With the ISA deadline looming, investors are scrambling to choose the right Stocks and Shares ISA for the new tax year. Whether you're a total beginner looking to grow your savings, an experienced trader seeking the lowest fees or a long-term investor focused on growth, this guide will help you find the best Stocks and Shares ISA for 2025 and beyond.

With ever-changing interest rates and inflation concerns, it’s essential to pick an ISA that offers low fees matched with investment options that align with your goals. But with so many providers - Vanguard, Interactive Investor, Hargreaves Lansdown, Trading 212 and more - how do you decide which is best?‍

In this guide, we’ll break down the top providers by comparing:

• Fees and charges - from platform fees through trading costs, including the fine print.
• Investment options - stocks, ETFs, index funds and more.
• Who it’s best for - beginner, passive or active investors etc.

What is a Stocks and Shares ISA?

For those new here, this type of Individual Savings Account (ISA) allows you to deposit and invest your money into stocks, funds and more (depending on the provider). Although this works very similarly to a general investment account, the benefit of an ISA is that any growth (capital gains) or dividend income is completely tax-free. We cover the basics and compare each type of ISA (Cash, Junior, Lifetime etc.) in our Guide to ISA types and rules.
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Ultimate Stocks and Shares ISA Comparison

The table below shows how 8 of the top Stocks and Shares ISA platforms compare:
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Let’s look at them in more detail so you can determine which suits you best:
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1. InvestEngine Stocks & Shares ISA (Best ISA for ETFs)
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If you enjoy buying and holding ETFs (e.g. Vanguard S&P 500) for the long-term, then this flexible ISA is likely an excellent choice. This comes as a self-managed ISA and has the lowest fees of all the platforms here (tied with Trading 2i2).
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InvestEngine ISA Fees‍

Platform (custody) fee: £0

Per trade fees: £0

Currency conversion (FX) fee: 0% (since all the ETFs are denominated in £s)

ETF costs (OCFs): Depend on the ETFs you select

‍The table below compares the fees of relevant providers:
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Who is the InvestEngine ISA for?

Best for:

• Long-term, ETF-focused investors looking for a flexible ISA
• “Hands on” ETF investors who want 0% platform fees

Not ideal for:

• Investors who want to pick individual stocks or mutual funds. This is an ETF-focused platform.
• Highly active traders. The platform lacks active trading features such as real-time trading, leverage or derivatives.

Go to the InvestEngine Stocks & Shares ISA

When you use the code 'EcomAccounts' InvestEngine are offering a welcome bonus of up to £4000. 

(T&C's Apply, offer ends May 31st 2025. Min Investment £100. Must remain invested for 12 months. Capital at risk.) This is an affiliate link - we may get a commission for users who sign-up.
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2. Trading 212 Stocks & Shares ISA (Best ISA for US Stocks)
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If you want to pick individual stocks and funds yourself, then this might just be the one for you. With this flexible, self-managed ISA, you can choose from over 13,000 stocks and ETFs yourself or choose from ready-made pies of assets. While the platform has fewer research tools and trading features when compared to IG or Interactive Investor, Trading 2i2 has the lowest fees of all the platforms here (tied with InvestEngine) and it’s very well suited to beginners.
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Trading 2i2 ISA Fees:

‍Platform (custody) fee: £0

Per trade fees: £0

Currency conversion (FX) fee: 0.15%

The table below compares the fees of relevant providers:
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Who is the Trading 2i2 ISA for?

Best for:

• Beginners and investors looking for commission-free investing with no platform fees
• Investors who want to easily trade US stocks and fractional shares
• Those seeking the lowest FX conversion fee (0.15%) among these platforms
• Those who want a flexible ISA and a user friendly app

Not ideal for:

• Highly passive investors seeking mutual funds or managed portfolios. Trading 212 is mainly focused on DIY stocks & ETFs.
• Those looking for advanced research tools & investing guidance. This is a more basic platform.

Go to the Trading 2i2 Stocks and Shares ISA
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3. Interactive Investor Stocks & Shares ISA (Lowest Cost Managed ISA)
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If you shiver at the thought of picking your own investments or favor a flat-fee approach, then Interactive Investor (II) might just have the ISA for you. II offers both, a managed ISA and a self-managed ISA (non-flexible).

