What is the best Stocks and Shares ISA for Beginners?

AJ Bell

Fees

Low 0.25% fees

Products

Excellent range and choice

Benefits

Get up to £500 when you transfer a SIPP, ISA or GIA valued at £20,000 or more.

Capital at risk.

Cost-Cutter

Investors focused on keeping costs low

Cost-Cutter

Trading 212

Fees

Zero commission trading, zero custody fees and ultra-low FX fees

Products

Stocks & Shares ISA, GIA

Benefits

Cash ISA pays 3.80%

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results

First-Timer

New starters looking for low-cost, simple investing

First-Timer

Dodl

Fees

Ultra-low fees

Products

Wide range of options

Benefits

No account fees for customers who pay £1,000+ into an ISA/LISA before 30 April

Capital at risk.

Beginners with a large sum to invest

interactive investor

Fees

Flat fees

Products

One of the UK's largest selections

Benefits

Get £100 - £3,000 cashback when you open a SIPP and deposit or transfer a minimum of £20,000. (Offer ends 5 April 2026)

Capital at risk. Terms & fees apply.

Set-and-Go

AJ Bell

Set-and-Go

Hands-off, easy investing

Set-and-Go

Fees

Low 0.25% fees

Products

Excellent range and choice

Benefits

Get up to £500 when you transfer a SIPP, ISA or GIA valued at £20,000 or more.

Capital at risk.

Cost-Cutter

Trading 212

Cost-Cutter

Investors focused on keeping costs low

Cost-Cutter

Fees

Zero commission trading, zero custody fees and ultra-low FX fees

Products

Stocks & Shares ISA, GIA

Benefits

Cash ISA pays 3.80%

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results

First-Timer

Dodl

First-Timer

New starters looking for low-cost, simple investing

First-Timer

Fees

Ultra-low fees

Products

Wide range of options

Benefits

No account fees for customers who pay £1,000+ into an ISA/LISA before 30 April

Capital at risk.

interactive investor

Beginners with a large sum to invest

Fees

Flat fees

Products

One of the UK's largest selections

Benefits

Get £100 - £3,000 cashback when you open a SIPP and deposit or transfer a minimum of £20,000. (Offer ends 5 April 2026)

Take Our Investor Persona Quiz

Capital at risk. Terms & fees apply.

What kind of investor are you?

Set-and-Go

"I want an expert to do it all for me"

Cost-Cutter

"I want to focus on keeping costs to a minimum"

First-Timer

"I want a platform designed for beginners"

Not sure what kind of investor you are?

AJ Bell

Hands-off, easy investing with help from experts.

4.5/5

4.5 out of 5

My focus is keeping my investments simple.

Hands-off, easy investing with help from experts.

My focus is keeping my investments simple.

Switch your account and receive up to £500

Refer a friend who transfers at least £10,000 and you both receive £100 in Amazon vouchers

Capital at risk.

Brean says

AJ Bell has been one of the UK’s leading investment platforms since opening its doors in 1995.

It offers competitive costs, with annual fees starting at just 0.25%,making it a strong option to consider. AJU Bell also provides an Ethical Investment option through a fund made up of investment assets screened using MSCI’s especially responsible investing (SRI) index.

One of AJ Bell’s major selling points is its comprehensive account offering including a GIA, a Stocks and Shares ISA, a Cash ISA and a SIPP as well as junior accounts.

The AJ Bell web platform and mobile app are easy to use and provide a simple way to build your portfolio.

It also provides a well-rounded selection of education resources to help you get started with investing.

Beginner-friendly platform

AJ Bell is really easy and simple to use, available via web platform and mobile app.

Wide product choice

AJ Bell has a comprehensive range of product options including Stocks and Shares ISAs, Cash ISAs and SIPPs.

Strong customer service

AJ Bell has an excellent Trustpilot score of 4.9 stars out of 5. Customers with a positive experience of the platform ranked user-friendly design as a huge benefit.

