What is the best performing Stocks and Shares ISA?

Trick question — the ISA itself doesn't perform, the investments inside it do. Two people on the same platform can have wildly different returns depending on what they hold. Published "performance" figures for managed providers reflect their model portfolios, which vary by risk level and period. Focus on what's controllable: total fees, investment range, and choosing a sensible, diversified portfolio for your time horizon.

Are Stocks and Shares ISAs worth it?

For money you can invest for five-plus years, generally yes: the tax wrapper is free, and its value grows with your pot and the dividend/capital-gains taxes you'd otherwise pay. Whether investing itself is right for you is the real question — if you'd panic-sell in a 20% downturn or need the money soon, cash savings (or a Cash ISA) are the better home.

Can I lose money in a Stocks and Shares ISA?

Yes. Your capital is at risk: investment values fall as well as rise, and there is no FSCS protection against market losses (FSCS only covers provider failure, up to £85,000 for investments). Risk reduces with diversification and time — broad global funds held for a decade have historically weathered even severe crashes — but it never reaches zero. Never invest money you can't afford to see fluctuate.

Should I choose a Cash ISA or a Stocks and Shares ISA?

Match the account to the money's job. Emergency funds and goals within about five years belong in cash — a market dip at the wrong moment can't be undone on a deadline. Long-term money (retirement supplements, a decade-away goal) has historically done better invested. Many people sensibly hold both, splitting the allowance between them; since 2024 you can pay into multiple ISA types in the same year.

What fees do Stocks and Shares ISAs charge?

Typically three layers: a platform fee (flat or a percentage of your pot), fund charges (built into each fund's price), and sometimes dealing fees per trade. Together they commonly range from under 0.5% to over 1.5% a year — and the difference compounds brutally: 1% extra in annual fees can consume roughly a fifth of your final pot over 30 years. Our table ranks platforms by estimated annual running cost.

Can I transfer my Cash ISA into a Stocks and Shares ISA?

Yes — ISA transfers work in both directions, keeping the money's tax-free status and without touching your annual allowance. Use the new provider's transfer process (never withdraw the money yourself). Transfers involving investments can take a few weeks. Partial transfers are allowed too, so you can move just a slice into the market while keeping the rest in cash.

How much should I start investing with?

Most platforms let you start from £1 to £100, and many investors begin with a monthly direct debit of £25–£100 rather than a lump sum. Starting small while you learn is a feature, not a compromise — the habit and time in the market matter more than the starting amount. Just make sure your emergency fund (in easy access savings) is sorted first.

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Best Stocks & Shares ISA Platforms

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Capital at risk: Stocks & Shares ISAs are investment products, not savings accounts. The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. Read our full ISA Guide →

Provider	Product	Style	Cost Tier	Min Investment
IG FTSE 100 listed	Stocks & Shares ISA	DIY	Low Cost	£0
Trading 212	Stocks & Shares ISA	DIY	Low Cost	£0
XTB	Flexible Stocks & Shares ISA	DIY	Low Cost	£0
Compare S&S ISA with other accounts See All Rates
AJ Bell	AJ Bell Stocks and Shares ISA	DIY	Low Cost	£250
Freetrade	Freetrade Investment ISA	DIY	Low Cost	£0
eToro	DIY Stocks & Shares ISA	DIY	Mid Range	£500
Hargreaves Lansdown	HL Stocks & Shares ISA	DIY	Mid Range	£100
First Direct Needs current a/c	Stocks and Shares ISA	Hybrid	Mid Range	£0
Interactive Investor	Stocks & Shares ISA	DIY	Mid Range	£0
Moneyfarm	The Moneyfarm ISA	Hybrid	Higher Cost	£1,500

IG

FTSE 100 listed

Stocks & Shares ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£0

Cost Tier

Low Cost

Trading 212

Stocks & Shares ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£0

Cost Tier

Low Cost

XTB

Flexible Stocks & Shares ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£0

Cost Tier

Low Cost

Compare S&S ISA with other accounts

See All Rates

AJ Bell

AJ Bell Stocks and Shares ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£250

Cost Tier

Low Cost

Freetrade

Freetrade Investment ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£0

Cost Tier

Low Cost

eToro

DIY Stocks & Shares ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£500

Cost Tier

Mid Range

Hargreaves Lansdown

HL Stocks & Shares ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£100

Cost Tier

Mid Range

First Direct

Needs current a/c

Stocks and Shares ISA

Style

Hybrid

Min Investment

£0

Cost Tier

Mid Range

Interactive Investor

Stocks & Shares ISA

Style

DIY

Min Investment

£0

Cost Tier

Mid Range

Moneyfarm

The Moneyfarm ISA

Style

Hybrid

Min Investment

£1,500

Cost Tier

Higher Cost

Showing 10 of 10 results

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Stocks & Shares ISA at a glance

Platforms tracked: 18
Providers tracked: 18
Protection: Capital at risk
Rates checked: 2 August 2026

There's no single "best performing" Stocks & Shares ISA — performance depends on the investments you choose, not the wrapper. What you can control is cost and fit: DIY platforms suit confident investors and cost least, managed services choose investments for you at a higher fee, and hybrids offer both. Over decades, a 0.5% annual fee difference compounds into thousands of pounds.

