5 Best Investment Platforms and Apps in the UAE (2023)

Written By Tim Doman

Existing and potential UAE traders and investors are always on the lookout for the best and newest trading and investing apps and platforms. With hundreds of such apps on the market, I know how hard it is hard to choose the best one for you. 

Although many investing platforms have similar assets you can invest in, there are some glaring differences between the apps. Some are more suitable for day traders, others for beginners. Some have higher fees, while others don’t have commissions at all. 

Having used and researched many investment apps in the past, I’ve made this list of the very best investment apps and platforms in the UAE.

  • Best UAE Investment Platform Overall – Interactive Brokers
  • Best for Beginners – eToro
  • Best for International Trading & Non-US Investors – Interactive Brokers
  • Best for Commodity & Futures Trading – Capital.com
  • Best for Day Traders & Options – IQ Option
  • Best for Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading – Webull
  • Best for ETFs – Interactive Brokers
  • Best for Social & Copy Trading – eToro
  • Best for Cryptocurrency – eToro

Best UAE Investment Platform Overall – Interactive Brokers

interactivebrokers
ProsCons
Superb GlobalTrader App for international tradingFee-based commissions can be cumbersome
Fund accounts in multiple base currenciesComplex desktop trading platform
Wide range of productsNo social trading
International news and research tools

If you haven’t heard of Interactive Brokers (IBKR) yet, know that it’s one of the most complete investment and trading platforms on the market. It was founded all the way back in 1978 and is often acclaimed as the best investing platform by reputable magazines. 

It boasts a web version and desktop and mobile apps that let you trade currencies, stocks, funds, crypto, options, futures, bonds, and more from a single unified platform on 150 global markets.

I love that I can fund my account in any of the 26 currencies supported. This includes the United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED), too. That way, I’m not losing any money on foreign exchange, and I can jump right in.

Although I trade from their Trader Workstation (TWS), which is an advanced desktop platform, I love to check in with a mobile app as well. If you’re a beginner, you have a web version also available, a forex app, an app for stocks and crypto, and lastly, an app for worldwide access. 

Every first withdrawal in a calendar month is free, and there are no deposit fees. US stocks and ETFs are commission-free for casual traders. However, the whole fee structure is a bit higher than other brokers but is still very competitive. 

What some users might miss in IBKR are the social trading capabilities and copy trading, which it doesn’t support.  

Best for Beginners – eToro

etoro platform
ProsCons
Free stock and ETF tradingLimited customer service
Social trading No crypto-to-crypto trading
Engaging communityMinimum deposit $200
Educational resources

eToro is one of the most popular investment platforms available, not only in the UAE but worldwide. It has more than 3,000 different financial assets that include:

  • Crypto 
  • Stocks
  • ETFs
  • Currencies
  • Commodities
  • Indices 

I love eToro for its no to low fees, no spreads, and no hidden charges. Contrary to most similar platforms, eToro even offers its users free insurance of up to 1 million EUR/AUD. 

But social and copy trading is where the platform really shines. With a couple of taps on your phone, you can copy trades of more experienced investors based on transparent information like the risk factor and fail/success ratio. 

For complete beginners, I’d recommend starting with a free $100,000 demo account that will let them ease into the platform and hone their investment skills. 

There are also so-called Smart Portfolios which are long-term investment portfolios made by experienced eToro analysts. They group several assets or people into a well-diversified portfolio. 

If you don’t have an eToro account yet, you’ll be happy to know that you can open one in a few minutes of your time. 

READ ALSO: 9 Best Digital Banks in UAE (All Account Types)

Best for International Trading & Non-US Investors – Interactive Brokers

If you don’t want to limit yourself only to the US markets, Interactive Brokers will open up the world for you. It covers 150 markets in more than 30 countries. You can screen the markets by country, region, market cap, currency, and industry. 

And to keep you more informed and up to date, you’ll get a real-time international news feed

It also provides worldwide access and features a superb IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app. If you don’t want to trade from your phone, desktop, and web versions are also available.  

The Trader Workstation is packed with research and technical analysis tools, ESG scores, and features Social Sentiment by Social Market Analytics.

I love that from UAE, I can access all of the features available in the US, including the Traders’ Insight podcast that lets me learn from top experts on many investment matters. 

If you’re still unsure, you can open a simulated trading account with $10,000 in cash you can play with. After that, you’ll be ready to open a live trading account. 

Best for Commodity & Futures Trading – Capital.com

capital.com platform
ProsCons
No commission Overnight fees
No hidden fees
Fast order execution
AI technology-driven platform
Customer support in 24 languages 24/7

Capital.com was launched in 2016 and is at the forefront of the retail-investor revolution. It’s a global company with offices around the world and is one of Europe’s fastest-growing investment-trading platforms.

I love it for its range of assets, as it offers more than 6,000 CFD instruments, including 44 commodity CFDs, 477 cryptocurrency CFDs, 138 Forex CFDs, 5432 shares CFDs, and 23 CFD indices. Traders from the UAE are accepted, as well as from 182 other countries. 

The minimum deposit is only $20, and four currencies are supported (USD, EUR, GBP, PLN). 

They have extensive guides and explainers on trading commodities like crude oil, coffee, copper, palladium, and, of course, gold and silver. 

