| The best stockbrokers and fund platforms for an Isa or Sipp | ||||
| Broker | Isa account charges | Sipp account charges | Fund charges | UK share charges |
| AJ Bell Youinvest | None | None | £1.50 per trade. 0.25% per year up to £250,000, 0.1% £250,000-£1m, 0.05% £1m-2m |
£9.95 per trade 0.25% per year (max £7.50 per quarter for ISA, £25 per quarter for SIPP) |
| Alliance Trust | £10 per month | £17.50+VAT/month while saving; 23.75+ VAT/month once you start taking an income |
£9.99 per trade | £9.99 per trade |
| Barclays Smart Investor | £15+VAT every six months. Waived if you only hold funds | £155+VAT/year | 0.2% per year + £3 per online transaction (regular investments: £1 per transaction)
£25 per phone transaction. Min £4 per quarter, max £25 per quarter |
0.1% per year + £6 per online transaction (regular investments: £1 per transaction) £25 per phone transaction. Min £4 per quarter, max £25 per quarter |
| BestInvest | None | 0.3% per year up to £250,000 0.2% per year £250,000-£1m Free over £1m |
0.4% per year up to £250,000, 0.2% £250,000- £1m. No further charges above |
£7.50 per trade |
| Cavendish Online | £35 setup fee. 0.25% per year, reducing to 0.2% on whole balance over £200,000 | 0.25% per year, reducing to 0.2% on whole balance over £200,000 | Not available | |
| Charles Stanley Direct | None | £100+VAT, waived if you have assets (including other CS investments) of over £30,000 | 0.25% per year up to £200,000, 0.2% £200,000-£500,000, 0.15% £500,000-£1m, 0.05% £1m-2m; no charge on holdings over £2m |
£11.50 per trade. 0.25% per year (min £24, max £240), waived if one trade per month |
| Fidelity | None | None | £0-£7,499: £45 a year without regular savings plan; 0.35% with. £7,500-£250,000 - 0.35% per year (min £45), reducing to 0.2% on whole £250,000-£1m - 0.2% No further charge above £1m |
Not available |
| Halifax Share Dealing | £12.50 per year | £22.50 per quarter (SIPP value up to £50,000) £45 per quarter (SIPP value over £50,000) |
£12.50 per trade (online) £25 per trade (by phone) £2 per trade for regular investments |
£12.50 per trade £25 per trade (by phone) £2 per trade for regular investments |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | None | 0.45% per year up to £250,000 0.25% £250,000-£1m 0.1% £1m-£2m No further charge above £2m |
0.45% per year up to £250,000, 0.25% £250,000-£1m, 0.1% £1m-£2m. No further charge above £2m |
0.45% per year (max £45 in Isa, max £200 in Sipp). £11.95 per trade |
| HSBC Share Dealing | £10.50 per quarter. One fee covers both Isa and standard dealing account | Not available | Not available | £10.50 per trade |
| iDealing | £5 per quarter | £5 per quarter, plus variable charges depending on Sipp administrator | None. Restricted list of fund families available | £9.90 per trade |
| IG | Inactivity fee of £12 per month if no trades for two years | £195 per year 0.18% up to £500,000 0.15% on the next £500,000 0.05% over £1m |
Not available | £8 per trade (online); £40 by phone |
| Interactive Investor | £22.50 per quarter (includes £22.50 of trades). One fee covers all your accounts | £22.50 per quarter (includes £22.50 of trades). One fee covers all your accounts Plus £199 per year |
£10 per trade reduced to £6 per trade if you make more than ten trades a year £1 regular investing charge |
£10 per trade reduced to £6 per trade if you make more than ten trades a year £1 regular investing charge |
| iWeb Share Dealing | None (£25 account opening fee) | £22.50 per quarter (under £50,000) £45.00 per quarter (over £50,000) |
£5 per trade | £5 per trade |
| Saga Share Direct | None. | Not available | 0.35% per year (min £8.75 per quarter) on account balance up to £500,000. No further charge above |
£11.95 per trade (up to 9 trades a year) £9.75 (over ten trades) £1.50 regular investment charge |
| Selftrade | £10+VAT per quarter inactivity fee if you don’t trade or hold funds in the quarter | £99+VAT | 0.30% per year up to £50,000 0.25% per year £50,000-£250,000 0.15% over £250,000 (max £250 per quarter) |
£11.75 per trade (£9.99 for ETFs) £6 per trade if you make over 20 trades a month £1.50 regular nvestment fee |
| Share Centre | £4+VAT per month | £12+VAT per month | 1% per trade (min £7.50) or pay £20+VAT per quarter “dealing option” fee and fixed £7.50 per trade | 1% per trade (min £7.50) or pay £20+VAT per quarter “dealing option” fee and fixed £7.50 per trade |
| Standard Life Self Investor | None | Not available | 0.35% per year, up to £250,000 0.2% on whole balance when over £250,000 |
Not available |
| SVS XO | None | Not available - "coming soon" | Not available | £7.95 per trade |
| X-O | None | £99+VAT, refunded as long as you maintain an X-O share dealing account linked to your SIPP |
Not available | £5.95 per trade |
Best ISAs for cheap funds
Cavendish Online is a discount broker that uses Fidelity’s fund platform, but with lower fees for most portfolios than if you went directly to Fidelity. Charges for an Isa are 0.25% of portfolio value per year for accounts under £200,000 and 0.2% above that. For larger portfolios, iWeb (owned by Halifax) has no custody fees, but charges £5 per fund trade.
Best ISAs for service
AJ Bell Youinvest offers a wide range of funds and UK and international shares. Buying and selling shares, investment trusts and ETFs costs up to £9.95 per trade, plus a custody fee of 0.25% per year, capped at £7.50 per quarter. Funds cost £1.50 and an annual custody fee of up to 0.25%, depending on portfolio size. Hargreaves Lansdown also offers excellent service, but typically works out a bit more expensive.
Best for flexible Isas
Charles Stanley Direct, the Share Centre and IG are good alternatives to the above in many situations (although IG doesn’t offer funds). Unlike most brokers, all three offer flexible Isas.
Best for a Lifetime Isa
The lifetime Isa is a hybrid of a pension and an Isa. AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown are the main options.
Best Sipp for small and simple
Cavendish Online and Fidelity is good for low-cost, fund-based pensions. There’s a custody fee of 0.25% a year, reducing to 0.2% on portfolios over £200,000. This is cost-effective for small pensions as there’s no minimum charge and no dealing fees.
Best Sipp for large and simple
Flat-fee platforms that charge a fixed annual fee can be good value for bigger portfolios. Share Centre charges £12+VAT per month plus 1% to buy or sell a fund or share (with a minimum of £7.5). Alliance Trust Savings is also competitive for large portfolios.
Best Sipp for shares or mixed portfolios
AJ Bell Youinvest, Charles Stanley and Hargreaves Lansdown offer a wider range of investments. They charge an annual custody fee, which is capped for shares, investment trusts and ETFs.
