Our team spent three months using Santander Invest with our own money, and this is the honest summary. Signing up is simple, your funds stay protected, and beginners especially will feel at home. The one catch is the cost of a few extras that are higher than the best rivals.
Best for: People who like doing everything on mobile and are happy to start with $0.
Not for: Professional traders who need special tools, or anyone who needs round-the-clock phone support.
Santander Invest is among the rare trading apps that spent its effort on the basics — like keeping your money safe and being honest about costs — instead of hype. After using it with real money, we rate it B+.
The one thing we'd change is the price of some extras that could be lower. The good news is these are easy for the company to fix — they don't point to anything wrong with the app itself.
Making a trade is easy. In our testing, orders went through smoothly and prices were fair, sometimes even a little better than other apps.
If you stick to regular stocks, it does the job well. More advanced trades can sometimes be a little slower — but most people won't notice.
Buying and selling stocks is free — zero commission. That's a big plus.
Where you might pay more are things like sending money out by bank transfer, which could be lower. It's all shown before you pay, so nothing sneaks up on you.
The phone app is the best part of Santander Invest. It's quick and simple to use, even for total beginners.
There's handy info inside the app — charts, company info, and news — with the sources shown. There's a desktop version too, but the app is better.
Keeping your money safe is where Santander Invest does well. Your funds are kept apart from the company's own money, so it's protected even if the company runs into trouble.
The platform is watched by independent regulators and is reviewed by outside experts. If you also hold crypto, a licensed partner looks after it — standard practice, but worth a mention.
Overall, we're happy to give Santander Invest a score of B+ for regular users. It does the important things well: simple, safe, and fair.
For a perfect score, Santander Invest would only need to lower a few charges. We update our reviews regularly and let you know if anything changes.
For the most part, yes. Your cash is stored separately, so it's protected if the company ever fails. Regulators and independent auditors also keep watch.
Definitely. Santander Invest runs on any modern phone. It's designed for mobile first — charts, trades, and your account all fit nicely on a phone screen.
Through a few optional charges, like sending money out by bank transfer or borrowing to trade, and interest on spare cash. Buying and selling shares costs nothing.
You can open a standard account, and retirement savings accounts. It only takes a few minutes, though a couple take a day or so to set up.
Yes, any time. There's no waiting period. Cash-outs clear within a business day, with no fee from the platform.
It's solid. Live chat is open around the clock and replies are quick. Tricky questions go to a specialist rather than left waiting. Phone help is weekdays only.
Not that we found. Santander Invest lists its fees clearly — no monthly charge, no inactivity fee. Some optional services cost more, but they're clearly labelled.
Yes, you can. You can bring your holdings across, and Santander Invest often refunds the exit fee your old app charges within reason. Expect a few days for it to finish.
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