Choose an investment platform based on the types of investments you can choose
Investment platforms are a secure way to invest your savings in shares, funds or ready-made portfolios. Many of these platforms let you save into a stocks and shares ISA, which protects your investment returns from some taxes. Here are the best investment platforms available, sorted by the types of investments you can choose with each of them.
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Here at Be Clever With Your Cash, we’re not regulated to give you financial advice. We aim to give you the facts about a provider or investment but it’s up to you to decide if it’s suitable for you. If you’re looking for more personalised guidance, find a financial adviser who can give you specific advice. Remember that your capital is at risk when investing — don’t invest more than you are prepared to lose.
These platforms give you full flexibility over what’s in your investment portfolio. With all of them, you can build a portfolio yourself with shares or exchange-traded funds. You can also opt for a ready-made portfolio, created by experts.
Shares, funds or ready-made investments
Customer rating
4.7/5
- Investment stylesShares, funds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit£0
- Offerup to £1,000 in SpaceX shares*
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available Share dealing accounts, stocks and shares ISAs, Junior ISAs, SIPPs
- Interest on uninvested cash 3.75%
- Fractional shares No
- Foreign exchange fee 0.70%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Offer New customers can get a randomly allocated bundle of SpaceX shares worth between £30 and £1,000 when you make £300 of trades by 31 July 2026. You need to maintain an average of £300 invested from 1 August 2026 until 31 October 2026. You need to use the code SPACEXSHARES to get the offer
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 944492
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up.
Customer rating
4.7/5
- Investment stylesShares, funds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit£1
- OfferFree fractional share up to £100*
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts and stocks and shares ISAs
- Fractional shares Yes
- Interest on uninvested cash 3.8%
- Foreign exchange fee 0.15%
- Fund fees If you invest in ETFs, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Offer details To get the offer, you need to open a Trading 212 Stocks and Shares ISA or Invest account and deposit at least £1 within 10 calendar days
- Important details Remember, the value of any money invested, which includes your free share, could go up or down
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 609146
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up
Customer rating
3.8/5
- Investment stylesShares, funds or ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit$50
- Offerfree £50 worth of assets*
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Interest on uninvested cash 3% on balances up to $50,000, 3.8% on balances over this
- Fractional shares Yes
- Foreign exchange fee 0.7%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees, which cost on average ~0.16% per year, with additional market-spread effects up to 0.05%
- Offer You need to sign up, verify your account and deposit at least £200 to get the free assets. ISA deposits aren't included in the £200 requirement to get the offer.
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes, FRN 583263
- Risk warning The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. ISA powered by Moneyfarm. ISA rules apply. UK residents only.
- Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)
Lightyear Investment platform
Customer rating
4.7/5
- Investment stylesShares, funds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit£0
- FSCS Protected? If Lightyear goes out of business and there is a shortfall in the funds they are holding for customers, they may be able to claim for losses up to the value of £85,000 through FSCS
- ETF trading fee £0
- UK shares trading fee £0
- US shares trading fee £0
- Accounts available General investment accounts and stocks and shares ISAs
- Fractional shares Available in General Investment Account only
- Interest on uninvested cash 1% on GBP for UK customers
- Foreign exchange fee 0.1%
- EU shares trading fee £0
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees between 0.03% and 0.78%, depending on the funds you choose
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 987226
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up
Customer rating
4.7/5
- Investment stylesShares and funds
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit£1
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts, stocks and shares ISAs, Junior stocks and shares ISAs and SIPPS
- Interest on uninvested cash 1% on up to £1,000
- Fractional shares Yes
- Foreign exchange fee 0.99%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 783189
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down
Customer rating
4.7/5
- Investment stylesShares and funds
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit£0
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts and stocks and shares ISAs
- Fractional shares Yes
- Interest on uninvested cash 4.50%
- Foreign exchange fee 0.50%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 522157
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down
Customer rating
4.3/5
- Investment stylesShares, funds or ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.45%
- Minimum deposit£1
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available Fund and share account, stocks and shares ISAs, junior ISAs, lifetime ISAs
- Interest on uninvested cash 2.53%
- Foreign exchange fee 1.00%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Investments available More than 4,000 investments available, including shares, funds and ready-made portfolios
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 115248
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Investment stylesStocks, funds or ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£3.99 per month + 0.45% annual fee
- Minimum deposit£1
- FSCS Protected? Yes - up to £85,000
- Accounts available General investment accounts, stocks and shares ISAs, lifetime iSAs
- Interest on uninvested cash No
- Fractional shares Yes
- Foreign exchange fee 0.45%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Investments available You're limited to 13 funds to invest in, and can invest in the full range of 26 funds with the Premium plan which costs £14.99 per month
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 900573
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up
Customer rating
4.1/5
- Investment stylesShares, funds or ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£5.99 per month for portfolios up to £100,000
- Minimum deposit£0
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts, stocks and shares ISAs, Junior ISAs, SIPPS
- Interest on uninvested cash Paid depending on how much you have in your account
- Fees £5.99 per month (up to £100,000), £14.99 per month (no upper limit)
- Foreign exchange fee Core plan: 0.75%; Plus plan: 0.75% (first £50,000), then 0.25% above this
- Fund fees Ongoing fund charges vary depending on the investments you choose. These are set by fund managers and typically differ across funds.
