Best for Beginners and the lowest cost
No account fee and free dealing, from £1. Shares and ETFs only, with a 0.15% FX fee on foreign shares.
Visit Trading 212
Capital at risk.
Best Investment Platforms UK 2026
We compared 14 UK investment platforms on what a general investment account costs at your portfolio size, what you can hold, and what you pay to deal and change currency.
Some links are affiliate or referral links. Capital at risk.
Quick answer: how to choose an investment platform
Use your £20,000 ISA allowance first. For money above that, pick a general investment account that is cheap at your portfolio size and holds what you want to buy.
- New to investing or starting small? Trading 212 charges no account fee and no commission, from £1. Our pick: Trading 212.
- Want to follow other investors? eToro’s CopyTrader lets you copy other people’s portfolios, with no account fee and $0 commission on shares and ETFs.
- Investing larger sums often? XTB charges no commission on up to €100,000 of trades a month.
- Holding funds? Percentage fees add up. On £50,000 in funds you would pay £175 a year at HL, against £72 at interactive investor.
- Not used your ISA allowance yet? Gains and dividends in an ISA are tax-free, so compare Stocks and Shares ISAs first.
Fees checked on each platform's own pricing page, 4 November 2026Compare all fourteenHow we rank
Our top pick
No account fee, no custody fee and free dealing, from £1. You can buy fractional shares and ETFs, and keep your ISA and SIPP in the same app.
Worth knowing: it holds no funds or bonds, and charges 0.15% to change currency when you buy shares priced in dollars or euros.
Visit Trading 212
Capital at risk.
Compare investment platforms
The fourteen platforms we compare, in our ranked order. Choose your portfolio size and what you hold to see each platform’s yearly fee for a general investment account, or sort by the lowest cost.
Fees checked 4 November 2026 on each provider's own pricing page · How we rank
Provider
Yearly costOn £10,000 in shares and ETFs
DealingPer trade, and FX on foreign shares
What you can holdInvestment range
Getting startedMinimum, other accounts, withdrawals
Open an account
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No account or custody fee
Dealing£0 commissionFX 0.15% on foreign shares
What you can holdShares and ETFsFractional shares from £1
Getting startedFrom £1Also offers an ISA and a SIPPFree withdrawals
Visit Trading 212
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No account fee
Dealing$0 commission on shares and ETFsFX 0.75% from a GBP account
What you can holdShares, ETFs and cryptoCopyTrader and Smart Portfolios
Getting startedAlso offers an ISAFree withdrawals from a GBP account
Visit eToro
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Sponsored link.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No custody fee below €250,000
Dealing£0 up to €100,000 a month, then 0.2% (min £10)FX 0.5%
What you can holdShares and ETFsFractional shares
Getting startedNo minimum depositAlso offers an ISAFree withdrawals
Visit XTB
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No fee on DIY portfolios; managed 0.25%
Dealing£0 dealingNo FX fee on GBP-traded ETFs
What you can holdETFs onlyAutomatic investing and rebalancing
Getting startedAlso offers an ISA and a SIPPFree withdrawals
Visit InvestEngine
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No account fee
Dealing£0 on trades up to £25,000FX 0.7%
What you can holdShares, ETFs and investment trustsFractional shares from £1 in the GIA
Getting startedAlso offers an ISA and a SIPPFree withdrawals
Visit IG
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0Free on the Basic plan
Dealing£0 commission on UK and US shares and ETFsFX 0.99% on Basic, 0.39% to 0.59% on paid plans
What you can holdShares, ETFs and investment trustsPaid plans £5.99 or £11.99 a month
Getting startedNo minimumAlso offers an ISA and a SIPP on every planInterest on cash 1% to 3.5% AER by plan
Visit Freetrade
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No account fee
Dealing£0 commissionFX 0.1%
What you can holdShares, ETFs and giltsHold GBP, USD and EUR in the GIA
Getting startedNo minimumAlso offers an ISAFree bank withdrawals