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What is a Stocks & Shares ISA?

A Stocks & Shares ISA is a tax wrapper around investments: funds, shares, ETFs, bonds and more. Anything the investments earn — growth, dividends, interest — is completely free from income tax, dividend tax and capital gains tax, with nothing to declare. You can contribute up to £20,000 across your ISAs in the 2026/27 tax year.

Unlike every other account we compare, this is an investment product, not savings: values fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in. Historically, diversified investing has outpaced cash over long periods, which is why Stocks & Shares ISAs suit money you can leave for five or more years — not an emergency fund or next year's house deposit.

What you're really comparing between providers isn't a rate but the platform: its fees (the biggest controllable factor in your long-term return), its investment range, and how much help it gives you — from pure DIY to fully managed portfolios.

How to open a Stocks & Shares ISA

Opening takes minutes; the meaningful decisions are how much help you want and what it costs.

1Step 1 of 5

Decide your style: DIY (you pick investments), managed (they pick for you), or hybrid (a mix). Be honest about how much you'll actually engage.

2Step 2 of 5

Compare total costs — platform fee plus fund fees plus dealing charges. Percentage fees suit smaller pots; flat fees favour large ones.

3Step 3 of 5

Open the account online with your National Insurance number, and choose your investments (or answer the risk questionnaire for managed services).

4Step 4 of 5

Consider drip-feeding monthly rather than investing a lump sum in one go — it smooths out market timing and builds the habit.

5Step 5 of 5

Leave it alone. Investing works over years, not weeks; checking daily mostly generates anxiety and bad decisions.

Stocks & Shares ISA pros and cons

Pros

All growth, dividends and interest are completely tax-free
Invest up to £20,000 per year (2026/27)
Historically stronger long-term returns than cash savings
Huge choice: funds, shares, ETFs, ready-made portfolios
Dividend tax rates outside ISAs make the wrapper increasingly valuable

Cons

Capital at risk — values fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest
Platform and fund fees eat into returns, especially over decades
Not suitable for money needed within about five years
Choice overload — thousands of funds can paralyse beginners
No FSCS protection against investment losses (only provider failure)

Is my money safe in a Stocks & Shares ISA?

Two different risks here. Provider failure: UK-regulated platforms must hold your investments separately from their own money, and the FSCS covers up to £85,000 of investments per person if a platform fails (uninvested cash in the account gets the £120,000 deposit protection). Market risk: no protection exists — if your investments fall, that's the deal you signed up for.

The practical safety lever is diversification and time: broad funds spread across many companies and countries, held for years, historically recover from downturns. Individual shares and short horizons are where investors get genuinely hurt.

The tax advantage — bigger than it looks

Outside an ISA, dividends above the dividend allowance are taxed (in 2026/27, at 10.75% for basic-rate and 35.75% for higher-rate taxpayers) and gains above the capital gains allowance are taxed too. Inside the ISA wrapper: nothing, ever, with no paperwork. As allowances outside ISAs have shrunk, the wrapper's value has grown sharply.

The tax saving compounds: dividends reinvested tax-free buy more shares, which pay more dividends. Over a 20–30 year horizon the wrapper can be worth tens of thousands compared to the same investments held outside — which is why filling ISA allowance before using a general investment account is near-universal advice.

Work out what you'll keep after taxFree UK savings tax calculator — personal allowance, tax bands and take-home interest.

DIY, managed or hybrid — which platform style fits?

The best platform depends on how much of the work you want to do yourself:

DIY platforms

You choose and manage your own investments from the platform's full range. Lowest fees and total control, best for confident investors — or beginners happy to learn with simple global index funds.

Managed (robo) platforms

Answer a risk questionnaire and the provider builds and manages a portfolio for you. Costs more than DIY, but removes decision paralysis entirely — often what actually gets people started.

Hybrid platforms

Offer ready-made portfolios and DIY investing side by side, so you can start managed and take over gradually. A good default if you're unsure how involved you'll want to be.

Stocks & Shares ISA FAQs

Straight answers to the questions savers actually ask.

Looking for something else?

Compare every account type we track, side by side.

Savings accounts

Easy Access

Withdraw whenever you like — ideal for emergency funds.

Fixed Rate

Lock your money away for a guaranteed rate.

Notice Accounts

Give 30–180 days' notice in return for higher rates.

Regular Savers

High headline rates on smaller monthly deposits.

ISAs

Cash ISA

Tax-free interest on up to £20,000 a year.

Junior ISA

Tax-free savings for children under 18.

Lifetime ISA

25% government bonus towards a first home or retirement.

Written by

Jonny Pease

Reviewed by

Jan Watermann

Rates checked 2 August 2026

How we rank·How we make money·Editorial policy

Capital at risk. Stocks & Shares ISAs are investment products, not savings accounts — the value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. This page is for information only and is not financial advice. Rates and account terms can change at any time — always confirm the details on the provider's website before opening an account. Read our full disclaimer.

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