, see portfolio trackers and specialist tools.

Frequently asked questions

Which of these apps is best for choosing my own investments?

eToro's U.S. brokerage and InvestEngine's UK DIY ETF portfolios serve different self-directed audiences. Eligibility and the assets you want determine which is relevant. Mezzi supports guidance but does not execute trades.

Is Nutmeg still available under that name?

Nutmeg now operates as J.P. Morgan Personal Investing. It remains a managed investing service for eligible customers; current fees and terms should be read under the new name.

Does a zero platform fee mean investing is free?

No. Fund expenses, spreads, currency conversion, transaction charges, and other account costs may remain. Compare the entire workflow and the specific regional account.

Can I use Mezzi with a brokerage?

Yes, where the account connection is supported. Mezzi can provide context across connected finances while investment execution stays with your broker. Verify the institution and data available for your account.