Top SIPP providers compared

About Top SIPP providers compared

A SIPP is a pension wrapper you control, and the providers that offer one differ most on what a year of saving costs you. This ranking covers 22 brands serving UK retail investors, from long-established fund houses to mobile-first apps, and it sets cost, protection of the money and the way the account works side by side. The main trade-off runs between an annual account fee and the cost of dealing: the median account fee across this ranking is €2.03, while the median stock trade fee is €0. Deposit floors pull the other way, with a median minimum of €29.05 and an upper end of €581.09. Every brand here is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and holds FSCS protection, though the amount each records differs. Fees matter, but markets take money too: across the wider market the median share of retail accounts losing money is 70.15%, with 65.75% at the lower end and 74.5% at the upper end.

How we picked

Trust of the money carries the heaviest weight at 40%, the cost of opening and running an account comes next at 35%, and the breadth of the offer at 25%. Trust is judged on regulation and investor protection: every member here is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and each records its own protection amount, such as FSCS up to GBP 85,000 at the head of this ranking and FSCS up to GBP 85,000 at the foot. Cost is read from account fees, stock trade fees, currency conversion charges and deposit floors, then compared with the medians for this category. Offer covers the account types on offer, the markets available, features such as mobile apps and fractional shares, and the support routes each firm lists. Costs, protection and support details come from the providers' own published charges pages, help centres and regulatory listings, and the same fields are applied to every brand so the order holds up. Partner brands sit ahead of the rest, 2 of 22 in total, with 12 licensed, and the remaining brands follow by score.

Our top picks

1. T22. Trading 212

   Trading 212 appears in this ranking for a SIPP that is cheap to hold: an account fee of £0 across its SIPP, ISA and joint accounts, a stock trade fee of £0, an inactivity fee of £0 and a minimum deposit of £1. The account is provided by Trading 212 Markets Ltd, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, and it records protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000. The catch is scope: alongside stocks and ETFs you also get forex and CFDs, asset classes carried by only 35.9% and 28.6% of providers, and a pension wrapper is not their natural home. Plum, the member below it in this ranking, stays on stocks, ETFs and funds.

   • Minimum deposit: £1
   • Stock trade fee: £0
   • Account fee: £0

   Pros

   • Nothing to pay for holding or for going quiet: the account fee reads £0 and the inactivity fee reads £0.
   • Trading shares costs £0, the same stock trade fee eToro lists at $0, so the trade price is not the reason to move.
   • The entry of £1 sits under the $5 Vantage asks for, which matters for a first transfer.
   • Investor protection stands at FSCS up to GBP 85,000, with a Financial Conduct Authority registration in the UK and a Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission registration in Cyprus.
   • ISA, SIPP and joint accounts sit under one login, covered by isa, sipp and joint, so a tax-wrapped pot and a shared pot do not need separate providers.

   Cons

   • The market list pairs shares and ETFs with forex and CFDs in stocks, etfs and forex, so a platform aimed at beginners, beginners, also carries leveraged products.
   • The fee sheet is the easy part: retail accounts lose money at 70.15% across the brokers compared, and a £0 trade cost does not remove that risk.
   • The money side runs through Trading 212 Markets Ltd in CY, registered with the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission as MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32, so a UK saver is dealing with a Cyprus entity alongside the UK one.
   • CFI opens an account from a minimum deposit of $0, so the £1 entry here is not the lowest on the table.

2. 3. Nutmeg

   Nutmeg is in this ranking because it takes the recurring charge out of a SIPP, with no set-up, trading or exit fees and a stock trade fee of £0. The account is provided by J.P. Morgan Personal Investing Limited, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and it records protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000, with stocks, ETFs, funds and bonds available from web and mobile. The trade-off is the entry point: a minimum deposit of £500 puts it beyond a small opening contribution, where Moneyfarm, the member below it in this ranking, charges £3.95 for a stock trade and 0.7% on currency conversion. Nutmeg also answers by email, chat, phone and a help centre.

   • Management fee: 0.25% to 0.75%
   • Minimum investment: £100 to £500
   • Regulators: Financial Conduct Authority

   Pros

   • One ongoing charge to read: management fees of 0.25% to 0.75%, with no set-up, trading or exit fees on top.
   • Holdings span etfs, funds and stocks, so a managed basket can still cover a wide spread of asset types.
   • Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind the account.
   • The same portfolios can sit in an ISA or a SIPP (isa and sipp), so the wrapper does not change the investments.
   • Support runs through email, chat and phone, which includes a phone line as well as chat, email and a help centre.

   Cons

   • Management fees of 0.25% to 0.75% sit above the robo-adviser median of 0.35%, and the cost rises as the balance grows.
   • The opening deposit is £500 and later money goes in from £100 to £500, higher than the robo-adviser median of €60.06.
   • The portfolio range is etf, esg and cash only, so there is no crypto or thematic option to tilt towards.
   • The account list is isa and sipp, so there is no general investment account or joint holding outside a wrapper.