Visit Lightyear
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No custody or account fee
DealingFrom £3 UK, $0.005 a share US (min $1)FX 0.002% (min $2)
What you can holdShares, ETFs, funds and bondsGlobal markets
Getting startedNo minimumAlso offers an ISATwo free withdrawals a month
Visit Interactive Brokers
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£120.12% custody on shares and ETFs
DealingShares from 0.08%, no minimum; funds freeFX 0.60% (lower on higher tiers)
What you can holdShares, ETFs, funds and bondsGlobal exchanges
Getting startedNo minimumAlso offers an ISA and a SIPPFree withdrawals
Visit Saxo
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£72£5.99 a month on the Core plan
Dealing£3.99 UK and US shares and fundsFX 0.75%
What you can holdShares, funds, ETFs and trustsFree regular investing
Getting startedNo minimumISA and SIPP included in the same feeCore plan covers up to £100,000
Visit Interactive Investor
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£250.25%, capped at £3.50 a month
DealingShares £5 (£3.50 frequent), funds £1.50FX 0.75% to 0.25%, tiered
What you can holdShares, funds, ETFs, trusts and bondsFree regular investing
Getting startedRegular investing from £25 a monthAlso offers an ISA and a SIPPNo exit fees
Visit AJ Bell
Capital at risk.
12
DIY, funds focus
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£0No service fee on shares and ETFs in the Investment Account
DealingFunds free; shares £7.50 (£1.50 regular)FX 0.75% to 0.25%, tiered
What you can holdFunds, shares, ETFs and trustsOver 3,000 funds
Getting started£1,000 lump sum or £25 a monthAlso offers an ISA and a SIPPNo exit fees
Visit Fidelity
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£350.35%, capped at £150 a year
DealingShares £6.95 (£3.95 frequent), funds £1.95FX 0.99% to 0.20%, tiered
What you can holdShares, funds, ETFs, trusts and bondsFree regular investing
Getting startedFrom £100 or £25 a monthAlso offers an ISA and a SIPPNo exit fees
Visit Hargreaves Lansdown
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost on £10,000 in shares and ETFs£48£4 a month under £32,000, then 0.15% (max £375)
Dealing£0 on Vanguard funds and ETFsNo overseas share dealing
What you can holdVanguard funds and ETFs onlyIncluding LifeStrategy funds
Getting started£500 lump sum or £100 a monthAlso offers an ISA and a SIPPFree withdrawals
Visit Vanguard
Capital at risk.
Yearly cost is the provider's own account, platform or custody fee for the portfolio size and holding you choose, paid as a lump sum without a regular savings plan. Dealing, FX and fund charges come on top. Freetrade is shown on its free Basic plan. Where a provider does not offer what you picked, the cost shown is for what it does hold. The order is our editorial ranking, explained in how we rank. Some links are affiliate links, which never change the order. Capital at risk: the value of investments can go down as well as up.
Our picks by situation
Short on time? Pick the line that sounds like you. Every figure here is in the comparison table above.
Best for Copy trading and social investing
Copy other investors with CopyTrader, with no account fee and $0 commission on shares and ETFs. Currency conversion costs 0.75% from a GBP account.
Visit eToro
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Sponsored link.
Best for Active investors
No commission on up to €100,000 of trades a month, fractional shares and a 0.5% FX fee.
Visit XTB
Capital at risk.
Best for Hands-off ETF investing
No fee on DIY ETF portfolios, or ready-made portfolios for 0.25% a year. ETFs only.
Visit InvestEngine
Capital at risk.
Best for Larger portfolios
A flat £72 a year covers your GIA, ISA and SIPP together, up to £100,000.
Visit interactive investor
Capital at risk.
Best for Fund investors
Over 3,000 funds with free fund dealing, and no service fee on shares and ETFs held in the Investment Account.
Visit Fidelity
Capital at risk.
ISA or general investment account?
A general investment account, or GIA, is an ordinary investment account with no tax wrapper. There is no limit on what you pay in, but gains, dividends and interest can be taxed, so most people use their ISA allowance first.
