Is InvestEngine good for investing?
Independent review by Boring Money
Investment expert's opinion
I think InvestEngine remains a bit of a hidden secret for those more confident investors who have joined the move towards using ETFs to manage and access investments. The fees are unbeatable. I'm old enough to feel a bit cautious about smaller start-ups/scale-ups that can't compete with the big guns in terms of security and governance. But it's well worth a look for those who use ETFs and may not have looked at different platforms for a while.
*This is the view of investment expert Holly Mackay based on her first-hand customer experience as a test account holder. This does not constitute regulated advice. You can read more about Holly's investments here.
Who is InvestEngine?
Launched in 2019, InvestEngine is an online trading platform exclusively for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The DIY investing service allows investors to build and manage their own portfolio from hundreds of ETFs, or the Managed portfolio service can give you a leg-up by matching you with one of 10 ETF-based, actively managed ready-made portfolios.
Who is InvestEngine good for?
InvestEngine is good for people who are new to investing and it's a relatively unknown gem for more confident investors who want to trade and hold ETFs at rock bottom charges.
Pros and cons
Still not quite sure if InvestEngine is right for you? We’ve broken down the main pros and cons in the table below. Take a look for a bird’s eye view of the key takeaways.
Investments
InvestEngine clients have access to a wide selection of over 700 ETFs as well as an exclusive range of expertly managed ready-made portfolios.
They have a specific analytics tab for each ETF and portfolio on their platform, which breaks it down by region, sector, holdings, and asset class. This is a useful feature that allows users to get a better understanding of the nature of their investments.
Performance is clearly displayed with supporting charts and it is easy to buy/sell investments. You can also view performance over a bunch of different timeframes and look at how the value of each security in your portfolio has changed on a daily basis, which will appeal to more active investors.
Accounts
There are three different investment accounts to choose from on InvestEngine. The table below illustrates which are available and you can scroll down for more information on InvestEngine’s ISA, GIA and Pension.
Stocks & Shares ISA | Pension (SIPP) | General Investment Account (GIA) | Lifetime ISA | Junior ISA |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
Offers available on InvestEngine*
By signing up via our link, you will receive a Welcome Bonus of up to £100 when you invest your first £100. Capital at risk. Must stay invested for 12 months.
*T&C's apply.
Fees and charges
The cost of investing with InvestEngine depends on what you invest in and how frequently you trade. The table below illustrates how the charges work.
Account type | Platform Charge | Trading Fee |
ISA, GIA | Free | Free |
SIPP | Free | Free |
Account type | Platform Charge | Trading Fee |
Ready Made Portfolios | 0.25% of the value of your portfolio | 0.21% |
InvestEngine offer a free SIPP and ISA account, which comes with access to a wide range of ETFs. There are no account management fees or trading charges, but investors will have to pay for investment management charges for the actual ETFs they select. These charges tend to range between 0.10% and 0.50% depending on the ETF you pick.
Users also have the option of picking an InvestEngine managed portfolio, instead of/alongside selecting their own ETF investments. There are a range of 10 growth portfolios offered. InvestEngine charge a 0.25% fee for its investment management services on this product range, whilst the actual cost of the ETFs these portfolios invest in is usually 0.19%. This brings the total cost of an ISA or a SIPP with an InvestEngine managed portfolio to 0.44%.
Managed portfolios are a good option for those who don't want the hassle of picking their own ETFs, doing the necessary upkeep of managing their investment portfolio, or would like help in selecting an appropriate risk level for their investments.
See how much it would cost you
Use the handy calculator below to calculate the cost of an account. Just select which type of account you want to use, type in the amount you want to invest and - hey presto! - our calculator will give you an estimate of how much it costs. Please note estimated fees are calculated excluding promotional offers.
Step 1. Select account type.
Step 2. Enter the amount you are looking to invest.
Estimated fees:
£0.00
+ Investment fees
Cost shown is the administration fee only. There may be additional third-party investment or fund fees, which depend entirely on what you pick. Expect these to add about 0.25% to 1% a year to the total cost.
