Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor vs Bestinvest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Your capital is at risk.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, Interactive Investor offers better pricing than Bestinvest for share dealing.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
Interactive Investor and Bestinvest are both popular online brokers in the UK, offering several investment options to cater to diverse investment goals. Both platforms provide opportunities for share and ETF trading, as well as funds and investment trusts. However, while trading in cryptocurrencies and CFDs is not available on either platform, Interactive Investor stands out by providing access to corporate and government bonds (gilts) which Bestinvest does not offer.
When it comes to ratings, Interactive Investor receives a stellar five stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for its range of investment choices, earning it the third spot among 21 UK brokers. Bestinvest, with a 4.5-star rating, follows at the tenth position. One unique advantage Bestinvest has is its advisor services, which can be a valuable resource for investors seeking guidance tailored to personal goals, unlike Interactive Investor, which does not provide such services.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Interactive Investor vs Bestinvest: for charting, Interactive Investor stands out by showing corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) directly on charts, while Bestinvest does not. Interactive Investor also offers 104 technical indicators compared with Bestinvest’s 36. Bestinvest lists 9 drawing tools; Interactive Investor’s drawing tool count isn’t specified. Both providers let you add notes and apply stock overlays, though neither supports index overlays.
For platforms and alerts, both Interactive Investor and Bestinvest provide a browser-based trading platform and allow you to set price alerts. Neither offers real-time market data, which may matter if you need live pricing for active trading. This makes Interactive Investor the stronger choice for indicator depth and event visualisation, while Bestinvest covers the essentials for UK investors who want straightforward web-based trading.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
For UK investors evaluating retirement account options, both Interactive Investor and Bestinvest present compelling choices. Both platforms provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing users to save and invest tax-efficiently. Additionally, they offer Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), providing flexibility for retirement planning. With each offering comprehensive solutions, investors have strong options to manage and grow their retirement funds through either Interactive Investor or Bestinvest.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Interactive Investor and Bestinvest both provide convenient mobile apps for iPhone and Android devices, catering to the needs of UK investors seeking easy access to their portfolios on the go. Interactive Investor stands out with a higher rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, reflecting its user-friendly experience and robust features. This strong performance places it at the 7th position out of 21 brokers for mobile app offerings. Meanwhile, Bestinvest, though offering decent access through its mobile applications, is rated at 3.5 stars, positioning it at the 16th spot. This comparison highlights Interactive Investor's mobile app as a more highly regarded option for UK investors keen on efficient and reliable trading experiences on their smartphones.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Interactive Investor vs Bestinvest: For beginner education in the UK, both brokers cover share trading, funds, and retirement, and each earns 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. The key difference is webinars—Interactive Investor does not offer client webinars or on-demand replays, while Bestinvest provides webinars and archives them to watch later. Even so, Interactive Investor ranks higher overall for beginner education (#2 of 21) than Bestinvest (#6 of 21). Choose Bestinvest if you want live and on-demand webinars; pick Interactive Investor if overall ranking is your priority.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Investor and Bestinvest, both platforms offer comprehensive options for those looking to make informed decisions. Interactive Investor and Bestinvest provide research reports for funds and allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, making it easy to understand where your investments stand. Both offer research on shares, ETFs, and funds, catering to a variety of investment interests. However, a key difference lies in bonds research; Interactive Investor includes this, while Bestinvest does not, potentially making Interactive Investor a more appealing choice for those interested in bond investments.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Investor or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Bestinvest
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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Neither Interactive Investor nor Bestinvest offer crypto trading, making both online brokers similar in their investment options when it comes to cryptocurrency.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 / £143.88 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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