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InvestEngine
Review 2026
Overview, highlights & more!
What will you find in this review:
Overview of InvestEngine
In this YourWalletManager InvestEngine review, we take a close look at one of the fastest growing investment platforms in the UK. InvestEngine has built its name on a simple promise: commission free ETF investing with no platform fees on DIY portfolios.
The platform focuses exclusively on exchange traded funds (ETFs), offering more than 890 of them from providers such as Vanguard, iShares, Amundi and HSBC. New customers currently invest through DIY portfolios, where you choose your own ETFs, because InvestEngine's Managed and LifePlan portfolios are temporarily closed to new clients while the company updates them.
It's important to note that this review is tailored to UK residents.
The information provided on this page and throughout the website is for general information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. It is important that you conduct your own research and consider your own personal circumstances before making any investment decisions.
What you will find in this review:
InvestEngine was co-founded by Simon Crookall, who previously co-founded Gumtree, together with Andrey Dobrynin. It says it now has more than 100,000 customers, and it has been named a Which? Recommended Provider in 2023, 2025 and 2026.
Getting started is straightforward. The minimum initial investment is £100, and after that you can put as little as £1 into any ETF thanks to fractional investing.
Platform Highlights
| 🗺️ Supported Countries | The United Kingdom |
| 📊 Management fees | £0 for DIY; 0.25%/yr for Managed and LifePlans (closed to new clients) |
| 💲 Market spread | Varies by ETF; avg. 0.07% to 0.08%/yr on Managed and LifePlans |
| ⏳ Inactivity fee | £0 |
| 🏧 Withdrawal fee | £0 |
| 💵 Minimum Deposit | £100 to open; then from £1 per ETF |
| 💡 Products offered | GIA, Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP, Business Account |
| 🎮 Demo Account | None |
| 📜 Regulatory entities | FCA |
InvestEngine keeps its account line-up simple: a General Investment Account, a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) and a Business Account for UK limited companies. There is no Cash ISA, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA.
Inside each account you can run a DIY portfolio, which carries no InvestEngine fees. InvestEngine also runs Managed and LifePlan portfolios for 0.25% a year, but these are currently closed to new clients, and existing clients cannot open new ones, while the company updates them.
ETF costs still apply, starting from 0.03% per year depending on the funds you choose (checked against InvestEngine's costs page on 10 November 2026).
InvestEngine offerings
InvestEngine is built entirely around ETFs. Rather than offering thousands of individual shares, it gives you a curated range of more than 890 ETFs and three ways to invest in them, although only the DIY route is open to new clients at the moment.
DIY Portfolios
The DIY option lets you pick your own ETFs and set target weights for each one. There are no platform fees, no dealing charges and no set-up costs; the only costs are the ETFs' own annual charges and market spread. Tools such as one-click rebalancing and AutoInvest keep your portfolio in line with your chosen targets.
Managed Portfolios
This option is currently closed to new clients. It builds a diversified portfolio matched to your answers to a risk questionnaire, for a 0.25% annual fee, and InvestEngine's investment team monitors and rebalances it for you. The average ETF charge inside the Managed Growth portfolios is 0.12% a year. InvestEngine says it is updating the service and will tell clients when it reopens.
LifePlans
LifePlans are five ready-made portfolios, ranging from 20% to 100% in shares, built and managed by InvestEngine's investment team. You pick the one that matches the level of risk you are comfortable with and the team keeps it rebalanced, for 0.25% a year. Like Managed portfolios, LifePlans are currently closed to new clients.
Accounts: GIA, ISA, SIPP and Business
Each account can hold DIY portfolios, as well as Managed and LifePlan portfolios for clients who already have them. Limited companies can invest surplus cash through a Business Account. The ISA, SIPP, GIA and Business Account all carry no account fees.
Whichever route you choose, InvestEngine’s portfolio look-through tool shows the combined exposure of all your ETFs across regions, sectors and even individual companies. It is a genuinely useful way to spot concentration risks before they become a problem.
