2025 Readers' Preferred Awards Recipients Announced
Each year, our readers cast their votes to choose the top-performing brokerage firms and investment services, providing insights into industry trends and investor preferences. The results of the 2025 Readers' Choice Awards reveal several significant trends in brokerage services, reflecting evolving user demands and industry responses.
Key Findings from the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards
- Direct Bond Investment Gaining Momentum
- As investors become more interested in direct bond investing, an increasing number of brokerage services are improving their online platforms to make bond trading more accessible. In this year's awards, AJ Bell was recognized as the best broker for bonds, praised for its efficient execution of orders and extensive bond selection.[1]
- Emphasis on Flexibility and Platform Integration
- IG took the lead as the best trading service, offering a comprehensive platform that covers various instruments such as contracts for difference (CFDs), spread betting, foreign exchange (forex), and share dealing. The platform's user-friendly design, wide range of instruments, and the convenience of managing multiple account types in one place made it a popular choice amongst users.[1]
- Intense Competition and Incentives Drive the Industry
- In the broader brokerage market, there is significant competition, with some firms offering attractive sign-up bonuses and incentives like cash rewards for opening new accounts.[2] There is also a growing push towards low-cost or commission-free trading, making investments more accessible for everyday users.[4]
2025 Readers' Choice Awards Winners
Best Broker for Shares and Investment Trusts: AJ Bell
For the best broker serving shares and investment trusts, AJ Bell emerged as the top-ranked firm, owing to its solid all-round service covering UK-listed stocks and international markets. Readers praised AJ Bell for its cost-effectiveness, platform, and app while suggesting that foreign-exchange (FX) margins should be reduced for overseas shares.[1]
Best Low-Cost Broker: Trading 212
Trading 212 repeated its top-scoring performance on costs from last year. Despite offering a limited range of investments compared to others, Trading 212’s broader service and user-friendly website made it a popular choice for many.[1]
Best Broker for Open-Ended Funds: Interactive Investor
Interactive Investor won the category for the best broker serving open-ended investment companies (OEICs) and unit trusts, owing to its compellingly cheap account charges compared to percentage-based fees for larger holdings.[1]
Best Broker for ETFs: InvestEngine
InvestEngine took the prize for the best broker offering exchange-traded funds (ETFs) due to its extremely competitive pricing, even offering a zero-fee platform for do-it-yourself investors.[1]
Best Broker for Bonds: AJ Bell
Winning the category for the best broker offering bond services, AJ Bell received praise for its efficient execution of orders and the wide selection of bonds available.[1]
Best Trading Service: IG
As a multi-instrument trading platform, IG garnered the most votes for its comprehensive offering of CFDs, spread betting, forex, and share dealing, along with its user-friendly design and flexible ISA accounts.[1]
Best Simple Pension: InvestEngine
InvestEngine stood out for its cost-effective and user-friendly pension services catering to ETF investors.[1]
Best Full Pension: AJ Bell
AJ Bell took the award for the best pension offering a wider choice of investments, though some users criticized its high currency charges.[1]
Best Junior Investment ISA: Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown won the award for the best junior investment ISA, commended for its user-friendly platform, wide selection of options, and automated dividend reinvestment.[1]
Best Robo-Adviser: InvestEngine
InvestEngine clinched the award for the best robo-adviser, praised for its cost-effectiveness, versatility in offering both DIY and robo-adviser options, and wide selection of ETFs.[1]
Best Investment Data or Software Provider: Stockopedia
Stockopedia was named the best provider of investment data and software, appreciated for its extensive range of data and screening tools ability to generate investment ideas.[3]
Best Investments and Savings App: Moneybox
Moneybox was hailed as the best investments and savings app, offering a simple way for beginners to manage their savings and investments in one place.[2]
References:[1] Morrison, J. (2025). YourMoney website Readers' Choice Awards 2025 winners. Retrieved from https://yourmoney.com/investing/readers-choice-awards-2025-investment-platform-winners/[2] Hutson, C. (2025). How to switch investment platform in 5 easy steps. Retrieved from https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-9254069/Switch-investment-platform-5-easy-steps.html[3] Lee, M. (2025). Best investments and savings app growth: The key apps to watch out for. Retrieved from https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-9241497/Best-investments-and-savings-app-growth-Key-apps-watch-Monzo-Taxvest-Revolut-My-Money.html[4] Jean, M. (2024). Digital platforms slash trading fees. Retrieved from https://yourmoney.com/investing/digital-platforms-slash-trading-fees/
- In the inaugural category of 'Best Broker for Shares and Investment Trusts', AJ Bell was recognized for its cost-effective service, solid platform, and app, with users suggestingthey should reduce FX margins for overseas shares.
- Trading 212, despite a limited investment range, is commended as the 'Best Low-Cost Broker' due to its user-friendly website and broader service.
- Open-ended investment companies (OEICs) and unit trusts found a home with Interactive Investor, claiming the title of 'Best Broker for Open-Ended Funds' due to cheap account charges compared to percentage-based fees for larger holdings.
- InvestEngine, offering a zero-fee platform, was awarded as the 'Best Broker for ETFs' thanks to its competitive pricing and a wide selection of exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
- AJ Bell, praised for its efficient execution of orders and expansive bond selection, is the 'Best Broker for Bonds' and is also recognized as the 'Best Trading Service' alongside IG, which offers a comprehensive multi-instrument platform.
