Compare the best cash ISAs which could help you earn returns as interest on money you save. Check for ISA interest rates that beat both inflation and the Bank of England base rate so you know the money you save really is growing.
| Best Cash ISAs | Description | Rate | Rate vs Current Inflation | Rate vs Bank of England Base | Security | Get Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Plum |
Earn 5.06% with 3.79% + a 1.27% bonus for 12mths | 5.06% | 2.56% (2.5%) |
0.31% (4.75%) |
FSCS protection up to £85,000, split between Lloyds Bank and Citibank with the Plum cash ISA product | Open Account |
| Now the best rate on the market 5.06% for January 2025 the plum cash ISA includes a rate of 3.79% plus an increased 12 month 1.27% bonus rate. The minimum deposit is a competitive £1, but rate penalties apply if your balance falls below £100. Withdrawals limited to 3 over any 12 month period, additional withdrawals beyond three, or your savings balance dropping below £100, will mean your interest rate will drop. 18+ U.K. residents only. | ||||||
 Moneybox |
Earn 5.00%, open with as little as £500, limited to 3 withdrawals every 12 months. | 5.00% | 2.5% (2.5%) |
0.25% (4.75%) |
FSCS protection up to £85,000, FCA regulated and biometric account protections | Open Account |
| The moneybox cash ISA offers a competitive rate of 5.00%. The rate includes a bonus 0.55% added to the rate for first 12 months which will drop. The minimum deposit is also much higher at £500, rate penalties apply if your balance falls below. Withdrawals limited to 3 over any 12 month period. 18+ U.K. residents only. | ||||||
 Trading212 |
Trading 212 offers an easy access cash ISA with an unbeatable rate, access money anytime and earn interest daily. | 4.90% | 2.40% (2.5%) |
0.15% (4.75%) |
FCA regulated and FSCS protected up to £85,000. Open within minutes with a deposit from £1. | Open Account |
| Trading 212 dropped the interest rate on their cash ISA from 5.17% to 4.9% on 1st December 2024, however 4.9% is still a fantastic interest rate for an instant access cash ISA account. Save in different currencies including; EUR, USD, CHF, HUF, PLN, CZK, RON, DKK and more. 18+ U.K. residents only. | ||||||
 Chip |
Savings and investments in one place aiming to grow your wealth | 4.85% | 2.35% (2.5%) |
0.1% (4.75%) |
Shared FSCS protections with ClearBank up to £85,000 protection. FCA regulated | Create Account |
| Get 4.85% on your savings with the Chip cash ISA. Use ISA6BOOST Chip’s cash ISA earns you tax free interest, withdraw without impacting your allowance. ISA transfers are allowed with Chip. You can open an account in minutes and save up to £20,000 in your ISA. Interest paid monthly. 18+ U.K. residents only. |
||||||
 Moneyfarm |
Moneyfarm offers an flexi-access cash ISA where you can make up to 3 withdrawals per year with no interest penalty and interest is calculated daily. | 4.58% | 2.08% (2.5%) |
0.17% (4.75%) |
FCA regulated and FSCS protected up to £85,000. Minimum deposits from £500. | Open Account |
| Moneyfarm have just launched a cash ISA product. Available from January 2025, the cash ISA offers, a competitive rate of 4.58% for the first year, up to 3 withdrawals per year without interest penalties, subsequent rates of 4.38% per year and free ISA transfers to the product. Moneyfarm is FCA regulated and offer FSCS protection on balances up to £85,000. Open and manage your ISA by the app. | ||||||
 Virgin Money |
Virgin Money’s Defined Access Cash E-ISA gives you 4.51% return | 4.51% | 2.01% (2.5%) |
-0.24% (4.75%) |
FSCS protection Online and app access | Create Account |
| Virgin Money have a separate banking licence protecting your deposit up to £85,000. Virgin Money has recently been acquired by Nationwide, so this may change, but there’s no specific plans to merge the two providers. Interest rates are subject to change. Withdrawals can be taken at any time but you cannot put money in after 30 days. You’re limited to up to 3 withdrawals after which the interest rate drops to 1.25%. Open your account online or in Virgin Money branches. 18+ U.K. residents only | ||||||
 Paragon Bank |
Double access ISA account limited to 2 withdrawals per year. | 4.30% | 1.80% (2.5%) |
-0.45% (4.75%) |
Fraud alerts, nominated bank account for withdrawals, FSCS, FCA | Create Account |
| FCA regulated and FSCS deposit protections with a competitive interest rate make the Paragon bank double access cash ISA an attractive option if you’re willing to lock your money away for around 12 months and limit withdrawals. 18+ U.K. residents only. | ||||||
 Post Office |
Post Office online ISA offers 4.10% return on savings | 4.10% | 1.60% (2.5%) |
-0.65% (4.75%) |
FCA regulated, FSCS protections, Secure two factor logins and biometric security | Create Account |
| Open your easy access Post Office ISA with just £100 (£500 for the fixed rate account). After 12 months the interest rate declines. Post Office ISA accepts transfers in. This account can only be opened and managed online. Make unlimited withdrawals but you’ll lose your tax free allowance. Minimum withdrawal of £10, minimum ISA balance is £1. FSCS protection up to £85,000 split between; Bank of Ireland UK, Post Office and AA Savings balance. 18+ U.K. residents only | ||||||
Updated on 22/01/2025
Cash ISAs are a fantastic way to save money for a short term period and earn a consistent interest rate on your balance.
What should you consider when choosing a cash ISA?
