Best Junior ISA - Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown is my top pick for a Junior stocks and shares ISA. It combines low fees, a huge range of investment options, and a solid reputation for customer service.
Fees: There are no platform fees or trading fees when buying or selling funds, shares, or ETFs inside the Junior ISA, which makes it one of the cheapest options I tested. You’ll still pay underlying fund charges, 0.5% stamp duty on U.K. shares, and a 1% FX fee on the first £5,000 when buying overseas shares, but these are standard across most platforms.
Investment choice: Whether you want to pick your own shares or go the simpler route with a ready-made fund, Hargreaves Lansdown has options for you. You can browse model portfolios in the app’s ‘discover’ section or check out the ‘investment ideas’ tab for research on funds, ETFs, and individual companies. I found the platform slightly overwhelming at first, but once you’re set up, it’s easy to manage and monitor investments through the mobile app.
Cash interest: You’ll earn between 2% and 3% on uninvested cash held in the Junior ISA, which is a nice bonus, especially if you’re contributing gradually over time or not ready to invest the full amount right away.
Transferring in: You can transfer an existing Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund to Hargreaves Lansdown, but the process isn’t fully online yet. You’ll need to print and post a transfer form, which is available on the website.
Minimum investment is £25 a month or £100 as a lump sum.
Hargreaves Lansdown fees:
How much you’d pay in a year on £5,000 invested in a global equity index fund.
| Fee Type |
Amount |
| Platform fee |
£0 |
| Trading fees |
£0 |
| Fund management fee |
£4 (0.08%) |
| Total |
£4 |
Best for low fees - Fidelity International
Fidelity International is another strong option for a Junior stocks and shares ISA, especially for families already using the platform for their own investments.
Fees: There are no platform charges for the Junior ISA, and mutual funds can be bought and sold for free. Share and ETF trades cost £7.50, but that drops to just £1.50 if you set up regular monthly investing. That’s a fair deal for cost-conscious investors who want to build a portfolio over time.
Investment choice: Fidelity offers a wide selection, from mutual funds and ETFs to individual shares and ready-made portfolios. You can also explore their top 50 fund list or use the Navigator tool on the website to help match your investment style with a portfolio. If you opt for the ready-made route, you’ll pay a 0.35% annual service fee, which is still reasonable for hands-off investing.
App and tools: The app does the basics well but lacks polish. I found it slow to load, and clicking through to ‘investment ideas’ just kicks you out to the main website. The website itself is much more useful for research and portfolio planning, especially if you’re still figuring out your strategy.
Cash interest: Uninvested cash in the Junior ISA earns 2.65% interest, which is competitive among Junior investment accounts.
Minimum investment is £25 per month or a £100 lump sum. Fidelity’s Junior ISA is a solid choice overall, though new customers may find Hargreaves Lansdown a bit easier to use day to day.
Fidelity fees:
How much you’d pay in a year on £5,000 invested in a Fidelity global equity index fund.
| Fee Type |
Amount |
| Platform fee |
£0 |
| Trading fees |
£0 |
| Fund management fee |
£6 (0.12%) |
| Total |
£6 |
Best for beginners - Vanguard
Vanguard’s Junior ISA may appeal to beginner investors who find the investment choices offered by Hargreaves Lansdown and Fidelity overwhelming.
Investment choice: You can choose from around 80 Vanguard funds and ETFs, which is a much narrower list than you’ll find with platforms like Hargreaves Lansdown or Fidelity. That said, the simplicity can be a plus if you’re feeling overwhelmed by too much choice. Funds are easy to sort by theme, sector, or risk level, and there’s plenty of guidance on the site to help you decide. If you’re investing for the long term, a global tracker like the FTSE All-World UCITS ETF or the Global All Cap Index Fund could be a strong starting point.
Fees: Vanguard charges a flat 0.15% platform fee, capped at £375 a year, plus fund charges that typically range from 0.06% to 0.79%. There’s no trading fee, and the £4 monthly minimum fee that applies to general accounts doesn’t apply to Junior ISAs, which is good news for smaller portfolios.
