How to compare Stocks & Shares ISA providers (2026/27)
Compare UK Stocks & Shares ISA providers for 2026/27: fee models, your annual cost, transfer time limits, FSCS cover and JISA / LISA rules.
Stocks & Shares ISA providers charge in a few different ways, and they change their prices often, so this page does not rank named platforms. It sets out the fee models you will meet, shows how to turn a provider's published charges into a yearly cost, and lists the 2026/27 rules that are the same at every provider: the £20,000 allowance, transfer time limits, FSCS cover and the Junior and Lifetime ISA rules.
The four fee models
| Model | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage platform fee | A yearly percentage of the value held, usually charged monthly or quarterly. Some providers tier it (lower percentage on larger balances). | Grows with your portfolio. Check whether a cap applies and whether it covers funds as well as shares and ETFs. |
| Capped fee for shares and ETFs | A percentage fee that stops at a fixed £ amount for holdings in shares, investment trusts and ETFs, while funds stay uncapped. | Only helps if you hold the capped asset types. Dealing charges per trade usually still apply. |
| Flat monthly or yearly fee | A fixed £ charge whatever the portfolio value, sometimes with free trades included. | Expensive in percentage terms on a small portfolio, cheap on a large one. |
| No platform fee | No account charge. The provider earns from interest on uninvested cash, foreign-exchange charges, paid tiers or other services. | Read the FX charge and the interest paid on cash. Check whether the product range covers what you want to hold. |
Fund managers also charge an ongoing charge inside each fund or ETF. That is separate from the platform fee and is shown in the fund's key information document.
Working out a yearly cost
Add up the platform fee on the balance you expect to hold, the dealing charges for the trades you expect to make and any foreign-exchange charge. The figures below are invented to show the arithmetic on a £40,000 portfolio; they are not any provider's prices.
- A percentage platform fee of 0.25% a year, no cap: £100 a year.
- A flat fee of £10 a month: £120 a year.
- A provider with no platform fee, but a 0.15% foreign-exchange charge on £10,000 of US share purchases in the year: £15 a year.
Repeat the sum at the balance you expect in a few years: a percentage fee rises with the portfolio and a flat fee does not, so the cheaper option can change as you save.
Rules that are the same at every provider
- Allowance: £20,000 in 2026/27, in one account or split across several, including more than one of the same type (GOV.UK).
- Transfers: use the new provider's transfer form, never a withdrawal. Time limit 15 working days between cash ISAs, 30 calendar days for other transfers (GOV.UK).
- FSCS: up to £85,000 per eligible person, per firm, if an investment firm fails (FSCS).
- Junior ISA: £9,000 limit, becomes an adult ISA at 18 (GOV.UK).
- Lifetime ISA: up to £4,000 a year with a 25% bonus, open between 18 and 39 (GOV.UK).
Related guides
- UK ISA Strategy Complete Guide 2026/27 - holistic ISA planning.
- UK Cash ISA vs Taxable 2026/27 - Cash ISA alternative.
- UK Lifetime ISA 2026/27 - first home / age 60.
- UK SIPP vs Personal Pension 2026/27 - parallel pension wrapper.
Frequently asked questions
Which Stocks & Shares ISA provider is cheapest?
It depends on your portfolio size, what you hold and how often you trade, and providers change their charges, so no ranking stays right for long. Work out a yearly cost for each provider from its own published charges page: platform fee on your expected balance, plus dealing charges for the trades you expect to make, plus any foreign-exchange charge on overseas purchases. A percentage fee is usually cheaper on a small portfolio and a flat fee on a large one.
Can I transfer a Stocks & Shares ISA to another provider?
Yes. You can transfer all or part of an ISA to another provider at any time, including money paid in during the current tax year. Contact the provider you want to move to and complete its ISA transfer form. If you withdraw the money yourself instead, you cannot reinvest that part of your allowance. GOV.UK says transfers should take no longer than 15 working days between cash ISAs and 30 calendar days for other types. Providers may charge for transfers, so check both sides.
Can I pay into more than one Stocks & Shares ISA in a tax year?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can save up to £20,000 a year in one account or split it across several, and its own example shows two ISAs of the same type in one year. Only the Lifetime ISA is limited to one account a year. Splitting is allowed but means more accounts to track.
How much of my ISA does the FSCS protect?
The FSCS can pay up to £85,000 per eligible person, per firm, for investment claims where the firm failed after 1 April 2019. It covers losses caused by a firm failing, not falls in the value of your investments. If you hold more than this with one firm, you can spread it across firms.
What are the Junior ISA rules?
The 2026/27 Junior ISA limit is £9,000. A parent or guardian with parental responsibility opens and manages it, anyone can pay in, and the money belongs to the child. The child can take control at 16 but cannot withdraw until 18, when the Junior ISA automatically becomes an adult ISA. Not every provider offers a Junior ISA, so check before choosing.
What are the Lifetime ISA rules?
You must be 18 or over but under 40 to open one and can pay in up to £4,000 a year until you are 50, with a 25% government bonus. The £4,000 counts towards your £20,000 overall ISA limit. Withdrawals are free for a first home costing £450,000 or less or from age 60; other withdrawals pay a 25% charge. Fewer providers offer a Lifetime ISA than a standard one.
Can I hold crypto in an ISA?
Not directly. GOV.UK says cryptoasset exchange traded notes cannot be held in a Stocks & Shares ISA unless they were held there before 6 April 2026; they must be held in an Innovative Finance ISA instead.
Are dividends in a Stocks & Shares ISA taxed?
No UK tax is paid on income or gains from investments in an ISA, and you do not declare them on a tax return. Outside an ISA, dividends above the £500 dividend allowance are taxed at 10.75%, 35.75% or 39.35% in 2026/27. The ISA exemption covers UK tax only: an overseas company's dividend may have foreign tax deducted before it reaches the account.