For UK investors, using a stocks and shares ISA is a bit of a no-brainer. It allows you to invest up to £20,000 each year as you would normally, but any potential gains or dividends are shielded from the taxman. Any money you take out of your ISA won’t count as income either, so it’s a fantastic wealth-building tool.
Once you’ve learnt about the glorious benefits of ISAs, the next step is choosing the best stocks and shares ISA to suit your goals. We’ve tried and tested more than 15 platforms offering investment ISAs and here are our top picks.
| ISA fee | Managed portfolios are 0.25% |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £0 |
| Min. initial deposit | £100 |
| Offer | Get a Welcome Bonus of up to £100 when you invest at least £100 with InvestEngine, plus get up to £4,000 when you transfer your ISA/SIPP. T&Cs apply. ETF costs apply. Must remain invested for 12 months. |
We chose InvestEngine because when it comes to low fees, it’s hard to beat free. InvestEngine is a platform that only lets you invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which is limiting. But for those of you who want to build an ETF portfolio, it costs nothing to open and hold a DIY stocks and shares ISA with InvestEngine. There’s also no commission when buying or selling ETFs. Although the DIY option is free (where you choose investments yourself), there is a 0.25% fee if you want an expertly managed portfolio. However, this fee is competitive with most other robo-advisors and platforms offering ready-made portfolios.
| ISA fee | Managed portfolios are 0.25% |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £0 |
| Min. initial deposit | £100 |
| Offer | Get a Welcome Bonus of up to £100 when you invest at least £100 with InvestEngine, plus get up to £4,000 when you transfer your ISA/SIPP. T&Cs apply. ETF costs apply. Must remain invested for 12 months. |
| ISA fee | £10 per month |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £0 |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get your first 3 months free when you upgrade to Plus plan. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk. |
CMC burst onto the UK investing scene in late 2022, and it's come a long way. We selected CMC Invest as our best stocks and shares ISA for US shares because you invest in over 3,000 US stocks commission-free. On top of this, you can also hold a USD (or EUR) currency account to help lower your FX fees and deal with less currency fluctuations. The CMC Invest app also has plenty of other features for ISA investors like 2% uncapped interest on cash, ESG ratings, and analyst ratings. When trying out the flexible CMC Invest ISA, the only major downside is that it costs £10 per month as part of the “Plus” plan. This could provide good value if you’ve built up a large ISA portfolio over the years, but it’s more expensive than some other providers for smaller portfolios.
| ISA fee | £10 per month |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £0 |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get your first 3 months free when you upgrade to Plus plan. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk. |
| ISA fee | 0.45% per year |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £11.95 |
| Min. initial deposit | £100 (or £25/month) |
We surveyed customers of the major platforms in the UK and Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) was top for customer satisfaction, making it a winner in the 2023 Finder Share Dealing Customer Satisfaction Awards. 86% of respondents in our survey said they’d recommend HL to a friend. It’s known for great service and great features - none of which comes cheap. Also, it’s worth pointing out that this research was carried out based on the overall service (it wasn’t ISA specific).
| ISA fee | 0.45% per year |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £11.95 |
| Min. initial deposit | £100 (or £25/month) |
We chose Trading 212 because along with charging no commission to buy or sell over 12,000 global stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), it offers some additional noteworthy features. It’s free to open and hold a Trading 212 stocks and shares ISA and you can invest in fractional shares with as little as £1, and the 0.15% foreign exchange (FX) fee is one of the lowest on the market. There are also some useful social features like “Pie” (what Trading 212 calls portfolios) copying and the Social Feed, which lets you see what other investors paying no commission are up to.
| ISA fee | £5.99 per month |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £0 |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get a free share worth up to £100 when you sign up and deposit at least £50. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk. |
We chose Freetrade as our best stocks and shares ISA for beginners because it’s simple to set up an account and the app is excellent. Another great thing about the Freetrade investment ISA is that there’s no commission for buying or selling stocks and you can invest with as little as £2. Experienced investors might find the Freetrade ISA to be too simplistic, but we think that for beginners, it will hit the mark. There’s over 6,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to choose from and the flat fee structure means you pay the same amount no matter how big your portfolio grows.
