The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back all the money you put in. All investments carry a varying degree of risk and it’s important you understand the nature of these risks. The Motley Fool believes in building wealth through long-term investing and so we do not promote or encourage high-risk activities including day trading, CFDs, spread betting, cryptocurrencies, and forex.
Great For: Long-term investing in shares
5 stars 
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) is the UK’s market leading share dealing broker, providing easy access to an extensive range of funds, ETFS, UK and overseas shares. HL offers a robust service with an easy-to-use website and plenty of free information to help make your investment decisions — although keep in mind this isn’t a substitute to seeking out independent financial advice. In our view, the ‘Fund and Share’ account is great choice for long-term share investors looking to manage their portfolio online.
Read full review >what we like
- Market-leading platform
- No annual fee for holding shares & ETFs
- Lower share dealing fees if you trade more often
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PLATFORM FEE:
£0 -
Share dealing charge:
£11.95
Great For: trading funds and trusts, and monthly share dealing
5 stars
Interactive Investor’s share dealing platform is straightforward and uncomplicated, which means it could be a good choice for both the newbie and the more seasoned investor. The platform provides access to a wealth of investment choices, including UK and International shares, funds, investment trusts and ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds). Interactive Investor will even alert you to the latest IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) as they come to the market.
Read full review >what we like
- Trading credit every month worth £7.99
- A choice between three different price plans
- Easy-to-use platform
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PLATFORM FEE:
£9.99† -
Share dealing charge:
£7.99†
Great For: novice investors looking for support
4 stars
Barclays Smart Investor makes it easy to take your first step into investing. For those who are beginners, or short on time, it has five Ready-made Investment funds created and monitored by experts.
Read full review >what we like
- Five Ready-made Investment funds
- Barclays' Funds List can help narrow down choices
- Simple pricing structure and a cap on monthly fees
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Platform Fee
From £4†
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Share Dealing Charge
From £3‡
Great For: simple and cheap investing.
5 stars
If you want cheap and simple investing right at your fingertips, Freetrade could be the platform for you: the commission-free trading coupled with just a £2 minimum investment makes it a great app to dip your toes into the world of stock-picking.
Read full review >what we like
- Free trading
- Simple and straightforward account opening
- Attractive mobile app platform
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PLATFORM FEE:
£0.00 -
Share dealing charge:
£0.00
Great For: regular investing (rather than trading) in funds and shares
4.5 stars
If you’re keen to trade much more frequently than one day a month on average, perhaps there are more suitable platforms for your needs. But it suits me to invest my savings on a set day each month; doing so keeps my trading fees extremely low, and as such I’m a very happy accountholder!
Read full review >what we like
- Competitive reduced dealing commission once a month
- No annual platform charge
- Flat rate pricing avoids any confusing percentage-based fees
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PLATFORM FEE:
£0** -
Share dealing charge:
£9.50
Great For: Simple, straightforward share dealing
4 stars
AJ Bell Youinvest is about as simple as an investment platform can be – and investors seem to like it. Launched in 2000, its wealth platform now has 225,000 customers and more than £50 billion worth of assets under administration. The site’s easy-on-the-eye design, attractive charging structure and lack of inactivity fees all deserve your attention. This is a top mainstream offering but with plenty to offer active, experienced stock traders as well.
Read full review >what we like
- Competitive dealing fees of £9.95 per share deal
- Lower dealing fee (£4.95) for those trading more than 10 times/month
- Clean, easy-to-use platform
* Based on custody charges for shares. Share custody charges max out at £3.50 per month.
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PLATFORM FEE:
£3.50* -
Share dealing charge:
£9.95
Great For: investors looking for a simple, low-cost share dealing account
4 stars
For beginner & intermediate investors, the iWeb share dealing account shouldn’t be ignored. Operated by Halifax Share Dealing, this account offers a wide range of lower cost investment opportunities. However, limited access to foreign markets might frustrate more adventurous investors.
Read full review >what we like
- Low commissions and no platform fees
- No penalties for inactivity
- UK telephone and live chat available 5 days a week
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PLATFORM FEE:
£0.00† -
Share dealing charge:
From £5.00‡
Great For: investors who don’t have time to pick out individual funds
3.5 stars
This is a simple and straightforward platform to use, and very little interference is required from the investor. However, at 0.4% management fee plus the share dealing fees, if you’re on the lower end of the investing spectrum, you’re dumping a substantial amount of capital into fees.
Read full review >what we like
- Ready-made portfolios - enough said!
- Reasonable management fee of 0.4%
- Loads of educational material on ISAs and the funds
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PLATFORM FEE:
£40** -
Share dealing charge:
£7.50*
Great For: Great for novice investors
3.5 stars
Fidelity’s fees are a little steep compared to other options. However, if you’re new to investing, you may find that it’s worth paying extra for its tools and expertise. Fidelity makes it easy to find investments and funds to match your specific needs. You don’t need a deep understanding of the markets to make informed decisions about your savings.
Read full review >what we like
- Easy search tools help you target the right investments
- Wide range of funds available to suit your risk tolerance
- Call centres based in the UK and Ireland
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PLATFORM FEE:
£45* -
Share dealing charge:
£10**
