Best Investment Platforms
Find the best Stocks & Shares ISAs & General Investing Accounts
Updated: 30th May 2022.
FYI: Money Unshackled’s Ben has just switched his own Stocks & Shares ISA provider for 2022/23. Find out more here.
Best Platforms
- Interactive Investor – comprehensive and cheap for large pots
- AJ Bell – comprehensive and cheap for smaller pots
- Freetrade – commission-free trading in US and UK stocks and ETFs
- Trading 212 – commission-free trading in US and UK stocks and ETFs
- InvestEngine – commission-free investing in ETFs
- Nutmeg – picks and manages investments on your behalf
Sections
Why Invest?
Investing your money will allow it to grow. Whether you’re investing for retirement, financial freedom or just financial security, an investment pot working for you will greatly help you reach your goals.
The purchasing power of money rapidly shrinks year after year due to the silent assassin known as inflation. Not only does investing allow you to build wealth but it also helps defend your future against this invisible enemy.
Interest from savings will not protect your money in real terms as the miserly interest rate paid by banks is far below inflation. You must invest to protect and build your wealth…
How To Invest?
Investing today had never been easier. With the advancement of incredible technology such as the Internet and the mobile phone, and the revolutionary development of the financial services industry, you can now invest in practically anything you can imagine from the comfort of your home.
Do-it-yourself platforms
The most common way to invest is via an investment platform that allows you to do it yourself. A good investment platform will give you wide-ranging access to stocks and shares, funds, ETFs, and bonds. Not all investments are created equal. You will want to build a diversified portfolio that is in line with your attitude to risk and financial goals.
DIY investment platforms are best suited to those who know what they’re doing, and those willing to learn. Making your own investments can be fun but the end goal should be to maximise your wealth. Generally, DIY investing platforms will be cheaper than other ways of investing.
Do-it-for-me platforms
Another popular way to invest is via a robo-investing platform. These will do all the hard work for you and are great for those that either don’t know how to invest or are not inclined to manage their own portfolio.
A robo-advisor will provide a digitised and simplified alternative to what a human financial advisor would traditionally have offered, but crucially for a much lower fee.
You will be asked some fact-finding questions that aim to assess your attitude to risk and financial goals. They will then allocate you to a suitable basket of investments and manage them on your behalf.
While robo-investing platforms are very affordable, they do typically cost more than DIY investing platforms. However, the most important thing when investing is not the fees you pay but what return you get, so a small premium may be worth paying.
What Is A Stocks & Shares ISA?
An ISA is a tax-free savings account, which stands for individual savings account (ISA). Everyone in the UK over 18 has an annual £20,000 ISA allowance. The tax year runs from the 6th April to the 5th April the following year.
You can use all of this allowance for a stocks & shares ISA if you want, or you can split it between stocks & shares and any of the other types of ISA: Cash ISAs, Lifetime ISAs and Innovative Finance ISAs (used for P2P Lending). You can only subscribe to one of each ISA type per tax year.
If you do not use all of your ISA allowance before the end of the tax year it will be lost. You cannot carry forward any unused ISA allowance from one year to the next.
Is it really tax-free?
Almost. You do not pay tax on:
- Interest
- Income (e.g. dividends)
- Capital Gains
However, you will have to pay transactional taxes (if applicable) such as UK stamp duty. UK stamp duty is paid when you purchase most UK stocks – currently 0.5%.
Moreover, when investing in foreign listed securities (e.g. US Stocks), some countries deduct a withholding tax from any dividends or interest paid. Speak to your investment platform for ways this can be minimised. For example, when investing in US stocks you can reduce dividend withholding tax from 30% to 15% when you complete a w8-ben form.
How To Choose An Investment Platform / S&S ISA?
When choosing an investment platform, you want to look into these key points: Cost, Investment Range, Customer Service and Functionality.
Cost
You want the cost to be as low as possible, but not at the expense of other features. Each platform has their own unique (and often complicated) fee structure, so you can avoid or reduce painful fees from the start by choosing the correct platform that’s right for you.
Many investment platforms have unfortunately decided to overcomplicate their fees, and unwitting investors may pay over the odds if they’re not careful. We have done the grunt work for you and the comparison table below should highlight the most important fees to aid your selection.
These fees might look small, but over 30 years of investing, fees could erode your total potential pot by as much as half its value due to the effect of compounding.
The fees that matter most will depend on what you invest in and how often you invest.