Reasons to use

Low cost platform
Wide range of assets to invest in
Choose from a general investment account, stocks and shares ISA, Junior ISA, Lifetime ISA, SIPP and Junior SIPP
High customer service levels
Excellent educational resources

Reasons to avoid

No fractional investing
Stocks and Shares ISA isn't a If an ISA is flexible, you’re able to withdraw money and pay it back in, without it counting twice within your annual ISA allowance. It must be repaid within the same tax year it's withdrawn to be eligible, however.flexible ISA
Trading is not commission-free (you'll pay dealing fees)
There's no max fee cap on annual fees for funds
£1,000 min deposit for AJ Bell Starter portfolios

Scores

Fees:

4.5

Trading platform:

4.5

Account opening:

5.0

Research:

4.5

Education:

5.0

Customer service:

5.0

For a detailed analysis of AJ Bell, check out our review for 2025

AJ Bell

Fees

Low 0.25% fees

Products

Excellent range and choice

Benefits

Get up to £500 when you transfer a SIPP, ISA or GIA valued at £20,000 or more.

4.5out of 5

Switch your account and receive up to £500

Refer a friend who transfers at least £10,000 and you both receive £100 in Amazon vouchers

Trading 212

A great low-cost and beginner-friendly platform.

4.5/5

4.5 out of 5

My focus is keeping costs to a minimum.

A great low-cost and beginner-friendly platform.

My focus is keeping costs to a minimum.

Free fractional shares worth up to £100

3.80% on cash, paid daily

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results

Brean says

Trading 212 is a great beginner-friendly platform, and takes top spot in our round up.

It offers a wide range of investment options, including shares, ETFs and investment trusts.

Overall, it offers competitive fees and doesn’t charge a custody (platform) fee. Its FX fees are also very competitive at 0.15%.

For any uninvested cash sitting in your account, you could earn 3.08% AER. Trading 212 also offers in-depth resources tailored to beginners, including an extensive article library and videos available on YouTube.They break down key topics to help you get to grips with the basics of investing.

Detailed educational resources

Trading 212 provides excellent educational resources, which are great for helping beginners learn the basics.

Strong customer service

Trading 212 has an excellent Trustpilot score of 4.6 stars out of 5. Customers with a positive experience of the platform ranked its ease of use highly

Copy trading feature

Trading 212 also offers copy trading functionality, which allows you to mirror the trades of successful platform members, which can help give you a head start.

Reasons to use

No custody fee
No trading costs
No FX fees
Stocks and Shares ISA available
Cash ISA available
3.08% paid on uninvested cash
Copy trading option
Highly-rated customer service
Web platform available

Reasons to avoid

No phone support
Limited educational resources
No SIPP available

Scores

Fees:

5.0

Trading platform:

4.0

Account opening:

4.0

Research:

4.0

Education:

2.0

Customer service:

2.5

Read my full review of Trading 212

Trading 212

Fees

Zero commission trading, zero custody fees and ultra-low FX fees

Products

Stocks & Shares ISA, GIA

Benefits

Cash ISA pays 3.80%

Dodl

Dodl is purposefully designed for new investors who are looking for a simple entry into investing, through an easy-to-use app.

4.5/5

4.5 out of 5

I want an expert to do it all for me.

Dodl is purposefully designed for new investors who are looking for a simple entry into investing, through an easy-to-use app.

I want an expert to do it all for me.

Zero account fees for customers who pay £1,000 or more into a Dodl ISA or LISA before 30 April 2026 (new and existing customers)

Low 0.15% annual account fee

Capital at risk.

Brean says

AJ Bell Dodl offers a low-cost platform with cost-effective investment options. There’s a competitive annual platform fee of just 0.15%. It’s paid monthly and is a minimum £1 per month.

Although there are also dealing fees to watch out for, if you pick an AJ Bell fund, they’re exempt – meaning they’re free to buy and sell.

