Mana is an educational platform. We're not regulated by the FCA and nothing here is a personal recommendation. Everything you see (ETF illustrations, goal projections, quiz results, AI responses) is general information to help you learn. Before investing, please do your own research and consider speaking to a regulated financial adviser.
ETFs · Index funds · Workplace funds · Stocks · Mana Credit · Compare halal products ↗ · Terms · PrivacyTrading 212, InvestEngine, Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell: what to look for, and which one fits where you are now.
Pick the wrong platform and you'll pay hundreds of pounds per year in fees you didn't need to pay. Pick the right one and you can invest from £1, with zero commission, inside a tax-free ISA wrapper.
Here's what to look for, and then which platform fits which situation.
No platform fee. No dealing commission. Fractional shares from £1. You can open a Stocks & Shares ISA and start with literally £1 in ISWD.
The interface is clean and well-designed. The recurring investment feature is easy to set up. For anyone starting out, especially if you're investing less than £200/month, this is the default choice.
One caveat: customer support is app-based only. If something goes wrong, you can't call someone. For most investors this isn't an issue, but it's worth knowing.
InvestEngine is purely ETF-focused: no individual stocks. That's actually an advantage if you want to stay disciplined. Zero commission, zero platform fee on the DIY plan. As of this writing it doesn't offer a Junior ISA, so it isn't the right home for investing on behalf of your children.
The interface is slightly more complex than Trading 212, but not by much.
HL is the UK's largest investment platform. They have the widest selection of halal funds, the best pension (SIPP) product, a genuine Junior ISA, and the most hand-holding if you need it.
The fees are higher: 0.45% annual fee (capped at £45/year for ETFs) and £11.95/trade for online deals. At small portfolio sizes this is expensive. But once you're investing more than £500/month, building a pension, or opening a JISA for your children, HL is worth the premium.
Lower annual fees than HL (0.25% on ETFs, capped at £3.50/month), slightly lower dealing fees, still a proper ISA and SIPP. Good for investors in the middle, past the beginner stage and not yet at the HL-level portfolio size.
Starting out, investing under £200/month: Trading 212.
Investing for your children: Hargreaves Lansdown or Vanguard (both offer a Junior ISA).
Building a pension, portfolio over £50k: Hargreaves Lansdown.
Middle ground: AJ Bell.
Platform product lines change. Always confirm Junior ISA availability directly with the provider before opening one.
Most people reading this should start with Trading 212. You can always move your ISA to another platform later. It's called an ISA transfer and it's free.
Done reading?
Mark it as read so you can track your progress.
Ask Mana about this article →
Something didn’t click? Just ask.