To help people trying to choose a platform, the AIC has asked the lang cat, a platform consultancy, to provide up-to-date information on the platforms where investment companies are available, and what you’ll pay to invest on each platform.
The table below shows which sort of accounts you can open with each platform – for example, whether you can open an ISA or pension.
It also shows which platforms offer open-ended funds (such as OEICs and unit trusts) and which offer investment companies.
If you want, you can also get an idea of how much it will cost to hold investment companies (and/or open-ended funds) on the various platforms.
(Financial advisers: to see our research on advised platforms, please visit the Financial Advisers centre.)
Savings schemes run by asset management groups offer a way to buy shares in investment companies without having to use a platform. Click here for more information.
Platform | Investment account | Pension | ISA | Junior ISA | Flexible ISA | Lifetime ISA | Can hold funds | Can hold investment companies | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AJ Bell | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Aviva Consumer Platform | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | |
Barclays | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Bestinvest | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Charles Stanley Direct | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Close Brothers A.M. Self Directed Service | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Fidelity Personal Investing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Freetrade | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Halifax Share Dealing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Hargreaves Lansdown | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
iDealing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | |
IG | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | |
Interactive Investor | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
iWeb | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Santander | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | |
shareDeal active | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | |
Willis Owen | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
X-O | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
Source: AIC/the lang cat (last update 17/11/23)