How to pick an investment platform for your ISA

The new tax year is almost here and many investors will be looking for the best place to use up their current annual ISA allowance as well as open or build their stocks and shares ISA for 2026/27.

Investment platforms have opened up investing to the masses, letting anyone looking to invest do so without needing to hire a pricey stockbroker or an adviser to buy funds or pick a pension for you.

Investment platforms provide a direct, easy and accessible way to invest, and they can be a great way to start building and managing your own stocks and shares ISA.

Try 6 free issues of MoneyWeek today

Get unparalleled financial insight, analysis and expert opinion you can profit from.

Start your trial

Sign up for MoneyWeek’s free twice-daily newsletter.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Sign up

Some may even offer cashback incentives – see our SIPP and ISA transfer offers guide.

But, since no one platform is the same and there is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to choosing an investment platform, how do you select one that suits your needs?

Picking the right platform could not only help you achieve your investing goals, but it can also save you money in terms of fees. Picking one that comes with a good customer rating is also important. After all, who wants to deal with glitchy apps, poor customer service or IT meltdowns when growing wealth?

Choosing an investment platform: how will you invest?

Before you pick your fund supermarket, have a clear understanding of what you want to invest in. Not all platform offerings are the same, with some regions or sectors excluded and others have streamlined options. So if you want to cast the net far and wide, be sure to pick a platform that allows you to do that.

If all you want is to invest in low-cost index funds – a common move among investors amid market volatility – then pick a platform that comes with low fees. After all, you’re not looking to pay for the expertise of a stock picker.

If you think you want to invest in various funds, both passive and active, some trusts and maybe a few stocks too, then you should check which platforms offer what you want.

If you’re looking to buy individual stocks, then make sure the provider you choose enables that.

Not all platforms offer everything. Vanguard for example, only offers Vanguard funds and no shares, and if you pick a robo-adviser then you will often be subject to a limited number of investments or just ready-made portfolio options.

Investment platform fees

Keeping fees as low as possible may be your ultimate goal – after all, high fees eat into returns, leaving you with less money in your pot.

The good news is, it is easy to compare fees using comparison sites such as comparetheplaform.com, boringmoney.co.uk or comparefundplatforms.com.

Although fees are a factor, it's important to take into account things like customer service ratings, the availability of research and tools, plus what investment options are available.

The following table from Kepler Trust Intelligence, an investment research firm, gives a quick snapshot of the cheapest options and the most expensive among selected providers:

Kepler calculated the table’s indicative fees on the following basis:

• Platform fees: cheapest option across the plans
• Portfolio value: £20,000, £100,000 and £250,000 (split equally between funds and shares/ETFs)
• Trading fees: 24 trades per year, split equally between funds and UK shares. If a provider offered free monthly trades, it was assumed that all of these could be used.

As a general rule of thumb, a percentage fee platform tends to be more cost-effective if you are investing £50,000 or less. But, anything more, then a fixed fee could make more sense. It could also make sense if you plan to trade a lot, buying and selling shares.

It’s also worth noting that some platforms may charge exit fees if you decide to move your investments to another platform.

The best ISA providers

When deciding which ISA investment platform is right for you, fees are a crucial factor, but not the only one. Investment options as well as customer service are important too. And, depending on how much research leg-work you want to put in, you might be keen for you ISA platform to provide research and analysis as well, to help you decide where to invest,

Below is Kepler Trust Intelligence’s pick of the best ISA providers, based on a detailed assessment of fees, investment choice and customer experience.

Interactive Investor ranked highest for its wide investment range and easy to understand flat fees. In second place was Freetrade, which may be a good choice for cost-conscious ISA investors with its zero fees. AJ Bell rounds off the top three due to its high customer satisfaction score.

But there are several other ISA investment platforms that rank well for specific types of investors, so it’s worth having a look through the whole list to see which might suit you best.

Interactive Investor

Best overall investment ISA platform – competitive fee structure, wide choice of investments and good customer support

Interactive Investor (ii) provides its half a million investors a lot of choice – 40,000 investments, including shares, 3,000 funds (including third-party fund managers), 1,000 ETFs and 300 investment trusts, alongside managed portfolios and ‘quick-start’ multi-asset funds.

What’s unusual about ii compared to other ISA platforms is it charges a flat fee rather than a percentage-based charge. For investors with larger portfolios this can make it a particularly good deal. It has recently introduced new price plans as follows:

• Core: £5.99 per month for ISAs up to £100,000, trading fee of £3.99 for funds and shares, with a foreign exchange (FX) fee of 0.75% on non-GBP trades.
• Plus: £14.99 per month, trading fee of £1.49 for funds and £3.99 for shares, with one free monthly trade and an FX fee of 0.75% (up to £50,000).
• Premium: £39.99 per month, trading fee of £2.99 for shares and no fee for funds, with two free monthly trades and an FX fee of 0.25%.

If you need to get hold of ii’s customer support team, you can do so by telephone or using a messaging service. That said, with a mid-table 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot, its customer service is decent rather than exceptional. If you're looking for smart educational content and market analysis, it has that in abundance on its website.

