Products featured in this article are independently selected by This is Money’s specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence.
In this guide we give our selection of the best investment platforms, helping you compare the leading providers and choose one that’s right for you.
The rise of do–it–yourself investing and online trading platforms has made it a lot easier – and cheaper – for people to invest in the stock market.
Gone are the days of buying investments through an expensive stockbroker, financial adviser or fund manager. Now relatively inexpensive investing platforms give you access to the full range of investments, along with quality customer service and investment research to help you choose investments.
There are even dedicated investment apps that allow you to invest in a few taps of your smartphone, and many of these platforms won’t charge you for doing so.
Most UK investment platforms offer the two main tax–efficient accounts for investors – a stocks and shares Isa and a self–invested personal pension (Sipp). You should also be able to invest outside of a tax–efficient wrapper using a general investment account.
We explain how to decide on the best investing platform for you, based on the type of investor you are and what you want to invest in – whether that’s shares, funds, investment trusts, exchange–traded funds (ETFs) or bonds.
The table gives an overview of each investment platform’s price and features, and we also review the various options in more detail. All platforms must be FCA regulated to feature here.
Pricing changes: Hargreaves Lansdown is updating its pricing from 1 March, lowering its headline account fee from 0.45 per cent to 0.35 per cent. Interactive Investor introduced new fees on 1 February, simplifying its flat–fee subscription plans. As ever, the devil is in the detail – whether these changes work out well for you depends on the type of investor you are.
DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS
AJ Bell
AJ Bell
Easy investing and ready-made portfolios
Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown
Free fund dealing and investment ideas
interactive investor
interactive investor
Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month
eToro
eToro
Share investing: 30+ million community
Trading 212
Trading 212
Free share dealing and no account fee
Best investment platforms: Costs
| Admin charge | Charges notes | Fund dealing | Standard share, trust, ETF dealing | Regular investing | Dividend reinvestment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Bell* | 0.25% | Max £3.50 per month for shares, trusts, ETFs (£10 cap in Sipp). | £1.50 | £5 | £1.50 | £1.50 per deal | More details |
| Bestinvest | 0.40% (0.2% for ready made portfolios) | Account fee cut to 0.2% for ready made investments. | Free | £4.95 | Free for funds | Free for income funds | More details |
| Charles Stanley Direct* | 0.30% | Min platform fee of £60, max of £600. £100 back in free trades per year. | £4 | £10 | Free for funds | n/a | More details |
| Etoro* | Free | Stocks, investment trusts and ETFs. Limited Isa, no Sipp. | Not available | Free | n/a | n/a | More details |
| Fidelity* | 0.35% on funds | £7.50 per month up to £25,000 or 0.35% with regular savings plan. | Free | £7.50 | Free funds £1.50 shares, trusts ETFs | £1.50 | More details |
| Freetrade* | Free (paid subscriptions give better rates and features) | Investment choice includes stocks, funds (500+), investment trusts and ETFs. | Free | Free | n/a | n/a | More details |
| Hargreaves Lansdown* | 0.45% (Fees changing on 1 March 2026) | Capped at £45 annually for shares, trusts, ETFs in an Isa – increasing to £150 in March. | Free (increasing to £1.95) | £11.95 (decreasing to £6.95) | Free | Free | More details |
| IG* | Free (Sipp admin fee is £210 a year) | Foreign exchange fee 0.7% | Not available | Free | Free | N/a | More details |
| Interactive Investor* | £5.99 per month under £100k (Core); £14.99 above (Plus) | Free monthly trade on Plus plan | £3.99 (Core); £1.49 (Plus) | £3.99 | Free | £0.99 | More details |
| InvestEngine | Free | Only ETFs. Managed service is 0.25% | Not available | Free | Free | Free | More details |
| iWeb | Free | £5 | £5 | n/a | 2%, max £5 | More details | |
| Trading 212* | Free | Stocks, investment trusts and ETFs. | Not available | Free | n/a | Free | More details |
| Prosper* | Free | Refunded underlying fees on around 30 ETFs | Free | Free | Free | Free | More details |
| Vanguard Only Vanguard’s own products | 0.15% | Only Vanguard funds | Free | Free only Vanguard ETFs | Free | n/a | More details |
| (Source: ThisisMoney.co.uk February 2026, based on published information from platforms. Admin % charge may be levied monthly or quarterly | |||||||
How to choose an investment platform: Tips on getting started
You should think carefully about the type of…
Read More: Best investment platforms: How to choose the right account for you