II’s is unique in that the platform charges flat fees unlike most of the other percentage-based platforms. 
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Interactive Investor ISA Fees (DIY)

Platform (custody) fee: 

£4.99/month up to £50,000 invested, then‍
£11.99/month (unlimited)

‍Per trade fees:

£3.99 (UK & US Shares) - with 1 free trade per month‍
£0.99 (Dividend reinvestment)

‍Currency conversion (FX) fee: 1.5%
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With the self-managed (DIY) ISA, you would start out paying the base platform fees of £4.99/month which includes a separate Trading Account. You can bundle certain other II accounts (Junior ISA, SIPP, Trading Account, Corporate Account) to further improve cost-effectiveness.

£4.99 may look a lot bigger than a percentage like 0.45% but for long-term, larger portfolio investors, flat fees often prove more cost-effective. This table shows how II’s flat fees can be advantageous as you grow your portfolio:
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Interactive Investor ISA Fees (Managed)

Platform (custody) fee: 
£4.99/month up to £50,000 invested, then‍
£11.99/month (unlimited)

Fund management fee:
0.13% to 0.29% (0.19% average)
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II offers the most cost-effective Managed ISA of all the platforms we researched here. In this case, you’d pay the base platform fee + II’s fund management fee averaging 0.19% (between 0.13% and 0.29%). The table below compares the fees of managed ISA providers. As shown, once you have more than £20k invested, II is consistently the most cost-effective managed ISA here.
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Who is the Interactive Investor ISA for?‍

Best for:

• Passive investors who want the most cost-effective Managed ISA
• Long-term DIY or “hands-off” investors with larger portfolios who prefer a flat monthly fee over percentage-based fees
• Those looking to transfer providers for better fees on their existing portfolios
• Those who wish to leverage investment research and tools and a wide range of investment options, including funds, stocks (inc. US stocks), ETFs and investment trusts
• Those looking to open multiple accounts (ISA, Sipp, Trading) as bundling multiple II accounts increases cost-effectiveness.

Not ideal for:

• Short-term or small investors as the flat fees can prove more expensive on low balances
• Frequent traders as the per trade fees can add up
• Those specifically looking for a flexible ISA

Go to the Interactive Investor Stocks and Shares ISA

Go to the Interactive Investor Managed ISA

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4. Wealthify Stocks & Shares ISA (Best Performing Managed ISA)
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If you are looking for the best performing, fully managed ISA, then this one might just be for you. Wealthify only offers managed ISAs through which their investment team and clever algorithms (robo-advisors) manage your investments for you. You can choose between their Original Plans (0.16% fee) and Ethical Plans (0.70% fee).
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Wealthify ISA Fees

Platform (custody) fee: 0.60%

‍Fund Charges - OCFs differ per fund but are roughly:
0.16% for Wealthify Original Plans
0.70% for Wealthify Ethical Plans

‍Per trade fees: Not applicable

‍Currency conversion (FX) fee: Not applicable
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This is a flexible ISA and you can tailor your investments based on 5 levels of risk, from Cautious to Adventurous. For 2024, Wealthify's "Adventurous" portfolio delivered a 15.84% return and, over the past 5 years, it has an annualized return of approximately 8.5%. This is the highest average return we have found for a managed Stocks and Shares ISA.
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Who is the Wealthify ISA for?

Best for:

• Hands-off investors looking for the ISA with the highest historical returns
• Beginners who want a flexible, fully managed ISA
• Passive investors looking for an ethical, managed ISA
• Those seeking heavily diversified investment plans, containing around 15 funds and over 8,000 instruments (stocks, bonds and property etc.)

Not ideal for:

• DIY investors who want to pick and choose between stocks and funds
• Cost-conscious investors looking for low fees

Go to the Wealthify Stocks and Shares ISA
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5. Vanguard Stocks & Shares ISA (Best ISA for Ready-Made Funds)
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If you’re looking for the ultimate provider of low-cost ready-made funds, then this flexible ISA is for you. Vanguard is renowned for its low-cost index funds and ETFs. Using their Risk Reward Indicator (A range of 1-7), you can select the best fit based on your risk profile (7 being the most risky). Based on your investing goal, you can also choose between Accumulation (where dividends are reinvested to grow your investment) or Income (where dividends are paid out to you regularly).
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Vanguard ISA Fees

‍Platform (custody) fee: 
£4/month up to a portfolio size of £32,000,
then 0.15% - Capped at £375 per year (cap is hit at £250,000)

‍Fund Charges: The Ongoing Charge Figures (OCFs) vary per fund, from 0.06% to 0.79%, but Vanguard’s LifeStrategy Funds (all-in-one diversified funds) have a charge of 0.22%.