Dodl offers a strong selection of four ready-made ‘Starter Portfolios’ and seven managed funds. These are tailored to different risk appetites ranging from ‘Cautious’ to ‘Adventurous’.

Each of these categories are explained with in-depth detail and they are simple to set-up.

You will need at least £1,000 to get going with a ready-made portfolio, but there’s no minimum for a managed fund.

AJ Bell has a strong reputation for customer service with a 4.5 star rating out of 5.

Low cost

AJ Bell Dodl charges ultra low account fees of 0.15% and there are no dealing charges for AJ Bell funds.

Strong customer service

AJ Bell Dodl has an excellent Trustpilot score of 4.5 stars out of 5. Customers with a positive experience of the platform rated its cost-effective fees and ease of use highly.

Intuitive mobile app

AJ Bell Dodl is user-friendly with a simple mobile app and a good option to consider for new traders.

Reasons to use

Low annual 0.15% account charge
Zero-commission stock trading
4.06% AER interest on uninvested cash in stocks and shares ISA and LISA
Excellent customer service
Simplified user experience
Great app

Reasons to avoid

Only 80 stocks to choose from
Just 7 funds to choose from
No fractional shares info
No interest paid on uninvested cash in general investment account
£1 minimum monthly account fee could make it expensive for small portfolios

Scores

Fees:

5.0

Trading platform:

4.5

Account opening:

5.0

Research:

1.5

Education:

5.0

Customer service:

3.5

For a detailed analysis of Dodl, check out our review for 2025

Dodl

Fees

Ultra-low fees

Products

Wide range of options

Benefits

No account fees for customers who pay £1,000+ into an ISA/LISA before 30 April

interactive investor

The UK’s most popular flat-fee investment platform. Those flat fees can work out terrific value for higher-net-worth investors.

4.0/5

4.0 out of 5

I want the best option for larger portfolios.

The UK’s most popular flat-fee investment platform. Those flat fees can work out terrific value for higher-net-worth investors.

I want the best option for larger portfolios.

SIPP: £100-£3,000 cashback for new and existing customers opening a SIPP until 5 April 2026

Flat fees can be great value for large portfolios

Capital at risk. Terms & fees apply.

Brean says

Interactive Investor is one of the UK’s most popular flat-fee investment platforms. It charges a monthly fee ranging from £4.99 to £11.99 per month. You’ll also get one free trade per month worth £3.99.

It’s important to point out that flat fees tend to be more cost-effective for larger portfolios. If you’re thinking about starting to invest with less than £50,000, another one of our top picks might be better suited.

There’s a wide range of investment assets to choose from, including global shares and funds. It also offers sustainable investing options if you’re looking to grow your wealth in line with your values.

Flat fees that benefit large portfolios

There are potentially very large savings to be made by using a flat-fee provider if you are a high value investor.

Excellent range of investment options

With around 18,000 assets covering UK and international shares, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, and bonds, you won't find your choices limited.

Exceptional research and educational materials

Whether you're a stock-picker or you want an expert to help you find the right investment options for your goals, interactive investor has plenty of tools, features and educational materials to help.

Reasons to use

Excellent value for large portfolio holders
Huge investment choice
Part of a FTSE 100 company
Low trading fees for UK and US stocks
Exceptionally low fees for actively managed, ready-made funds
General trading and SIPP accounts can be funded in multiple currencies

Reasons to avoid

Not a flexible ISA
1.5% FX fee
No fractional shares
Expensive for small portfolios

Scores

Fees:

4.0

Trading platform:

4.0

Account opening:

3.5

Research:

4.0

Education:

4.0

Customer service:

4.0

For a detailed analysis of Interactive Investor, check out our review for 2025

interactive investor

Fees

Flat fees

Products

One of the UK's largest selections

Benefits

Get £100 - £3,000 cashback when you open a SIPP and deposit or transfer a minimum of £20,000. (Offer ends 5 April 2026)