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Always remember that investments can go down as well as up in value, so you could get back less than you put in. A rule of thumb is to hang on to your investments for at least five years to give them the best chance of providing the returns you are hoping for.
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We've compiled a list of some of the best investment platforms in the UK. These are apps, websites and fund supermarkets where you can buy, sell and hold a range of different investments in one place, including stocks and shares, funds, ETFs, bonds, commodities, properties, CFDs and more.
You can think of investment platforms as a combination of robo advisors, trading apps and fund supermarkets. They are quite powerful and allow you to buy and sell almost any type of investment.
Capital at risk. ISA rules apply. Other charges apply.
Here are some of the best investment platforms in the UK:
Interactive Investor, recently acquired by wealth management giant abrdn, is the second-largest investment platform in the UK. Interactive Investor is well known for its fixed charges (as opposed to percentage-based fees like most other investment platforms), and it has been providing investment services and financial information since 1995. If you choose to invest with Interactive Investor, you’ll gain access to over 40,000 investment options, including UK and overseas shares, funds, investment trusts, and ETFs. This is the widest choice of UK and international investments offered by any investment platform in the UK. You will also be able to access 17 global exchanges, including exchanges in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. These include markets such as the FTSE 100, FTSE 250, FTSE All-Share, NASDAQ, Dow Jones and more. In addition to the exchanges above, Interactive Investor offers Japanese, Indian and Chinese shares in the form of ADRs (American Depositary Receipts).
Interactive Investor gives you a free trade every month, which you can use to buy or sell any investment. After that, trades usually cost £5.99. Interactive Investor also offers a free regular investing service that allows you to invest regularly without paying a trading fee each time. The site also has lots of expert ideas, research and insights, which can be helpful when choosing investments. Interactive Investor’s services include a Trading Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA.
Capital at risk.
eToro is a multi-asset platform that offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs. It is entirely free to open an account with eToro, and all registered users receive a US$100,000 demo account for free, which you can use to practice trading until you become confident. eToro gives you real-time access to thousands of stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrencies from top exchanges worldwide. If you prefer to select a ready-made portfolio, eToro has over 40 fully allocated, balanced investment portfolios, focusing on market segments you can understand and to which you can relate. Some of the portfolios include MetaverseLife, BigTech, GoldWorldWide, Vaccine-Med, BitcoinWorldWide, Diabetes-Med, Driverless, GigEconomy, and many more. These portfolios are a grouping of several assets, such as stocks, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and even people, bundled together based on a predetermined theme or strategy. Withdrawals incur a fee of US$5, and FX rates apply to non-USD deposits and withdrawals. eToro does not offer an ISA or SIPP.
Please note: When you invest, your capital is at risk. 79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Additionally, cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply. For more information, visit eToro.
AJ Bell is one of the UK’s largest online investment platforms, and it is on a mission to make investing as easy as possible for you. The platform offers a wide range of investment options for the DIY investor, including shares, funds, investment trusts and ETFs. Beginner investors or those who prefer to choose a ready-made investment portfolio can get a little, or a lot, of help from AJ Bell’s specialists by selecting one of the investment ideas on offer. There are eight total fund ideas, each built by a specialist team, and you can pick the right one for you depending on your attitude to risk and whether you’re seeking to simply grow your money over time or receive an income whilst still growing your money.
AJ Bell charges an annual platform fee ranging from 0.25% to 0%. Dealing fees for buying and selling investments online are £1.50 for funds and £9.95 for shares (reducing to £4.95 if there were 10 or more online share deals in the previous month). AJ Bell’s services include a Share Dealing Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, SIPP and Junior SIPP.
Capital at risk.
Bestinvest is a UK investment platform offering about 2,500 funds, UK shares, investment trusts and ETFs. With Bestinvest, you can invest in one of two ways depending on your investing savviness: Beginner investors or those who prefer to choose a ready-made investment portfolio can build their investment pot by selecting one of Bestinvest’s ready-made investments. These investments are fully diversified and created and managed by the team at Bestinvest. Once you’ve picked one, you don’t need to do anything else. Advanced or more confident investors can choose from a wide range of funds, shares, ETFs and ITs and build their investment portfolios themselves. Bestinvest also has an investment search tool that makes it easy to browse and filter all of the investments, and you can use their free guides and articles if you need any inspiration. They are quite popular for their Spot the Dog guide which shows a list of poorly performing funds you probably want to avoid. Bestinvest’s products include a Stocks and Shares ISA, General Investment Account and SIPP.
Capital at risk.