READ NEXT: 7 Best Banks in the UAE (Personal and Business)

Best for Day Traders & Options – IQ Option

iq option
ProsCons
One of the most advanced platformsDoesn’t have the widest asset variety
Good customer supportOnly operates with derivatives
Very fast withdrawals
Minimum deposit of just 10$
Demo account

IQ Option is a well-known and one of the highest-rated investment platforms and has competitive fees and spreads. The minimum opening deposit is $10, but that’s no issue for day traders who will find this platform one of the best in the game. 

As it’s one of the largest stocks, ETF CFD, forex, crypto, commodities, and options trading platforms in the world, and boasts advanced charts and analysis tools that will appeal to all day traders. 

It comes in all forms – iOS and Android, PC and Mac, as well as a PWA platform. IQ Option has four kinds of charts – Bars, Heikin-Ashi, Line Charts, and Candles. 

Graphical tools include Lines, Horizontal lines, Vertical Lines, Trend Lines, and Fibonacci Lines. 

Volatility Indicators, Trend Indicators, Moving Averages, Momentum Indicators, and Volume indicators are also included. 

One aspect where IQ Option doesn’t shine is the range of assets you can invest in. Make sure to check those out before you commit. 

Best for Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading – Webull

webull platform
ProsCons
The longest trading dayNo mutual funds, bonds, or futures
Pre-market or after-hours for free
Zero commissions
A comprehensive trading platform
Webull community

Webull is another well-known broker that’s known for low costs and commission-free trading. It was founded in 2017 but already has millions of users and is one of the most beloved trading apps. Among its owners is the Chinese manufacturer of consumer electronics, Xiaomi.

I have been using Webull on and off over the years and find that it’s the best for pre-market and after-hours trading. 

You see, Webull lets you trade for free during the pre-market and after-hours, and it even offers full extended trading hours. 

Including pre- and after-hours, the trading day lasts 16 hours, from 7 am and 8 pm Eastern Time.

READ ALSO: 7 Buy Now Pay Later Services in UAE (Fast Growing)

Best for ETFs – Interactive Brokers

Apart from being the best overall and best for international and non-US investors and assets, Interactive Brokers is also the best for ETF investors and researchers. 

Yes, you don’t even have to be an IBKR customer to use their extensive tools and platforms for global market research purposes. 

If you’re an average or casual trader using the IBKR Lite platform, you’ll love that there are no commissions or fees on US-listed ETFs and stocks. 

On the other hand, IBKR Pro commissions go from $0.0005 to $0.0035 per share. However, Pro users can access 150+ no transaction fee ETFs as well.

Apart from US-based ETFs, eligible European stocks and ETFs are also available.

Best for Social & Copy Trading – eToro

We’re back to eToro. Although several trading apps now offer social and copy trading, I like eToro’s the most. 

The company was founded in 2007, and as early as 2010, it released the eToro OpenBook social investment platform. This was followed by its CopyTrader feature, which enabled beginner investors to simply copy the app’s top traders. 

eToro later developed the Social newsfeed and a Popular Investor program, too. 

To start copying someone else’s investments, simply select an investor and hit the “Copy“ button. You can edit by adding or removing funds. It’s completely free, and all copied trades are replicated to your portfolio in real time. 

You can try out the Copy Trader feature with a demo account that comes with $100,000. You need to know that the minimum amount required to copy a trader is $200 and that other traders on eToro can copy you if your profile is public. 

If they do, you won’t earn money if you aren’t participating in eToro’s Popular Investor Program.

Best for Cryptocurrency – eToro

etoro crypto

And we’re back to eToro. The thing is, I wanted to recommend one of the specialized crypto exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, OKX, or even Huobi. I used them extensively over the years and never had any issues. 

However, they are all shrouded in so many serious allegations and controversies that I just can’t recommend them to anyone. 

I also used eToro to buy and sell crypto, and I quite like it. As I use it for other investments already, I took all funds from crypto exchanges and transferred them to eToro. 

You shouldn’t keep your money in a crypto exchange anyway. 

For that reason, eToro offers an easy-to-use, multi-crypto, secure digital crypto wallet called eToro Money. And yes, there’s copy trading available for crypto too. 

So, even though eToro offers fewer cryptocurrencies than specialized exchanges, it does offer around 90 of them, and that should be enough for you. 

And lastly, you can stake your crypto for additional long-term gains.  

What are the Most Trusted Trading Apps in UAE?

There are many investment platforms and apps you can trust in UAE, but also internationally. I recommend Interactive Brokers (IBKR), eToro, Capital.com, IQ Option, and Webull. They are all available from the UAE and have millions of satisfied users worldwide. 

Can I use Robinhood in UAE?

Robinhood is one of the most popular retail investor apps, but it generally isn’t available in the UAE. You need to have a US Social Security Number (SSN), a legal US residential address, and be a US citizen, resident, or a US visa holder. See this list for many valid alternatives to Robinhood. 

Is eToro Approved in UAE?

eToro has been awarded an In-Principle Approval by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the largest regulated jurisdiction of virtual assets in the MENA region. eToro will continue to work with the ADGM to obtain the full license.

Are Cryptocurrencies & Crypto Trading Legal in UAE?

Although cryptocurrencies aren’t licensed by the UAE Central Bank and aren’t designated as legal tender, you can still own, deposit, withdraw, and trade them freely.

In fact, many crypto exchanges were fully approved in 2022 to operate their exchanges in UAE.  

More Useful Articles About Money in the UAE and Dubai

About the Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured On:
forbes logo
usnews logo
wall street journal
yahoo finance
marketwatch
techcrunch logo
world finance
bbc logo
gobankingrates
venturebeat
thestreet logo