DIY Platforms - CompareThePlatform

AJ Bell Youinvest

AJ Bell Youinvest offers a broad range of investments through a number of different accounts: a SIPP, stocks and shares ISA, Lifetime ISA and dealing account. It also offers an ISA, SIPP and dealing account for children.

Aviva Consumer Platform

Aviva is a well-known insurance provider and household name. Its direct-to-consumer platform is embedded into its broader consumer portal. As well as providing access to a variety of insurance products and policies, consumers can open general investment accounts, ISAs and pensions. A junior ISA from the Wealthify subsidiary is also available.

Barclays Smart Investor

This is Barclays’ D2C platform which replaced its previous Barclays’ stockbroker site. The site combines the platform with online banking, so if you’re a banking customer, all your accounts will be seamlessly integrated with just one set of credentials for access. Customers can open a general investment account, an ISA and a Sipp.

Bestinvest

Bestinvest is a DIY platform offering a broad variety of products and investments. The platform is anchored in strong and independent research (the research team is highly respected), providing investors with tools to help them make informed choices and good investment selections. As well as offering a DIY platform, Bestinvest also has advice and discretionary arms for investors who want to hand over the reins at some point or for more complicated investment objectives.

It has recently introduced two new advice services — goal-based advice review which reviews objectives, time horizon and attitude to risk and provides a ready-made portfolio recommendation for £295. There is also a portfolio health check service for £495.

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct is one of the UK’s better known DIY platforms. With a good range of investments, regular news updates and email reminders, it aims to make investments easy for customers while still offering lots of features. It also offers advisory and discretionary services.

Chelsea Financial

Chelsea started life in 1983 as a discount broker. More than 30 years later, it has developed a reputation for independent fund research and a personalised service. The platform is underpinned by the Aegon (was Cofunds) institutional platform. It works closely with its sister company, FundCalibre, which specialises in fund research and ratings, and model portfolios.

Close Brothers

As well as providing advisory and discretionary services for its mainly high-net-worth client base, Close runs a DIY platform. Initially launched for existing clients, it is now available to all consumers.

Fidelity Personal Investing

Fidelity is a long-established fund management company with investment platforms for advisers, employers and consumers. The DIY platform offers a wide array of products, tools and research to make investing easier for investors.

Financial Discounts Direct

Financial Discounts Direct is a DIY platform that is supported by the Aegon (formerly Cofunds) institutional platform. Its aim is to provide a high-quality, low-cost service to private investors.

Fundsnet

Fundsnet is a DIY platform run by City House Investors, a financial planning and wealth company. It aims to provide a simple and low-cost service for retail investors. The platform is underpinned by the Aegon (formerly Cofunds) institutional platform and offers customers a good range of research tools and guidance.

Halifax Share Dealing

The Halifax Share Dealing is the Halifax (part of Lloyds Banking Group) DIY investment and share-dealing platform.

Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown is the oldest DIY platform in the UK with more than 35 years’ experience under its belt. This Bristol-based company started life as a small advice firm and has grown into a FTSE 100 company with a wide range of services including advice, discretionary management, its own investment funds and model portfolios aimed to suit any life stage, whether you’re a beginner or experienced investor.

Interactive Investor (Investor)

Interactive Investor started life in 1995 providing data and information for self-directed, mainly savvy, investors. Since then it has continued to grow strongly and today counts over 400,000 customers in the UK. Customers can choose from investment options including share and fund dealing, SIPP, ISA and Junior ISA trading accounts, an extensive research range, investment filters and a selection of ready-made investment option, underpinned by a simple ‘flat fee’ pricing model. In October 2018 it announced it was acquiring Alliance Trust Savings.

Interactive Investor (Pension Builder)

Interactive Investor started life in 1995 providing data and information for self-directed, mainly savvy, investors. Since then it has continued to grow strongly and today counts over 400,000 customers in the UK. Customers can choose from investment options including share and fund dealing, SIPP, ISA and Junior ISA trading accounts, an extensive research range, investment filters and a selection of ready-made investment options, underpinned by a simple ‘flat fee’ pricing model.

Interactive Investor (Super Investor)