Compare ISA Providers

Choose the best index tracker ISA to make the most of this year’s tax free allowance.

Investment ISAs put your capital at risk & you may get back less than you originally invested

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Interactive Investor

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Access 40,000+ UK, US and international shares on 17 global exchanges. Choose from over 3,000 funds
  • Invest From: £25 pm
See Deal It’s the final call for tax-free ISA investing before the end of the financial year. Open an ii ISA and start investing smarter, not harder with our low, flat fee. Capital at risk. Tax treatment subject to change

Why we like it: An award-winning ISA that gives you complete control. The second largest platform in the UK with the widest choice of investment options in the market including funds, investment trusts, ETF’s and more. Open online in less than 10 minutes. Access to expert independent ideas and analysis. Low cost fees and trading. Capital at risk.

Stocks & Shares ISA

from InvestEngine

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Offering commission-free DIY investing or low-cost, professionally managed income or growth portfolios built for you
  • Invest From: £100
See Deal Top-up or transfer to InvestEngine by 30/04/24 and receive a bonus of up to £2,500 (Capital at risk, Ts&Cs apply)

Why we like it: Make the most of the world’s best ETFs commission free. Build your own portfolio commission free or leave it to our experts for just 0.25%. Zero‑ISA fees. Choice of 600+ ETFs. Low cost, diversified, index-tracking of stock markets, bonds and commodities. DIY or Managed. Capital at Risk

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Nutmeg

ISA Option
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Nutmeg offer 5 diversified portfolios with ETFs, using technology to keep charges low
  • Invest From: Min. £500 single

Why we like it: Get an intelligent stocks & shares ISA portfolio – Choose a portfolio that’s fully managed by our expert team or a fixed allocation portfolio. No tie-ins, no set-up fees, no exit charges. Easy, online set up in minutes. Start with as little as £500. Portfolio management fees of 0.45%-0.75% up to £100k. 0.25%-0.35% beyond £100k. There are also underlying investment charges, see our fees page. Plus, live chat, amazing customer support and brilliant investor tools and guides. Authorised and regulated by the FCA. Capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future. Capital at risk. Approved by Nutmeg 24/02/2023

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Moneybox

ISA Option
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Choose from a range of 36 funds and ETFs and 20 US stocks. Select one of three simple starting options with a range of tracker funds or build your own investment portfolio by customising your investment options
  • Invest From: £1

Why we like it: Choose from a range of 36 funds and ETFs and 20 US stocks to invest with Moneybox. Earn 3.8% AER Variable on any uninvested cash you hold. There are additional fees charged directly by the fund provider. Please check the key investor information document (KIID) for a particular fund for more information. Keep things simple and get started with one of our three starting options: Cautious, Balanced or Adventurous – and customise your investments to align with your values. Open with as little as £1. When investing, your capital is at risk

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Wealthify

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: 10 managed portfolios to choose from. Choose your risk profile and have an investment Plan built and managed for you
  • Invest From: £1

Why we like it: Choose your level of risk from cautious to adventurous and have a plan expertly created and managed for you. Create multiple Plans – including Ethical Plans – with different risk levels. Invest as little or much as you like, add regular payments and top up whenever you like. Withdraw money or transfer out without notice or penalty fees. Wealthify app lets you check how your Plan is performing, manage your transactions and provide investment news and insights. Simple annual management charge of 0.6%

Stocks & Shares ISA

from AJ Bell

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Invest in over 2,000 funds, shares and more across 25 markets
  • Invest From: £25 pm

Why we like it: Invest in over 2,000 funds, shares and more across 25 markets. Invest from £25 per month. Which? Recommended Provider for Investment Platforms 2019–2023. Low-cost online dealing from £1.50.  Open your account in minutes from app or website, manage your portfolio on the move. FSCS protected. Capital at risk

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Freetrade

ISA Option
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Invest in 6,100+ US, UK & European stocks & ETFs commission-free
  • Invest From: £2
See Deal Get a free share worth between £100 and £2,100 when you open & top up or transfer an ISA on or before 5 April 2024. Capital at risk. ISA eligibility, tax rules & T&Cs apply. Free share value weighted on net funding

Why we like it: Commission-free investing: No fees for buying or selling stocks (other charges may apply). Support: Fast and friendly customer support. A wide range of investments: 6,100+ US, UK, and European stocks, ETFs, and investment trusts. Low monthly fees: From £4.99/month. Capital at risk. Other charges may apply

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Shepherds

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Invest in the Shepherds With Profits Fund which offers medium to low risk investing, with the aim of growing your money in a smooth manner over the long term
  • Invest From: £30 pm

Why we like it: You don’t have to make any tricky investment decisions; your money will be invested in Shepherds With Profits Fund, and the bonuses you could receive will depend on the future performance of the fund. To try to achieve higher returns for you, your money is invested in a variety of assets, the majority of which consist of stocks and shares, but also property, bonds and cash. While returns are not guaranteed in stocks and shares investments and the value can go down as well as up, Shepherds apply a process known as ‘smoothing’ that attempts to even out fluctuations in the value and aims to keep a consistent level of bonus payments. Capital at risk.

