Cheapest Stocks and Shares ISA 2026/27: Platform Fees Compared
Fees checked on each provider’s website on 9 November 2026. Platforms change their prices often, so check the provider’s own charges page before you open an account.
The cheapest stocks and shares ISA depends on two things: how much you have invested, and whether you hold ETFs and shares or traditional funds. Percentage fees are cheapest for small pots. Flat fees and fee caps win as your pot grows. And a handful of app-based platforms now charge no account fee at all.
The 2026/27 ISA rules in brief
- You can put up to £20,000 into ISAs in the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027), split however you like between cash, stocks and shares, innovative finance and Lifetime ISAs.
- Gains and dividends inside a stocks and shares ISA are free of Capital Gains Tax and dividend tax. See our CGT allowance guide for why that matters more now the allowance is £3,000.
- The reforms announced in the 2025 Budget, including a £12,000 cash ISA limit for under-65s from April 2027, were cancelled in the 28 October 2026 Budget. The current rules carry on.
ISA platform fees compared
| Platform | Account fee: funds | Account fee: shares and ETFs | Share or ETF trade | FX fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InvestEngine | Not offered (ETFs) | None | Free | None listed |
| Trading 212 | Not offered | None | Free | 0.15% |
| Freetrade (Basic) | None | None | Free | 0.99% |
| AJ Bell | 0.25% (0.10% over £250k) | 0.25%, max £42 a year | £5 (£3.50 frequent) | 0.75% on first £10k |
| Vanguard | £48 a year under £32k, then 0.15% (max £375) | Free (Vanguard ETFs) | n/a | |
| Fidelity | 0.35% (0.20% over £250k) | 0.35%, max £90 a year | £7.50 | 0.75% on first £10k |
| interactive investor (Core) | £5.99 a month (up to £100k) | £3.99 | 0.75% | |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | 0.35% (0.25% over £250k) | 0.35%, max £150 a year | £6.95 (£3.95 frequent) | 0.99% on first £10k |
What you would pay each year
These are the annual account fees on a buy-and-hold ISA, before dealing charges and the funds’ own costs.
If you hold ETFs or shares
| Platform | £10,000 | £50,000 | £200,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| InvestEngine | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Trading 212 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Freetrade (Basic) | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| AJ Bell | £25 | £42 | £42 |
| Fidelity | £35* | £90 | £90 |
| Vanguard | £48 | £75 | £300 |
| interactive investor | £71.88 | £71.88 | £179.88† |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | £35 | £150 | £150 |
If you hold funds
| Platform | £10,000 | £50,000 | £200,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freetrade (Basic) | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| AJ Bell | £25 | £125 | £500 |
| Vanguard (Vanguard funds only) | £48 | £75 | £300 |
| interactive investor | £71.88 | £71.88 | £179.88 |
| Fidelity | £35* | £175 | £700 |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | £35 | £175 | £700 |
Which platform is cheapest for you
- ETFs only, any pot size: InvestEngine and Trading 212 charge no account fee and no dealing fee. InvestEngine is built around a selected range of ETFs. Trading 212 also offers individual shares, with a 0.15% FX fee on non-sterling trades.
- Funds, small to medium pot: Freetrade’s free Basic plan includes funds. Among the traditional platforms, AJ Bell’s 0.25% is the lowest percentage fee.
- Funds, large pot: percentage fees add up fast. On £200,000 in funds, interactive investor’s flat £179.88 a year is less than half AJ Bell’s £500 and about a quarter of HL’s or Fidelity’s £700.
- Vanguard funds only: Vanguard’s own platform is simple and capped at £375 a year, but you can only hold Vanguard funds and ETFs.
- Buying US or other foreign shares: the FX fee can matter more than the account fee. Buying £5,000 of US shares costs £7.50 in FX at Trading 212, £37.50 at AJ Bell, ii or Fidelity, and £49.50 at HL or Freetrade Basic. Use our FX mark-up calculator to check your own trades.
Price is not everything
- Range of investments. The cheapest apps offer fewer funds and investment trusts than the large platforms. Check that what you want to hold is available.
- Interest on cash. Some platforms pay little or nothing on uninvested cash. InvestEngine, for example, keeps the interest on cash. If you hold a lot of cash, this can cost more than the account fee.
- Protection. Check that the platform is authorised by the FCA and covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which protects up to £85,000 per person per firm if a platform fails and your investments go missing. It does not protect you against investment losses.
- Transfers. You can move an ISA between providers without losing its tax status, but always use the new provider’s transfer service. Withdrawing the money yourself uses up allowance.
Sources
- Hargreaves Lansdown: charges from 1 March 2026
- AJ Bell: stocks and shares ISA charges
- interactive investor: fees and charges
- Vanguard: fees and charges
- Fidelity: investment fees and charges
- InvestEngine: costs
- Trading 212: fees in Invest, ISAs and SIPP
- Freetrade: investment plans
- GOV.UK: Individual Savings Accounts