| ISA fee | £5.99 per month |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £0 |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get a free share worth up to £100 when you sign up and deposit at least £50. T&Cs apply. Capital at risk. |
| ISA fee | From £4.99 a month |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £3.99 (free regular investing) |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get £100 of free trades when you open an ii Stocks & Shares ISA. Offer ends 30 June 2025. No minimum deposit required. New ISA customers only. Terms & fees apply. |
Whether you’re looking for a wide range of assets, thousands of stocks to choose from, ready-made portfolios, or access to loads of ethical options - interactive investor (ii) has you covered. We picked this as our best stocks and shares ISA for investment choice because it has an unparalleled selection of assets (over 40,000). Also, instead of leaving you to flounder within its supersize investment pool, ii does an excellent job providing insights and research to help you find the right assets for your goals. The only drawback with ii is that the share dealing commissions are higher than some other options and the flat monthly fee for the plans will be best value if you’ve a large portfolio.
| ISA fee | From £4.99 a month |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £3.99 (free regular investing) |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Get £100 of free trades when you open an ii Stocks & Shares ISA. Offer ends 30 June 2025. No minimum deposit required. New ISA customers only. Terms & fees apply. |
| ISA fee | 0.12% per year |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £3 |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Limited time offer: Zero commission on 100 US stocks for new customers. T&Cs apply. |
Saxo is our top pick for ETFs because it’s got more exchange-traded funds (ETFs) than you can shake a stick at. No, seriously, there are over 7,000 available on the platform. On top of the huge catalogue of ETFs, what makes Saxo our best option for ETF investing is because of the international diversity available. You’ll find yourself swimming comfortably in international waters - take your pick of ETFs from over 30 global exchanges. Also, Saxo’s new pricing structure has made the platform more affordable to the everyday investor and not just big-time traders with deep pockets. The exact fee you pay for an ETF will depend on the exchange location. But for UK-listed ETFs, the fee is 0.08% (with a £3 minimum). Or US ETFs cost just $0.015 per share (with a $1 minimum). Keep in mind there are other fees to think about like a foreign exchange (FX) fee of 0.25% along with a 0.12% Saxo platform fee.
“I like that Saxo’s platform straddles the (often overlooked) space between beginner and experienced investors. There’s plenty of functionality and in-depth tools for investors without an over complex or confusing interface.”
| ISA fee | 0.12% per year |
|---|---|
| Price per trade | £3 |
| Min. initial deposit | £0 |
| Offer | Limited time offer: Zero commission on 100 US stocks for new customers. T&Cs apply. |
If you don’t want to pick your own ISA investments, robo-advisors like Nutmeg will build and manage a portfolio for you. Nutmeg was one of the original robo-advisors to hit the UK, and it has the widest choice of ready-made investment options we’ve seen. In total, there are 30 portfolios to choose from across a range of risk levels and investing styles (fixed allocation, socially responsible, fully managed, smart alpha). The major drawback with Nutmeg is that the fees are slightly higher than some other robo-advisor ISAs.
We picked Vanguard as our best stocks and shares ISA for index funds because not only did Vanguard invent the whole concept of index funds, its ISA also has a low annual percentage cost of 0.15%. There are around 75 fund options, ranging from broad index-tracking funds, to newer additions like target date retirement funds, LifeStrategy funds (a fund made up of multiple funds), and ESG index funds - covering both equities and bonds. You can pick your own funds with the Vanguard ISA, or if you prefer, you can opt for the Vanguard Managed ISA. With this, the expert team will pick and manage a portfolio for an added fee of 0.3%, which is cheaper than many robo-advisors. Whether you go for the Managed ISA or not, the key downside with Vanguard ISAs is that you’re limited to Vanguard funds only, and you can’t buy individual stocks or other investments.
"Using a stocks and shares ISA usually means that you can invest tax-free – but there is an exception.
When you buy US stocks using your investment ISA, you won’t have to pay any capital gains or dividend tax in the UK. However, if your US stock pays dividends, a withholding tax (WHT) of 15% will automatically apply.
There’s nothing you need to do about this and your provider will take care of it for you but it’s worth being aware of this when people say that you pay absolutely zero tax on investments held in stocks and shares ISAs. This is true for UK investments, but you may still have to pay a little to Uncle Sam in the US."
Yes, but this is only due to recent changes made to the ISA rules in April 2024. Previously, you could only open and pay into one stocks and shares ISA each tax year. Now, the floodgates have opened and you have the flexibility to open more than one stocks and shares ISA, and as many as your heart (or wallet) desires.