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Best Invest

ISA Option
Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Over 2,500 funds, UK shares, investment trusts and ETFs or choose Ready Made & Managed Portfolios
  • Invest From: No minimum

Why we like it: Pick your own investments or choose a Ready-made Portfolio. Some of the lowest investment ISA account fees available. Tiered service fees of 0.2% or less a year, no set-up fees and share dealing for just £4.95 per trade. You don’t pay anything to open your ISA or buy funds, and share dealing costs just £4.95 per trade. Voted Best ISA Provider at the City of London Wealth Management Awards 2020. Capital at risk.

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Hargreaves Lansdown

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Choose from over 3,000 funds, shares, investment trusts and more to build your portfolio
  • Invest From: £25 pm or £100 lump sum

Why we like it: Hargreaves Lansdown are the UK’s no. 1 investment platform for private investors – kickstart your investing with their award-winning ISA. Choose your own investments with expert research and ideas to help you, or simply pick a ready-made portfolio. Manage via website, app or phone. Capital at risk.

Investment ISA

from Barclays

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Invest in over 2,000 funds, plus Exchange Traded Funds, Investment Trusts, UK & International shares and more. Five Ready-made Investment funds if you’re not sure where to invest. Capital at risk.
  • Invest From: £50

My Money Builder Select ISA

from Scottish Friendly

ISA Option
Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Invested in a single fund - the Unitised With-Profits fund. A mixed managed fund from Scottish Friendly where premiums are pooled with those of other clients and returns are linked to the performance of the underlying assets within the fund
  • Invest From: £10 pm o r £100 single

Why we like it: Invest from only £10 a month, lump sums from just £100 or a combination of both using your tax-free Investment ISA allowance. You can stop, restart, raise or lower your payments or your investments and cash in whenever you want. When you set up a My MoneyBuilder Select (ISA), your money will be invested in a single fund – the Unitised With-Profits fund. A mixed managed fund from Scottish Friendly where premiums are pooled with those of other clients and returns are linked to the performance of the underlying assets within the fund. Remember the value of investments can go down as well as up, and you could get back less than you’ve paid in. If you cash in before the end of 5 years there will be a £50 deduction from your cash-in value.

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Moneyfarm

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Choose your risk profile and have it matched to an investment portfolio expertly built and managed.
  • Invest From: £1,500

Why we like it: Answer questions about your goals, financial situation and attitude to risk, and Moneyfarm will recommend the right ISA portfolio for you, built and managed by experts to help your money grow. You’ll always be invested in a portfolio that’s suitable for you, and you can manage this through the Advice Centre. See what you’re invested in, how you’re performing and how much you’re paying anywhere and any time with the Moneyfarm app. Add money to your ISA by setting up a direct debit, investing a lump-sum, or by transferring old ISAs for free. Capital at risk.

Share Dealing ISA

from IG

Allows ISA Transfers
  • Trade From (frequent trader rate): £3.00
  • Trade From (standard trader rate): £8.00

Good to know: Pay zero commission on US share trades, and just £3 on UK share trades, when you trade three or more times a month with IG. No admin or transfer fees. Custody fee of £24 per quarter, charged if you hold share dealing or ISA assets at the end of the quarter. Capital at risk. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider

Stocks & Shares ISA

from Fidelity

Regular Savings
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Choose from over 4,000 investment options, including one of the widest fund ranges in the UK. With online guidance tools and expert fund ideas to help you choose
  • Invest From: £25 pm

Why we like it: This award-winning ISA has an extensive range of investment options, including thousands of funds and shares, plus a guidance service to help you find investment ideas. There is a low service fee (typically 0.35%), easy online application process and apps to manage your money on the move. Additional charges apply depending on your choice of investments. Plus, everything is backed by Fidelity’s 50 years of investment experience. Boring Money Best Buy ISA 2023

Stocks & Shares ISA

from TILLIT

  • Fund Choice: TILLIT filter the market and select the best-in-class active and passive funds across asset classes, regions and styles

Why we like it: Let Tillett filter the market for you. From well-known classics to trailblazers and wildcards. No one needs 5,000 funds. Get breadth and variety, without the choice paralysis

