What does Octopus Money Direct offer?
Octopus Money Direct is the new stocks and shares Isa provider from Octopus Money, which has taken over what used to be Virgin Money.
It offers a range of products, including current accounts, savings, insurance, and a stocks and shares Isa.
You can start investing with Octopus Money Direct with a £100 lump sum or a £25 regular monthly payment.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular T&Cs of an investment platform before committing to any financial products.
Does Octopus Money Direct offer the best stocks and shares Isa?
Octopus Money Direct
Octopus Money Direct (formerly Virgin Money) received below-average scores from customers (61%) and from us for its fees (51%) and choice of assets (0%).
Annual fees
- Cost for £5,000 portfolio£15
- Cost for £25,000 portfolio£75
- Cost for £50,000 portfolio£150
- Cost for £250,000 portfolio£750
What assets does Octopus Money Direct offer?
- Investment trusts:Four (plus another four not open to new investors)
How much does Octopus Money Direct cost?
Annual platform charge:
- 0.3% of the value of your investments
Trading charges:
Find out how these fees compare with other stocks and shares Isas.
‘Simple, but surprisingly expensive’
Megan Thomas, Which? investments writer, says:
There are just four options to invest in if you open an account with Octopus Money Direct, so this isn’t a suitable option if you want to choose your own strategy.
If you’re overwhelmed by investing, this approach might suit you better. You can pick from Cautious, Balanced and Adventurous portfolios.
You’ll pay the 0.3% account charge, as well as 0.45% to manage the investments (if you invested elsewhere, you’d pay this to whatever fund you invested in).
The charges are straightforward, but they’re not the cheapest, especially if you have £25,000 or more to invest.
What do customers say about Octopus Money Direct?
Octopus Money Direct customers scored it 61%, the second lowest score of any platform in our survey.
Comments from customers who took part in our survey include:
- ‘Easy-to-use site, clear, transparent info regarding management charges. Good information also regarding major changes, for example now Octopus Money rather than Virgin Money.’
- ‘The service is bare minimum, the software and application are outdated.’
- ‘There isn’t a great deal to do. I can log into my account and see how my investment is doing, and I receive income into my bank account as and when it’s due.’
Octopus Money Direct customer scores in more detail
These results are based on a January 2026 online survey of 3,053 adults – members of the Which? Connect panel and members of the public – who told us about 4,146 experiences with stocks and shares Isas. Octopus Money Direct results based on a sample size of 38.
Is Octopus Money Direct safe?
Octopus Money Direct is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
If Octopus Money Direct went bust and its other arrangements to protect your money failed, the FSCS will cover up to £85,000 of investments per person, per platform. You can claim for free online at fscs.org.uk: there’s no reason to use a claims management company.
- Find out more: Are your investments protected?