Is InvestEngine good for investing?
Independent review by Boring Money
Investment expert's opinion
Investengine has a nice, easy to use app which might suit those who want to buy and hold a portfolio of ETFs with no admin fees. The ETFs are grouped into helpful 'playlists' by theme or type. I'm a bit nervous of smaller firms without substantial capital or the governance of larger brands behind them, but readers will make their own decisions. When I looked at the managed portfolios, they were 'temporarily unavailable', which made me a little uncomfortable.
*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 800 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 |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
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 | Fund Costs |
Ready Made Portfolios | 0.25% of the value of your portfolio | 0.12% |
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 0.12%. This brings the total cost of an ISA or a SIPP with an InvestEngine managed portfolio to 0.37%.
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.
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
20 May 2026
Used InvestEngine to consolidate all my old pensions, it was very easy to set up my SIPP and complete the paperwork on line for the transfers. If you create your own DIY investments you only pay the ETF fees which are very cheap, if you aren't confident in creating your own investments then InvestEngine have some funds already set up to enable you to invest in which are still a lot lower than most of the big pension providers. People need to realise that even a small percentage charge for fees can eat into you pensions/SIPP over time especially if you have a large sum invested, I only wish I was able to transfer my works pension to InvestEngine to save on fees, also I find that the work pensions tend to be over cautious with you investments. I have changed my investments with my provider, but they are basically supplying a well known ETF by a well known ETF supplier with their name on it and charging me for the privilege.
Rich
17 May 2026
Excellent efficient service
SANDRA
25 April 2026
James
15 April 2026
Excellent service to set up but once done far too many emails & notifications which are simply annoying after a while
david
14 April 2026
Giorgio
14 April 2026
Simple easy-to-use platform. Clearly presented information in plain English. Wide choice of funds available.
Peter
30 March 2026
Easy to use platform with advice and teach in section.
C
11 March 2026
Great value, lots of investment choice. Very easy to use website.
Ken
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.
Glossary
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