What EQi does

EQi is a UK-based self-service digital investment platform operated by Equiniti Financial Services Limited, a subsidiary of the Equiniti Group. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Worthing/Lancing, West Sussex, EQi serves UK DIY individual investors seeking tax-efficient, self-directed investment vehicles. Its core product suite includes a Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP, administered via Platform One), Lifetime ISA, and individual and joint Dealing Accounts, complemented by matured Child Trust Fund servicing and Sharesave (SAYE) scheme management. The underlying platform is an online self-service system providing access to investments across more than 25 global exchanges — covering equities, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, fixed income, and IPOs — with built-in educational content, investment and pension calculators, and market commentary. Customer onboarding can be completed online in approximately 10 minutes, and the business supports customers through a UK-based Customer Experience Centre and Relay UK access.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining recurring subscriptions and transactional fees. From 1 April 2026, EQi charges a tiered monthly subscription — £4.99 for accounts under £50,000 and £10.99 for accounts of £50,000 or above — which includes zero fund platform fees and a monthly free online trade for higher-tier accounts. Supplementary revenue is generated through £6.99 online dealing charges (£0.99 for regular investments and dividend reinvestments), £49 telephone dealing charges, and interest earned on GBP cash balances. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and product-led, supplemented by content marketing, an editorial partnership with DIY Investor Magazine, and PR support via Tulchan Communications/Teneo. EQi holds FCA authorisation and London Stock Exchange membership, and has no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or public listing, operating as a privately held subsidiary within the Equiniti Group.

Name

EQi

Legal name

Equiniti Financial Services Limited

Website

https://eqi.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

EQi is a UK-based self-serve digital investment platform (part of the Equiniti Group) that offers ISAs, SIPPs, Lifetime ISAs, and dealing accounts to DIY individual investors, generating revenue through tiered monthly subscriptions, per-trade commissions, and interest on cash balances.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Directed Investment Platform

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Equities Brokerage (FSAEACAH)

Keywords

• Self-directed investing
• Stocks and shares ISA
• Self-invested personal pension
• Lifetime ISA
• Online dealing account

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancing

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Subscription: EQi charges a monthly subscription fee based on total account value: £4.99 per month for accounts under £50,000, and £10.99 per month for accounts valued at £50,000 or above. The subscription includes zero fund platform fees.
2. Online Dealing Charges: Commission per trade placed online: £6.99 per online trade. Reduced fee of £0.99 for Regular Investments and Dividend Reinvestments. Telephone trades charged at £49.00.
3. Interest on Cash Balances: EQi pays interest on GBP cash balances held within accounts on a tiered rate basis, reviewed in line with Bank of England base rate changes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EQi is a self-service online investment platform for UK resident DIY investors, providing tax-efficient accounts — Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP, Lifetime ISA, Dealing Account and Child Trust Fund — through which customers buy and sell global stocks, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, fixed income and IPOs on multiple international exchanges. The firm earns revenue via a tiered monthly platform subscription (£4.99 under £50,000 / £10.99 at £50,000+), per-trade dealing commissions, and interest on client cash balances.