App and account access: The Junior ISA sits within your own Vanguard account, so you can view and manage it through the same login on both the app and website. I found the interface clear and functional, though a bit plain compared to other platforms.
Minimum investment: Vanguard does have higher minimums, £500 lump sum or £100 per month, which might be a barrier if you’re just starting out.
Overall, it’s a solid low-cost option for long-term investors who want a hands-off, index fund approach.
Vanguard fees:
How much you’d pay in a year on £5,000 invested in a Vanguard global equity index fund.
| Fee Type |
Amount |
| Platform fee |
£7.50 (0.15%) |
| Trading fees |
£0 |
| Fund management fee |
£11.50 (0.23%) |
| Total |
£19 |
FAQs
What is a Junior ISA?
A Junior ISA is a tax-free savings or investment account for children under 18. Like adult ISAs, there are two types: a cash Junior ISA and a stocks and shares Junior ISA.
It’s a way for parents, grandparents, or other family members to build a financial cushion for a child’s future. All growth within the account is tax-free, and when the child turns 18, they can withdraw the money, also tax-free.
How do you open a Junior ISA?
To open a Junior ISA account, visit your chosen investment platform’s website and select the Junior ISA option. You’ll need to provide personal details for both yourself and the child, including their National Insurance number if they have one. From there, you’ll choose whether to set up regular monthly payments or make a one-off contribution.
Keep in mind that each child can only have one Junior stocks and shares ISA and one Junior cash ISA at a time. You can transfer from one provider to another, but you can’t hold multiple accounts of the same type.
Once the account is live, you can manage it online or via the platform’s app, and anyone can pay in as long as total contributions stay under the £9,000 annual limit.
It’s important to note that only a parent or legal guardian with parental responsibility can open a Junior ISA for a child under 16. Once it’s set up, anyone, including grandparents, family friends, or other relatives, can contribute to the account. Children aged 16 or 17 can open their own Junior ISA if they choose.
What is the 2025 allowance for Junior ISAs?
The 2025 allowance for Junior ISAs is £9,000 per child. This means you can pay up to £9,000 into junior ISAs across the 2025/26 tax year.
You can pay into both a cash and investment Junior ISA, but the £9,000 allowance is spread across both, not per account. A child can only have one cash Junior ISA and one investment Junior ISA.
Any unused allowance cannot be carried across to the next tax year.
Can grandparents open a Junior ISA?
No, a grandparent cannot open a Junior ISA. One can only be opened by a parent. However, once the account is up and running, a grandparent can pay in money directly.
Should I open a trust fund or a JISA?
You can no longer open a Child Trust Fund. Child Trust Funds were the precursor to Junior ISAs. They were replaced by Junior ISAs in 2011. However, children may still have a trust fund if their parents had one opened before 2011.
If you have a Child Trust Fund, it’s worth transferring it to a Junior ISA as the fees are likely to be lower and there will be more investment choices.
What is the best Junior Stocks and Shares ISA?
Hargreaves Lansdown has the best Junior stocks and shares ISA, in my opinion. There are no fees to pay through the Hargreaves Lansdown platform, although you may pay a small fee to external fund managers depending on the fund you choose. You can choose from a wide range of investments. The app and website are easy to use and offer a good amount of guides to help you on your way.
Our testing
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Elizabeth Anderson has been a financial journalist for more than a decade. She’s written for major national newspapers, contributed to corporate reports and research, and reviewed dozens of share dealing platforms, SIPP providers, ISAs, and brokerage firms. Elizabeth started her career at Bloomberg and has worked for the BBC, The Telegraph, The Times and the i newspaper. She is passionate about helping people understand finance and investing. A keen investor herself, Elizabeth invests through general dealing accounts, ISAs and several SIPPs.
Steven Hatzakis is a well-known finance writer with 25+ years of experience in the foreign exchange and financial markets. He is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for Reink Media Group, leading research efforts for ForexBrokers.com since 2016. He has served as a registered commodity futures representative for domestic and internationally-regulated brokerages. Steven holds a Series III license in the US as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).
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