Exact annual platform charges for the 10 most-used UK investment brokers, at five portfolio sizes. This is the table your broker doesn't print next to its “low cost” claim — fully reworked for 2026, after Hargreaves Lansdown cut its fee to 0.35%, Interactive Investor replaced its £11.99 plan, and Vanguard's £4-a-month minimum began to bite.
Annual platform/account charges in GBP for a Stocks & Shares ISA holding funds or ETFs. Fund OCF/TER and dealing charges are excluded. Green = no platform fee. Verified June 2026.
| Broker | £10,000 | £50,000 | £100,000 | £250,000 | £500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading 212Zero-fee · ETFs & shares | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| InvestEngineZero-fee · ETFs only | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| FreetradeBasic plan (free) · ETFs & shares | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| iWeb / Scottish WidowsFlat · funds & shares · £5 a trade | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Interactive InvestorFlat fee · Core / Plus | £71.88 | £71.88 | £71.88 | £179.88 | £179.88 |
| Vanguard0.15% · Vanguard funds only | £48 | £75 | £150 | £375 | £375 |
| AJ Bell0.25% funds · shares cap £42 | £25 | £125 | £250 | £625 | £875 |
| Fidelity0.35% funds · ETF cap £90 | £90 | £175 | £350 | £500* | £1,000 |
| Hargreaves Lansdown0.35% funds · shares/ETFs cap £150 | £35 | £175 | £350 | £875 | £1,500 |
| Bestinvest0.40% funds | £40 | £200 | £400 | £1,000 | £1,500 |
* Fidelity sets its rate on your total balance: once an ISA reaches £250,000 the 0.20% rate applies to the whole portfolio (≈£500), so the fee actually falls as you cross £250,000 — just below it the rate is 0.35% (≈£875). iWeb charges £0 a year (the old £100 opening fee was removed) but £5 per trade. Interactive Investor Core (£5.99/mo) covers up to £100,000; Plus (£14.99/mo) above that — both include ISA, SIPP and trading account.
Most fee tables miss the single most important change of 2026. On the big percentage platforms, the charge for holding shares, ETFs and investment trusts is capped — but the charge for holding funds (OEICs/unit trusts) is not. Hold the exact same money, in the same ISA, on the same platform, and you can pay several times more simply because it's wrapped as a fund rather than an ETF.
| Platform (£250,000 ISA) | As funds | As ETFs / shares | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hargreaves Lansdown | £875 | £150 (capped) | £725/yr |
| AJ Bell | £625 | £42 (capped) | £583/yr |
| Fidelity | £500* | £90 (capped) | £410/yr |
Why it matters: a global ETF and its near-identical fund version track the same index. On Hargreaves Lansdown at £250,000, choosing the ETF over the fund saves £725 a year. Reinvested at 7% over 20 years, that one choice is worth roughly £30,000 — for buying the same exposure in a different wrapper.
At small sizes, a flat fee is a heavy percentage drag: Interactive Investor's £71.88 is 0.72% of a £10,000 pot. For ETF and share investors, Trading 212, InvestEngine and Freetrade Basic charge nothing at all. For funds, a low-percentage platform such as AJ Bell (£25) is fine; avoid flat fees until your pot is larger.
This is where percentage platforms start to hurt. For funds, Interactive Investor's £71.88 Core already beats AJ Bell (£125 at £50K, £250 at £100K) and Hargreaves Lansdown (£175, £350). If you hold ETFs, the £0 platforms remain unbeatable. Vanguard stays cheap (£75–£150) but only for its own funds.
Above £250,000 the gap becomes stark. Interactive Investor Plus (£179.88) and iWeb (£0 + dealing) are the rational homes for a large fund portfolio. Even after its 2026 cut, Hargreaves Lansdown charges £875 on £250,000 of funds — nearly 5× Interactive Investor — and Bestinvest £1,000. The £0 ETF platforms (Trading 212, InvestEngine) cost nothing at any size.
The £250,000 decision: moving £250,000 of funds from Hargreaves Lansdown (£875) to Interactive Investor (£179.88) saves £695 a year. Over 20 years at 7% reinvested, that compounds to roughly £28,000 of additional portfolio value — the price of staying on the wrong platform.
Headline tiers for an ISA. Caps and key conditions in the notes. Verified June 2026.
| Broker | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Cap / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading 212 | 0% / £0 | — | — | ETFs & shares; £0 dealing; FX 0.15% |
| InvestEngine | 0% / £0 | — | — | ETFs only; £0 dealing; no FX (£-denominated) |
| Freetrade Basic | £0 / month | — | — | ISA included free since Sept 2025; FX 0.99% |
| iWeb / Scottish Widows | £0 / year | — | — | £100 opening fee removed; £5 per trade |
| Interactive Investor | Core £5.99/mo (≤£100k) | Plus £14.99/mo (>£100k) | Premium £39.99/mo | Flat fee covers ISA + SIPP + GIA (from Feb 2026) |
| Vanguard | £4/mo (<£32k) | 0.15% (£32k–£250k) | 0% (>£250k) | Cap £375/yr; Vanguard funds & ETFs only |
| AJ Bell | 0.25% (≤£250k) | 0.10% (£250k–£500k) | 0% (>£500k) | Shares capped £42/yr (ISA); SIPP cap £120 |
| Fidelity | £90 (<£25k) | 0.35% (£25k–£250k) | 0.20% (£250k–£1m) | Whole-balance tiers; ETFs/shares capped £90/yr |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | 0.35% (≤£250k) | 0.25% (£250k–£1m) | 0.10% (£1m–£2m) / 0% above | From Mar 2026; shares/ETFs capped £150/yr, funds uncapped |
| Bestinvest | 0.40% (≤£250k) | 0.20% (£250k–£500k) | 0.10% (£500k–£1m) / 0% above | Min £120/yr on SIPPs |
Platform fee is one input. The full cost of ownership also includes:
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The Arken Invest App calculates your exact annual fee drag from your real holdings — not a generic estimate — and models what switching would save over your horizon. Screenshot your broker screen; get your fee audit in under 60 seconds.
Arken Invest is an educational tool. The UK Broker Fee Index is provided for information only and is not financial advice or a recommendation to switch platforms. Always verify current fees directly with your broker before making any decision. Arken is not regulated by the FCA. Fee data is sourced from publicly available provider tariffs and verified quarterly; Arken accepts no liability for errors or omissions.
