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Bestinvest investment platform review
Is Bestinvest any good?
In our latest customer satisfaction survey, Bestinvest received the second-lowest customer score of 66% for its stocks and shares Isa, putting it 24th out of 25 providers.
It also received just a two-star rating for value for money and was one of the most expensive platforms for portfolios of shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and investment trusts – especially on amounts over £10,000.
Bestinvest isn't signed up to the STAR transfer scheme, which aims to reduce the time taken to transfer a stocks and shares Isa between platforms. When moving an Isa is a slow and difficult process, it puts investors off switching to get the most out of their money.
On the plus side, it has a unique offer of free one-off coaching with an investment planner, and has a high interest rate on uninvested cash..
Customers' accounts will also display if the funds they're invested in are among the worst performing funds in that sector.
There is no minimum investment.
Find out more: Best investment platforms in the UK 2025
Bestinvest stocks and shares Isa scores in more detail
Here's how customers of Bestinvest's stocks and shares Isa rated it:
| Aspect of service | Star rating |
| Customer service | |
| Ease of use | |
| Information on investments | |
| Value for money |
What do customers say about Bestinvest?
Comments from Bestinvest customers that took part in our survey include:
- ‘The website and dealing are very simple and customer service, if needed, is helpful. The most opaque part is the charging structure, with which I struggle.’
- ‘It is easy to undertake tasks such as selling/buying investments, or transferring cash out of the account. However, they've updated the site and it takes three times longer to print out simple reports. I understand this has been done in the interests of flexibility in reporting, but perhaps they should have kept some of the fixed format reports as they did the job well.’
- ‘I can find all the information I need to make investment decisions on their website.’
Visit Bestinvest to find out more about its accounts, services and investment options.
How much does Bestinvest cost?
There's no difference in fees whether you're investing in a Bestinvest stocks and shares Isa or general investment account.
Annual platform charge:
- 0.4% for funds and UK shares (0.4% up to £250,000, then 0.2% for £250,001 to £500,000 and 0.1% for £500,001 to £1m)
- 0.2% for ready-made portfolios and US shares (0.2% up to £500,000, then 0.1% for £500,001 to £1m)
Trading charge:
- £4.95 UK share dealing fee
- No charge for trading funds
Foreign exchange charge:
This applies to each trade of investments denominated in another currency, for example US stocks, on top of fund and trading charges.
- 0.95% (US only)
How much would I pay to invest with Bestinvest?
We've estimated the cost of investing over the course of a year in a Bestinvest stocks and shares Isa, assuming that you make four purchases and four sales.
Costs will vary depending on how much you invest, and whether you trade funds or shares.
Bestinvest fund charges
| Amount invested | Annual fund charges | Annual shares, ETFs and investment trusts charges |
|---|---|---|
| £5,000 | £20 | £60 |
| £10,000 | £40 | £80 |
| £25,000 | £100 | £140 |
| £50,000 | £200 | £240 |
| £100,000 | £400 | £440 |
| £250,000 | £1,000 | £1,040 |
| £500,000 | £1,500 | £1,540 |
Table notes: Annual charges include platform fee and any trading charges. We have not included other charges that might apply, such as foreign exchange fees or fund management charges that are levied by fund managers, as these vary depending on the specific investments you hold. Fund management fees can range from less than 0.1% for some passively managed 'tracker' funds, to 1.25% or more for actively managed funds or investment trusts.
Read our comparison of investment platform charges to see how much investing with Bestinvest compares to other providers.
What can you invest in with Bestinvest?
Bestinvest accounts and services
Find out more about Bestinvest by using the links below to view their accounts and services:
- General investment account
- Stocks and shares Isa (flexible)
- Junior investment Isas
- Self-invested personal pension (Sipp)
- Junior Sipp
- Income drawdown
- Ready-made portfolios
- One-off coaching with a financial planner
Investments on Bestinvest
- 1,733 funds (OEICs, multi-asset funds)
- 247 trusts (plus 20 venture capital trusts)
- 476 exchange-traded funds
- 1,267 stocks
Correct as of January 2025
Is Bestinvest good for ethical investors?
Bestinvest includes a clear description of each fund’s strategy on its website, along with the top 10 holdings, so you can see which companies it has the largest stakes in.
The only filter for ethical investments you can apply is for Bestinvest’s own sustainable portfolios: the Evelyn Sustainable Portfolio Clean multi-asset funds. You can’t filter funds for other ethical or ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investments, despite many other filters being available.
- Find out more: Ethical investing explained
Is your money safe with BestInvest?
Bestinvest is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
When you invest with an investment platform that's registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, your money will be ringfenced and should be returned if a company goes bust without you having to wait alongside other creditors.
If ringfencing failed, you would be compensated by the FSCS.
The FSCS will cover up to £85,000 of investments per person, per platform. You can claim for free online. There's no reason to use a claims management company.
You won't be compensated for investments falling in value, or if a company in which you hold shares goes bust, unless this poor performance resulted from bad advice given by a regulated Independent Financial Advisor that has since gone bust.
- Find out more: how the FSCS works