- Trading fee Funds: from £3.99 per trade, UK & US shares (including ETFs and investment trusts): £3.99 per trade, Other international shares: from £9.99 per trade, Regular investing: free
- Investments available Shares (UK and international), Funds, ETFs, Investment trusts, Bonds and 20 ready-made portfolios
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 141282
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down
Invest in funds or ready-made portfolios
These platforms offer a more hands-off approach to your investments. These investment platforms are best for beginners. With these, you don’t have the option to invest in individual shares. You can choose from collections of exchange-traded funds, thematic funds or go for ready-made portfolios.
Just funds and ready-made portfolios
InvestEngine Investment platform
Customer rating
4.7/5
- Investment stylesFunds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit£100
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts and stocks and shares ISAs
- Important details You can't invest in individual shares with InvestEngine, just exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
- Interest on uninvested cash No
- Fund fees When you invest in funds you'll also have to pay fund fees between 0.03% and 0.89%, depending on which ones you choose
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 801128
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up
Emma Investment platform
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Investment stylesFunds or ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee£0
- Minimum deposit£1
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts, stocks and shares ISAs and junior stocks and shares ISAs
- Interest on uninvested cash No
- Fractional shares No
- Foreign exchange fee 0.99%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 669450
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up
Vanguard Investment platform
Customer rating
4.4/5
- Investment stylesFunds or ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.15% (minimum £4 per month)
- Minimum deposit£100 per month or £500
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts, stocks and shares ISAs, junior ISAs and SIPPs
- Interest on uninvested cash 2.35%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 527839
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Investment stylesFunds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.25%
- Minimum deposit£10
- OfferDiscounted annual fee*
- FSCS Protected? FSCS protection may apply if the custodian fails. It does not protect against investment losses.
- Accounts available Stocks and shares ISAs, junior ISAs, collective investment accounts
- Investments available You can invest in OEICs and exchange-traded investments
- Fees £2 per month and a 0.25% platform fee - if you join before 31 August using code SUMMER26, you’ll pay no subscription fee and a lower 0.15% platform fee
- Fund fees When you invest in funds you'll also have to pay fund fees
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes, FRN 955775
- Risk warning The value of investments can go up and down and you may get back less than you invested.
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Investment stylesFunds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.25% (max £250 per year)
- Minimum deposit£1
- FSCS Protected? Your eligible investments are protected by the FSCS up to £85,000 per person per firm. This doesn’t cover losses incurred due to investment performance.
- Accounts available General investment accounts and stocks and shares ISAs
- Interest on uninvested cash No
- Investments available You can create your portfolio by selecting themed collections. These include: Automation and robotics, Blockchain creators, Clean energy, Healthcare innovation, Metaverse, Tech focused, American companies, British companies, Emerging markets, European companies and Global companies. Or keep it simple with ready-made funds.
- Fractional shares No
- Foreign exchange fee N/A
- Fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose. Management fees are dependent on what you invest in. See full fees breakdown on monzo.com/help/investments/investments-fees
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 730427
- Risk warning You could get back less than you invest.
- Eligibility You need a Monzo current account to use Investments. UK residents 18+. Ts&Cs apply.
Customer rating
3.6/5
- Investment stylesFunds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.3% (min £5 per month)
- Minimum deposit£0
- OfferUp to £1,500 cashback*
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA
- Fees You get £50 worth of free trades every 6 months. Funds cost £4 per trade and shares cost £10 per trade
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose. There are no platform or trading fees when you invest in Charles Stanley Multi Asset Funds
- Fractional shares No
- Interest on uninvested cash Yes - 1.5% on balances up to £99,999 and 1.9% on balances over this
- Foreign exchange fee 1%
- Offer details The amount you'll get in cashback depends on how much you transfer. A transfer of £20,000 gets you £300 cashback
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 124412
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up
Customer rating
3.9/5
- Investment stylesFunds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.35%
- Minimum depositLump sum of £100 or £20 per month
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Investments available You can't invest in individual shares with Santander, just funds. You can choose from a range of investment funds created by asset managers. There are 850 to choose between.
- Interest on uninvested cash 2.22%
- Fund fees You pay additional fees to run your fund, charged by the fund provider. These can be found in the Key Investor Information Document.
- Fees The fee you pay depends on how much you invest. You'll pay 0.35% on up to £50,000; 0.2% on any amount between £50,000 and £500,000; and 0.1% on anything over £100,000.