Stocks & Shares ISA

from ChipX

ISA Option
Allows ISA Transfers
  • Fund Choice: Save and invest across investment funds, cash savings, and real assets
  • Invest From: No minimum

Why we like it: Chip is an award-winning wealth management app designed for our generation. The UK’s only app that enables you to invest in unique and iconic real assets, as well as investment funds and savings accounts. Save and invest your way, or use our clever tech to build wealth automatically. Our range of diversified investment funds are managed by some of the world’s biggest asset managers, like BlackRock. Invest in things that matter to you, like Clean Energy and Healthcare Innovation, or explore funds that match a wide range of risk appetites, from Cautious to Adventurous. Or, if you want to build up your cash savings, we work with UK partner banks to bring you free FSCS protected savings accounts with competitive interest rates. Chip does not provide tax advice. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future When investing, your capital is at risk

What is an ISA account?

An ISA account is a savings account that has several added tax benefits granted by HMRC.

With a standard savings account, you need to declare any interest and dividends you receive from your investments on your tax return. Depending on how much personal income you have from other sources, you could be required to pay a substantial amount of income tax on these investments.

However, any investments that you hold in an ISA account are completely tax-free.

In addition to this, you can also avoid paying any capital gains tax (CGT) on the gains that your investments make in an ISA. If you are a higher-rate taxpayer, you would need to pay 20% tax on any investment gains held outside of an ISA account, so this represents a considerable saving opportunity.

ISA accounts come in two different types: Cash ISAs and Stocks and Shares ISAs. You can also open Junior ISAs, which are specifically designed for children’s investments, and Lifetime ISAs, which are designed to save for a house purchase.

What is a Cash ISA?

Cash ISAs are usually offered by banks and building societies, and they can only hold cash investments. They will generate an interest rate that is set by your Cash ISA provider. There are two types of interest rates: fixed rates, and variable rates.

Fixed-Interest Cash ISAs:

  1. Will have a set term, ranging from one to five years
  2. Guaranteed interest rates for this period
  3. Higher interest rates than variable rates
  4. You are locked into the term, meaning that you will be charged for withdrawing early

Variable-Interest Cash ISAs:

  1. Interest rates will fluctuate over time
  2. Interest rates are generally lower than fixed-term products
  3. You can withdraw funds at any time, free of charge (easy access)

What is a Stocks and Shares ISA?

A Stocks and Shares ISA allows you to invest your ISA money in the stock market. Instead of being limited to interest-based cash savings, you can invest in a broad range of stocks and shares.

This gives you access to greater potential investment growth and investment income, but your investments will be at risk of losing money.

There are many investments you can hold within a Stocks and Shares ISA, and we have created a list of the most popular products:

  1. Managed Funds (OEICs, Unit Trusts and Investment Trusts)
  2. Shares
  3. ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds)
  4. Corporate & Government Bonds
  5. Managed Portfolios

You can invest in a mixture of all of the above assets provided that your ISA provider permits for holding all these investments.

Some investments focus on generating income in the form of regular dividends or income payments, whereas others are tailored towards investment growth over the long term.

Most investments in a Stocks and Shares ISA can go down as well as up in value, and so you should make sure you are comfortable with the risks involved.

What are the best performing ISAs?

When comparing Cash ISAs to Stocks and Shares ISAs, performance usually falls on the side of Stocks and Shares ISAs.

This is because of the broad range of investments you can hold in a stock ISA, and the potential for these to gain significant value.

Cash ISAs will be limited to interest rates. While you can have a guaranteed interest rate with a fixed-term Cash ISA, the chances that this investment will outperform a Stocks and Shares ISA are slim.

However, if you open a Stocks and Shares ISA and your investment perform poorly, you could end up losing money and being worse off than you invest in cash. This is particularly true for short term investments, as stocks and shares can be volatile over shorter periods.

Generally, stock markets go up over time, and so if you are investing for the long term then opening a Stocks and Shares ISA is worth considering.

Managed Portfolios vs Self-Select Platforms

Many Stocks and Shares ISA providers are known as investment supermarkets because you need to pick your investments yourself from the many selections available.

Finding the best fund or share to invest in can be a difficult task given the unpredictability of the stock market. Here are some top tips to consider when choosing your own investments:

  • Diversify your portfolio – avoid putting all of your money in one fund or share so that your risk is spread across multiple companies.
  • Diversify by sector and geography – as well as spreading your money across multiple companies, having exposure to lots of different sectors and geographical areas will make your investments more resilient to market fluctuations.
  • Research the best funds and shares – most investment platforms will provide research and insight into their top fund picks. You can also look at a company’s shareholder information and quarterly results online, as well as the Key Investor Information Documents (KIIDs) for funds.