Consider what you value most before you choose a cash ISA product to save into. Here are some of the most important considerations when choosing a savings product:
Cash ISAs can be the perfect option if:
- you want a guaranteed rate of return on your savings
- you need access to your money (although some accounts are “fixed” or limit withdrawals)
- you have a savings balance of up to £20,000 to save
- you haven’t yet used your £20,000 ISA allowance this financial year (2024 – 25 financial year 06th April 2024 – 05th April 2025).
You may prefer an alternative product type, like an investment account or stocks and shares ISA if:
- you’re willing to risk short to medium term losses for longer term growth
- you’re unlikely to need the money soon
- you’ve already used your ISA allowance but have more money to save or invest (a general investment account could work here)
- you’re looking for greater returns than cash ISAs can offer
- you’ve already paid your entire £20,000 allowance into either a cash ISA or a stocks and shares ISA this financial year.
It isn’t just about getting the best cash ISA savings rate but also about:
- access to withdraw your money when you need to
- how you can use, pay into, withdraw from and manage your account (online has largely replaced in-branch account options).
- beating the rate of inflation (if you can) because inflation erodes the value of your money if you’re saving at or below this rate you’re technically losing money
- the base rate of interest, if you have a tracker mortgage or are borrowing money, you may be better off putting the money towards paying down your debts.
Cash ISAs Compared
Generally, cash ISA savings products are designed to help you earn interest on the money you deposit while offering access to the money you have saved when you need it.
Cash ISAs that allow unrestricted access to your money are called easy access or instant access ISAs.
Other types of cash ISA can reward you, often with higher interest rates (and therefore better returns on the balance you deposit, but not always!), when you agree to lock your money away for fixed period of time.
These types of ISAs are called fixed rate cash ISAs.
Popular terms available for fixed rate cash ISAs include:
| Term | Interest Rate | Number of Years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 4.30% | Money locked away for 1 year |
| 2 years | 4.55% | Money locked away for 2 years |
| 3 years | 4.75% | Money locked away for 3 years |
| 5 years | 5.00% | Money locked away for 5 years |
For example, if you’re solely interested in earning the best interest rate and don’t need the money for at least 12 months, you can factor in fixed rate cash ISA savings into your comparison.
Sometimes, the rate of return you’ll get for locking money away can be higher if you agree to a longer term of no or restricted access to your deposit.
Our table, for example purposes only, details how a provider might incentivise longer fixed term cash ISA deposits with higher rates for longer terms.
If you may need the money soon, then choosing an account which doesn’t limit your withdrawals and doesn’t issue interest penalties for making a withdrawal would best suit you.
How to use our Cash ISA comparison table
We’ve picked some of the best ISA providers who offer Cash ISA savings options and consolidated details of their products into our table.
We’ve included essential details like:
- the interest rate you can earn on your money
- the current rate of inflation (which is the rate at which your savings are eroded by continually rising prices)
- the Bank of England base rate of interest (which can affect the cost of borrowing, like your mortgage or loans)
- Security, FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) and FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) regulation and protections
- Minimum account deposits, withdrawal limits, access types and any other information
The Best ISA Rate?
Right now, the best cash ISA rate isn’t a fixed account, but an easy access account provided by the fintech provider plum.
The account offers an interest rate of 5.06% on balances you deposit, accepts transfers of existing ISAs in but the account limits your withdrawals to up to 3 over a 12 month period.
The rate is made up of a 3.79% base interest rate, with a bonus 1.27% added to your interest rate for the first 12 months of opening your account.
Be warned, the rate won’t last beyond 12 months and is available to new customers only. Also, the rate will drop to just 2.50% if you withdraw more than 3 times from the account or your savings balance drops below £100.
Another consideration before choosing Plum for your cash ISA, is the shared FSCS protections the account has. If you hold savings or current accounts with Lloyds Bank or Citibank, the £85,000 FSCS protection offered by Plum may be split across all three accounts, so in the event of these banks failing you could lose money.
You can open the account within a few minutes using the plum app.
| Best Cash ISAs | Rate | Rate vs Current Inflation | Rate vs Bank of England Base | Get Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Plum | 5.06% | 2.56% (2.5%) | 0.31% (4.75%) | Open Account |
 Moneybox | 5.00% | 2.5% (2.5%) | 0.25% (4.75%) | Open Account |
 Trading212 | 4.90% | 2.40% (2.5%) | 0.15% (4.75%) | Open Account |
 Chip | 4.85% | 2.35% (2.5%) | 0.1% (4.75%) | Create Account |
Moneyfarm | 4.58% | 2.08% (2.5%) | -0.17% (4.75%) | Open Account |
 Virgin Money | 4.51% | 2.01% (2.5%) | -0.24% (4.75%) | Create Account |
 Paragon Bank | 4.30% | 1.8% (2.5%) | -0.45% (4.75%) | Create Account |
 Post Office | 4.10% | 1.60% (2.5%) | -0.65% (4.75%) | Create Account |
Other ISA Facts
Remember:
- you must be a UK resident to open an ISA
- you’ll need to prove your identity
- you’ll need to provide your National Insurance Number
- you have a maximum of £20,000 to contribute to an ISA each financial year
- FSCS protections are limited up to £85,000 but can be shared between banks, check the details of your new account provider carefully if you’re:
- exceeding £85,000
- you already have deposits invested in another account with them
- they share a banking licence with another provider or bank
Cash ISA FAQs
Where are the high street banks in your comparison table?
We don’t tend to include ISA rates from high street banks like Lloyds, Halifax or Nationwide because their rates are simply just too low.
For example, the Nationwide Fixed Rate Cash ISA pays only 4.10% and applies interest rate penalties if you withdraw your money early before the fixed term ends.
The Lloyds cash ISA rates currently top out at 3.95%.