Starling’s cash ISA maybe conveneint but you can get better rates elsewhere.

Summary

Tembo is a UK savings and mortgage platform focused on helping people save for a home while offering integrated mortgage support. Its Easy Access Cash ISA pays 3.8% AER (variable) with unlimited withdrawals, monthly interest and the ability to save up to £20,000 per year, while savers also get fee-free mortgage advice from Tembo’s award-winning brokerage. The app is used by over 400,000 savers, offers UK-based support seven days a week, and all savings are FSCS-protected up to £120,000. Alongside the Cash ISA, Tembo offers a 1-year fixed ISA (4.14% AER), a HomeSaver account paying up to 5.5% AER (with a bonus unlocked when you take a mortgage), and Lifetime ISAs with a 25% government bonus, positioning itself as a combined savings and home-buying support platform.

How does the Lightyear Cash ISA compare with rivals?

The Lightyear Cash ISA remains competitive thanks to its simple pricing, flexible terms and rate that tracks the Bank of England base rate, currently 3.75% AER (variable). You can withdraw and replace money without affecting your £20,000 ISA allowance, and there are no account fees, transfer charges or short-term bonus rates that later drop.

While the rate is solid, it now sits more in the middle of the market in 2026, with some rivals like Tembo offering slightly higher easy-access ISA rates. However, many of those come with bonus periods, withdrawal limits or tiered rates that can fall after the first year. Lightyear’s appeal is its straightforward approach: one variable rate that follows the base rate and no penalties for withdrawals.

Lightyear UK is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). FSCS protection applies to cash held with partner banks (typically up to £85,000 per person per bank), though this protection does not apply to money held in qualifying money market funds.

Is the CMC Invest Cash ISA any good?

Customers can easily transfer existing ISAs in-app, benefit from FCA regulation and protection of client money, and access the account within CMC’s wider investing platform, which serves over 1.5 million global users. The ISA is fee-free to hold (with an optional £15 urgent withdrawal fee) and sits alongside CMC Invest’s subscription plans that add investing features, lower FX fees and broader market access for those using the wider platform.

Is Moneyfarm's Cash ISA any good?

Yes, we still rate the Moneyfarm Cash ISA as excellent, offering a secure, flexible, and fee-free savings option that beats most high-street banks. Interest is calculated daily and paid without penalty, provided you remain within the withdrawal limits and meet the balance threshold. To keep the bonus rate in the first year, you need a minimum of £500 in the account and you can’t withdraw more than 3 times during the year, or the rate drops.

The Cash ISA sits alongside Moneyfarm’s Stocks & Shares ISA, allowing savers to split their ISA allowance between low-risk cash savings and long-term market investments, all under one provider. This makes it ideal for customers who want to manage risk by diversifying within the ISA wrapper.

If you want to make more money in the longer term go for the investment ISA option, as your money will grow with the stock market, which over time always outperforms cash.

Transfers from other Cash ISAs are now accepted – a recent and welcome addition. You can consolidate your ISA pots fee-free and benefit from the full variable interest rate. Transfers don’t count towards the £20,000 annual ISA allowance, meaning you can make the switch at any time.

Although Moneyfarm is not a bank, client cash is securely held with regulated banking partners or invested in Qualified Money Market Funds. Funds are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £120,000, offering peace of mind in the event of insolvency.

In summary, Moneyfarm’s Cash ISA remains one of the best options on the market for tax-free savings. It’s competitive, flexible, protected, and now more accessible with the addition of free ISA transfers.

Is Wealthify's Cash ISA Any Good?

Rates: Wealthify’s Cash ISA currently pays 3.35% AER (3.30% tax-free p.a., variable) with interest calculated daily and paid monthly. Because the rate is variable, the amount you earn can rise or fall over time, typically moving in line with changes in the wider interest-rate environment. One advantage of using Wealthify is that savers can easily move into investment products on the same platform if savings rates fall and they want the potential for higher long-term returns.

As Wealthify’s Cash ISA interest rate is variable, the amount of money you get monthly will go up and down in line with any rises or falls in the Bank of England’s base rate.

But, the good thing about saving with Wealthify is that if rates go down again, you can switch into investments. One of the things that came up when I interviewed the then Wealthify CEO Andy Russell, back in 2020 was that it’s hard to educate people to invest rather than save, so hopefully, this may be people’s first step into a wider world of investing.

Market access & protection:  Wealthify’s ISA is also flexible, so you can withdraw and replace money within the same tax year without affecting your £20,000 ISA allowance.

However, as the FSCS’s compensation limit of £120,000 is per banking licence, and the Wealthify Cash ISA is powered by ClearBank, this means the £120,000 limit is shared across all accounts you hold with ClearBank. For example, if you have £100,000 saved in a Wealthify Cash ISA and £40,000 saved in another account powered by ClearBank elsewhere (including the Wealthify Instant Access Savings Account), only £120,000 of your deposits would be eligible for FSCS protection.’

App & platform: Wealthify’s website and app are simple and beginner-friendly, making it easy to open and manage a Cash ISA online.

Customer service: Although there are no branches, customers can contact Wealthify’s UK-based support team by phone, email or live chat if they need help.

Research & analysis: Wealthify provides guides, blogs and educational content about saving and investing, helping users learn more if they decide to move from cash savings into investments in the future.