Savings Plans let you automate regular investing on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly schedule, paid by Direct Debit or through Open Banking. With AutoInvest switched on, dividends from distributing ETFs are reinvested automatically too. If a tax wrapper is your priority, our guides to the best stocks and shares ISAs and the best SIPP providers compare InvestEngine with other UK platforms.
For now, new clients can only open DIY portfolios, so you need to be comfortable choosing your own ETFs. If you would rather have someone else manage your money, look at the managed options in our alternatives section below, or check InvestEngine’s website to see whether its Managed service has reopened.
Advantages
Zero platform fees on DIY portfolios
You pay no account fees, dealing charges or commissions when you build your own ETF portfolio; only the ETFs' own costs apply.
No account fees on the ISA, SIPP or GIA
The flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, the SIPP and the General Investment Account carry no account charges, which makes long-term, tax-efficient investing cheaper than on many rival platforms.
Fractional investing from £1
Once your account is open you can invest from just £1 in any ETF, so even small regular contributions can be spread across a whole portfolio.
More than 890 ETFs from leading providers
The range covers global, regional, sector and thematic equity ETFs plus bonds and commodities, from providers such as Vanguard, iShares, Amundi and HSBC.
Powerful automation tools
Savings Plans, AutoInvest, one-click rebalancing and automatic dividend reinvestment take most of the admin out of long-term investing.
Open a fee-free Stocks and Shares ISA or SIPP with InvestEngine.
Disadvantages
ETFs only, and no Junior, Lifetime or Cash ISA
You cannot buy individual shares, investment trusts or funds outside the ETF range, and there is no Junior ISA, Lifetime ISA or Cash ISA, so some investors will need a second provider.
Managed portfolios closed to new clients
Managed and LifePlan portfolios are temporarily unavailable to new clients, and InvestEngine has not given a relaunch date. Beginners who want a hands-off option currently need to look elsewhere.
No interest on uninvested cash
InvestEngine retains the interest earned on cash balances, so it pays to stay fully invested or hold spare cash elsewhere.
Fee Structure at a Glance
InvestEngine fees
InvestEngine’s headline appeal is how little of your money it takes. DIY portfolios carry no platform fee, no dealing charges and no set-up, withdrawal or transfer fees. Managed portfolios and LifePlans cost 0.25% per year, calculated daily and collected monthly, but are currently closed to new clients. The SIPP also has no account fee, which makes it one of the lower-cost personal pensions on the UK market.
Fund cost
The ETFs themselves have annual charges set by the fund providers, not by InvestEngine. On DIY portfolios these start from 0.03% per year depending on the funds you pick, while the average ETF charge inside the Managed Growth portfolios is around 0.12% per year. These costs are built into each ETF’s performance rather than billed separately.
Market spread
There is also a small difference between the buying and selling price of each ETF, known as the market spread. On Managed portfolios this averages roughly 0.07% to 0.08% per year.
One further point worth knowing: InvestEngine retains the interest earned on any uninvested cash in your account. It therefore makes sense to keep your money invested, or to move spare cash to an interest-paying account elsewhere.
InvestEngine's Customer Support
Available customer support channels:
InvestEngine supports clients by email and its contact form only, which is part of how it keeps the platform free. The upside is long opening hours: the team works early mornings, evenings and weekends, when many traditional brokers’ phone lines are closed.
Customer feedback is broadly positive. InvestEngine is rated Excellent on Trustpilot from more than 5,000 reviews, according to its website (checked 10 November 2026). Reviewers frequently praise the clear answers and the smooth account opening and transfer process.
A comprehensive Help Centre covers most routine questions with clear step-by-step guides, and the community forum doubles as a useful learning resource for newer investors.
Overall, the lack of live chat and a phone line will not suit everyone, but the long support hours make the email-only model work well for most investors.
Account Setup Process
Opening an InvestEngine account is entirely digital and takes a few minutes. You provide your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number, and InvestEngine runs identity checks as part of sign-up.
It is important to note that InvestEngine accounts are only available to UK residents aged 18 or over, and the SIPP is open to UK residents aged 18 to 75.
