Both are FCA-regulated and FSCS-protected. The real difference is fees, account types and how each platform feels to use. Verified against each provider’s published charges.
Fees verified July 2026. Capital at risk. Information, not financial advice.
Portfolios above roughly £60k where a flat fee beats percentage charges.
Investors who want the fullest service, research and support and will pay a premium for it.
Tick what you need. No account, no email. The answer is on this page.
Tick what you need above and we'll tell you which of the two covers it.
Account availability verified July 2026. Capital at risk. Information, not financial advice.
Long-standing customers value the flat fee and the breadth of investments.
The 1.5% headline FX fee and occasional platform outages are the recurring complaints.
Read Interactive Investor reviews on TrustpilotService quality is the recurring theme: phone answered quickly, knowledgeable staff, smooth transfers.
Price. Even after the cuts, reviewers and commentators note cheaper alternatives for the same investments.
Read Hargreaves Lansdown reviews on Trustpilot| Fee | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Core £5.99/month (up to £100k); Plus £14.99/month (no limit); Premium £39.99/month | 0.35% on funds up to £250k (tiered lower above); shares capped at £45/year in an ISA and £150/year in a SIPP |
| Share dealing | £3.99 per trade (£2.99 on Premium) | £6.95 per trade (cut from £11.95 in March 2026) |
| Fund dealing | £3.99 per trade (£2.99 on Premium) | £1.95 per trade (free via regular investing) |
| FX fee | 1.5% on the first £25k, tiered lower above | 1% on the first £5k, tiered lower above |
| Stocks & Shares ISA | Included in the monthly plan | Platform fee applies |
| SIPP | Included in the monthly plan | Platform fee applies |
| Withdrawals | Free | Free |
| Minimum to start | No minimum (£25/month for regular investing) | £25/month or £100 lump sum |
Interactive Investor charges a flat monthly subscription instead of a percentage. On a £200,000 portfolio, £5.99 a month is a fraction of what percentage-fee platforms charge, which is why ii keeps winning larger DIY investors.
The equation flips for small pots: £71.88 a year on £10,000 is 0.7%, more than almost any rival. Work out your portfolio size first, then decide.
Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK's largest DIY investment platform and leans into service: fast phone support, deep research and every account type you might need. The March 2026 fee cuts made it meaningfully cheaper, with fund fees down to 0.35% and share dealing at £6.95.
It is still rarely the cheapest option. You are paying for service and breadth, so the honest question is whether you will use them. If not, AJ Bell offers similar range for less.
It depends on what you hold and how often you trade. Interactive Investor's platform fee is core £5.99/month (up to £100k); Plus £14.99/month (no limit); Premium £39.99/month, against 0.35% on funds up to £250k (tiered lower above); shares capped at £45/year in an ISA and £150/year in a SIPP at Hargreaves Lansdown. On dealing, Interactive Investor charges £3.99 per trade (£2.99 on Premium) for shares and £3.99 per trade (£2.99 on Premium) for funds, while Hargreaves Lansdown charges £6.95 per trade (cut from £11.95 in March 2026) for shares and £1.95 per trade (free via regular investing) for funds. Fees verified July 2026.
Interactive Investor is best for portfolios above roughly £60k where a flat fee beats percentage charges. Hargreaves Lansdown is best for investors who want the fullest service, research and support and will pay a premium for it. Both are FCA regulated and covered by the FSCS.
On Interactive Investor's ISA: Included in the monthly plan. On Hargreaves Lansdown's ISA: Platform fee applies. Neither offers a flexible ISA, so anything you withdraw still counts against your annual allowance. Minimums are No minimum (£25/month for regular investing) at Interactive Investor and £25/month or £100 lump sum at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Interactive Investor offers a SIPP (included in the monthly plan). Hargreaves Lansdown offers a SIPP (platform fee applies).
Interactive Investor scores 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot (Excellent) from over 28,000 reviews. Hargreaves Lansdown scores 4.3 out of 5 (Excellent) from over 21,000 reviews. The 1.5% headline FX fee and occasional platform outages are the recurring complaints. Price. Even after the cuts, reviewers and commentators note cheaper alternatives for the same investments.
Yes. UK platforms accept ISA and SIPP transfers in, and you start the transfer with the receiving provider rather than the one you are leaving. Interactive Investor charges free on withdrawals and Hargreaves Lansdown charges free. Transfer as cash and you are out of the market while it settles; transfer in specie and you keep your holdings but it takes longer.
Interactive Investor or Hargreaves Lansdown, the account is the easy part. What decides when you can retire is how much goes in and for how long. Delphina works that out from what you already hold and what you pay in each month.
Free to check. No card required. Takes about two minutes.