- Use your ISA allowance firstYou can pay up to £20,000 a year into ISAs, and what you make inside them is free of UK income tax and capital gains tax. Compare Stocks and Shares ISAs.
- When a GIA makes senseOnce your ISA allowance is used, for investments your ISA cannot hold, or for features some platforms offer only in the GIA, such as IG’s fractional shares and Lightyear’s multi-currency account.
- Move money into your ISA each yearA Bed and ISA sells investments in your GIA and buys them back in your ISA, using that year’s allowance. The sale counts for capital gains tax, and some platforms charge for the service.
- Keep your statementsIf your gains or dividends go over the tax-free allowances, you may need to report them through Self Assessment. Keep your platform’s records of what you bought and sold.
How a GIA is taxed in 2026/27
Tax depends on your circumstances, and the rules can change. These are the main rates and allowances for the 2026/27 tax year.
- DividendsThe first £500 of dividends a year is tax-free. Above that you pay 10.75% as a basic-rate taxpayer, 35.75% at the higher rate and 39.35% at the additional rate.
- Capital gainsThe first £3,000 of gains a year is tax-free. Above that, gains on shares and funds are taxed at 18% within your basic-rate band and 24% above it. Losses you report to HMRC can be set against gains.
- Interest on uninvested cashThis counts as savings income. Basic-rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 a year tax-free and higher-rate taxpayers £500. Savings tax rates rise from 20%, 40% and 45% to 24%, 44% and 49% from April 2027.
- US shares and the W-8BEN formUS dividends are taxed before you receive them. A W-8BEN form, which most platforms ask you to complete when you open the account, cuts that withholding tax from 30% to 15%.
Rates and allowances from HM Treasury, Budget 2026 rates and allowances, 28 October 2026.
What you really pay
The account fee is only part of what you pay. These costs come on top, and they can matter more than the fee if you trade often or buy foreign shares.
- Currency (FX) feesBuying a US share means changing pounds into dollars. Among the platforms we compare, the fee runs from 0.1% at Lightyear and 0.15% at Trading 212 to 0.75% at eToro and 0.99% at HL and on Freetrade’s free plan. On a £1,000 purchase, that is £1 to £9.90. Interactive Brokers charges 0.002% with a $2 minimum.
- Dealing chargesApp-based platforms charge no commission on shares and ETFs. Traditional platforms charge per deal: £5 for shares at AJ Bell, £6.95 at HL and £7.50 at Fidelity. Funds are cheaper to deal, and regular investing is often free.
- Stamp duty and the PTM levyYou pay 0.5% stamp duty when you buy most UK shares, and a £1.50 levy on UK share trades over £10,000. These apply at every platform. UK-listed ETFs are exempt from stamp duty.
- Fund chargesEvery fund and ETF has its own yearly charge, paid to the fund manager on top of the platform fee. Index funds and ETFs can cost as little as 0.05% a year.
See what you would pay per trade with our UK broker fees calculator.
Moving a GIA to another platform
Moving to a cheaper platform is usually free and does not have to cost you tax, as long as you transfer your investments rather than selling them.
- Open the new account firstThen ask your new platform to transfer your investments in. Do not sell and withdraw the money yourself.
- Transfer your investments as they areMoving shares and funds as they are, called an in specie transfer, is not a sale, so it does not create a capital gain. Selling first and moving cash can.
- Check the new platform holds everythingTrading 212, XTB and InvestEngine do not hold mutual funds, Vanguard holds only its own, and fractional shares often cannot be transferred, so some holdings may need to be sold.
- Ask about exit feesMost platforms in our table charge no exit fees, but check before you move, and ask the new platform whether it covers any.
Investment platform questions
What is a general investment account?
A general investment account, or GIA, is a standard investment account with no tax wrapper. You can pay in and take out as much as you like, and hold shares, ETFs, funds and bonds.
Unlike an ISA or a SIPP, gains, dividends and interest above the tax-free allowances can be taxed.
