Interactive Investor won Best Fund Platform because their fixed-fee model makes it cost-effective for those with a large fund portfolio that has grown over the years.
- Good Money Guide experts commend interactive investor for its fixed account fee structure, which is particularly beneficial for medium to large investors, potentially saving them significant costs over time. The platform is noted for its excellent usability and comprehensive research offerings, although it is considered expensive for smaller accounts and lacks certain investment options like derivatives.
- Across 1125 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.3/5, customers frequently highlight the platform's ease of use, reliable customer service, and the attractive flat fee structure, especially for high-volume trading. However, some users express dissatisfaction with rising fees, clunky platform navigation, and issues with missing funds, indicating a mix of positive experiences alongside notable frustrations.
interactive investor 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 across five key areas of our review framework.
- Pricing4.5
- Market Access5.0
- Online Platform5.0
- Customer Service5.0
- Research & Analysis5.0
Pros
- Fixed account fees
- Easy to use
- Good research
Cons
- No Lifetime ISA
- Expensive for very small accounts
- No derivatives for hedging
See full expert review
Our verdict
interactive investor (ii) offers fixed fee investing on a wide range of investments with a fixed fee account structure make them one of the most cost effective ways for people with large portfolios to manage their investments, ISAs and pensions. ii are expecially good for high value portfolios and those wanting access to small cap stocks.
What does interactive investor do?
Interactive Investor or II as its known is one of the UK’s largest self-determined investor platforms. II can trace its roots back to 1995 and the startup floated on the London stock exchange back in the year 2000 before being bought by the Australian business Ample in 2002. Today, Interactive Investor is a owned by abrdn with assets under administration of more than £50 billion and 400,000 customers to whom II offers share trading and investment services including, ISAs SIPPs and share dealing, alongside research and analysis. Including model portfolios, selected funds and thematic investments.
Interactive Investor differs from other investment platforms as it charges a fixed account fee, rather than a percentage of the funds you have on account. Which, over time, could save you thousands in costs.
As a low-cost provider ii competes directly with the likes of Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell offering general investment accounts, ISAs and pensions.
Pricing: Brilliant for medium and large investors, expensive for small accounts.
Market Access: You'll be hard-pressed to find something you can't invest in.
Platform & Apps: Very good, excellent data and usability.
Customer Service: They are massive and mostly online, but you can call them directly, generally good.
Research & Analysis: Loads, daily and weekly updates across all the asset classes they cover, with lots of analysts and opinions. No advice service though.
Does interactive investor pay interest on cash?
Yes, but only 2% for under £10k and you need at least £100k in your account to get their best rate of 3.25%. There are other brokers that offer better rates on uninvested cash, though.
interactive investor versus Interactive Brokers
interactive broker and interactive investor may sound similar but cater to different investor profiles and operate under different jurisdictions and cater for different types of investors.
interactive brokers is a US‑based global brokerage offering a wide spectrum of asset classes and advanced trading tools, often targeting active traders and professionals. interactive investor, by contrast, is a UK‑focused subscription‑based platform offering a fixed‑fee structure suited to medium‑to‑long‑term investors primarily in equities, funds, bonds, Gilts, ISAs, and SIPPs.
interactive investor employs simpler platforms with relatively basic charting tools, while interactive brokers features a more complex interface and lower per-trade costs but with more variable fees. interactive investor is better for large longer term investment accounts because of its simplicity, flat monthly fee and broad UK offerings, whereas Interactive Brokers suits users seeking global market access and sophisticated execution tools.
Can you buy Gilts on interactive investor?
Yes, ii supports investment in government bonds, including UK Gilts, via its platform. This is confirmed on the site, which lists bonds and Gilts as available investments .
interactive investor Customer reviews
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
Good
Good
Generally very easy to use,...
Generally very easy to use, but some functions need to be easier to access and use.
5/5
My wife as a SIPP,...
My wife as a SIPP, ISA, I have a trading account. there Good
Decent platform with poor costs...
Decent platform with poor costs especially FX costs for US stocks
5/5
Overall good
Overall good
Good
Good
acceptable better than competition but...
acceptable better than competition but poor execution
Only recently started using but...
Only recently started using but very easy to use at very good pricing.
Good service. Comprehensive offer of...
Good service. Comprehensive offer of stocks in both UK & US. Fees seem reasonable. Does what it says on the tin, which is appreciated.
great service
great service
Smooth and hassle free.
Smooth and hassle free.
Good and pricing okay
Good and pricing okay
Easy to use. Not the...
Easy to use. Not the cheapest but ok. Not full featured.
Excellent
Excellent
Na
Na
I only use it for...
I only use it for the buying and selling of shares. I prefer to use an alternative for research.
Good platform, good pricing, customer...
Good platform, good pricing, customer support could be improved
Easy to use and good...
Easy to use and good value
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Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
Richard’s contributions and expertise have been recognized by respected publications such as The Sunday Times, BusinessInsider, Yahoo Finance, BusinessNews.org.uk, Master Investor, Wealth Briefing, iNews, and The FT, among many others.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Good Money Guide has evolved into a valuable destination for comprehensive information and expert guidance, specialising in trading, investment, and currency exchange. His commitment to delivering high-quality insights has solidified the Good Money Guide’s standing as a well-respected resource for both customers and industry colleagues.