‍Per trade fees: Not Applicable

‍Currency conversion (FX) fee: Not Applicable

The table below compares the fees of relevant providers and shows why Vanguard offers one of the best UK Stocks and Shares ISA products for this type of investing:
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Who is the Vanguard ISA for?

Best for:

• Long-term investors looking for a flexible ISA with highly cost-effective index funds and ETFs
• Beginners who aren’t sure where to start and want easy, diversified options
• Risk-averse and passive investors who want access to long-standing options like Vanguard’s LifeStrategy Funds
• Investors with larger portfolios (£250,000) who wish to benefit from the 0.15% fee cap at £375

Not ideal for:

• Investors who want to pick and choose between individual stocks (Vanguard only offers its own funds & ETFs)
• Short-term traders or those looking for frequent buy/sell opportunities

Go to the Vanguard Stocks and Shares ISA
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6. IG Stocks & Shares ISA (Best ISA for active traders)
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If you’re keen on trading frequently and have an eye on international stocks, then this might be your pick of ISA for stocks and shares. With IG, you can even place after-hours trades on over 70 US stocks. This is a flexible ISA and the platform offers both a self-managed ISA or a managed ISA through its IG Smart Portfolios. Based on cost, we’d lean toward the DIY option here.
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IG ISA Fees

‍Platform (custody) fee:
£8/month if you make less than 3 trades per quarter
£0/month if you make more than 3 trades per quarter

‍Per trade fees: 
£3 (UK Shares)
£0 (US Shares)

‍Currency conversion (FX) fee: 0.5%

Hence why this platform is so well suited to active traders with an eye for the US market.
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Who is the IG ISA for?

‍Best for:

• Active traders who trade frequently (at least 3 times per quarter) to waive the custody fee
• Traders who favor the US stock market and want access to after-hours trading of over 70 US stocks
• Investors looking for a flexible ISA with access to a range of investments (stocks, ETFs, and funds) across global markets
• Those seeking a professional trading platform with advanced tools

Not ideal for:

• Passive, buy-and-hold investors as this will result in a custody fee of £8/month (£96/year)
• Complete beginners looking for a very basic platform

Go to the IG Stocks & Shares ISA
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7. AJ Bell Stocks & Shares ISA (Best ISA for New Mutual Fund Investors)
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AJ Bell is one of the best ISAs for mutual funds (e.g. AJ Bell Balanced Fund). This non-flexible ISA is available as either self-managed or managed and has a plethora of ready-made funds, providing options for beginners looking for a more hands-off approach. Cost-wise, we prefer the self-managed ISA where the cost-conscious fund investor is likely to feel right at home.
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AJ Bell ISA Fees

‍Platform (custody) fee: 
0.25% up to £250,000, then reducing until
0.175% at £500,000
(Capped at £875 per year)

‍Per trade fees: 
£1.50 (Funds)
£5.00 (Shares) 
(£3.50 for Shares if you make more than 10 trades per month)‍

Currency conversion (FX) fee: 
0.75% on first £10,000
0.50% on next £10,000
0.25% on value over £20,000
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The table below compares the fees of relevant providers. It shows that AJ Bell provides the most cost-effective ISA for new investors interested in mutual funds. It leads the way with portfolio values of up to roughly £20,000, becoming less competitive after £50,000.
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Who is the AJ Bell ISA for?

‍Best for:

• New investors seeking the lowest cost ISA for mutual fund investing (cheapest provider here up to a roughly £20,000 invested)
• Investors seeking a menu of ready-made funds for different risk profiles as well as self-managed options
• Those looking for a balance between fees and investment choices.
• Those who value flexibility. The platform is suited to beginner and experienced investors, whether you invest quite regularly or hold investments for years.

Not ideal for:

• Frequent traders due to the £9.95 per trade fees
• Investors looking for totally “hands off”, managed portfolio (like Wealthify)
• Those specifically looking for a flexible ISA

Go to the AJ Bell Stocks & Shares ISA

This link provides you a £100 Amazon gift card upon successful registration.