If you are not comfortable in picking your investments yourself, then you may wish to invest in a Managed or Ready-Made ISA portfolio.

These portfolios are created and managed by professional portfolio managers, and so you have the peace of mind that the underlying investments are of the highest quality.

However, the drawback of these products is that you will pay higher charges. These charge an annual percentage of the value of your portfolio.

The portfolio managers will take an ongoing fee from your investment. This will be on top of the standard fees that include your ISA provider’s fees and any underlying fund manager’s fees where applicable.

Which is the best ISA provider?

The best ISA provider for you will depend on your savings goals and investor experience. We have put together a list of some of the crucial factors to consider when weighing up the options:

Charges

  • Cash ISAs will not charge an ongoing fee, but Stocks and Shares ISAs will have a platform charge
  • Check the annual management charge that your ISA provider will take each year
  • Check if this charge is tiered, or has any other limits or exceptions that may make it cheaper
  • Look at dealing fees, account closure fees and any other ad hoc fees that may apply

Research

  • Many Stocks and Shares ISA providers offer exclusive research into funds and shares available through their platform
  • Review the quality of this research and consider if it is worthwhile for your investment strategy
  • Assess how much of this content is exclusively available to account holders

Customer Service

  • Particularly relevant with Stocks and Shares ISAs compared to Cash ISAs
  • Consider that ISA providers with higher fees may have better customer service as a result
  • Better customer service ratings indicate quicker response times and a greater chance that any account issues you have will be resolved
  • Think about whether customer service is important to you – it could be more essential for novice investors, but also can be vital for regular traders who are more likely to experience dealing or account issues

Account features

  • If you pick a Stocks and Shares ISA investment platform, consider the trading tools it offers
  • These include features like share price alerts, currency exchange services and stop losses and limit orders
  • Weigh up which features are important for your investment portfolio, and whether these might be worth paying higher charges for

Account Types – Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA

  • If you are investing for your child, then a provider offering a JISA might be best for you
  • If you are saving for a house purchase, then you should consider looking for the best LISA provider for you, as HMRC will add 25% free to your contributions

Can I have ISAs with different providers?

Yes, you can. However, there are some rules and limitations to be aware of:

  • You cannot contribute to more than one Stocks and Shares ISA, or more than one Cash ISA, in the same tax year
  • You can contribute to both a Stocks and Shares ISA and a Cash ISA in the same tax year, provided you do not exceed the combined ISA allowance of £20,000
  • You can hold more than one Cash ISA and contribute to them in different tax years
  • You can hold more than one Stocks and Shares ISA and contribute to them in different tax years
  • You can transfer a Cash ISA into a Stocks and Shares ISA, and vice versa

How do I invest in an ISA?

Once you have decided on the best ISA provider for you, you can open an account easily, in as little as five minutes. You can open an account in the following ways:

  1. Online
  2. With a mobile App
  3. Over the telephone
  4. Posting a form and cheque

You are usually required to make a minimum contribution of at least £100; however, this amount can be lower if you contribute via a monthly direct debit. In this case, the minimum will be around £25 per month.

You will need to have a few things handy when you apply and there are some general requirements to be aware of:

  1. Have your National Insurance Number handy
  2. Have your Debit Card details to make a lump-sum contribution
  3. Have your bank details if you wish to contribute via Direct Debit
  4. You must be over the age of 18
  5. You must be a UK resident

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I contribute to an ISA?

The annual ISA allowance is set by HMRC each year, and the current limit is £20,000 per person for the 2023/24 tax year.

Can I withdraw money from an ISA?

You can withdraw money from a Stocks and Shares ISA at any time provided that you sell the underlying investments first.

You can withdraw from a variable-rate Cash ISA at any time.

Withdrawing from a fixed-rate Cash ISA may incur charges if you do so before the end of the specified fixed term.

How do I withdraw money from my ISA?

Most providers will allow you to withdraw from your ISA online, via a mobile app, telephone, or by written instruction in the post.

Am I committed to one ISA provider forever?

No. You can switch providers with an ISA transfer if you wish. You can also contribute to other ISA providers in separate tax years.

Can I have a Joint ISA?

No, ISA stands for Individual Savings Account and must be solely owned for tax purposes.

Will I be charged for an ISA?

A Stocks and Shares ISA provider will charge an ongoing, annual platform fee as well as some ad hoc charges.

A Cash ISA could also charge if you withdraw money before the end of a fixed-term investment.

Are ISA accounts safe?

ISA accounts are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means that all ISA providers are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for up to £85,000 if they go out of business.

Please note that this may not apply to the underlying holdings within a Stocks and Shares ISA, and will not cover standard investment losses.