Quick answer: in the UK, no app lets an under-18 buy shares in their own name — you have to be 18, or a parent opens a Junior ISA. So “best investing app for teens” is really three different jobs: learning how markets work, real investing done by a parent, and everyday money habits. For learning, our pick is RIP. — free, virtual money on real prices, built for UK 13–18s. For real long-term money, a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA does the actual wealth-building. The full ranked list is below.
One fact changes everything before you compare a single app: in the UK you can’t hold shares in your own name until you’re 18. Under that age, “investing” happens one of two ways — a parent or guardian opens a Junior ISA and manages it, or you practise with virtual money and nothing real at stake. So every “investing app for teens” is really doing one of three jobs:
The “best” app depends entirely on which job you’re hiring it for. Here’s how the main options rank.
RIP. is a UK-built app for 13–18s that turns learning to invest into a game: real market prices, virtual money, head-to-head duels, a school leaderboard and 88 short lessons. Nothing real is ever at stake, so your first mistakes cost nothing but bragging rights.
Best for: beginners who want to understand the market and build confidence before real money is involved. Watch-outs: it’s a practice tool, not real investing, and it’s currently iOS-only. Free. See RIP.
This is the actual money-building option for under-18s. A parent opens a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA (providers include Vanguard, Nutmeg, Wealthify, Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell and Fidelity), pays in up to £9,000 a year tax-free, and the money is locked until the child turns 18. It isn’t a “teen app” you drive — it’s the vehicle that grows real wealth in the background. Pair it with a practice app and a teen gets both.
Best for: families who want real, tax-free growth over 10+ years. Watch-outs: parent-controlled, no learning game, and fees vary — compare flat vs percentage before choosing. See our parent’s guide to Junior ISAs.
GoHenry is a debit card and money app for 6–18s, with “Money Missions” lessons and, since 2021, a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA (a single Vanguard fund, from £1, parent-managed). It bundles everyday money habits and a real JISA in one place, which is genuinely useful for younger children. (GoHenry is being acquired by Barclays.)
Best for: building spending and saving habits early, with a light first step into real investing. Watch-outs: it’s a paid subscription, and the investing side is one managed fund rather than a learning tool.
Invstr is known for its fantasy game — a large virtual portfolio you trade with play money — plus an “Academy” of lessons and a community feed. It’s a solid way to practise and learn.
Best for: teens who want a big fantasy-trading game with community. Watch-outs: its real-investing features are US-focused, and it’s less UK-specific than a home-grown option.
Revolut’s under-18 account — a parent-linked card with budgeting, goals and spending controls — is a strong money-management tool. It shows up on a lot of “teen finance app” lists, so it’s worth being clear: it’s a spending and saving app, not an investing one.
Best for: day-to-day money habits and a first card. Watch-outs: not an investing product.
These free browser simulators let a teacher or group run a virtual trading competition, and they’ve been popular in classrooms for years.
Best for: a class or group contest. Watch-outs: mostly US-built, dated interfaces, and thin structured lessons compared with a purpose-built teen app.
These are real, commission-free investing apps — genuinely good ones — but they’re 18+. Worth knowing about as the next step once a teen becomes an adult and has practised first.
Best for: real self-directed investing from 18. Watch-outs: not available to under-18s.
| App | Money | Who controls it (under 18) | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP. | Virtual | The teen (13+) | Learning the market | Free |
| Junior S&S ISA | Real | Parent (to 18) | Real tax-free growth | Platform fees vary |
| GoHenry | Card + JISA | Parent | Habits + first JISA | Subscription |
| Invstr | Virtual | The teen | Fantasy game + lessons | Free tier |
| Revolut <18 | Real (spending) | Parent-linked | Money management | Free / paid tiers |
| Simulators | Virtual | Teacher / user | Class contests | Free |
| Trading 212 / Freetrade | Real | 18+ only | Real investing at 18 | Commission-free |
If you want a teenager to learn how markets work without risking money, start with a practice app like RIP. — the learning happens fastest when it’s competitive and the mistakes are free. If you want to build real wealth for them, a parent-opened Junior Stocks & Shares ISA is the vehicle. If you want everyday money habits, a card app like GoHenry or Revolut <18 fits. For most families the smartest setup isn’t one app — it’s a JISA growing quietly in the background and a practice app doing the teaching.
A quick reality check. No app turns an under-18 into a real investor in the UK — the law doesn’t allow it, and that’s a good thing. Before 18, the most an app can do is teach the behaviour and (via a parent) hold the money. Judge each one on the job you actually need, not the word “investing” in its App Store title.
Not in their own name — you must be 18 to hold shares yourself. Under 18, a parent can open and manage a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA, and teens can practise with a virtual-money app like RIP. that uses real market prices.
For learning how markets work, RIP. is free and built for UK 13–18s using virtual money on real prices. For real money, a Junior ISA does the actual investing — though it’s opened and managed by a parent, not the teen.
No — both are 18+ only. Under 18, real investing is done through a parent-opened Junior ISA, and a practice app is the way to learn before then.
For learning, usually yes. Practising with virtual money on real prices builds the instincts without the cost of real mistakes. Once those habits are there — and you’re 18, or investing via a parent’s JISA — real investing makes sense.
RIP. is an educational simulation and is not authorised or regulated by the FCA. This article is general information, not financial advice; app features and pricing change, so check each provider before deciding.
Real prices, virtual money, duels and leaderboards. Learn investing without getting cooked by real risk.
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