2026 has been a busy year for platform fees. Barclays went to zero, HL cut its headline rate, and the app-based platforms added SIPPs and Junior ISAs to their free plans. This page lists every change, newest first, and what it means for you.
We update this page whenever a platform we cover changes its charges. Last checked: 12 October 2026.
2026 at a glance
| Date | Platform | Change | Cheaper or dearer? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May | Barclays | Platform fee scrapped | Cheaper |
| May | AJ Bell | Regular investing now free | Cheaper |
| April | Freetrade | Junior ISA launched, no account fee | New product |
| 1 March | Hargreaves Lansdown | 0.35% account charge, new fund dealing fee, new share caps | Mixed |
| February | Trading 212 | SIPP launched | New product |
| 1 February | Interactive Investor | Core plan up to £100k, lower FX fees | Cheaper |
| 22 January | Freetrade | SIPP, funds and gilts added to free plan | Cheaper |
Barclays removes its platform fee (31 May 2026)
Before: 0.25% a year on balances up to £200,000, 0.05% above that. After: no platform fee. Funds are free to buy and sell. ETFs, shares, investment trusts and bonds cost £6 a trade.
This was the biggest change of the year. Barclays became the only major full-range platform where holding funds costs nothing beyond the funds’ own charges. A £100,000 fund portfolio went from £250 a year to £0. The platform was also renamed from Smart Investor to Direct Investing in May.
Who benefits: fund investors of every size, especially buy-and-hold investors. Who should look elsewhere: frequent ETF or share traders, for whom £6 a trade adds up.
Read more: Barclays removes its platform fee · Barclays review · Barclays vs HL · Barclays vs Vanguard
AJ Bell scraps regular investing fees (May 2026)
Before: £1.50 a deal for automatic monthly investments. After: free, across the ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, Lifetime ISA and Dealing account.
AJ Bell’s other charges didn’t change: 0.25% on funds (falling to 0.10% above £250,000 and nothing above £500,000), 0.25% on shares and ETFs capped at £42 a year in the ISA and £120 in the SIPP, and £1.50 or £5 for online trades.
Who benefits: anyone investing monthly. Someone drip-feeding into two funds saved £36 a year.
Read more: AJ Bell fees explained · AJ Bell vs HL
Freetrade launches a Junior ISA (April 2026)
Freetrade launched a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA with no account fee and no dealing fees, available on its free Basic plan. It’s the only zero-fee app we cover that offers one; Trading 212 and InvestEngine don’t.
Read more: Junior ISA fees compared · Freetrade review
Hargreaves Lansdown overhauls its charges (1 March 2026)
| Charge | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Account charge (first £250k) | 0.45% | 0.35% |
| Online share dealing | £11.95 | £6.95 (£3.95 after 20+ trades the previous month) |
| Online fund dealing | Free | £1.95 |
| Share holdings cap, ISA | £45/year | £150/year |
| Share holdings cap, SIPP | £200/year | £150/year |
| Shares in Fund and Share Account | Free to hold | 0.35%, capped at £150/year |
| Regular investing | £1.50 for shares and ETFs | Free |
This was a mix of cuts and increases. Fund investors with larger portfolios pay noticeably less: £100,000 in funds went from £450 a year to £350 plus dealing. But ETF and share investors in an ISA pay more once their portfolio is above about £13,000, because the cap more than tripled.
Who benefits: fund investors, SIPP holders with shares, and anyone who trades shares often. Who pays more: ETF and share investors in an ISA above about £13,000, and anyone placing manual fund trades.
Read more: HL fees explained · When it makes sense to leave HL
Trading 212 launches a SIPP (early 2026)
Trading 212 received FCA approval for a SIPP in February 2026. Like its ISA, there’s no account fee and no dealing fee, and a 0.15% FX fee applies to non-sterling investments. Platform One acts as the scheme administrator.
The SIPP holds shares and ETFs only (no funds), doesn’t accept employer contributions, and won’t take a transfer of a pension already in drawdown.
Read more: Trading 212 review · Trading 212 fees explained
Interactive Investor: new plans and lower FX fees (1 February 2026)
- Core plan: £5.99 a month, now covering portfolios up to £100,000 (previously £50,000)
- Plus plan: £14.99 a month, no portfolio limit, and includes free Junior ISAs
- Premium plan: £39.99 a month
- FX fees: a flat 0.75% on Core, down from a rate that started at 1.5%. Plus pays 0.75% on the first £50,000 and 0.25% above; Premium pays 0.25%.
- Fund dealing: £1.49 on Plus, free on Premium
- Share dealing: £3.99 on Core and Plus, £2.99 on Premium
Who benefits: investors with £50,000 to £100,000, who can now stay on the cheapest plan, and anyone buying US shares.
Read more: Interactive Investor review · Percentage vs flat-fee platforms
Freetrade puts its SIPP and funds on the free plan (22 January 2026)
Freetrade’s SIPP, mutual funds, gilts and ready-made portfolios used to need a paid plan. From 22 January 2026 they’re all on the free Basic plan, alongside the ISA and general investment account. Plan prices didn’t change: Basic is free, Standard is £4.99 a month and Plus is £9.99 a month. The main cost on Basic is a 0.99% FX fee on non-sterling trades.
Read more: Freetrade review
Promotions in 2026
Dodl fee-free ISA: new and existing Dodl ISA and Lifetime ISA customers who added at least £1,000 between 1 February and 30 April 2026 pay no account fee for 12 months. Dodl’s normal charge is 0.15% a year.
Coming up: ISA rule changes from 6 April 2027
- The Cash ISA allowance falls to £12,000 for people under 65. The overall £20,000 ISA allowance doesn’t change.
- Under-65s won’t be able to transfer from a Stocks & Shares ISA into a Cash ISA. Transfers the other way are still allowed.
If you were planning to move investments into a Cash ISA, you have until 5 April 2027. See our ISA deadline 2027 checklist and ISA transfer guide.
Earlier changes still affecting what you pay
- Vanguard £4 minimum fee (from 28 February 2025): accounts under £32,000 pay £4 a month instead of 0.15%. Junior ISAs are exempt. See Vanguard ISA fees explained.
- AJ Bell dealing cut (April 2024): online share and ETF dealing fell from £9.95 to £5, and the frequent-trader rate from £4.95 to £3.50.
What this means if you’re choosing a platform
The 2026 changes made the cheapest choice clearer for most people:
- Funds: Barclays at £0, then Interactive Investor’s flat fee for larger portfolios.
- ETFs and shares: InvestEngine, Trading 212 and Freetrade at £0, or AJ Bell at £42 a year for a full-range platform.
- Junior ISAs: HL, Fidelity and Freetrade charge no account fee.
Use the fee calculator to see what each platform costs at your portfolio size, or see the cheapest investment platforms for 2026.