Guide
The platform fee is the easiest number to compare, but it is not the whole cost, and cost is not the only thing that matters in drawdown. This checklist covers what else to look at, with a link to the part of our comparison that shows each one. Where we do not yet hold reliable data for every provider, it says so.
Last updated 24 September 2026
In our comparison
Some platforms charge for a regular income, for each one-off withdrawal or both. Set how you plan to withdraw and the comparison adds these charges to the yearly cost.
In our comparison
If you plan to take lump sums straight from an uncrystallised pot, check the provider allows UFPLS and whether it charges for each payment. A few do.
In our comparison
Funds are often free to buy and sell, while shares, ETFs and investment trusts usually carry a charge per deal. If you trade often, this can outweigh the platform fee.
In our comparison
Some low-cost platforms only offer ETFs or their own funds. Check the platform holds the kind of investments you want before comparing its price.
In our comparison
If you do not want to pick investments, check for ready-made portfolios and the four investment pathways that providers must offer to people entering drawdown without advice. Their fund charges are extra.
In our comparison
A charge to leave matters if you might move later. Most platforms we track publish none.
Partly in our comparison
Some providers need a minimum amount before you can start drawdown. We show the minimum where the provider publishes one; for many it is not yet confirmed.
Data coming
Whether the people who inherit your pension can keep it invested and draw from it over time, rather than taking it as a lump sum. This matters more for some families from April 2027, when most unused pensions count towards the estate for inheritance tax.
Data coming
Some providers let you start drawdown, change your income and take lump sums online; others need forms or a phone call. Ask the provider how each step works.
Data coming
Drawdown pots often hold some cash for upcoming withdrawals. What interest the provider pays on it, and how much it keeps, varies.
In our comparison
Check the provider on the FCA Register, and what protection applies if it fails. Compensation does not cover investments falling in value.
Once you know which platforms fit, compare their total yearly cost for your pot and the way you plan to take money out. Our lowest-cost platforms by pot size page shows which cost least under published rules, and the full comparison ranks every platform for your own inputs. Fund charges are extra unless a provider quotes an all-in price, which we label.
Already with a provider? Our guide to switching drawdown provider safely covers the checks to make before moving.
Information only, not personal advice.
Important: The value of investments can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invest. Tax rules can change and benefits depend on individual circumstances. This is not financial advice.