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 106054
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down
- Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA, junior ISA or SIPP
Scottish Friendly Investment platform
Customer rating
3.7/5
- Investment stylesFunds or ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee1.50%
- Minimum deposit£30 per month or £100 lump sum
- Investments available You can't invest in individual shares with this account, instead it offers ten funds.
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts, stocks and shares ISAs and junior ISAs
- Interest on uninvested cash No
- Fees Fees are tiered, so you’ll pay 1.5% on the first £5,000, 1% on amounts between £5,001 and £20,000, and 0.5% on any amount over £20,000. This is calculated daily and deducted on a monthly basis.
- Offer details Investments in the Unitised With-Profits Fund are subject to an annual fee of 1.50% which is reflected in the bonus rates declared. Over 2025, Scottish Friendly will apply a special offer, reducing your overall charge applied to Unitised With-Profits Funds in your ISA or Junior ISA by 0.25%. This means bonuses applied over 2025 will reflect a reduced annual fee of 1.25%
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 110002
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down.
Chip Investment platform
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Investment stylesFunds and ready-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.25%
- Minimum deposit£1
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA
- Interest on uninvested cash No
- Portfolios 50 exchange-traded funds, 3 risk-based portfolios and two index funds
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 911255
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down.
Moneyfarm Investment platform
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Investment stylesReady-made portfolios
- Annual fee0.65%
- Minimum deposit£500
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Accounts available General investment accounts, stocks and shares ISAs, SIPPs
- Investments available A range of ethical managed portfolios, a low-risk portfolio and 4 thematic growth themes
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 629539
- Risk warning Capital at risk. The value of your investments may go up or down.
What is an investment platform?
An investment platform is an app or website that lets you open an investment account and choose investments to create a portfolio, or sometimes choose a ready-made portfolio to invest in.
What is an investment account?
An investment account is an account within an investment platform that you can use to buy investments. There are a few different types of investment accounts, each with different benefits. The main ones are:
General investment accounts
These are standard investment accounts — there aren’t any tax benefits to them, necessarily, but there are certain allowances, detailed below. There aren’t any limits, so you can invest as much as you want and make withdrawals freely.
Your capital gains and dividends should be reported to HMRC when you invest in a general investment account.
GIA allowances
In the current tax year (2026/27), you can earn up to £3,000 in capital gains before you need to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT).
The dividend allowance is £500 in the 2026/27 tax year. This means you can earn up to £500 in dividends before you potentially have to pay tax on them. This allowance sits on top of your personal allowance, so the amount of tax you pay over £500 will depend on which tax band you are in.
Stocks and shares ISAs
With these accounts, you can make use of your £20,000 ISA allowance. This allowance spans across all ISAs, so if you want to, you can invest up to £20,000 into your ISA in each tax year. These investments are protected from capital gains tax and dividend tax.
An ISA is typically the first choice for investors, with general investment accounts usually reserved for once you’ve used up your allowance. You can see above which providers let you invest in ISAs above, but we’ve also listed some of the best stocks and shares ISAs with specific information about these types of accounts.
SIPPs
Self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) are investment accounts where you invest towards your retirement. These have the added benefit of getting you additional tax relief on your deposits.
Lifetime ISAs
Investment Lifetime ISAs are a type of investment account that lets you invest towards either your first home or retirement. You can invest up to £4,000 in a Lifetime ISA in each tax year, which uses £4,000 of your ISA allowance for the year. The government will add an extra £1,000 for every £4,000 you add. These ISAs are scheduled to be scrapped in April 2028 and replaced with the First-Time Buyer ISA.
How to open an investment account
To open an investment account, you need to go to your chosen platform’s website. You start by making an account as you would with any other website, using an email address and password. You’ll then need more information, including your National Insurance number and often details about your income and knowledge of investing.
Frequently asked questions
Which investment platform is best?
The best investment platform is pretty subjective — it mostly depends on how you’ll use it. If you’re going for a DIY platform, you’ll want to find a platform that has a good collection of investments that you can choose from, low fees for making trades and potentially the opportunity to invest in a stocks and shares ISA.
If you’re going for a ready-made portfolio, you again want low fees for managing your investments. You should also look into the portfolios and types of portfolios available to make sure they align with your own values.
What can I invest my money into?
The specific investments you can choose will differ depending on the platform you choose, but if you go for DIY investing, then you can usually opt for shares, exchange-traded funds, funds and bonds. Sometimes you can invest in themed collections of investments, which are organised depending on what the individual investments are.
Some platforms have ready-made portfolios of investments that you can pick. These are created by experts and have a diversified balance of investments. A lot of platforms that offer these are robo-advisors, which means the app takes the information you input to help you choose your investments.
Can I start investing with small amounts?
Yes — a lot of platforms let you invest with as little as £1. Starting small allows you to really get a grip on investing before you start putting larger sums in. If you want to create. DIY portfolio, you likely want to go with a platform that lets you buy fractional shares. This will allow you to diversify your investments with a small amount invested.
