Compare Pensions in United Kingdom

Live offers across tracked providers in United Kingdom — updated daily from the Giraffy database.

Live offers

21 live offers compared from 21 providers, from 0% AMC. Updated daily.

InvestEngine SIPP InvestEngine

0% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0% platform fee
  • Fund Range: ETFs only
  • Min Investment: £100
  • Key Feature: Zero platform fee ETF pension
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

Vanguard SIPP UK Vanguard UK

0.15% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.15% p.a. (max £375/yr)
  • Fund Range: 75+ Vanguard index funds
  • Min Investment: £500 lump / £100/mo
  • Key Feature: Lowest-cost SIPP platform; no drawdown charge; index-only range
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

AJ Bell SIPP UK AJ Bell

0.25% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.25% p.a. (capped in drawdown)
  • Fund Range: 4,000+ funds & shares
  • Min Investment: £500 lump sum
  • Key Feature: Broad fund choice; Dodl low-cost app option; capped drawdown fee
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

Legal & General Pension Legal & General

0.25% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.25%/yr
  • Fund Range: 1000+ funds
  • Min Investment: £50/mo
  • Key Feature: Workplace & personal pension

NEST Workplace Pension UK NEST

0.30% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.3% p.a. + 1.8% on contributions
  • Fund Range: NEST Retirement Date Funds (default)
  • Min Investment: Auto-enrolment (employer set)
  • Key Feature: Government-backed auto-enrolment scheme; sharia fund available; employer match
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: Workplace Pension

Zurich Pension Zurich UK Life

0.30% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.30%/yr
  • Fund Range: 500+ funds
  • Min Investment: £50/mo
  • Key Feature: Swiss-backed reliability

Smart Pension Smart Pension

0.30% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.30%/yr
  • Fund Range: ESG default option
  • Min Investment: £10
  • Key Feature: B Corp certified

Scottish Widows Pension Scottish Widows

0.35% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.35%/yr
  • Fund Range: 400+ funds
  • Min Investment: £50/mo
  • Key Feature: Lloyds Banking Group

Charles Stanley SIPP Charles Stanley

0.35% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.35%/yr (SIPP)
  • Fund Range: 40,000+ investments
  • Min Investment: £500
  • Key Feature: London-based trusted SIPP
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

Fidelity SIPP Fidelity UK

0.35% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.35%/yr (SIPP)
  • Fund Range: 3,500+ funds
  • Min Investment: £25/mo
  • Key Feature: Fidelity's own target date funds
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

Aviva Pension UK Aviva UK

0.40% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.40% p.a.
  • Fund Range: 1,000+ funds
  • Min Investment: No minimum
  • Key Feature: Employer contributions accepted; digital dashboard; Aviva Digicare+ wellbeing

Royal London Pension Royal London

0.40% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.40%/yr
  • Fund Range: 300+ funds
  • Min Investment: £25/mo
  • Key Feature: Mutual — profit with purpose

Hargreaves Lansdown SIPP UK Hargreaves Lansdown

0.45% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.45% p.a. (capped on shares)
  • Fund Range: 3,000+ funds & investment trusts
  • Min Investment: £100 lump sum
  • Key Feature: UK's largest platform; award-winning service; extensive research tools
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

Moneybox Pension Moneybox

0.45% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.45%/yr
  • Fund Range: BlackRock ETFs
  • Min Investment: £1
  • Key Feature: Consolidate old pensions app

The People's Pension The People's Pension

0.50% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.50%/yr
  • Fund Range: Default lifestyle
  • Min Investment: £10
  • Key Feature: UK's leading master trust

Profile Pensions Profile Pensions

0.50% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.50%/yr
  • Fund Range: Personalised
  • Min Investment: £25/mo
  • Key Feature: Old pension finding service

Wealthify Pension Wealthify

0.60% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.60%/yr + fund
  • Fund Range: Managed portfolios
  • Min Investment: £50/mo
  • Key Feature: Aviva-backed robo pension

Nutmeg SIPP Nutmeg

0.75% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.75%/yr
  • Fund Range: Portfolios
  • Min Investment: £500
  • Key Feature: Fully managed SIPP
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

Moneyfarm SIPP Moneyfarm UK

0.75% AMC

  • Annual Fee: 0.75%/yr
  • Fund Range: Portfolios
  • Min Investment: £500
  • Key Feature: Human adviser included
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

Interactive Investor SIPP Interactive Investor

Price on request

  • Annual Fee: £12.99/mo flat
  • Fund Range: 40,000+ funds & shares
  • Min Investment: £25/mo
  • Key Feature: Flat fee benefits large pots
  • Tipo piano pensionistico: SIPP

PensionBee SIPP PensionBee

Price on request

What is a pension in the UK?

