Bestinvest

This is where Bestinvest gets interesting. The fee structure splits into two tiers depending on what you invest in, and the difference matters.

Annual service fees — Ready-made Portfolios & US shares:

• Up to £250,000: 0.2%
• £250,000–£500,000: 0.2%
• £500,000–£1,000,000: 0.1%
• Over £1,000,000: Free

Annual service fees — Other Funds & UK shares:

• Up to £250,000: 0.4%
• £250,000–£500,000: 0.2%
• £500,000–£1,000,000: 0.1%
• Over £1,000,000: Free

So if you're using their Ready-made Portfolios, you're paying just 0.2% — that's competitive with Vanguard's 0.15% and cheaper than HL's 0.45%. If you're picking your own funds and UK shares, 0.4% is still below HL but above the likes of InvestEngine (free for ETFs) or iWeb (flat fee). For a detailed comparison of how these fees stack up, see our Bestinvest vs AJ Bell fee breakdown.

Dealing fees:

• UK share dealing: £4.95 per trade (online)
• US share dealing: No dealing fee (but 0.95% FX fee)
• Fund dealing: Free
• Regular investing: Free
• Dividend reinvestment: Free
• Limit orders: Free
• Telephone dealing: £30 per trade

The £4.95 dealing fee for UK shares is cheap — significantly less than HL's £11.95. And free fund dealing is always welcome. The US share dealing is interesting: no per-trade charge, but a 0.95% FX spread, which stacks up if you're buying large amounts. For small US trades it's fine; for big ones, look elsewhere.

SIPP minimum fee warning: The SIPP has a minimum service fee of £10 per month (£120/year), though this excludes Junior SIPPs. That's important. If your SIPP pot is under about £30,000 in Ready-made Portfolios (or £30,000 in other investments), you're effectively paying more than the percentage rate. Bestinvest themselves say if you can't contribute at least £10,000 within the first 12 months, the SIPP isn't good value. Honest of them. No minimum fee applies to ISAs, Junior ISAs, or Investment Accounts.

Cash interest: Uninvested cash earns 4.1% AER (as of March 2026), which is a competitive rate that makes parking cash between trades less painful.

Paper statements: £37.50 per quarter if you want them. Stick with digital.

All fee details verified from Bestinvest's fees page and charges page. Bestinvest is operated by Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Limited, authorised by the FCA (register entry 148826). Investments are protected by the FSCS up to £85,000.

Bestinvest covers the main bases and then some:

• Stocks & Shares ISA — £20,000 annual allowance, flexible withdrawals
• Junior ISA — £9,000 annual allowance
• SIPP (Self-invested Personal Pension) — with £10/month minimum fee
• Junior SIPP — no minimum fee, which is a nice touch
• General Investment Account — no annual limits
• Bare Trust — for gifting to children tax-efficiently
• Discretionary Trust — for estate planning
• SSAS Pension — for business owners and directors

The trust and SSAS options set Bestinvest apart from many DIY platforms. If you're thinking about estate planning or running a family business, these are useful and relatively rare on consumer platforms.

All accounts give you access to the same investment range: 1,800+ funds, 1,200+ shares, 530+ ETFs, and 230+ investment trusts. That's a solid selection — more than Vanguard (own funds only) but slightly less than HL's enormous range.

If you're new to tax-free investing, our beginner's guide to ISAs walks you through the basics before the 5 April deadline. For the full picture on ISA types and rules, see our complete ISA hub. Weighing up ISA vs pension? Our pensions guide breaks down the trade-offs between the two most powerful UK tax shelters.

Fee source: Bestinvest accounts page.

The good stuff:

• Free coaching is genuinely unusual. Bestinvest employs coaches who hold the CII Level 4 qualification in financial planning. They can't give specific investment advice, but they can talk through your goals, review your strategy, and help you understand markets. You can even book a session before becoming a client. That's rare and valuable, especially for newer investors.
• Tiered fees that actually reward growth. Once you're past £250k, fees start dropping. Past £1m, the platform fee disappears entirely. For larger portfolios, this is excellent.
• The Ready-made Portfolios are managed by Evelyn Partners' investment team. At 0.2% platform fee plus around 0.35% OCF, you're looking at roughly 0.55% all-in for a professionally managed portfolio. That's not far off a cheap index tracker with no management.
• Exit fee buyout: They'll pay up to £500 towards exit fees from your old provider when transferring pensions. Helpful if you're trapped somewhere expensive.
• Free fund dealing and regular investing. No charge to buy or sell funds, and no charge for monthly direct debit investing.
• Strong cash interest at 4.1% AER on uninvested cash, better than many competitor platforms.