Freetrade

Best low cost ISA platform – the winning choice for ISA investors looking to avoid high fees and prefer stock picking over funds

Freetrade, owned by IG, has been chosen as the preferred platform by its 1.6 million users and comes second in this ranking of best stocks and shares ISA providers. It’s a solid choice for stock picker with access to more than 6,000 shares, as well as 500 funds, 400 ETFs and 150 investment trusts. It also stands out for allowing investors to invest in just a portion of a share – known as fractional share investing – which can make owning pricey investments more affordable.

Freetrade charges no trading fees across its plans:

• Basic: an ISA (and SIPP) is now available under the no-fee basic plan, with a 0.99% FX fee on non-GBP trades.
• Standard: £4.99 per month, with a 0.59% FX fee.
• Plus: £9.99 per month, with a 0.39% FX fee.

Freetrade doesn’t fare so well on Trustpilot, with a respectable but not outstanding 4.3-star rating. Customers that need to get in touch with the platform have to rely on email and in-app chat for support. But it also provides a good range of educational guides and market insights that can be handy for those doing their own research to pick stocks.

AJ Bell

Best for customer service – support-focused service plus competitive fees and a ‘something for everyone’ investment range

AJ Bell’s almost 650,000 clients get to invest in more than 16,000 UK and international shares, 4,000 funds, 4,000 ETFs and 340 investment trusts. AJ Bell also has a selection of ready-made managed and non-managed portfolios, to suit those who want to have the hard work taken out of investing their ISA.

AJ Bell charges the following fees for ISAs:

• Platform fee: 0.25% on the first £250,000, 0.10% from £250,000 to £500,000 and no charge above £500,000. Share-based investments (shares, ETFs and investment trusts) incur a 0.25% fee, capped at £3.50 per month.
• Trading fee: £5 for UK and international shares and £1.50 for funds.
• Other fees: 0.99% FX fee on trades under £10,000, falling to 0.25% to 0.50% for larger transactions.

Of all the ISA platforms reviewed, AJ Bell holds the highest Trustpilot rating of 4.9. AJ Bell customers can get support via phone and live chat and these services clearly provide the answers investors are looking for when they need them. There is also a comprehensive array of research, webinars and podcasts on the website to help guide your investment decision-making process.

IG

Best for experienced investors – for those with some investing know-how under their belt seeking a low-cost, share-centric ISA

IG is a FTSE 250 company with more than 340,000 active clients worldwide. ISA investors can access over 12,000 shares, ETFs and investment trusts (but not other active funds) across 18 countries, via an IG Share Dealing ISA.

IG charges the following fees for its Share Dealing ISA:

• Platform fee: no fee.
• Trading fee: no charge.
• Other fees: FX fee of 0.7%.

IG is on hand with customer support via phone and live chat should you need to get in touch for whatever reason, but it also has the lowest Trustpilot rating of 3.9 among the reviewed group so the quality of support you get may vary. Like the others reviewed, it also has a range of educational resources and market research to help you decide where and how to invest your ISA.

The IG app is comprehensive and links to third-party trading platforms, but research suggests it can feel overwhelming for less experienced investors. This is very much a platform built with confident traders in mind with advanced trading tools and access to a wide range of global equities.

Hargreaves Lansdown

Highly commended – suits investors willing to pay more for a premium service and depth of research

Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) is one of the UK’s largest DIY investment platforms with two million clients. Customers have access to a wide range of more than 14,000 investments, including UK and international shares and over 4,000 funds, 1,900 ETFs and 300 investment trusts. HL also offers managed funds and multi-asset funds.

From 1 March 2026, HL charges the following fees for ISAs:

• Platform fee: 0.35% per year on funds (previously 0.45%) up to £250,000, then 0.25% from £250,000 to £1 million, 0.10% from £1 million to £2 million and no charge thereafter. The platform fee on share-based investments (shares, ETFs and investment trusts) is now 0.35% (previously 0.45%) with an annual cap of £150.
• Trading fee: £6.95 for shares (previously £11.95) and £1.95 for funds (previously no charge).
• Other fees: FX fee of 0.99% on trades under £10,000, falling to 0.2% to 0.5% for larger transactions.

HL provides customer support by phone and messaging, with a highly commended helpdesk, as well as providing extensive educational and research content. It holds a mid-table Trustpilot rating of 4.4.

Fidelity

Highly commended – best for investors with higher-value portfolios who can benefit from reduced platform fees and capped share charges, though trading fees and a narrower range of stocks may be less attractive for investors trading more regularly

Fidelity is a US fund giant but it has more than 1.6 million customers in the UK. Customers have access to a medium range of investments – more than 2,400 UK and international shares, 2,800 funds, 480 ETFs and 160 investment trusts. Fidelity also offers ready-made portfolios, as well as personalised finance advice, should you need it.

