Updated October 21, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
InvestEngine vs Plum
InvestEngine
Plum
Higher score in this comparison
InvestEngine vs Plum: the differences
| Compare | InvestEngineReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | PlumReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £100 | £2Lower |
| Markets | ETFs | Stocks, ETFs, FundsCovers more |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | Financial Conduct Authority |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Mobile app |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Corporate | ISA, SIPP, Lisa |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 0% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Stock trade fee (£0), Account fee (£0), Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Plum scores higher overall: 8.9 vs 8.7.
- Regulators: only InvestEngine offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Regulators: only Plum offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Founded is lower at Plum: 2016 vs 2019.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Plum: £2 vs £100.
- Markets: only Plum offers Stocks, Funds.
- Platforms: only InvestEngine offers Web, iOS, Android.
- Platforms: only Plum offers Mobile app.
- Account types: only InvestEngine offers Corporate.
- Account types: only Plum offers Lisa.
Our verdict on each
InvestEngine
InvestEngine suits UK beginners who want a small, set-and-forget ETF pot with nothing charged for holding or trading. The account fee is £0, the minimum deposit is £100 and the only recurring charge is a management fee of 0.25%. The trade-off is that you hold ETFs and nothing else.
Plum
Plum suits beginners in the UK who want to start small and pay nothing to deal, with a minimum deposit of £2. The trade-off is a short market list, confined to stocks, etfs and funds, and an overall score of 6.5 that leaves the case resting on price rather than choice.
Score breakdown
| Area | InvestEngine | Plum |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.0 | 9.3HigherCosts are the strongest suit: account fee £0, stock trade fee £0, management fee 0.15% to 0.6%. |
| Offer | 8.8Account fee of £0, stock trade fee of £0 and a minimum deposit of £100. | 8.9Higher |
| Trust | 8.3 | 8.5Higher |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | InvestEngine | Plum |
|---|---|---|
| Investing | 298 of 654 | 243 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 217 of 358 | 176 of 358 |
| Robo-advisors | 92 of 154 | 68 of 154 |
| Stocks and shares ISAs | 15 of 25 | 9 of 25 |
| Pensions and SIPPs | 11 of 23 | 6 of 23 |
What it costs in practice
A year: 5,000 invested, 4 US stock trades a month
InvestEngine
£0
48 × £0 + 1 × £0
Plum
£0
48 × £0 + 1 × £0
Both come to the same total.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Sources behind this comparison
InvestEngine
- investengine.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- blog.investengine.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- help.investengine.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Plum
- withplum.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- finextra.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | InvestEngine | Plum |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Fractional shares, Mobile app | Fractional shares, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Legal entity | InvestEngine (UK) Limited | Plum Fintech Limited |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2019 | 2016Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre | Email, Help centre |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | InvestEngine | Plum |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25% | 0.15% to 0.6%Lower |
| Minimum investment | £1 | £1 |
| Portfolio types | ETF | ETF, CashCovers more |
Savings
| Fact | InvestEngine | Plum |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | Not confirmed | 3.05% to 3.65% |
| Rate type | Not confirmed | Variable |
| Deposit protection | Not confirmed | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Access terms | Not confirmed | Same day access, no lock-in, no notice period |
| Monthly fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Account kind | Not confirmed | Easy access |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | InvestEngine | Plum | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £100above the median | £2below the median | £15 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Interest on cash | 0%lowest quarter | Not confirmed | 2.875% |
Median across 44 listed providers.
Pros and cons
InvestEngine
Pros
- No account fee at £0 and no stock trade fee at £0
- Fractional shares and a mobile app let you invest small amounts regularly
- Choose from ISA, SIPP and corporate accounts
Cons
- A management fee of 0.25% still applies, unlike a free commission-free brokerage
- Markets are limited to ETFs, so individual shares are not an option
- Support runs on email and help centre only, with no phone line
Plum
Pros
- Fractional shares are offered, so £2 is enough to hold a slice of a company rather than whole shares.
- Eligible money is covered by the protection scheme, with the ceiling given as FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
- The account types cover isa, sipp and lisa, so investing, retirement saving and a home deposit pot sit with the same provider.
Cons
- Markets stop at stocks, etfs and funds, so there is no dealing in listed bonds, overseas currency or crypto through the account.
- Help runs on email and help centre only, so a stuck withdrawal or transfer has no phone route.
- Managed portfolios charge 0.15% to 0.6%, which takes a slice from every pot you hand over.
Who each suits
InvestEngine
Who it suits
- Beginners who want to start small and add to the same pot each month
- Savers putting money into an ISA or SIPP for the long term
- Anyone who would rather hold a diversified basket than pick single shares
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders who want to buy and sell individual shares
- Anyone who wants to speak to support by phone, since support runs on email and help centre only
Plum
Who it suits
- Beginners in the UK who want to begin with £2 and see share dealing in plain terms.
- Investors building an ISA or pension habit on a phone, since access runs through Mobile app.
- Anyone happy with a market list of stocks, etfs and funds for a starter portfolio.
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro is the place to check if the market list here, stocks, etfs and funds, is too tight for what you want to trade.
- bunq if you are starting from a €10 minimum rather than buying shares.
- cfi if you want no minimum deposit, since its floor is $0 against £2 here.
Country by country
| Country | InvestEngine | Plum |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
InvestEngine
What does it cost to hold an InvestEngine account?+
The account fee is £0 and the stock trade fee is £0, so there is nothing charged for keeping the account open or for dealing. The one recurring cost is a management fee of 0.25% on the money you hold. Deposits and withdrawals are free.
What is the smallest amount I can invest?+
The minimum deposit is £100, and the smallest investment the platform advertises is £1. Fractional shares are supported, so you can hold a slice of a fund rather than a whole unit. That keeps the starting point low even though the opening deposit is set higher than at many rivals.
Plum
What does it cost to trade and hold with Plum?+
Dealing is commission-free and the stock trade fee is listed as £0. The account fee is £0 and the monthly subscription is £0, so holding an account costs nothing. Managed portfolios are the exception, charging 0.15% to 0.6% on the money you put into them. That covers the charging picture on the investment side.
Is my money protected if something goes wrong?+
Eligible investments sit under the protection scheme, and the stated ceiling is given as FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Cash held in the app is listed the same way under FSCS up to GBP 85,000. The figure is a limit rather than a promise of returns, and it applies to eligible money rather than to every balance on the account. Read the terms for the eligibility conditions before you rely on it.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
InvestEngine
Plum