The boring disclaimer bit
This is a free resource for our readers. We’ve tried really hard to ensure that these calculations are correct and can promise you there’s no monkey business or favouritism going on. But please don’t rely on these calculations without double checking yourself. If you do think you have seen an error please contact community@boringmoney.co.uk and help us to make this better. More information on the assumptions we've used to calculate these investment fees can be found here.
Customer reviews
InvestEngine is praised for its low costs, making it an attractive option for DIY investors who prefer a simple solution for buying and holding ETFs. The platform is noted for its ease of use, allowing users to browse options by theme, region, sustainable criteria, and more. While it doesn't offer many advanced features, its simplicity and affordability are highlighted as significant advantages, especially for seasoned investors who appreciate a straightforward approach.
Your opinion matters!
Leave a review for InvestEngine
24 April 2025
Straight forward and low cost provider.
GJ
07 April 2025
K
03 April 2025
Alaa
03 April 2025
Recently transferred my SIPP from Vanguard to InvestEngine due to increased fees. I’m 62 and this platform is easy to use and I am learning a lot. I’ve now taken out a stocks and shares ISA with them. Great responses to queries via email.
Barbara
19 March 2025
David
13 March 2025
Good service, good app, zero platform fees, good ETF selection - especially good if you know what you want to invest in - haven’t used their model portfolios
Ben
05 March 2025
Absolute class investing provider, been using them for about a year and the diversification has allowed me to sustain minimal losses.
max
01 March 2025
Sue
Most asked questions
Is InvestEngine safe?
InvestEngine is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If a fund fails due to fraud or mismanagement, you may be eligible for compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS protection is capped at £85,000 per person, per fund manager (not per individual fund). However, if your investments lose value due to normal market conditions or your investment choices, this is part of the normal risk of investing and is not covered by FSCS compensation.
Who owns InvestEngine?
InvestEngine was founded by Simon Crookall and Andrey Dobrynin. Simon Crookall also co-founded Gumtree.
Does InvestEngine charge a fee for withdrawal?
InvestEngine does not charge a fee for making a withdrawal or closing your account.
How to withdraw money from InvestEngine?
Investors can withdraw part or all of the funds in their portfolio at any time. For investors using the Managed portfolio service, it can take up to 4 working days for any funds to be transferred back to a nominated bank account. For cash withdrawals, it can take up to 2 working days.
Does InvestEngine have an app?
Yes it does. The app is quite basic in its layout and design, but does everything that you’d want it to do. There are clearly identifiable sections that focus on analytics, transactions and support amongst other things and it is nice not to have to work so hard to find core information. The app is available and performs well on both Apple and Android.
What are DIY investments on InvestEngine?
The DIY route on InvestEngine allows you to create your own investment portfolio from a selection of over 600 ETFs. These ETFs are managed by major companies from around the world, such as iShares, Invesco and Vanguard.
The DIY option allows you to filter investment choices – you can do things like select a specific asset class (equity, bonds, etc) and even opt to look at only ESG investments. Each investment has a good amount of accompanying information, including a performance chart, a brief description of what the fund does, and a breakdown of all the individual holdings within the fund.
Users can also buy ETFs in fractional units, allowing them to start investing with smaller sums of cash. Savvier investors will really enjoy the depth of portfolio insight, with every holding displayed alongside its respective weight (NOT just the Top 10), as well as regional and sector weights.
The only drawback is that you can’t trade individual shares and hence there is no option to gain direct exposure or analyse the performance of a specific company.
Does InvestEngine offer any b2b products?
B2B Offers available on InvestEngine*
Invest at least £100 with InvestEngine Business Accounts and receive a Welcome Bonus of up to £200! Capital at risk. Must stay invested for 12 months.
*T&C's apply.
Glossary
Not 100% sure you understand something we’ve written in this review?
Discover jargon-free definitions of the most common words and technical terms used in the world of investing.
As is always the case with investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your portfolio can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.
All information in this review correct as at 01/01/2024.
