- Experts rate the interactive investor General Investing Account highly, awarding it 4.8/5 overall. They commend its fixed-fee pricing model, which is particularly beneficial for investors with larger portfolios, and highlight the platform's ease of use and extensive market access. However, they note that international share dealing can be costly compared to competitors.
- Across 1125 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.3/5, customers frequently appreciate the platform's user-friendly interface, efficient customer service, and the attractive flat-fee structure, especially for high-volume trading. However, some users express concerns about rising fees, particularly for smaller accounts, and the platform's limitations in handling international transactions and certain features.
interactive investor General Investing Account Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.Our experts have rated interactive investor General Investing Account across five key areas of our review framework.
- Pricing4.5
- Market Access5.0
- App & Platform4.5
- Customer Service5.0
- Research & Analysis5.0
Pros
- Pick your own investments or use the model portfolios
- £1 minimum deposit makes it easy to get started
- Fixed account fee that does not increase with your investments
- Joint account options
Cons
- Fixed fee expensive for accounts below £1,000
- No lifetime ISA account
- No junior SIPP account
See full expert review
Our verdict
The interactive investor (ii) GIA is an all-rounder with an attractive fixed fee pricing model. There's access to a wide range of markets including UK and international shares, bonds and ETFs. Capital is at risk.
Capital at risk
Is Interactive Investor a good general investing account?
Yes, ii’s GIA won our award for best general investment account in 2023 and 2022. This is because of its excellent fixed-fee pricing, which makes it a good choice for investors with over £10,000 to invest. ii's fixed fee keeps your total account costs low no matter how big your portfolio gets. You can also invest in markets ranging from UK and international shares to funds, trusts, bonds and ETFs.
Fees
A GIA with ii costs from £5.99 a month if you have less than £100,000 in your portfolio on their core plan, above that the monthly cost rises to £14.99 on the ii plus plan.
Included in both are a free stocks and shares ISA account and SIPP (for pension investing). Individual share deals are £3.99 per trade. It's a little cheaper to buy funds on the Plus plan at £1.49 per fund buy or sell.
If you are buying international shares, it's quite expensive compared to other providers like IG or Freetrade, who generally offer international share dealing for free. Especially when you take into account that FX fees for converting GBP to USD are 0.75%.
Is ii's GIA Better than its ISA?
The GIA is better if you have lots of money to invest as the maximum you can put in an ISA tax-free each year is £20,000, so anything above that you should invest in a GIA. However, if you have less than £20,000 to invest each year, the ii ISA is a better option as your profits will be tax-free.
What is ii's Platform Like to Use?
ii’s platform is very easy to use and it gives lots of market data on potential investments.
Customer reviews for interactive investor
Customer ratings come from reviews left on this site. Every review is read and approved before it is published.Based on 1,125 reviews
- Excellent51%
- Very good33%
- Basic10%
- Poor4%
- Bad2%
Read customer reviews
5/5
Pros:
Good all round, and good value
Cons:
Fine as it is
4/5
Pros:
Low fees
Cons:
website could be slicker
5/5
Pros:
Simple to use
Cons:
Portfolio graphs over time
1/5
Pros:
Ease of use
Cons:
nothing I am satisfied with the current level of support
5/5
Pros:
Easy to use
Cons:
Nothing particular for me
4/5
Pros:
not a lot
3/5
Pros:
Simple, good value for larger accounts
Cons:
Drastically lower forex fees
5/5
1/5
Pros:
Customer service
Cons:
Futures and options and a new platform for trading them
4/5
Cons:
Include SIPPS in its friends and family package
5/5
Pros:
Ease of use
4/5
Cons:
improve transition history extraction and app
4/5
5/5
Pros:
Ease of use, speed and value for money
5/5
Pros:
Efficient
5/5
Pros:
They focus on giving relevant information to assist optimising the value of the portfolio.
Cons:
They are constantly evolving to improve ease of use. They should continue with this, particularly in the area of alerts and notifications.
4/5
Pros:
Comprehensive range of investments at reasonable cost
Cons:
Satisfied as is
3/5
5/5
Pros:
Fixed cost
Cons:
Lower costs
4/5
Pros:
Investment page
Cons:
New website could do with some changes
- Related Guide: Best General Investment Accounts (GIAs) Compared & Reviewed