Both are FCA regulated and FSCS protected. The real differences are fees, investment range and how each platform feels to use. Here is how they actually stack up.
Fees verified July 2026. Capital at risk. Information, not financial advice.
Portfolios above roughly £60k where a flat fee beats percentage charges.
Self-directed investors who want low-cost, no-platform-fee share dealing from a major UK bank.
Whichever you pick, the fee gap is small next to knowing whether you are saving enough at all. See if you are on track, free, in about two minutes.
| Fee | Interactive Investor | Scottish Widows |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Core £5.99/month (up to £100k); Plus £14.99/month (no limit); Premium £39.99/month | £0 on ISA and Share Dealing Account; SIPP 0.25% capped at £16.50/month |
| Share dealing | £3.99 per trade (£2.99 on Premium) | £5.00 per UK trade (£0 commission on international, 1.5% FX applies) |
| Fund dealing | £3.99 per trade (£2.99 on Premium) | £5.00 per trade |
| FX fee | 1.5% on the first £25k, tiered lower above | 1.5% |
| Stocks & Shares ISA | Included in the monthly plan | No annual charge |
| SIPP | Included in the monthly plan | 0.25% per year, capped at £198 |
| Withdrawals | Free | Free (CHAPS same-day payment £25) |
| Minimum to start | No minimum (£25/month for regular investing) | £50 |
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 TrustpilotLong-standing customers value the low flat-fee share dealing and the Lloyds Banking Group backing; recent reviews praise the move into the Scottish Widows app.
Common gripes are the 1.5% FX fee on US shares and the dated feel of parts of the web platform.
Read Scottish Widows reviews on TrustpilotInteractive 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.
Scottish Widows Share Dealing is the rebranded IWeb platform, now run by Halifax Share Dealing Limited inside Lloyds Banking Group. It charges no annual fee on the ISA or General Investment Account, £5 per UK trade and free regular investing through a Regular Investment Plan. For a buy-and-hold investor making occasional trades, the all-in cost can be very low.
The trade-off is the 1.5% FX charge on US and other non-GBP trades, which adds up quickly for global investors, and no Junior ISA. The SIPP is competitively priced at 0.25% capped at £16.50 a month. Compare it against Trading 212 or Freetrade if FX cost matters, and against AJ Bell or Hargreaves Lansdown if you want funds and full-service support.
A 0.2% fee difference is worth optimising. Knowing whether you are saving enough in the first place is worth far more. Delphina models your pensions, ISAs and investments and tells you where you actually stand.
Free to check. No card required. Takes about two minutes.