Product overview

EQi is a unified online investment platform offering a coordinated suite of tax-efficient and flexible investment products. The core offering centers on four main account types: Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA (with £20,000 annual allowance and flexible withdrawal capability), Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), Lifetime ISA, and Dealing Account. These products share a unified subscription pricing structure and a single dealing account system, with ISAs, SIPPs, and LISAs automatically including a dealing account. Additional products include Child Trust Funds and Joint Dealing Accounts. The platform enables investing in stocks, shares, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, and fixed income across multiple global exchanges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA UK tax-efficient Individual Savings Account allowing investment up to £20,000 per year with tax-free growth on gains and dividends; one of the few flexible ISAs on the UK market, enabling withdrawal and replacement of funds within the same tax year without affecting the annual allowance. Designed for self-directed UK resident investors.
• Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) Self-directed pension offering access to a wide range of investment options with tax advantages for retirement planning; administered via the Platform One partnership with fees inclusive of VAT; funds generally accessible from age 55. Aimed at UK investors who want more control and broader investment choice than traditional pensions.
• Lifetime ISA (LISA) Government-backed savings vehicle for UK residents aged 18–39 offering a 25% bonus on contributions up to £4,000 annually (maximum £1,000 government bonus per year). Used for first-time home purchases or as a retirement savings vehicle.
• Dealing Account Flexible, unrestricted investment account providing access to global investments across multiple exchanges. Can be held individually or jointly (up to four people on the joint variant); every ISA, SIPP or LISA on the platform automatically includes a dealing account.
• Child Trust Fund (CTF) Long-term tax-efficient savings and investment account for children whose original CTF has matured; supports continued investment or transfer to EQi with a distinct pricing structure. Targeted at parents/guardians managing matured CTFs.
• Joint Dealing Account Dealing account held jointly by up to four individuals, allowing family members or partners to invest together with the same global investment access as an individual dealing account. Application is via downloadable PDF rather than fully online.
• Sharesave (SAYE) Management Service Service for managing maturing employee Sharesave (SAYE) schemes, allowing option holders to transfer shares into an ISA for tax-free growth, exercise options to purchase shares, or take cash maturity proceeds. Targeted at employees whose SAYE scheme is administered via Equiniti.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of customers would recommend EQi
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• STAR (Simple Transfer of Assets Registry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEQi works with STAR, an initiative focused on improving the transfer of savings and investments from one financial institution to another. This partnership enables smoother and faster transfers for EQi customers transferring assets into their ISA, LISA, SIPP, or dealing account.
• DIY Investor MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEQi has partnered with DIY Investor Magazine to offer customers additional insights on DIY investing approaches. The partnership provides exclusive articles and content to help investors develop their investment strategies.
• Platform OnecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPlatform One is the SIPP provider partner for EQi's Self-Invested Personal Pension product. The SIPP is administered by Platform One, with fees inclusive of VAT.
• Tulchan Communications LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTulchan Communications LLP handles press and media enquiries for EQi, managed by Olivia Peters. Contact via [email protected] or +44(0)20 7353 4200.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IG Group: UK-listed online trading and investment platform offering shares, ETFs, ISAs, and SIPPs. Operates as a broader incumbent across multiple trading products with overlapping UK DIY investor customer base to EQi.
• Vanguard UK: UK retail investment platform from Vanguard offering low-cost ISAs, SIPPs, and fund/ETF investing. Targets the same fee-conscious DIY investor persona as EQi, but with significantly larger brand recognition and an index-fund-led proposition.
• Fidelity International (UK): Global asset manager with a large UK retail investment platform offering ISAs, SIPPs, and dealing accounts. Overlaps with EQi's product set and target market but operates at much greater scale and as part of a broader asset management franchise.
• Saxo Markets (UK): UK arm of Saxo Bank offering multi-market investment and trading platforms with access to global exchanges. Comparable to EQi's multi-exchange global investment access, though Saxo skews more toward active traders and higher-balance customers.

Direct peers

• Trading 212: Commission-free UK and European investment app offering stocks, ETFs, and ISAs to retail investors. Competes directly with EQi for the price-sensitive DIY investor segment and represents the primary fee-pressuring threat in the UK market.
• Freetrade: UK commission-free investment platform offering stocks, ETFs, and tax wrappers (ISA, SIPP) to retail investors. Operates the same product-led growth motion and DIY investor positioning as EQi, targeting similar UK self-directed customers.
• AJ Bell: UK-listed investment platform offering ISAs, SIPPs, and a Dealing Account to DIY investors. Operates a similar product-led, low-cost self-serve model as EQi and targets the same customer segments of UK retail investors seeking tax-efficient wrappers.
• Hargreaves Lansdown: The UK's largest direct-to-consumer investment platform offering ISAs, SIPPs, funds, and shares trading. Closest direct competitor to EQi in the self-directed UK DIY investing space, serving the same retail customer base with overlapping product set.
• Interactive Investor: UK flat-fee investment platform offering ISAs, SIPPs, and dealing accounts to DIY investors. Directly comparable to EQi on subscription-style pricing model and self-directed retail customer base.
• eToro (UK): Multi-asset retail brokerage operating in the UK with commission-free stock and ETF trading plus social investing features. Competes for the same UK DIY retail investor base, particularly younger and more digitally native customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EQi