The not-so-good:

• 0.4% for self-selected funds and UK shares is middling. It's cheaper than HL (0.45%) but more expensive than flat-fee platforms like iWeb (£5/month) or free platforms like InvestEngine for ETFs. If you have £100k+ in self-selected investments, the percentage model starts to sting.
• The SIPP minimum fee of £120/year penalises smaller pension pots. A £10,000 SIPP is effectively paying 1.2% just in platform fees before you even look at fund charges.
• No Lifetime ISA. If you're saving for your first home or want the 25% government bonus, you'll need to go elsewhere.
• The 0.95% FX fee on US shares looks cheap on the surface (no dealing fee!), but on a £5,000 US share purchase that's £47.50. Interactive Investor charges £3.99 per trade plus a lower FX margin. For regular US share investors, it adds up.
• The mobile app and website are functional rather than exciting. They get the job done, but they lack the slick design of Trading 212 or the research depth of HL. Don't expect bells and whistles.

For more on how platform fees eat into long-term returns, see our investing hub. Fee data sourced from Bestinvest's official charges page.

Bestinvest is a strong choice if you:

• Want a managed portfolio at a low cost — the Ready-made Portfolios at 0.2% platform fee are hard to beat for hands-off investors who want professional management without paying financial adviser fees
• Are a medium-to-large investor (£50k–£500k+) where the tiered fees really start to work in your favour
• Value human support — the free coaching is a genuine differentiator, especially if you're not fully confident in your investment decisions
• Need trust or SSAS accounts alongside your ISA and pension — most consumer platforms don't offer these
• Want to consolidate pensions — the £500 exit fee buyout sweetens the deal

Look elsewhere if you:

• Have a small pension pot (under £30,000) — the £120/year SIPP minimum fee is poor value
• Want a Lifetime ISA — Bestinvest doesn't offer one
• Are a frequent US share trader — the 0.95% FX fee gets expensive quickly
• Want the absolute cheapest platform for ETFs — InvestEngine is free, Trading 212 is free; Bestinvest charges 0.4%
• Need extensive research tools and community features — HL, interactive investor, and AJ Bell all offer more in this department

If you want to keep more of your returns, our Bestinvest vs AJ Bell fee comparison shows exactly where each platform wins and loses on cost. MoneyHelper's investing guide is also a useful independent resource for comparing platforms.

Here's how Bestinvest compares on a £50,000 ISA holding funds:

• Bestinvest (self-selected funds): 0.4% = £200/year + free fund dealing
• Hargreaves Lansdown: 0.45% = £225/year + £11.95 per fund trade (or £1.50 regular)
• AJ Bell: 0.25% = £125/year + £1.50 per fund trade
• Vanguard (own funds only): 0.15% = £75/year
• InvestEngine (ETFs only): 0% = £0/year
• interactive investor: flat £11.99/month = £143.88/year (includes one free trade/month)

Bestinvest sits in the middle of the pack on headline fees. But switch to their Ready-made Portfolios and the picture changes — at 0.2%, it's cheaper than AJ Bell's 0.25% and significantly cheaper than HL. For a managed solution, it's remarkably competitive.

The real comparison is this: if you want someone else to manage your money, Bestinvest's Ready-made Portfolios at ~0.55% all-in (platform + OCF) are cheaper than most robo-advisers (Nutmeg charges 0.75% + fund fees, Wealthify similar). And you get the backing of Evelyn Partners' investment team rather than a purely algorithmic approach.

For self-directed investors picking their own funds and shares, the value proposition is less clear-cut. You're paying more than the cheapest options, though you're getting free coaching and a broader account range in return.

For a broader view, MoneyHelper's platform comparison is a useful independent resource. Our beginner's guide to ISAs is a good starting point if you're opening your first account. Fee data sourced from Bestinvest fees page.

Regulatory note: This platform is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Your eligible deposits are protected up to £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Capital at risk. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The value of investments can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Always do your own research or consult a qualified financial adviser before making investment decisions.

Bestinvest is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA reference 148826). Client investments are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per eligible person.