Best Stocks and Shares ISAs in the UK

1. AJ Bell

AJ Bell is a well-rounded, low-to-mid cost DIY investment platform that suits investors who want a balance of choice, tools, and value.

It offers access to a wide range of investments (shares, funds, ETFs, bonds, and investment trusts), making it suitable for building a diversified long-term portfolio. The platform is particularly popular with investors who want more control than robo-advisors, but without the higher fees of premium platforms.

Fees are typically around 0.25% platform charge (capped for shares/ETFs in ISAs and SIPPs), plus small dealing charges for buying funds and shares.

Learn more: How to start investing

2. Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK’s largest and most established DIY investment platform, known for its high-quality research tools, customer service, and ease of use.

It gives access to a very broad range of investments (shares, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, and bonds) and is often considered one of the most user-friendly platforms for beginners and long-term investors alike.

Fees are typically around 0.35% platform charge, with reduced or tiered dealing fees depending on the investment type.

3. InvestEngine 

If you’re looking for a low-cost Stocks and Shares ISA, have a look at InvestEngine. With InvestEngine as your provider, you’ll pay no set-up fees, withdrawal fees, dealing fees or ISA fees. You can choose between a managed portfolio and a commission-free DIY portfolio, making this a flexible choice for both beginners and existing investors.

DIY: With a commission-free DIY portfolio service, you’ll have access to more than 690 exchange-traded funds (ETFs). You won’t pay any ISA account fees, but you may have to pay fees for any individual ETFs that you invest in. 

Managed: If you’d like InvestEngine to manage your portfolio for you, you’ll pay an annual management fee of 0.25% along with any ETF fees. 

InvestEngine doesn’t charge a fee for ISA transfers, but your existing ISA provider may charge an exit fee.

Learn more: Should I get an ISA?

4. Wealthify

Do you want to build wealth for the future while doing your bit for the planet? With a Wealthify Stocks and Shares ISA, you can choose from a selection of five original plans and five ethical funds. Your investments will be managed for you, no matter which plan you choose. This means you’ll need to pay an annual management fee of 0.6%. Other costs can apply, with the average annual fund cost estimated to be around 0.16% for original plans and 0.7% for ethical plans.

5. Moneyfarm

With a Moneyfarm Stocks and Shares ISA, you have a couple of options to choose from for how your money is invested. Take your pick between a ready-made portfolio managed by experts or building your own portfolio from scratch. Alternatively, you could make the best of both worlds with a mix of DIY and managed funds. 

Fees can vary depending on which strategy you choose:

• Actively managed portfolio: Experts will build your portfolio for you using cost-efficient ETFs. They’ll regularly rebalance your portfolio based on your goals and risk appetite. Management fees start at 0.75%.
• Fixed allocation: A lower-cost option, fixed allocation is built from the same cost-efficient ETFs as managed portfolios, but the management is more passive. Management fees start at 0.45%.
• Share Investing: Build your own portfolio with a choice of stocks, ETFs and mutual funds. There is a flat fee of £3.95 per trade.

Learn more: Best Cash ISAs in the UK

6. Nutmeg

If you’d like to invest but you’d like an expert to manage your portfolio, take a look at Nutmeg. All you need to do is select your risk level and investment style, and Nutmeg’s in-house investment team will build and monitor your investments for you. Fund managers will rebalance your portfolio for you and keep you up to date with any changes. You’ll have access to your account at all times and can reach out to the client services team with any questions.

With Nutmeg, there are no set-up, transaction, trading or exit fees. Instead, you’ll pay Nutmeg fees, fund costs and market spread costs, with the exact percentages based on your chosen investment style and amount invested. 

For example, choose Nutmeg’s ‘fully managed’ route and you’ll pay 0.75% Nutmeg fees on deposits up to £100k and 0.35% on the portion beyond £100k. You’ll also pay fund costs of 0.20% and 0.03% market spread. 

The cheapest investment style is ‘fixed allocation’. The fund costs and market spread costs are the same as above, but you’ll pay a lower Nutmeg fee of 0.45% on up to £100k and 0.25% on the portion beyond £100k.

Learn more: Do I need a financial advisor?

7. Trading 212

If you want to keep your fees as low as possible, take a look at Trading 212. You can get started with as little as £1 and purchase fractional shares in large companies such as Amazon and Apple. You can also invest in funds, making it easier to diversify your portfolio and reduce the impact of stock market fluctuations. 

Trading 212 is a commission-free platform, with no trading fees, admin fees, or custody fees. You can add money to your account for free via bank transfer, but you’ll pay a fee of 0.7% for card payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay, once you’ve deposited £2,000 in total via these methods. You’ll also pay an FX fee of 0.15% for converting funds from one currency to another.