Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026

Author

Michael MacKenzie

Michael is a UK-based investment writer with over 10 years of experience in the journalism industry. Michael has critically evaluated many of the largest investment brokers in the UK.

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Editor

James Barra

James is a UK-based writer and investor with consultancy experience at some of Britain's largest financial organisations. James authors, edits and fact-checks content for a row of investing websites.

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Fact Checker

Tobias Robinson

Tobias is a UK director and partner at Investing.co.uk. He provides commentary on the financial markets in the UK and supports the testing team with first-hand observations from over two decades of active trading.

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Brokers with no inactivity fees don’t charge for periods of zero trading activity, making them well-suited to casual investors. This contrasts with most brokerages that generally charge a monthly fee after three or more months of no trading, catching out beginners.

Dig into our list of the top UK brokers that don’t charge for inactivity.

How Investing.co.uk Chose The Top No Inactivity Fee Brokers

Our team reviewed account terms and conditions in detail and, where necessary, contacted customer support directly to confirm that no inactivity or dormancy fees are charged.

Platforms were rated higher if they combined clear, fee-free account policies with transparent pricing, reliable platforms, and strong customer protection measures, with overall ratings ultimately used to sort providers.

What To Look For In A Broker With Zero Inactivity Fees

Trust

The most important criteria when we review any broker is that it is reliable – otherwise, you risk losing your money to scams or business failure even if your trades are successful.

Fees

Aside from the inactivity fee, you need to look for a broker with low trading fees as these will chip away at your profits over time.

Avoid brokers that apply hidden fees such as charges for data, deposits and withdrawals as these affect your bottom line in the same way as inactivity fees.

Markets

Choose a broker with a wide range of markets and you’ll have so many trading opportunities you may never need to worry about an inactivity fee!

We usually prefer brokers with access to 40+ forex pairs including all of the majors, plus global stocks, indices and commodities.

Having additional instruments like cryptocurrencies, ETFs and bonds adds even more depth and is a huge bonus for traders.

Charting Platforms

The charting platform is your window onto markets and an indispensable tool for planning and executing trades, so you should make sure your broker provides one that you’re happy with.

Our experts have found that most brokers support the classic MT4 and MT5 platforms, and these have everything you need to access markets.

However, after decades these are finally starting to show their age, and many brokers now offer newer and more streamlined platforms such as TradingView, which has the advantage of integrated social media and research feeds.

Eightcap’s EURUSD pair on TradingView

Some brokers have different asset lists on different platforms or generally work better with one platform than another, even if they support both. I find that an easy way to get a feeling for how a platform works with a particular broker is to use a demo trading account.

Michael MacKenzie

Author

Account Options

You need to be able to fund your account quickly and affordably, so you should choose a broker that has account options that suit you.

Other things to consider include whether the broker offers a swap-free account if your religious beliefs prohibit interest.

The best brokers with no inactivity fees offer flexible accounts and accept diverse payment methods, with digital options supported as well as card and wire transfers.

What Is An Inactivity Fee In Trading?

As the name suggests, an inactivity fee is a charge levied on trading accounts that haven’t been active for a period. The length of that period and the size of the fee varies between online brokers. The fee itself is normally charged monthly and can range from $5 to $50+ from our tests.

The terms and conditions of account inactivity fees also vary. For example, we’ve seen some brokers charge if you haven’t placed a trade or if you have no open positions, while others simply require you to log into your account to avoid a fee.

Ultimately, for part-time investors and beginners, brokers with no inactivity fees are a sensible way to avoid hidden charges and non-trading costs.

Bottom Line

Inactivity fees are charged by most forex, stock and CFD brokers in the UK. Fortunately, there remain many excellent alternatives with no such charge, making them ideal for beginners and part-time investors.

To find the right provider for your needs, use our list of the top brokers with no inactivity fees.

FAQ

Can I Avoid Trading Inactivity Fees?

Yes – the easiest thing to do is to sign up with brokers with zero inactivity fees. Alternatively, you can avoid the charge on some platforms by simply logging into your trading account every couple of months.

With that said, it’s worth checking their terms and conditions because some brokers require that you open and close a real-money trade to avoid the charge.

Is It Legal For Trading Brokers To Charge Inactivity Fees?

Yes – it is legal for brokers to charge fees on inactive accounts. The charge is typically used to cover the costs of maintaining a live account. Yet reputable brokers should make clear any non-trading fees in their pricing schedule.

Firms that fail to disclose inactivity fees and other non-trading charges at the registration stage should be avoided.