Which investment platform is cheapest?
It depends on your portfolio size and what you hold. On £10,000 in shares and ETFs, Trading 212, eToro, XTB, InvestEngine, IG, Freetrade, Lightyear and Interactive Brokers charge no account fee, and neither does Fidelity’s Investment Account.
For funds, interactive investor’s flat fee comes to £72 a year on £50,000, against £175 at Hargreaves Lansdown. Dealing, FX and fund charges come on top, so use the table to compare at your own numbers.
Should I use an ISA or a general investment account?
Use your ISA first. You can pay in up to £20,000 a year and pay no UK tax on what you make inside it. A GIA is for money above that, or for investments and features your ISA does not offer.
Each new tax year you can move money from your GIA into your ISA with a Bed and ISA.
Do I pay tax on a general investment account?
You may. In 2026/27 the first £500 of dividends and the first £3,000 of capital gains are tax-free. Above that, dividends are taxed at 10.75%, 35.75% or 39.35%, and gains at 18% or 24%, depending on your income.
Interest on uninvested cash counts as savings income. You report what you owe through Self Assessment.
Is there a limit on how much I can put in a GIA?
No. Unlike an ISA, a general investment account has no yearly limit, and you can take money out whenever you like.
Can I have a GIA and an ISA with the same platform?
Yes. Every platform in our table also offers a Stocks and Shares ISA, so you can keep both in one place and move money into the ISA each tax year.
Is my money safe with an investment platform?
Platforms must keep your investments separate from their own money. If a regulated firm fails, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme can cover up to £85,000 per person for investment claims.
That protection does not cover your investments falling in value, or cryptoassets. Your capital is at risk.
Can I buy US shares in a general investment account?
Yes, at every platform in our table except Vanguard and InvestEngine. Expect a currency fee on each trade, and complete a W-8BEN form so US dividends are taxed at 15% rather than 30%.
How we rank investment platforms
Written by Dimitar Kanazirski
Founder and Editor-in-chief. BA (Hons) Business Economics, ACMI. Researches and writes on pensions, ISAs and ETFs.
Fact-checked by David Katzarov
Editor. Background in law and personal investing, focusing on regulation and ISA rules.
- What we assessThe yearly account fee at different portfolio sizes for shares and funds, dealing and FX costs, investment range, minimums, the other accounts each platform offers and how easy it is to use.
- Where the figures come fromEach platform’s own pricing pages and help centre, checked on 4 November 2026. Where a platform’s pages disagree, we use the most recent and say so.
- How often we checkEvery month, and sooner when a platform changes its charges.
- How the order is decidedBy how well each platform fits what most of our readers need when they invest outside an ISA, starting with cost and ease of use. Commercial relationships never change the order or the fees we report.
Risk disclaimer
This page is for general information and education. It is not personal financial advice and does not take account of your circumstances. When you invest, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.
Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change. Fees are set by each platform and can change at any time, and the platform’s own terms always take precedence over this page. If you are unsure whether an investment is right for you, seek advice from an FCA authorised adviser.
Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate or referral links, which may earn YourWalletManager a commission or a free share when you sign up. This never changes the order of our picks or the fees we report. Meet our editorial team.
Not sure which platform fits you?
Find your broker in about a minute
Answer six short questions about how you invest and see which platforms fit you best.
Latest from our Knowledge Hub
Bank Rate Rise 2026: What 4% Means For Savers And Investors
The Bank of England raised Bank Rate from 3.75% to 4% on 5 November 2026, the first increase since August 2023. Here is what the decision actually reaches…
7 min readRead guide
Nvidia CEO Shock Exit: How Does This Affect UK Investors?
Jensen Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and ran it for 33 years, resigned as president and chief executive on Thursday 12 November 2026, with immediate effect. The…
7 min readRead guide
Inherited Pension Tax 2027: What Changes For Your Family
The two year rule that could turn a tax free inherited pension into taxable income ended on 28 October 2026. From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds…
12 min readRead guide