Arguably, the main fee, often called the platform or admin fee, is one of the most important. These typically come in 2 forms – fixed fee or percentage-based fee. The rule of thumb is that you should opt for a fixed fee platform if you have more money invested; and the less you have invested the more likely a percentage-based fee will be cheaper.
Investment Range
One of the most important decisions when choosing an investment platform is that you need to make sure the platform offers what you want to invest in.
Some platforms have a huge range of funds, ETFs, and both international and UK stocks. These tend to be the more expensive platforms.
On the other hand, other platforms may only offer funds, whilst some platforms only offer stocks and ETFs.
Customer Service
Sooner or later you will need to get in contact with your investment platform. What communication methods do they offer and how helpful and responsive are they?
Functionality
What services does your investment platform provide? Is there an app for on-the-go investing and portfolio monitoring? Is there a website for carrying out more in-depth analysis on your portfolio? Does the platform offer research articles and investment analysis? Does the platform offer more advanced features like stop losses and limit orders? What about cheaper regular investing services and dividend reinvestment? Will you have the opportunity to get involved in IPOs?
There’s an endless list of possible features that investment platforms could offer. You need to choose a platform that offers the ones that are most important to you.
Our Top Pick Investment Platforms
Fixed Fee Platform
Interactive Investor
Comprehensive and cheap for large pots.
For the wealthier investor – this is a comprehensive platform with a huge investment range. Interactive Investor has a fixed platform fee, so is more suited to those who have tens of thousands of pounds worth of stocks and/or funds but is expensive if your pot is just a grand or two.
It has three different plans to choose from – the cheapest, the ‘Investor’ plan, costs £9.99/month, and gives you one free trade per month worth £7.99. Funds, UK and US shares, and ETF trades cost £7.99 on this plan.
The mid-tier option, the ‘Funds Fan’ plan, costs £13.98/month, and gives you two free fund trades per month. This plan also benefits from reduced fund trading costs at £3.99 per trade.
The ‘Super Investor Plan’, costs £19.99/month, and gives you two free trades per month. This plan also benefits from reduced fund, shares, and ETF trading costs at £3.99 per trade (£4.99 for US shares).
All plans have a free monthly investing service.
Key Info
Platform Charge: £9.99/month for ‘Investor’ Plan
Regular (monthly) Investing Service: FREE
Fund & ETF dealing: £7.99
Share dealing: £7.99 UK and US
Transfer Out fee: N/A
Range: Access 40,000+ UK and global stocks and 3,000+ funds, plus Investment Trusts and ETFs
Percentage-Based Platform
AJ Bell Youinvest
Comprehensive and cheap for smaller pots.
The low platform fee of up to 0.25% on funds might make this provider of interest for investors with smaller investment pots; or even large pots when investing in shares, ETFs and investment trusts – with these the fee is capped at £3.50 per month.
The wide range of investment options will give investors plenty of choice. AJ Bell Youinvest have also recognised that choice can often be overwhelming, so you can choose from the AJ Bell Favourite funds list if you wish. Not only that but they also offer ready-made portfolios if you need help in getting started.
Important information: Capital at risk. AJ Bell Youinvest doesn’t offer advice.
Key Info
Platform Charge: 0.25% on the first £250,000 for funds – capped at £3.50 per month for non-fund holdings (see table below for full pricing)
Regular (monthly) Investing Service: £1.50 per deal
Fund dealing: £1.50 per deal
Share and ETF dealing (on-line): £9.95 per deal
Transfer Out fee: No charge
Range: Over 2,000 funds, plus UK and global stocks, Investment Trusts, and ETFs
Commission-Free Apps
Freetrade
Commission-free trading in US and UK stocks and ETFs.
For price conscious investors. Freetrade offers an app-only experience.
Most notably it is possible to invest with zero platform and trading fees, and unlike any of the conventional platforms they offer fractional shares. However, Freetrade does charge an FX fee of 0.45%. Some stocks, particularly in the US, have very high share prices putting them out of reach of some investors. Freetrade are breaking down these barriers.
There is a premium version called Freetrade Plus, the notable difference being a slightly higher range of stocks and ETFs, and more advanced order types – though the free version is likely to be good enough for most investors.
For new investors Freetrade are giving away a free stock worth up to £200 when you sign up via Money Unshackled.