InvestEngine is a UK low-cost investment platform providing a choice of managed portfolios tailored to you and commission-free DIY investing to help you build long-term wealth. Users can invest in over 500 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) from iShares, Vanguard and other leading brands. With InvestEngine, you can invest in two ways depending on your investing savviness: Beginner investors or those who prefer to choose a ready-made investment portfolio can select from one of the Managed Portfolios on offer where the team of experts at InvestEngine will take care of the day-to-day investment decisions for you. These portfolios attract a platform fee of 0.25% per year. Advanced or more confident investors can choose from 500+ commission-free ETFs and build their portfolios themselves. With the DIY Portfolio, there are no platform fees. All InvestEngine portfolios are free of setup fees, dealing fees, ISA fees or withdrawal fees. InvestEngine allows you to invest via a Stocks and Shares ISA, Personal Account or Business Account.
Promo: £25 welcome bonus for new customers who invest at least £100. Terms apply.
Capital at risk.
Kickstart your investing with an award-winning ISA. Hargreaves Lansdown has thousands of investments to choose from, including UK and overseas shares, funds, investment trusts, and ETFs. Choose your own investments with expert research and ideas to help you, or simply pick a ready-made portfolio. Manage via website, app or phone. Hargreaves Lansdown also offers a Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, Fund and Share Account, and SIPP. These services are intended for investors happy at making their own decisions.
Capital at risk. Other charges apply.
FinecoBank is one of Europe's largest banks, with 20 years of leadership history in brokerage and over 30 million orders processed every year. Its core mission is to make online trading simple by providing direct access to the markets in just one click. With Fineco, you can access 26 global markets and trade over 20,000 financial instruments worldwide on a single account, including UK and overseas shares, ETFs, funds, bonds, and CFDs. Users can also invest and trade directly in GBP, EUR, USD, Swiss Franc and 20+ currencies. FinecoBank's products include a Trading Account and Stocks and Shares ISA.
Promo: Apply with the link below by the 31st of December 2022, and trade commission-free up to a maximum commission amount of £500. Terms apply.
Please note: When you invest, your capital is at risk. 71.97% of retail investors lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Saxo Markets is the UK division of Saxo Bank, a large European bank and investment platform that allows you to invest in 60,000+ financial products from stock markets around the world, including London, New York, Hong Kong, and 50+ other global markets. With Saxo Markets, you can invest your ISA allowance in more than 11,000 global stocks, ETFs and bonds. Beginner investors or those who prefer to choose a ready-made investment portfolio can select from one of the Managed Portfolios on offer, where Saxo experts navigate the markets and manage your investments on your behalf. The average cost of this managed portfolio is 0.95% per year (including fund costs). Advanced or more confident investors can choose from the range of financial products on offer and build their portfolios themselves. Saxo Markets’ suite of products includes a Trading Account, Stocks and Shares ISA and SIPP.
Capital at risk.
Moneyfarm is a UK robo advisor that provides you with a personalised investment plan based on your risk preferences. Investors can choose from seven globally diversified risk-rated portfolios, including ethical investments, if you prefer to invest in line with your values. The team at Moneyfarm actively manages your investments, but each investment portfolio is made up of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other passive trackers. You also benefit from free and personalised digital financial advice from Moneyfarm's investment consultants, and you can chat, phone, email, or meet your consultant in person. Moneyfarm's products include a Stocks and Shares ISA, General Investment Account, and Personal Pension.
Capital at risk.
Netwealth is a wealth management platform designed for high-net-worth individuals. Netwealth’s overarching goal is to help you manage your money cost-effectively while generating a secure income over the medium to long term that may help with important financial events, such as school fees, retirement or elderly care. When you join Netweath, the team of wealth managers will help you define your objectives. This process informs what combination of risk levels and account types are best suited for you. The team will also help you put a financial plan in place and check back in with you regularly. With Netwealth, you can choose from seven ready-made globally diversified portfolios, which aim to maximise the return for your chosen risk level. The minimum investment amount to become a client of Netwealth is £50,000. This, however, can be made up of different account types and include cash deposits and transfers from other providers. For example, the minimum portfolio size for an ISA is £5,000 and £1,000 for a JISA. Netwealth’s suite of products includes a Stocks and Shares ISA, Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, General Investment Account and Self-Invested Personal Pension.
Capital at risk.
Vanguard is a popular low-cost investment platform with over 70 funds. You can only invest in its own funds, and it does not offer share trading. It gives you the flexibility to choose a ready-made portfolio or build your own. Vanguard's products include a SIPP, Stocks and Shares ISA and Junior ISA.
Capital at risk.
To make sense of these charges, use our full investment platform, or robo advisor comparison tables.
Typically, your annual charge depends on whether you hold funds or shares in your stocks and shares ISA. Here, we assume you will invest in funds only.
If you plan to invest in individual stocks and shares, use our dedicated investment comparison tool for shares. If you are considering robo-advisors, compare their fees here.
The investment platform comparison tool below shows the annual charges (platform and dealing charges only) for holding funds in a self-select or DIY ISAs.
Self-select ISAs are a type of stocks and shares ISA that give you the freedom to select the specific investments that make up your portfolio.