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8. Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks & Shares ISA (Best Junior Stocks & Shares ISA)
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While not for the cost-sensitive, if you’re looking for the largest scope of investment instruments and the best investment resources and support, then the Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) ISA might be for you. HL offers a non-flexible, managed or self-managed ISA although we’d lean toward the self-managed option.
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Hargreaves Lansdown ISA Fees

Platform (custody) fee - The platform fees vary depending on whether you you invest in Shares or Funds:

Shares, ITs, ETFs, VCTs, gilts or bonds: 
0.45% (Capped at £45/year or £3.75/month)

Funds:
0.45% up to £250,000, then
0.25% up to £1m, then
0.1% up to £2m, then
0% on value over £2m 

‍Per trade fees: 
£11.95 if you made less than 10 trades in the prior month
£8.95 if you made 10 - 19 trades in the prior month
£5.95 if you made 20+ trades in the prior month

‍Currency conversion (FX) fee: 
1.00% on the first £5,000
0.75% on the next £5,000
0.50% on the next £10,000
0.25% on the value over £20,000

While HL’s standard ISA is on the costlier side, this is not the case at all with HL’s Junior Stocks and Shares ISA. As shown below, since HL does not charge platform/custody fees or trading fees for their JISA product, it is actually the most cost-effective JISA option here.
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Hargreaves Lansdown Junior ISA Fees

Platform (custody) fee: 0%

‍Per trade fees: £0

‍Currency conversion (FX) fee: Same as above
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Who is the Hargreaves Lansdown ISA for?

‍Best for:

• Parents or guardians looking for the lowest cost DIY Junior Stocks and Shares ISA.
• Investors who value research tools, educational resources and customer support over low fees.
• Cost-savvy investors who are looking for a vast selection of Shares, ITs, ETFs, gilts or bonds but who aren’t looking to invest in Funds (this will avoid the higher fees associated with Funds)
• Those who want a the broadest spectrum of services under one roof (ISA, SIPP, Cash ISA and much more)
• Experienced investors seeking the widest range of investment options

Not ideal for:

• Investors aiming for the lowest cost ISA solution as HL is often one of the most expensive providers (with the exception of their JISA)
• Highly active traders as the £11.95 per share trade fee will reduce profits
• Those specifically looking for a flexible ISA

Go to the Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks & Shares ISA

Go to the Hargreaves Lansdown Junior Stocks & Shares ISA

What is the Cheapest Stocks and Shares ISA?

So, which one offers the best bang for your buck? In terms of provider fees, here is how these 8 stack up, from cheapest to most expensive:
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Some points worth noting:

• InvestEngine is the lowest cost for DIY investors focused on ETFs and has no FX fees as the ETFs are denominated in GBP.
• Trading 212 ties for 1st place and is better suited to those who want to invest in individual stocks and has the lowest applicable FX rate of 0.15%.
• HL charges the highest per trade fee of £11.95. Since they don’t charge fees for JISAs, they offer the lowest cost Junior Stocks & Shares ISA.
• Interactive Investor charges the highest FX fees but provides the lowest cost managed ISA. Larger portfolios will benefit from their flat fees.
• Wealthify is the most expensive but offers the most “hands off” and best performing fully managed ISA.

Which Provider Offers the Most Services?

It takes time getting used to each platform, so many investors assess what else they could use a given platform for. To this end, we’ve put together a table showcasing the different investment/savings accounts each provider offers:
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Currently, based on the 14 investment services we evaluated, they stack up as follows:

1. HL offers the largest menu of investment services under one roof, with 13
2. AJ Bell comes in second place, with 9
3. Interactive Investor, Wealthify and Fidelity have 7
4. IG and Vanguard have 6
5. InvestEngine has 4
6. Trading2i2 has 3

Last Word

We hope this has helped you find the best Stocks and Shares ISA for 2025. If you’re new to the ISA rules, allowance and deadline, keep in mind that to avoid losing your 2024/2025 ISA allowance, you need to use it by midnight on 5 April 2025. If you’re a client of ours and have any questions on this, please reach out to your accountant. If you’d like to become a client, please head over to this page.

Please remember, when you invest in stocks & shares ISAs your capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. The value of your investments may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. This communication is not intended to be a personal recommendation. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment product or service, you should seek advice from an authorised financial advisor.