We asked customers of the investing platforms featured in this table to rate their satisfaction with the brand and whether they’d recommend it to a friend. We’ve shown both and ordered the table by overall satisfaction. Our independent survey of 750 customers was carried out in January 2025.
| Brand | Logo | Customers who’d recommend | Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moneybox |  | 100% | Moneybox began as a place to save your change and now it’s a saving and investing app looking to compete with all the top platforms. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Hargreaves Lansdown |  | 100% | Hargreaves Lansdown is the largest retail investing platform in the UK and although on the pricier side, it’s well known for its high levels of customer service. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| eToro |  | 100% | eToro has quickly become one of the most popular investing platforms globally. There’s no platform fee, no stock trading commissions and you can even copy trades from other investors. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Revolut |  | 97% | Revolut is an app that covers lots of areas of personal finance, but it also has a share trading element and users can buy stocks on the popular app. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Fidelity |  | 97% | Fidelity is a huge investing brand in the US and it’s making waves in the UK with its robust investment platform. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Trading 212 |  | 97% | Trading 212 is a low-cost investing platform that has no commissions and a free stocks and shares ISA to boot. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Vanguard |  | 97% | Vanguard is the industry leader for low-cost index funds and its one of the largest asset managers in the world. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Charles Stanley |  | 93% | Charles Stanley is a well-respected brokerage offering a unique and boutique investing experience. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Bestinvest |  | 93% | Bestinvest is a platform with plenty to offer with free fund investing, no commission on US stocks and free investment coaching. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Moneyfarm |  | 93% | Moneyfarm is an all-round investing app with a strong focus on managed portfolios. It offers a range of account types and is often adding more features. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| XTB |  | 90% | XTB is a trading and investing platform with no commissions or platform fees. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| InvestEngine |  | 90% | InvestEngine is an ETF investing platform that’s free to use for DIY investments or it offers a managed portfolio for a fee. Customers like the easy sign up process and low fees. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Scottish Friendly |  | 90% | Scottish Friendly is a unique place to invest that only offers ISAs and funds. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| IG |  | 90% | IG is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to investment options, you’d be hard pressed not to find what you want in its huge library of shares. However, it’s not the cheapest platform. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Wealthify |  | 90% | Wealthify is a robo-advisor that completely refreshed its app to improve accessibility. It’s a simple and cheap way to invest in a managed portfolio that suits your risk profile. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Lightyear |  | 90% | Lightyear is a relatively new, low-fee platform with an excellent app and plenty of features. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| AJ Bell |  | 90% | AJ Bell , a well-established UK platform, offers thousand of investments and lots of account types. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Nutmeg |  | 87% | Nutmeg is the original robo-advisor platform, offering expertly managed ready-made portfolios for a fee. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Saxo |  | 87% | Saxo is a solid all-round that offers loads of global investing options, with decent investing value and plenty of tools to invest. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| interactive investor |  | 83% | interactive investor (ii) is one of the most popular investing platforms in the UK with an impressive range of investments and expert insights galore. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Halifax |  | 80% | Halifax offers a well-rounded investing experience with plenty of investments and different ways to invest. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Dodl |  | 80% | Dodl is a commission-free investing app from AJ Bell that’s designed with beginners in mind and comes with a low platform fee. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Freetrade |  | 77% | Freetrade is a commission-free investing platform with a slick app that makes investing more approachable, especially for beginners. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| Interactive Brokers |  | 77% | Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a comprehensive investing platform that’s geared more towards traders, but the fees are low and it has plenty to offer. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
| CMC Invest |  | 77% | CMC Invest is a relative newcomer and offers commission-free investing for a range of investments. | Read reviewCapital at risk |
Once you’ve decided on the right investing platform to hold your stocks and shares ISA, the next step is to sign up and open a share trading account.
To make the process as smooth as possible, you’ll want to have your bank and personal details to hand (including your NI number). Some of the best trading apps will be able to get you up and running within minutes, but some may take a little longer.
If you’re looking to make your first investment but don’t know where to start, we have an investing for beginners hub with plenty of guides for first-time investors like you.
There’s no single “best” stocks and shares ISA for everyone. The trick is to find one that suits your style of investing. And the best-performing ISA isn’t down to the platform, it’s down to the investments you choose to hold in the account.
Now that you can open and pay into multiple ISAs each year, you might even want try out a few accounts to find the one that best suits your needs, just remember to take care when investing and consider any investments carefully because you could lose more than what you put in.
Search our directory of UK stock brokers partnered with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and learn about how each of them operates.
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