- 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
Account info set out in...
Account info set out in a conventional and easily understood manner. Good quick customer service via their secure message system. I rate them as being very good all-rounders.
Reliable, quick to credit dividends,...
Reliable, quick to credit dividends, good range of stock.
I find it hard to...
I find it hard to navigate and not very intuitive.
Reasonable value, monthly share tradind...
Reasonable value, monthly share tradind credit useful.
Platform easy to use but...
Platform easy to use but annoyed that dealing account pays in dollars rather than automatically converts. Good tax reports and documentation
Ok but difficult website
Ok but difficult website
Good website, app and reasonable...
Good website, app and reasonable fees
quick and easy
quick and easy
Good
Good
User friendly
User friendly
Admittedly I preferred the lower...
Admittedly I preferred the lower fees of the Sharedealing centre which Abrd bought and am now part of ii. Very good customer service however.
5/5
Easy to use and works...
Easy to use and works well
I use my ii account...
I use my ii account for my trading and find it easy to use and straightforward
5/5
No thoughts
No thoughts
Simple to use - intuitive
Simple to use - intuitive
Good support
Good support
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Easy to use.
Easy to use.
- Related Guide: Best General Investment Accounts (GIAs) Compared & Reviewed