And depending on the provider you choose, you'll have the option to either select individual shares, bonds, funds, etc., and manage your portfolio yourself or choose from a range of managed and ready-made portfolios.
To make the best use of the table below, click on the column headers to sort from the most expensive to the cheapest ISA and vice versa.
For example, if you want to see the cheapest platforms for regular investments of £100 per month, click once on the £100 per month header. To see the most expensive platform for a lump sum investment of £20k, click twice on the £20,000 lump sum header.
Continue this exercise on all the headers until you find what you are looking for. Then scroll down to read our assumptions and to learn more about Self-select ISAs.
Capital at risk. ISA rules apply. Other charges apply.
| Platform | £100 per Month | £500 per Month | £1,000 per Month | £20,000 Lump Sum | £100,000 Lump Sum | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 26 | 34 | 56 | 256 | DETAILS |
.png) | 3 | 13 | 26 | 80 | 375 | DETAILS |
 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 212 | DETAILS |
| 3 | 13 | 26 | 80 | 400 | DETAILS |
 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 70 | 350 | DETAILS |
 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 50 | 250 | DETAILS |
 1 | 39 | 53 | 71 | 95 | 310 | DETAILS |
 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 70 | 350 | DETAILS |
| 2 | 8 | 16 | 50 | 250 | DETAILS |
 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 74 | 74 | DETAILS |
| 3 | 15 | 29 | 90 | 450 | DETAILS |
 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 50 | 250 | DETAILS |
| 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | DETAILS |
| 240 | 240 | 240 | 240 | 240 | DETAILS |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | DETAILS |
 3 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 120 | 120 | DETAILS |
 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 70 | 275 | DETAILS |
 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 70 | 350 | DETAILS |
 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 60 | 250 | DETAILS |
| 1 | 5 | 10 | 30 | 150 | DETAILS |
 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 80 | 350 | DETAILS |
When you invest in a fund, please note, the fund manager will add various charges within the fund, including a fund management fee. We haven't included any fund management fees in our calculations, just the platform and dealing fees.
If you would like an idea of how fund management fees could impact the total amount you pay to a platform, have a look at our other stocks and shares ISA comparison tool - Compare The Best Robo Advisors.
The calculations above are based on the following scenarios:
For regular investments, we assume you'll make 12 deals each year or one deal every month.
For lump sums, we assume you'll make four deals a year.
A deal is either one of buying or selling an investment. It is also called a trade.
We use the colours green, amber, and red to indicate how expensive or cheap an investment platform is compared to the others. The cheapest investment platforms are coloured green, the more expensive ones red, and the others amber.
Keep in mind that a platform showing up as green doesn't make it the best investment platform for you, as cheap doesn't always equal good. Some of the more expensive platforms could have a wider variety of stocks, bonds, funds, ETFs, etc., depending on what you are looking for.
If you are investing small amounts and choose to go with the cheapest stocks and shares ISA platform for that amount, note that some of the more expensive platforms become cheaper as your pot increases. Consider Interactive Investor and Halifax Share Dealing, for example.
Additionally, we show the costs which apply to the first year only. It is important to mention this because, with platforms like iWeb, your charges reduce after the first year. Whereas with platforms like EQi, your charges might increase after the first year.
Finally, for each provider listed in our stocks and shares ISA comparison table, your money is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
An investment ISA (Individual Savings Account) is a tax-free account for buying, selling, and holding investments such as shares, bonds, and funds. This tax year (2021-22), you can invest up to £20,000 in one investment ISA or split the money between an investment ISA and other ISAs. An investment ISA is also called a Stocks and Shares ISA.
The main Investment ISA charges are annual platform fee, fund management fee, trading fee, and transfer out fee. Depending on your investment provider and how you choose to invest, there might be some other charges.
If you have a large amount of money to invest, go with fixed fees. For people with smaller pots, pick platforms with percentage-based charges. Use our investment fees calculator above to visualise the charges before you buy.
A self-select ISA is a type of Investment ISA that gives you the freedom to choose the specific investments that make up your portfolio. Depending on the provider you choose, you'll have the option to either select individual investments and manage your portfolio yourself or choose from a range of ready-made portfolios.
Self-select ISAs providers are also called Do-It-Yourself (DIY) investment platforms.
When you open a self-select ISA, you can invest in a range of assets, including:
Use our investment platform comparison tool above to select the best investment platform for you. Then visit the platform's website to apply for an account. Once your account is open, you will be able to choose funds and start building your portfolio.
If you need help choosing investments, most providers in the table above offer ready-made portfolios and financial advice. Financial advice typically attracts an extra charge.
If you are unsure about choosing a self-select ISA, it might be worth seeking independent financial advice from a suitably qualified financial adviser.
Here are some of the best investment platforms in the UK:
Here are some of the best investment platforms for beginners in the UK:
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