3. 4. Moneyfarm

   Moneyfarm stays in this ranking for breadth and support: stocks, ETFs, bonds and funds under Financial Conduct Authority regulation, with MFM Investment Ltd as the legal entity and protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge, and help comes by email, phone and help centre, one of the fuller setups among the members listed here. The reason it sits low is dealing cost: a stock trade fee of £3.95 against a ranking median of €0, plus 0.7% on currency conversion. Wealthify, the member below it in this ranking, keeps a similarly broad spread of support routes and a low-fees approach, but sets a higher opening deposit.

   • Management fee: 0.1% to 0.45%
   • Minimum investment: £500
   • Regulators: Financial Conduct Authority

   Pros

   • Regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority, with licence 629539 to check on the register.
   • Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge, so money can move in and out without a transaction fee eating the saving.
   • Portfolio styles run to etf, esg and cash, letting a saver tilt towards ESG, cash or crypto alongside a diversified core.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so help is available by phone and chat as well as email.

   Cons

   • The management fee of 0.1% to 0.45% sits above the robo-advisor median of 0.35%.
   • The £500 entry point is well above the robo-advisor median of €60.06, and above Axos Invest at $100.
   • Costs stack up: a stock trade fee of £3.95 applies alongside the management fee, while eToro lists a management fee of 0%.
   • The account range is isa and sipp accounts, so money held outside a wrapper has no home here.

4. 5. Charles Stanley Direct: best for top-pick

   Charles Stanley Direct holds the top-pick label here because a SIPP sits alongside an ISA on a single dealing account, and the firm has been trading since 1792, which matters when a pension has to survive decades. Holdings run to stocks, ETFs and funds, and a deposit starts at £1, so a starter contribution can be small. The Financial Conduct Authority regulates the firm and it records protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000. The trade-off is cost: an account fee of £60 to £600 on its ISA and SIPP accounts and a stock trade fee of £10 per deal, well above the €0 median, which suits a saver with a steady monthly amount rather than one testing the water. Moneybox, just behind it in this ranking, covers a wider set of wrappers.

   • Minimum deposit: £1
   • Stock trade fee: £10
   • Account fee: £60 to £600

   Pros

   • Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and investor protection is stated as FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
   • A minimum deposit of £1 keeps the first contribution small, and it ranks 82 of 213 on our minimum deposit data.
   • The group has been running since 1792, so the name sits behind a long investment history.
   • Support runs on email and phone, which suits savers who want a phone call or an email rather than chat.
   • Dealing runs on Charles Stanley Direct Trading, and the markets listed are stocks, etfs and funds.

   Cons

   • A SIPP account fee of £60 to £600 a year is the heaviest cost here, and the stock trade fee of £10 is higher than the $0 eToro lists.
   • Support runs on email and phone only, with no live chat listed.
   • The listed account types are isa and sipp, so there is no general investment account or joint option here.

5. 6. Plum

   Plum holds its place in this ranking on a clean, low-cost pitch for a starter SIPP: an account fee of £0 on its ISA, SIPP and LISA accounts, a stock trade fee of £0 and a minimum deposit of £2, reached through a mobile app that also offers fractional shares. Plum Fintech Limited holds the account under Financial Conduct Authority regulation, with protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and the markets covered are stocks, ETFs and funds. Support comes by email and a help centre, narrower than the chat, phone and help centre routes at Freetrade, the member ranked next in this ranking. Plum also offers a LISA for younger savers where Freetrade points to a JISA instead.

   • Minimum deposit: £2
   • Stock trade fee: £0
   • Account fee: £0

   Pros

   • Stock trades cost £0 and the account fee is £0, so holding and dealing carry no charge.
   • The account opens from £2 and the smallest investment is £1, which suits small regular amounts.
   • Fractional shares on a Mobile app let a small sum hold part of a share rather than a whole one.
   • Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with investor protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
   • Every account in isa, sipp and lisa carries the £0 account fee rather than a subscription.

   Cons

   • Support runs on email and help centre only, so an urgent question waits for a written answer.
   • The market list is stocks, etfs and funds and portfolio types run to etf and cash, so the account is narrow beside a full trading platform.
   • The minimum deposit of £2 ranks 89 of 213, and CFI lists a minimum deposit of $0.
   • Cheap dealing does not mean cheap investing: management fees run 0.15% to 0.6% on portfolios even though stock trades are £0.

6. 7. Dodl

   Dodl sits high in this ranking because the numbers a SIPP saver watches are plain: a stock trade fee of £0, free deposits and withdrawals, and a minimum deposit of £25 that keeps the door open. The service is run by AJ Bell, sits under Financial Conduct Authority rules and records protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Cash earns 3.8% while it waits to be invested, and the app covers stocks, ETFs and funds. Against Trading 212, the member below it in this ranking, Dodl charges 0.75% on currency conversion, but pairs that with help by email, chat and a help centre, so ordinary dealing stays simple.

