Availability on platforms

Platforms can be a convenient way to hold several different investments in one place, including investment companies. However, all platforms have different charges and it can be difficult to compare what they offer. Not all platforms make investment companies available.

Costs at a glance Detailed costs

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  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✔  ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Aviva Consumer Platform  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔ ✘ ✔  ✘

AICbinoculars
Barclays  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Bestinvest  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Charles Stanley Direct  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Close Brothers A.M. Self Directed Service  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Fidelity Personal Investing  ✔  ✔  ✔   ✔ ✘ ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Freetrade ✔ ✔ ✔ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔

AICbinoculars
Halifax Share Dealing  ✔  ✔  ✔   ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Hargreaves Lansdown  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✔ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
iDealing  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔ 

AICbinoculars
IG  ✔  ✔ ✔  ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Interactive Investor  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
iWeb  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Santander  ✔  ✘ ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✔  ✘

AICbinoculars
shareDeal active  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔ 

AICbinoculars
Willis Owen  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✔  ✔ 

AICbinoculars
X-O  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔  ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔ 

AICbinoculars

 

Source: AIC/the lang cat (last update 17/11/23)