Key Info
Platform Charge: FREE (Freetrade Plus £9.99/month)
ISA Fee: £3 per month (included with Freetrade Plus)
Funds: Not available
Share and ETF dealing: FREE
Transfer Out fee: Free (only cash transfers available)
Range: 3,000 US and UK stocks and ETFs; 3,700 on Freetrade Plus
Trading 212 (Invest & ISA Accounts)
Commission-free trading in US and UK stocks and ETFs.
Trading 212 is the price leader when it comes to commission-free investing apps offering both stocks and ETFs, with zero account fees (incl ISA), zero trading fees, but charges FX fees of 0.15%. They also have a 0.7% card deposit fee (bank transfers are still free).
They have a wide range of US stocks and ETFs – not as comprehensive as the traditional platforms but enough to meet the needs of most investors. However, unlike the traditional platforms they also offer fractional shares and ETFs, allowing you to build a diversified portfolio no matter how much money you have.
The standout feature is ‘AutoInvest & Pies’, which allows investors to set the percentage of each holding within a pie. Your deposited funds can then be invested automatically based on this allocation. It can be rebalanced with a single tap. Note that the autoinvest feature requires card deposits, which carry the 0.7% fee.
Investors (especially beginners) need to be careful that they don’t inadvertently sign-up to Trading 212’s CFD account. This is not free and 76% of retailer investors lose money with Trading 212 CFDs.
Moreover, the fact that the Trading 212 Invest/ISA account is free means that they are funding it with profits made elsewhere in the business (likely their CFD business). This might be a concern for some investors.
For new investors Trading 212 are giving away a free stock worth up to £100 when you sign up via Money Unshackled.
Key Info
Platform Charge: FREE
Funds: Not available
Share and ETF dealing: FREE
Transfer Out fee: Free (only cash transfers available)
Card Deposit fee: 0.7% (bank transfers free)
Range: 10,000+ global stocks & ETFs
InvestEngine (“Do-it-yourself” accounts)
Commission-free investing in ETFs.
InvestEngine is the price leader when it comes to commission-free investing in ETFs, with zero account fees, zero trading fees and zero FX fees (all ETFs are priced in GBP).
The platform offers 2 account types, “Do-it-yourself” or “Managed-for-you”. The “Do-it-yourself” platform offers fractional ETFs, which you add to your portfolio on a percentage basis. ETFs are a very cheap form of index investing (tracking the performance of an index of stocks/bonds/commodities).
They have a small but growing range of ETFs that is being regularly added to. Account types includes ISAs as well as general accounts.
For new investors, InvestEngine will give you a £25 welcome bonus when you sign up via Money Unshackled (OFFER CURRENTLY SUSPENDED as of 12th Dec 2022).
Note that InvestEngine also offer a Robo-Investing service (the “Managed-for you” accounts) that are similar to those offered by Nutmeg (see below), but InvestEngine charge only 0.25% for these, making them again the market leader on price in the space. See full InvestEngine review here for more information on both the “Do-it-yourself” and “Managed-for-you” accounts.
Key Info
Platform Charge: FREE on “Do-it-yourself” accounts (0.25% on “Managed-for-you” accounts)
Shares & Funds: Not available
ETF dealing: FREE
Transfer Out fee: Free (only cash transfers available)
Range: 150+ ETFs
Do-It-For-Me Platform
Nutmeg
A “robo-investor” platform that picks and manages investments on your behalf.
For the investor who wants all the hard work done for them. Nutmeg builds and manages a diversified portfolio for you, using technology to keep charges low and the investment goals personal to you. The portfolios are constructed from diversified ETFs.
Nutmeg will ask you a series of questions and assign you to a suitable portfolio based on your attitude to risk.
It has four different plans to choose from, with no hidden fees – the cheapest, the “Fixed Allocation” plan, costs 0.45% up to £100k, and 0.25% beyond. There is also a fund fee (average 0.19%), and finally a market spread (average 0.07%).
Nutmeg also have Pension account which has the same fee structure and investment options as the ISA range.
For new investors Nutmeg will reduce the platform fee to 0% for 6 months when you sign up via the button below. T&Cs apply.
Key Info
Platform Charge: For the Fixed Allocation plan fees are 0.45% on the first £100,000, then 0.25%
Regular (monthly) Investing Service: FREE
Other Fees: Fund fees average 0.19% and Market Spread average 0.07% (on Fixed Allocation plan)
Transfer Out fee: Free
Bonus Period: First 6 months without platform fees when you sign up via Money Unshackled
* Capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Notable Mention
Commission-Free App – Trading US Stocks
Stake
Commission-free trading in US stocks.