Fidelity charges the following fees for ISAs:

• Platform fee: 0.35% on portfolios up to £250,000 (or £90 per year for sub-£25,000 portfolios with no regular savings plan), 0.2% for £250,000 to £1 million, and for portfolios above £1 million, 0.2% on the first £1 million with no charge beyond that. Share-based investments (shares, ETFs and investment trusts) have a maximum fee of £7.50 per month (£90 per year). Fidelity is unusual in not charging a tiered platform fee meaning that portfolios over the threshold pay a lower fee on the whole portfolio.
• Trading fee: £7.50 for shares, no charge for funds.
• Other fees: FX fee of 0.75% on trades under £10,000, falling to 0.25% to 0.5% for larger transactions.

Fidelity provides customer support by phone and online messaging, as well as an in-person investor centre in London, and a decent level of research and educational guides. It has one of the higher Trustpilot ratings of 4.6, suggesting current investors are very satisfied with its service level.

eToro

Highly commended – works best for investors with larger portfolios who can make the most of the capped platform fee, as well as more experienced traders looking for a sophisticated app and trading tools

eToro is a global fintech platform with over 40 million users, offering a general investment account and ISA.

The investment range is decent rather than exceptional, with over 1,000 shares, funds, ETFs and investment trusts available. There's also a managed portfolio option in partnership with robo-advisor Moneyfarm for investors who'd rather take a back seat.

The platform fee of 0.35% is capped at £45 per year, which makes eToro increasingly competitive as your portfolio grows:

• Platform fee: 0.35%, capped at £45 per year
• Trading fee: £3.95 for shares and funds
• FX fee: 0.7%

Customer support is limited to live chat, which may frustrate those who prefer picking up the phone. Educational resources are available via the eToro Academy, which can be a good guide for newer and more experienced investors alike, alongside the market research. However its 4.2-star Trustpilot rating sits towards the lower end of the reviewed group.

Picking the best robo-advisers

Investment platforms certainly make investing easy, but if you want to be totally hands off, then letting a robot take care of your investments makes sense.

The so-called robo-adviser platforms are good for beginners or investors who really want minimum interaction with their portfolio and are happy for a robot to take care of the investing for them.

Robo-investment platforms have grown in popularity, for the very reason that they require little input from you once you open an account and even those with little or no knowledge of investing can grow their wealth.

But they also open the door to innovation and targeted investment opportunities, via ready-made portfolios adjusted to your risk appetite. They also come at a low cost, making their proposition even more attractive.

Robo-platforms are usually app-based and use artificial intelligence and risk questionnaires to determine the best investment for you based on your risk attitude.

This takes some of the administrative hassle out of building a portfolio and helps build a strategy that reflects your attitude to risk.

The portfolios are regularly monitored and rebalanced by the platform but, unlike with a DIY platform, you have no control on where or how your money is invested.

These are some of the most popular robo-adviser platforms, which all offer something a little different, so understanding how you want to invest and your goals is vital.

• JP Morgan Personal Investing (formerly Nutmeg) – this is one of the oldest robo-advisers around that offer ISAs, general investment accounts, and pensions. It costs around £49 a year for £5,000 invested using a fully managed ready made portfolio.
• Wealthify – similar to JP Morgan Personal Investing, Wealthify offers ISAs, pensions and general investment accounts. You can open an account with as little as £1, so it’s a great way to kick start investing for those who do not feel they have a lot of money to start or even for young adults just starting out with an ISA. It costs around £38 a year for £5,000 invested on the platform, using a ready-made portfolio.
• Moneybox – this platform has become popular for those who struggle to have enough left over each month to shift into investing. The app can round up your loose change and shift it into an investment product for you. So, if you spend £4.25 on lunch, it will shift 75p into investments for you by rounding up your spend to the nearest pound. The small amounts can really add up, but investing small fees can come with a hefty price tag, costing around £50 a year for a total of £5,000 invested on the app, according to Boring Money. Investment options are also very limited. So, the app is a great starting point to help build confidence but it would make sense to move on once you feel you are in the swing of investing.
• Dodl from AJ Bell – This is one of the new players. Dodl claims to be a fuss-free investing app aimed to make investing simple. It offers streamlined investing options with low costs.

Investment platforms that also give advice

If you’re looking for some advice, then Claro and BestInvest both offer access to financial coach to help you achieve your goals or even learn new ways to help you manage your money - something we may all be thinking about right now as inflation remains high.

Taking a green or feminist approach to investing

Another consideration you may want to give to your investments this year is to make your portfolio go greener.

While we all want to do our bit for the planet or society, your money holds the greatest power and you can choose a platform to help you invest in funds that help.

While most providers offer an ‘ethical’ option, the likes of Clim8 (clim8.com) claim to focus on climate solutions and its investing themes are around green energy, clean mobility, sustainable food, water systems, climate technology, and circular economy.

Another popular platform is The Big Exchange. Launched in 2020, it was co-founded by The Big Issue and its investment focus on positive impact on society or the environment.

And if one of your concerns is making sure you invest in funds run by women, then The Big Exchange also allows you to apply a filter to pick funds by women to give your portfolio a feminist touch.

So, ultimately, when picking an ISA investment platform, it's worth a good look at what your values are and making sure the platforms and its offering are aligned with what matters to you.

The choice of investment ISA will depend on how you want to invest, the service you require and in some cases the size of your portfolio.