   • Minimum deposit: £25
   • Stock trade fee: £0
   • Markets: Stocks, ETFs, Funds

   Pros

   • Stock trades cost £0, the lowest stock trade fee recorded in this comparison
   • free deposits and withdrawals means moving money in and out adds nothing to a portfolio
   • Cash held with the account earns interest of 3.8% while you save for a purchase
   • Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind eligible balances
   • Built for beginners, with a mobile app for Dodl app

   Cons

   • Cash interest of 3.8% is a variable rate, so the return on uninvested money can move
   • Dealing runs on Dodl app only, which suits casual investors less well than a desktop platform
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, so there is no phone line for urgent account problems
   • Foreign exchange charges of 0.75% apply when you buy shares priced in another currency

7. 8. Freetrade

   Freetrade earns a slot in this ranking with a SIPP and JISA on one commission-free account, an account fee of £0 across its ISA, SIPP and JISA accounts and a stock trade fee of £0, with a minimum deposit of £1. It holds bonds, which several rivals here do not list, and pays 1% on idle cash. Support runs on email, chat and help centre, and Freetrade Limited is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000. The catch is currency: converting money costs 0.99%, the priciest conversion rate among the members in this ranking. Nutmeg, the member below it, asks for a far larger opening deposit.

   • Minimum deposit: £1
   • Stock trade fee: £0
   • Account fee: £0

   Pros

   • Dealing commission of £0 and an account fee of £0 keep the running cost of an ISA, SIPP or Junior ISA low.
   • Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, with protection stated as FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
   • Fractional shares and a demo account let you size positions in small amounts and practise before committing money.
   • Cash earns an interest rate of 1%, so uninvested balances still work while you decide.
   • Trading runs on app and web platforms, so the same account works from a phone or a desktop.

   Cons

   • A currency conversion fee of 0.99% applies whenever you hold investments in more than one currency.
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line listed for account or transfer questions.
   • The account range is limited to isa, sipp and jisa, so there is no general investment account for shares outside a wrapper.
   • The minimum deposit is £1, which sits above the $0 at CFI.

8. 10. Wealthify

   Wealthify is in this ranking for anyone building a SIPP steadily rather than trading it, run as a low-fees provider by Wealthify Limited under Financial Conduct Authority rules, with protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 and No fees for deposits, withdrawals or transfers. It holds stocks, ETFs, bonds and funds, works from web, iOS and Android, and is aimed at beginners, with support by email, chat and phone. The barrier is the opening deposit of £1,000, well above the £25 entry point at AJ Bell, the member below it in this ranking, which adds an account fee of £3.50 and a stock trade fee of £5.

   • Management fee: 0.6%
   • Minimum investment: £1,000 to £5,000
   • Regulators: Financial Conduct Authority

   Pros

   • A management fee of 0.6% sits below the 0.5% to 1.5% charged on Vivid Standard business plans.
   • The whole account is reachable through Web, iOS app and Android app, so a phone and a browser cover it end to end.
   • Support runs on email, chat and phone, putting phone and chat help alongside email.
   • The portfolio options in esg and cash add an ESG tilt and a cash option, so the portfolio can be steered without leaving the range.

   Cons

   • The minimum investment of £1,000 to £5,000 is well above the $100 entry point at Axos Invest, and Wealthify ranks 68 of 82 brands on this measure.
   • The management fee of 0.6% is not the lowest available, since eToro charges a management fee of 0%.
   • The account line-up covers isa and sipp only, with no joint, corporate or general investment account in the range.
   • On management fee it ranks 36 of 49 brands, so the rate is mid-table rather than a standout.

What to look for

The annual account fee

The median account fee in this category is €2.03, with an upper end of €59.27. A flat annual charge can outweigh a year of small, steady investing, so check what it does to a SIPP holding a modest balance.

What a trade costs

The median stock trade fee here is €0, and the upper end reaches €4.88. Providers charging nothing per deal are easier to hold for decades, though currency conversion is listed separately by some.

The deposit floor

A median minimum deposit of €29.05 sits between €2.03 and €581.09. A high floor rules out a small opening contribution, which matters early in a pension.

What you can hold

ETFs appear at 100% across this category, stocks at 85% and funds at 80%, with bonds at 40% a step behind. A wider shelf suits a saver who wants to move between funds and shares.

App and support

A mobile app is listed at 100% across this category and fractional shares at 50%, while a help centre appears at 82.4% and phone support at 47.1%.

Who it is built for

Beginners are the stated audience at 100%, and commission-free pricing runs at 66.7% against low-fees models at 41.7%. Read the two together to find a fit for a pension you intend to leave alone.

Frequently asked questions

Top SIPP providers compared by country

• United Kingdom
• United States

Brokers compared head to head

• AJ Bell vs InvestEngine
• AJ Bell vs J.P. Morgan Personal Investing
• InvestEngine vs J.P. Morgan Personal Investing

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV