Top cash ISAs compared

About Top cash ISAs compared

A cash ISA shelters savings from tax, and the choices that matter come down to the rate you are credited, how fast you can reach the money, and what protects it if the provider fails. This ranking covers 12 cash ISAs from providers based in the UK, across Europe and in the US, and every member is a cash ISA, 100% of the group by account type. The main trade-off runs through the whole list. The largest headline rates come with high starting balances, long advised holding periods and fees for early exit, while the accounts that let you move money freely pay a little less. The median opening balance in this group is €307.70. Protection also splits the field, with some members under the FSCS and others under the EU deposit guarantee, and that can matter more than a small rate gap. Fees are the least useful filter, since the monthly fee is €0 across the group.

How we picked

Every provider here is scored on the same grounds, and the weights are set before the ranking is built. Trust counts for 40%, the largest share, and covers deposit protection, the named legal entity and the scheme standing behind the money. Cost counts for 35% and takes in the headline rate, the monthly fee, the minimum deposit and any penalty for taking money out early. The offer counts for 25%, covering access speed, rate type and how many support channels are open. Rates, fees, deposit floors, protection and support channels are taken from each provider's own product, pricing, help and legal materials, with cross-border protection figures drawn from the records of the relevant deposit schemes. Where a provider lists several accounts, only its cash ISA is scored, and a rate quoted with conditions keeps them. In this list every member sits in the no monthly fee group, so cost weight falls on the rate and the deposit floor. Partners are listed first, then the remaining members by score.

Our top picks

1. 1. Chip (US)

   Chip (US) completes this ranking with a variable rate of 4.5% that sits at the top of the UK field here, a new customer boost through the first year of the account, interest paid monthly and a monthly fee of £0. Deposits sit under FSCS up to GBP 85,000 through Chip Financial Wealth Ltd, and support runs on email, phone and help centre, one of the broader setups in the list. The account is app based and aimed at adult UK tax residents, so it suits a saver content to manage everything in the app. Birch Gold Group, the member above it here, takes the opposite trade, with precious metal backing, a far larger opening amount and withdrawals held back until a minimum age.

   • Monthly fee: £0
   • Deposit protection: FSCS up to GBP 85,000
   • Legal entity: Chip Financial Wealth Ltd

   Pros

   • No monthly fee, with interest paid monthly
   • Headline rate of 4.5%, variable, with a new customer boost
   • Deposits protected by the FSCS at FSCS up to GBP 85,000
   • Support runs through email, phone and help centre

   Cons

   • Access is app only, so every step from opening to managing the balance runs in the app
   • The rate is variable, so it can move down as well as up
   • The new customer boost applies to the opening period only

2. 2. Chip

   Chip takes a high place in this ranking on a variable rate of 4.5%, which is the highest rate among the UK members here, and the lowest way in, at £1. The account is flexible, on-demand withdrawals arrive the next working day, and interest is added daily and paid monthly rather than settled at the end, which helps a balance compound. Deposits sit under FSCS up to GBP 85,000 with Chip Financial Wealth Ltd, the monthly fee is £0, and support runs on email, chat and help centre. Doutor Financas, the next member down this ranking, shows a headline rate of 39.9% on a Portuguese savings product, but asks for €1,500 to begin with and advises the money stays invested for years.

   • Headline rate: 4.5%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: £1

   Pros

   • A headline rate of 4.5%, above the lower quartile rate of 3.97% across the cash ISAs in the comparison.
   • Deposits are covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and the account is regulated in GB by the Financial Conduct Authority under licence 911255.
   • On-demand withdrawals arrive the next working day, so part of the balance can be reached without closing the account.
   • The account is flexible, so money can stay in for as long as suits instead of being tied to a notice period or a fixed term.

   Cons

   • The rate is variable, so the headline rate of 4.5% can move in either direction and no return is locked in.
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre, with no phone channel among the options, so a query has to be written down.
   • Interest is worked out each day but paid once a month, so credited interest lags what the balance has accrued.
   • Cover runs to FSCS up to GBP 85,000, so a balance above that figure would sit outside the scheme.

3. 3. Finanzguru AT

   Finanzguru AT earns a high place in this ranking on the strength of a fixed rate of 7% and a monthly fee of €0, with the balance held in the Sparbooster product. Registration is free, the Sparbooster credit becomes withdrawable from a small opening amount, and a long list of banks and providers can be connected in the same account, which suits a saver running several pots at once. Deposits sit under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 and the provider runs as dwins GmbH. The trade-off is help and flexibility: support runs on email and help centre only, and a fixed rate locks the return instead of following the base rate. Chip, ranked below it in this ranking, keeps a variable rate and adds on-demand withdrawals.

   • Headline rate: 7%
   • Rate type: Fixed
   • Deposit protection: EU DGS up to EUR 100,000

   Pros

   • Balances sit under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so the money has a named scheme behind it.
   • Registration is free without authentication, and a wide range of banks and providers can be linked into a single view.
   • The intermediary registration D-LVC7-NRKYT-67 gives readers a named German body to check and a claim to make.
   • The 7% return is well ahead of the 3.3% shown by PayPal Colombia.

   Cons

   • Support runs on email and help centre only, so a question about the savings product gets no phone answer.
   • The service is digital only, which keeps every task on screen with no counter service for readers who prefer face-to-face help.
   • On the site's headline rate table the 7% ranks at 56 of 473 brands compared, so it is competitive without sitting among the highest figures.
   • Protection stops at EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so anything above that limit needs a second home.

4. NN4. Nationale-Nederlanden life PL

   Nationale-Nederlanden life PL appears in this ranking as a long-horizon option. Accounts open fully online, deposits run by bank transfer or card, and the opening balance starts at PLN 150, one of the smallest ways in here. The return is variable, but the money is invested in a fund rather than parked as cash, so the balance moves with markets and the account suits savings that will sit for years. Deposits sit under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, the provider has traded since 1994, and support runs on email, phone and help centre. Birch Gold Group, below it in this ranking, pushes the lock-in further, with a larger opening balance and withdrawals held back until a minimum age.

   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: PLN 150
   • Deposit protection: EU DGS up to EUR 100,000

   Pros

   • The minimum deposit of PLN 150 sits well under the cash ISA median of €307.70 and the ceiling of €4,384.81.
   • IKE and IKZE open fully online, and deposits go in by bank transfer or card, so funding happens from home.
   • Support covers email, phone and help centre, and phone lines are the scarcer channel, offered by 50% of the cash ISAs listed.
   • Money held in the account is covered by the EU deposit guarantee, listed here as EU DGS up to EUR 100,000.
   • Savings go into the Nationale-Nederlanden DFE fund, so returns follow fund performance for readers who accept market-linked gains.

   Cons

   • The rate is variable, so there is no return fixed in advance to plan around, unlike AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito and Plazo ES which both run fixed rates.
   • A minimum deposit of PLN 150 places the account at 288 in the site's ranking of 370 brands on minimum deposit.
   • Savings are invested in the Nationale-Nederlanden DFE fund, so the balance carries market risk instead of sitting as cash.
   • Help runs on email, phone and help centre, and live chat is not among the listed channels.

5. 5. Moneyfarm

   Moneyfarm's place in this ranking rests on reach rather than return. A variable rate of 3.87% is the lowest among the UK cash ISAs here, but support runs on email, phone and help centre and the account takes top-ups at any time, which suits a saver drip-feeding money in. It is a flexible cash ISA, so money can come out within a set number of withdrawals or transfers a year, and deposits are held under FSCS up to GBP 85,000 by MFM Investment Ltd, with a monthly fee of £0 and a starting balance of £500. frankly.ch, the next member in this ranking, opens on a much smaller first payment through a fully digital app, but sits in another currency and another long-term wrapper.

   • Headline rate: 3.87%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: £500

   Pros

   • Deposit protection is stated as FSCS up to GBP 85,000, so there is a named scheme and a published ceiling behind eligible deposits.
   • The firm is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference 629539, a check worth making before you open any Cash ISA.
   • It is a isa account, and top ups can be made at any time, so building the balance in stages is straightforward.
   • The monthly fee is £0 and the account sits in the no monthly fee model, so nothing comes out of the balance each month.

   Cons

   • The minimum deposit is £500, above the €810.82 level that most cash ISAs listed here sit under.
   • The number of withdrawals and transfers out is capped on the isa, so the balance is not an instant access pot for money you may need soon.
   • The rate is variable, so the 3.87% headline can move down as well as up and gives no fixed return to plan around.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre only, so there is no live chat for quick questions.

6. 6. Tandem Bank: best for top-pick

   Tandem Bank takes the top pick in this ranking by pairing a variable rate of 4% with the least restrictive access in the list: round-the-clock access, unlimited withdrawals and unlimited card replacements within a tax year. Deposits sit under FSCS up to GBP 85,000, held by Tandem Bank Limited, a bank founded in 2014, and support runs on chat, email and phone, so help arrives by chat, email, phone or the help centre. The rate is the trade-off. Finanzguru AT, ranked just below, shows a higher fixed rate of 7% on a savings product that expects money to stay invested, so savers who can tie funds up earn more and instant-access holders keep the flexibility.

   • Headline rate: 4%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Deposit protection: FSCS up to GBP 85,000

   Pros

   • A isa account with access around the clock, unlimited withdrawals and unlimited replacements in the same tax year.
   • Deposit protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000, with a regulated UK bank behind the balance.
   • Help is offered across chat, email and phone, covering chat, email, phone and a help centre.
   • A variable rate of 4% that keeps tax sheltered money available for bills without a term to serve.
   • Backed by a bank founded in 2014 and based in GB, with reference 204479 at the Prudential Regulation Authority.

   Cons

   • The rate is variable, so 4% is a level the bank can change rather than a return held for a term.
   • On headline rate it ranks 142 of 473 brands. The cash ISA median across the site is 4.25%, so 4% sits under it.
   • Support is limited to chat, email and phone, so a question outside that list is not covered by the published support routes.
   • The 4% looks modest beside the 24.19% listed by Plazo ES and the 21.59% listed by AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito.

7. 7. frankly.ch

   frankly.ch takes its place in this ranking on access and cost rather than return. The rate is 0.15% variable, among the lowest here, but the first payment can be as little as CHF 1, the account runs fully digital through an app or the web, and the monthly fee is CHF 0. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so email and phone are both there when a payment needs checking. Deposits sit with the Zuercher Kantonalbank pension foundation that runs the account, which makes this a Swiss retirement wrapper rather than a UK cash ISA. Nationale-Nederlanden life PL, next in this ranking, shares that long-horizon shape with a variable rate and a small opening balance, but puts the money into a fund rather than holding it as cash.

   • Headline rate: 0.15%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: CHF 1

   Pros

   • No monthly charge: the monthly fee is CHF 0 and the model is no monthly fee
   • The minimum deposit is CHF 1, so the account opens at a token amount
   • Access is fully digital by app or web, with no minimum term attached
   • Support covers email, phone and help centre, so help is not limited to one channel
   • A variable rate of 0.15% keeps the return adjustable rather than locked

   Cons

   • The rate is 0.15%, far under the 4.5% typical of the savings accounts we track
   • The rate is variable and variable, so it can move down in the same way it can move up
   • The account is isa, which locks money away from a UK cash ISA even though the monthly fee is CHF 0
   • Access is fully digital, run through the app or the web, so anyone who prefers counter service will find the account built around screen use

8. 9. Moneybox

   Moneybox earns its place in this ranking as a plain set-and-forget pot: a UK variable rate of 4%, a monthly fee of £0 and a starting balance of £500. The condition to watch is activity rather than the headline number, since a set number of withdrawals a year leave the rate intact and a lower rate applies once the balance drops under its floor or the withdrawals pass the allowance. Deposits sit under FSCS up to GBP 85,000 with Digital Moneybox Limited behind the account. Help is the weak spot, with support running on help centre only. Moneyfarm, the member below it in this ranking, keeps a similar structure and adds phone and email support plus top-ups at any time.

   • Headline rate: 4%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: £500

   Pros

   • A monthly fee of £0 on the cash ISA, so nothing is deducted from the balance each month.
   • The money sits under FSCS up to GBP 85,000, giving the account a named deposit scheme behind it.
   • A variable headline rate of 4% AER, above the 3.3% listed for PayPal Colombia.
   • A published help centre is listed as the route for account questions, which suits readers who prefer written answers.

   Cons

   • A minimum deposit of £500 puts entry among the heavier balances in the comparison, ranking 335 of 370 brands.
   • Falling below £500 or going past the yearly withdrawal allowance moves the account onto a much lower variable rate.
   • Support runs on help centre only, while phone support appears on 79.5% of the brands compared.
   • A headline rate of 4% ranks 142 of 473 brands, so the yield is good without sitting at the top of the table.

What to look for

The rate you actually get

The median headline rate across this ranking is 4.25%, the upper quartile sits at 5.12% and the floor is 0.15%. Read the rate type as well, because a variable rate moves with the base rate while a fixed rate holds its level for its term.

Getting at the money

Access is where accounts in this list differ most. A flexible cash ISA allows withdrawals whenever you like, and every member is a cash ISA, 100%. Some accounts cap withdrawals in a year, some cut the headline rate once an allowance is passed, and some expect the money to stay put, so read the access terms before depositing a large sum.

Fees and deposit floors

Monthly fees sit at €0 here, with 100% of members in the no monthly fee group, so the opening balance is the cost that matters. The median minimum deposit is €307.70, the lower quartile starts at €1.14 and the highest floor is €4,384.81.

Protection of the deposit

Deposit protection carries the heaviest weight in this ranking, and the schemes differ. UK members name the FSCS, and members in Germany, Portugal and Poland name the EU deposit guarantee, with the limits set by the scheme rather than the provider. Check the figure that appears on your account, and check the legal entity too, since the deposit is held by the entity named in the terms.

Help when something goes wrong

Support reaches this ranking unevenly. A help centre is available for every member at 100%, phone support for 50%, email for 83.3%, live chat for 25% and community forums for 25%. An account reachable only by email is slower to sort out than one with a phone line.

Rate type and horizon

Variable rates cover 90% of the members here against 10% on fixed rates, so most returns track the base rate. Money left untouched can ride a variable rate, while money with a fixed date attached suits a locked level, and terms across the wider set of accounts we compare have a median of 12 months.

Frequently asked questions

Top cash ISAs compared by country

• Germany
• United Kingdom

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV