Compare 7 UK brokers

Best UK Investment Platforms 2025

Cut through the marketing — actual fees, what you get, and where each broker shines.

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212
Trading 212
Free trading & ISA
ISA Fee
£0
Dealing
£0
FX Fee
0.15%
Min Deposit
£1
Pros
+Zero platform fee
+Free share & ETF dealing
+Pies for portfolios
+Fractional shares
Cons
−No SIPP
−Limited research tools
Open Account →
V
Vanguard
Cheapest funds
ISA Fee
0.15%
Dealing
£0
FX Fee
N/A
Min Deposit
£500
Pros
+Industry-low fund fees
+Excellent index funds
+No dealing costs
+Trusted brand
Cons
−Vanguard funds only
−No individual stocks
−£4/mo min if pot < £32k
Visit Vanguard →
HL
Hargreaves Lansdown
Research & service
ISA Fee
0.45%
Dealing
£11.95
FX Fee
1.00%
Min Deposit
£100
Pros
+Best-in-class research
+UK customer service
+Wide investment choice
+Great mobile app
Cons
−High platform fee
−Expensive dealing
−Worst-in-class FX
Visit HL →
IE
InvestEngine
ETF DIY portfolios
ISA Fee
£0
Dealing
£0
FX Fee
N/A
Min Deposit
£100
Pros
+Zero fees on DIY ETFs
+Auto-rebalancing
+Pre-built portfolios
+Clean UI
Cons
−ETFs only
−No individual stocks
Open Account →
AJ
AJ Bell
SIPP & flexibility
ISA Fee
0.25%
Dealing
£5.00
FX Fee
0.75%
Min Deposit
£500
Pros
+Strong SIPP offering
+Reasonable fees
+Wide fund universe
+Solid mobile app
Cons
−Dealing fees apply
−FX fees on overseas
Visit AJ Bell →
IBKR
Interactive Brokers
Pros & global access
ISA Fee
Tiered
Dealing
From £1
FX Fee
0.03%
Min Deposit
£0
Pros
+Best FX rates anywhere
+Global market access
+Pro-grade tools
+Margin available
Cons
−Steep learning curve
−No ISA (yet)
−UK platform young
Visit IBKR →
eT
eToro
Social investing
ISA Fee
£0
Dealing
£0
FX Fee
1.50%
Min Deposit
$50
Pros
+Copy trading
+Free stocks & ETFs
+Crypto in same account
+Slick app
Cons
−1.5% FX is steep
−$5 withdrawal fee
−Inactivity fee
−No ISA
Visit eToro →

How to choose

The “best” broker depends on what you're optimising for. Three rules of thumb:

1. If you're starting small (under £20k)

Percentage-based platform fees compound silently. Trading 212 or InvestEngine charge nothing. Vanguard's 0.15% is fine but has a £4/month minimum below £32k.

2. If you're investing globally

FX fees eat returns. Interactive Brokers at 0.03% is best-in-class; eToro and HL at 1%+ are punitive on regular US ETF buys.

3. If you want a SIPP

Trading 212 and InvestEngine don't offer SIPPs (yet). AJ Bell and Vanguard are the natural choices.

Watch & learn
Best UK Investment Platforms
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Best UK Investment Platforms

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