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.
Self-directed investors who want low-cost, no-platform-fee share dealing from a major UK bank.
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 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 Trustpilot| 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 |
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.
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.
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 on ISA and Share Dealing Account; SIPP 0.25% capped at £16.50/month at Scottish Widows. 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 Scottish Widows charges £5.00 per UK trade (£0 commission on international, 1.5% FX applies) for shares and £5.00 per trade for funds. Fees verified July 2026.
Interactive Investor is best for portfolios above roughly £60k where a flat fee beats percentage charges. Scottish Widows is best for self-directed investors who want low-cost, no-platform-fee share dealing from a major UK bank. Both are FCA regulated and covered by the FSCS.
On Interactive Investor's ISA: Included in the monthly plan. On Scottish Widows's ISA: No annual charge. Scottish Widows offers a flexible ISA and Interactive Investor does not. Minimums are No minimum (£25/month for regular investing) at Interactive Investor and £50 at Scottish Widows.
Interactive Investor offers a SIPP (included in the monthly plan). Scottish Widows offers a SIPP (0.25% per year, capped at £198).
Interactive Investor scores 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot (Excellent) from over 28,000 reviews. Scottish Widows scores 4.6 out of 5 (Excellent) from over 13,000 reviews. The 1.5% headline FX fee and occasional platform outages are the recurring complaints. Common gripes are the 1.5% FX fee on US shares and the dated feel of parts of the web platform.
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 Scottish Widows charges free (CHAPS same-day payment £25). 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 Scottish Widows, 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.