For price conscious investors. Stake offers an app-only experience specialising in US stocks.
Stake has zero platform and trading fees and offers one of the biggest ranges of US stocks available in the UK – with about 3,000 US stocks available.
Stake doesn’t offer an ISA, but the benefit of this is that you will store any uninvested money in US dollars, so you only pay the FX fee of 0.5% when depositing and withdrawing money – potentially saving you a small fortune if you trade frequently when compared to other platforms.
Note, that the lack of an ISA account will mean all dividends and capital gains could be liable for tax, if you go over your tax allowances.
Stake also offer fractional investing, so you can buy any dollar amount of any share.
As well as the above, Stake have a premium version of the app called Stake Black which adds some additional analyst features – though the free version is likely to be good enough for most investors.
For new investors Stake are giving away a free stock worth up to $100 when you sign up via Money Unshackled.
Key Info
Platform Charge: FREE (Stake Black $9/month)
ISA: Not available
Funds: Not available
US Share dealing: FREE
US listed ETFs: only available for sophisticated investors. They don’t offer London listed ETFs.
Transfer Out fee: withdrawal fee of $2 plus 0.5% FX fee
Range: 3,000 US stocks
Full Price Comparison Table (Do-It-Yourself Investment Platforms)
Check the table below for a summary of the main platform fees on the Do-It-Yourself platforms. For Robo Advisor (Do-It-For-Me) platform comparison fees, see table here. Many platforms have overly complicated fees, so for ease you might prefer to choose from our best buys above.
| Platform | Annual Platform Fee (Funds) | Dealing Fee (Funds) | Annual Platform Fee (Shares/ITs/ETFs) | Dealing Fee (Shares/ITsETFs) | Regular Investing Service | FX Fee | Dividend Reinvestment | Notes | Cash Interest | ISA | Frequent Trading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Bell Youinvest | 0.25% on £0-£250k, 0.10% on £250k-£500k, No charge over £500k |
£1.50 per deal | 0.25% (Max: £42 per year / £3.50 per month) |
£9.95 per deal (on-line) | £1.50 per deal | Dividends: 0.5% First £10k: 1.00% Next £10k: 0.75% Next £10k: 0.50% Value over £30,000: 0.25% |
£1.50 | Above £100k (0.15%), £50k-£100k (0.10%), £10k - £50k (0.05%), No charge below £10k | No Charge | Shares: £4.95 where there were 10 or more online share deals in the previous month | |
| Barclays Smart Investor | 0.20% (Min: £48 per year / £4 per month, max £125 per month) | £3 | 0.10% (Min: £48 annual / £4 per month, max £125 per month) |
£6 | £1 | Not Stated | FREE | No US or Int'l shares | 0% | No Charge | N/A |
| Charles Stanley Direct | 0.35% on £0-£250k, 0.20% on £250k-£500k, 0.15% on £500k-£1m, 0.05% on £1m-£2m, 0.00% over £2m |
FREE | 0.35% Min £24 & Max £240, trade 1 or more in month - no charge |
£11.50 | N/A | 1% | N/A | 0% | No Charge | N/A | |
| Fidelity | 0.35% on £0-£7.5k (or £45 if you don't have regular saving plan), 0.35% on £7.5-£250k, 0.20% on £250k-£1m, No charge over £1m |
FREE | 0.35% (Max: £45 per year) |
£10 | £1.50 | Up to $50,000: 1.0% $50,001 to $150,000: 0.5% Over $150,000: 0.25% |
£1.50 | 0% | No Charge | N/A | |
| Freetrade-ISA/GIA | N/A (No Funds) |
N/A (No Funds) |
FREE | FREE | N/A | 0.45% | N/A | 0% | £3 per month | N/A | |
| Freetrade Plus | N/A (No Funds) |
N/A (No Funds) |
£9.99 | FREE | N/A | 0.45% | N/A | More stocks, Limit orders, Stop losses, ISA included | 3% up to £4k of cash holdings | No Charge | N/A |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | 0.45% on £0-£250k, 0.25% on £250k-£1m, 0.10% on £1m-£2m, No charge over £2m |
FREE | 0.45% (Max: £45 per year) | £11.95 | £1.50 | First £5,000: 1.00% Next £5,000: 0.75% Next £10,000: 0.50% Over £20,000: 0.25% |
1% (min £1, max £10) |
