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 both give UK investors access to the main account investment choices, including shares, ETFs, funds and investment trusts. Neither platform offers CFD trading, and neither is listed here as offering crypto trading or spread betting. Both also provide adviser services, which may suit people who want extra support alongside their own investing.
The key difference is that Interactive Investor has a wider range for fixed income investing, with trading in corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts), while Bestinvest does not. This broader selection helps explain why Interactive Investor is rated 5 stars for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com and ranked #3 out of 21 brokers, compared with Bestinvest’s 4.5-star rating.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Bestinvest
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|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing Interactive Investor and Bestinvest for trading tools, Interactive Investor comes out ahead on charting depth. It offers 12 drawing tools and 104 technical indicators, compared with Bestinvest’s 9 drawing tools and 36 indicators. Both platforms let you add notes to charts and use stock overlays, but neither one shows corporate events such as earnings, splits or dividends on charts, and neither offers index overlays or real-time market data.
For everyday use, both online brokers provide a browser-based trading platform and price alerts, so there is little to separate them on core access and monitoring. If you want more charting options and a wider choice of indicators, Interactive Investor is the stronger pick, while Bestinvest still covers the basic tools most UK investors need.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Bestinvest
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 12 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | 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 vs Bestinvest for UK investors: both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Investor’s mobile app higher at 4.5/5 stars versus Bestinvest’s 3.5/5. Interactive Investor also ranks 8th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Bestinvest has no ranking available. If you want apps on both iOS and Android, either works, but the ratings point to Interactive Investor for a better overall mobile experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investor education, Interactive Investor and Bestinvest are closely matched, with both offering client webinars that are available to watch on demand, plus learning content on share trading, funds and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com gives Interactive Investor a top 5-star rating for beginner education and ranks it #3 out of 21 brokers, while Bestinvest also earns 5 stars, though it is not ranked in the same comparison.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | 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.
Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
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Interactive Investor does not offer crypto trading, whereas Bestinvest also does not provide crypto trading options, making both platforms similar in this regard for investors looking to trade cryptocurrencies.
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↓×Compare
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 | Yes | 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 | £71.88 / £179.88 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £179.88 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £179.88 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £179.88 | £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 | |
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| 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 | 12 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | 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 | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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