If the checks cannot verify you, you may be asked to upload your ID and proof of address. Once verified, you choose your account type and build your DIY portfolio.
Funding is flexible: you can pay in by instant bank transfer through Open Banking, set up a regular Savings Plan, or make a manual bank transfer. Key points at a glance:
- £100 minimum to open an account
- Then from £1 per ETF, thanks to fractional investing
- GIA, Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP and Business accounts
- Deposits by Open Banking or bank transfer
- No account, withdrawal or transfer fees
Existing investments can be brought across too. ISA and pension transfers are free, and InvestEngine now accepts pension transfers from most major providers. For a full ISA transfer into a DIY portfolio, ETFs that InvestEngine also offers can usually move in-specie, without being sold. Other holdings, such as individual shares, and partial transfers are sold and moved across as cash, so check your current provider’s exit fees first.
Withdrawals are free. InvestEngine places trades once a day, so allow time for any sale to settle before the cash reaches your bank. Helpfully, the flexible ISA lets you withdraw and replace money within the same tax year without losing any of your annual allowance.
Regulatory Safeguards
InvestEngine is operated by InvestEngine (UK) Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 801128. Client money is held in segregated accounts at UK banks and custodians, separate from the company’s own money.
If the company were ever to fail with a shortfall in client assets, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protects eligible investment claims up to £85,000 per person. Bear in mind that this protects you against the platform failing, not against normal market movements: the value of your investments can still go down as well as up.
InvestEngine alternatives worth considering
In our search for alternative investment platforms, we examined fees, ease of use, product ranges, security and user feedback. If your priority is picking individual shares alongside funds, our Trading 212 review covers the closest low-cost rival, while Vanguard is the natural comparison for dedicated index investors.
Best for shares as well as ETFs
Trading 212
Commission-free shares and ETFs with a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, a Cash ISA and a SIPP, if you want individual companies alongside funds.
Visit broker →
Capital at risk.
Best for ready-made funds
Vanguard
Vanguard’s own LifeStrategy and target retirement funds, as well as its ETFs, in an ISA, SIPP or Junior ISA.
Visit broker →
Capital at risk.
Best fully managed alternative
J.P. Morgan Personal Investing (Nutmeg)
Managed portfolios from £500 with a 14-year published track record, if you would rather have the investing done for you.
Visit broker →
Capital at risk.
Best for funds and research
Hargreaves Lansdown
A wide range of funds, shares and bonds, plus in-depth research, if you want more choice than an ETF-only platform.
Visit broker →
Capital at risk.
For experienced investors
Interactive Brokers
Access to markets worldwide and professional-grade tools, better suited to confident, hands-on investors.
Visit broker →
Capital at risk.
Every platform here is authorised by the FCA. For a head-to-head with the closest rival, see Trading 212 vs InvestEngine, or answer a few questions in our Find My Broker quiz.
Frequently Asked Questions
Closing Thoughts and Conclusion
InvestEngine has earned its reputation as one of the cheapest ways to invest in ETFs in the UK. Fee-free DIY portfolios, no account fees on the ISA, SIPP and GIA, fractional investing from £1 and genuinely useful automation make it a strong home for long-term ETF investors.
The trade-offs are clear rather than hidden: you cannot buy individual shares, there is no Junior, Lifetime or Cash ISA, uninvested cash earns nothing, and Managed and LifePlan portfolios are currently closed to new clients, so you need to be comfortable choosing your own ETFs. If you can live with those limits, InvestEngine is very hard to beat on cost. As always, only invest money you can afford to leave alone for the long term.
Other recommended brokers
How we review brokers
This review follows the same process we apply to every broker, so you can see what the verdict above is actually based on.
- What we assessCost, safety and regulation, investment range, platform experience, account options, and support.
- Where it comes fromFee schedules, key features documents, terms and conditions, and the FCA Register.
- How often we checkAt least quarterly, and sooner when a broker changes its charges or accounts.
- IndependenceCommercial relationships do not change our verdict, or what we write about a broker.
Every broker we review is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.Our review methodology
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