0% | No Charge | 10-19 deals: £8.95 20 or more deals: £5.95 |
|
| IG - Share Dealing ISA | N/A (No Funds) |
N/A (No Funds) |
£96 / £24 per quarter, no fee if you deal 3+ times during the quarter |
ETF/UK Shares/IT: £8 or £3 if 3+ trades in prior month, US Shares: £10 or FREE if 3+ trades in prior month, Int'l Shares: 0.1% (min €10) |
N/A | 0.5% | N/A | 0% | No Charge | N/A | |
| Interactive Investor- Investor Plan | £119.88 per year / £9.99 per month, Funds and Shares included |
£7.99 | Included in same fee as for Funds | UK & US: £7.99, Int'l: £19.99 |
FREE | £0 - £24,999.99: 1.50% £25,000 - £49,999.99: 1.25% £50,000 - £99,999.99: 1.00% £100,000 - £599,999.99: 0.50% £600,000 or more: 0.25% |
£0.99 | 1 FREE trade per month | 0% | No Charge | N/A |
| Interactive Investor- Funds Fan Plan | £167.88 per year / £13.88 per month, Funds and Shares included |
£3.99 | Included in same fee as for Funds | UK & US: £7.99, ITs: £3.99Int'l: £19.99 |
FREE | £0 - £24,999.99: 1.50% £25,000 - £49,999.99: 1.25% £50,000 - £99,999.99: 1.00% £100,000 - £599,999.99: 0.50% £600,000 or more: 0.25% |
£0.99 | 2 FREE fund trades per month | 0% | No Charge | N/A |
| Interactive Investor - Super Investor Plan | £239.88 per year / £19.99 per month, Funds and Shares included |
£3.99 | Included in same fee as for Funds | UK: £3.99 US: £4.99 Int'l: £9.99 |
FREE | £0 - £24,999.99: 1.50% £25,000 - £49,999.99: 1.25% £50,000 - £99,999.99: 1.00% £100,000 - £599,999.99: 0.50% £600,000 or more: 0.25% |
£0.99 | 2 FREE trades per month | 0% | No Charge | N/A |
| InvestEngine ("do it yourself" portfolios) |
N/A | N/A | FREE (only offers ETFs) | FREE (only offers ETFs) | FREE | N/A | FREE | Full platform review here | 0% | No ISA on DIY platforms (coming soon) | N/A |
| iWeb | FREE | £5 | FREE | £5 | N/A | 1.5% | 2% (max £5) | One-off Account Opening Charge: £100 | 0% | No Charge | N/A |
| Stake | N/A | N/A | FREE | FREE (only US stocks) | N/A | 0.5% (min $2) on transfers. Not on individual trades | N/A | Only US stocks. Optional Stake Black: $9 per month. US Listed ETFs only available with Stake Black |
0% | N/A | N/A |
| Tilney Bestinvest | 0.4% on £0-£250k, 0.20% on £250k-£1m, No charge over £1m |
FREE | 0.4% on £0-£250k, 0.20% on £250k-£1m, No charge over £1m |
£7.50 | N/A | Not Stated | N/A | No US or Int'l shares | 0.35% | No Charge | N/A |
| Trading 212 Invest/ISA | N/A (No Funds) |
N/A (No Funds) |
FREE | FREE | FREE | 0.15% | FREE | 0.7% Card Deposit Fee (Bank Transfers Free) | 0% | No Charge | FREE |
| Vanguard | 0.15% (max: £375, covers all funds and ETFs) |
FREE | ETFs: 0.15% (max: £375, covers all funds and ETFs) |
FREE | FREE | N/A | N/A | ETF trading free using bulk dealing service ETF trading at live price: £7.50 per trade |
0% | No Charge | N/A |
How To Find And Analyse Stocks?
Here at Money Unshackled we believe that most investors will do best by building a diversified world portfolio using ETFs (or funds) and sticking to this strategy. However, picking stocks is arguably more fun and can give you better returns if you pick wisely.
Picking great stocks is not easy though and you have a better chance if you use a stock screener and research tool like Stockopedia. This tool isn’t free, but you can get a free 14-day trial with this link and it will also give you 25% off your membership fees.
Stockopedia isn’t cheap, so obviously if you only have a small investment pot it will be difficult to get value from it, but for those with larger investment pots it might take your investing skills up another level.
So you know…
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Most importantly, the things we write are NEVER impacted by these links. We review all products impartially. If an affiliate link for the top deal isn’t available, it is still included!
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