Cash ISAs are savings accounts you'll never pay tax on. Just like a normal savings account, you can get cash ISAs that are easy access or fixed term. Use our comparison table to see what rates they offer and read our guide below to find out if they're worth it.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) guarantees that it will step in to compensate the first £85,000 (£170,000 for a joint account) you have saved with a UK-authorised bank, building society or credit union in the event that the business goes bust.
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ISA stands for individual savings account. While there are several different types of ISA, the cash version is a savings account where you don’t pay tax on the interest you earn. It’s that simple! Everything you can do with a normal savings account you can do with a cash ISA. The tax-free bit is the only real difference.
With normal savings accounts, you get taxed on interest you earn beyond your annual personal savings allowance. A cash ISA lets you keep 100% of the interest, which is why it’s been popular.
One other difference to consider is that the top rates on standard savings accounts tend to be a bit higher than cash ISA rates. But the tax-free perks of an ISA might outweigh the extra interest you could earn (and potentially be taxed on) from a normal account.
Any person over 18 in the UK can open and put £20,000 into a cash ISA each tax year. Once your money is in a cash ISA, it remains tax-free every year. If you were born between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2008, you can open one cash ISA before you turn 18.
Generally, the best ISA has the highest interest rate. However, there are different types of cash ISAs, and the best one for you will depend on whether you need quick access to your money or not:
But it also doesn’t have to be a choice between one or the other, especially after the rules changed in April 2024 so that you can now open multiple cash ISAs in a year.
Another thing to consider is when the interest is paid: most pay annually but some pay monthly which might be a deciding factor when you’re shopping around.
Most cash ISAs are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which means all deposits up to £85,000 per person per provider are guaranteed by the government if the provider were to go bust.
3.8 million stocks and shares ISAs and 7.9 million cash ISAs were subscribed to in the 2022/2023 financial year, according to the latest data. During the 2024/25 tax year, a quarter of Brits plan to open at least one ISA, according to a Finder survey.
In 2016, the popularity of ISAs took a knock, and the number of people opening one dropped. That was at least in part due to the personal savings allowance. When savings rates don’t keep pace with inflation, that can also deter people from saving.
Thanks to a rule change in April 2016, every year basic-rate taxpayers don’t have to pay any tax on the first £1,000 of interest earned in banks or building societies. This is known as the personal savings allowance (PSA), and it has encroached on what used to be the territory of the cash ISA.
Higher-rate taxpayers have a lower annual limit of £500, while additional taxpayers are not to entitled to any allowance at all.
You’d be hard-pressed to find any cash ISAs that can beat inflation. During any period of high inflation, it’s incredibly difficult to protect your nest egg, as inflation erodes the value of your savings.
Generally speaking, when interest rates are lower than inflation, people tend to save less and borrow and spend more. Let’s clarify this with an example:
Let’s say inflation is running at 5%. This means a basket of shopping that costs £100 now will cost £105 in a year’s time.
Now, imagine you’ve also got £100 in a cash ISA paying 2%. That £100 will be only £102 next year, so your savings aren’t keeping up with the pace of inflation.
If you want to move your cash ISA to a new provider, you need to get in touch with the company you would like to move to and fill in a transfer form. It will then contact your old provider and manage the transfer on your behalf. Cash ISA transfers should take no longer than 15 days.
It’s important to let your provider manage the transfer rather than withdrawing the money and moving it yourself. If the ISA funds are transferred then they will retain their tax-free benefits. Transfers don’t count towards your ISA allowance either.
Bear in mind that some providers have restrictions on transfers, so make sure you read the small print.
Even though you can typically find better rates in different savings accounts and current accounts, ISAs still have their benefits.
Cash ISAs tend to pay lower rates compared to standard savings accounts, but if you’ve got a lot of savings, they might end up saving you money in tax.”
Our best cash ISAs are the highest interest rates available. To get the latest rates, we use Moneyfacts data, which covers nearly the full market of savings products and is checked and updated daily. We don’t include accounts from private banks.
All the cash ISAs in our list have savings protection – for most, this is the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Other schemes include that of NS&I, which is 100% backed by HM Treasury, and the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme.
| Number of accounts | 590 |
|---|---|
| Cash ISA types include | Easy access, fixed-rate, notice |
| Best easy access cash ISA rate | 5.71% |
| Best fixed-rate cash ISA rate | 4.35% |
| Fixed-rate cash ISA terms | 12 months - 7 years |
| Best notice cash ISA rate | 4.5% |
| Minimum investment | £1 |
| Maximum investment | £150,000 |
| Opening options | Branch, website, mobile app, post, telephone |
Saving is always a wise idea, but not having to worry about paying tax on the interest you earn can certainly give cash ISAs the edge over standard savings accounts.
Choice isn’t limited as there are plenty of cash ISAs to choose from, from easy-access to fixed-rate accounts. Plus, savers have now been given the freedom to save into multiple cash ISAs in a year, so you can mix and match rather than choosing between them.
But if you’ve got a long-term goal and are happy tying up your money for at least 5 years, you might want to take a punt on a stocks and shares ISA, with the risk that goes with that.
It’s definitely worth looking at other savings options as well before you decide where to put your money away.
And before you open an account, take a look at the bank’s reviews — a high interest rate is all well and good but if the company’s customer service is poor then you might want to give it a wide berth.
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