A pension is a long-term, tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. Most UK workers build one through a workplace pension under auto-enrolment, where employer and employee both contribute, topped up by tax relief from the government. Alongside this, many people open a personal pension or a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) to take control of where their retirement money is invested.

The headline attraction is tax relief: contributions are boosted at your marginal rate, so a basic-rate taxpayer effectively pays 80p for every £1 that goes in, and the pot grows free of UK income and capital gains tax.

How the UK pensions market works

Auto-enrolment requires most employers to enrol eligible staff and pay in, with minimum total contributions set in law. NEST, the government-backed scheme, is a common workplace default. For personal control, SIPP providers let you choose funds, shares and trusts. From age 55 (rising to 57 in 2028) you can usually access a pension, taking up to 25% tax-free and the rest as income.

The annual allowance caps tax-relieved contributions at £60,000 for most people, and the old lifetime allowance has been abolished.

Types of pension provider

SIPP platforms — Vanguard UK, AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown offer low-cost, self-directed pensions with wide fund choice.

Workplace and insurers — Aviva UK, Legal & General, Scottish Widows and Royal London run large workplace and personal schemes.

Master trusts — NEST provides simple, low-cost auto-enrolment pensions for employers of all sizes.

How to choose the right pension

For most employed people, the workplace pension comes first, never turn down the employer contribution, it is effectively free money. For extra saving or consolidating old pots, compare platform charges, fund choice and drawdown options. Watch the ongoing platform fee, the fund charges, and whether flexible drawdown is offered at retirement. Consolidating scattered pots can cut costs and simplify management.

What it costs

Pension platform and fund costs typically range from around 0% on the cheapest index-based SIPPs to roughly 0.75% once platform and active-fund fees combine. Over a 40-year working life, even small differences in annual charges compound into large sums, so cost control is central to the eventual pot size.

Protections and regulation

Personal pensions and SIPPs are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), while workplace schemes are overseen by The Pensions Regulator (TPR). FSCS protection can apply up to £85,000 for FCA-regulated SIPP providers, and up to 100% with no cap for insured pension products, depending on the structure. Pension scams are a known risk, always check a firm is on the FCA register before transferring.

Common questions

SIPP or workplace pension? Use the workplace pension for the employer match first; add a SIPP for control and extra contributions.

Can I combine old pensions? Usually yes, but check for exit penalties or valuable guarantees before transferring.

When can I access it? Normally from age 55, rising to 57 in 2028, with 25% typically tax-free.

What happens to my pension if I die? Pensions usually sit outside your estate for inheritance tax and can pass to nominated beneficiaries, so keeping your expression-of-wish form up to date matters.

Higher-rate tax relief? Higher and additional-rate taxpayers can claim extra relief through self-assessment on top of the basic relief added automatically.

Pensions in United Kingdom — FAQ

What is the best pension or retirement savings account in United Kingdom?

Giraffy tracks 5 pension and retirement savings products across InvestEngine,Vanguard UK,AJ Bell,Legal & General,NEST providers in United Kingdom. Compare by Annual Management Charge (AMC) and investment fund range to find the best fit for your retirement timeline.

What is a SIPP and how is it different from a workplace pension?

A Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) gives you control over your investment choices from a wide range of funds, shares, and assets. A workplace pension is set up by your employer — contributions may be matched, and the investment range is more limited. You can have both simultaneously.

How much should I save for retirement?

A common benchmark is to aim for a retirement income of about 60–80% of your pre-retirement earnings. As a savings target, contributing 15% of your gross income from your mid-20s — including employer contributions — is a widely cited starting point. Pension calculators help model your specific situation.

When can I access my pension or retirement savings?

Retirement savings access ages vary by country and account type. In the UK, pension access starts at age 55 (rising to 57 in 2028). Australia allows access to super from preservation age (currently 60). Check your local rules — early withdrawal penalties and tax consequences can be severe.

What are pension charges and how do they affect my pot?

The Annual Management Charge (AMC) is the ongoing fee on your pension fund — typically 0.1–0.75% per year of your pot's value. On a £100,000 pot, a 0.5% AMC costs £500/year and compounds over time. Over 30 years, a 0.5% difference in charges can reduce your final pot by tens of thousands of pounds.

What is automatic enrolment and do I qualify?

Automatic enrolment means eligible workers are enrolled into a workplace pension without having to opt in — the UK, Australia, Ireland, and several other markets operate similar mandatory or auto-enrolment systems. Employer contributions are effectively 'free money', so opting out generally costs you significantly over time.