Easy-Access Savings vs. Cash ISA
Both are flexible, but only one shelters your interest from tax.
If you don't yet use your full tax-free savings allowance, the difference between these two often comes down to how much interest you're likely to earn.
Trade-offs
- • The ISA has an annual contribution limit; a standard account doesn't.
- • Rates on easy-access accounts sometimes beat ISA rates outright — compare both before assuming the ISA wins.
Our take
For most people with modest savings, a standard easy-access account and a Cash ISA perform similarly after tax. The ISA becomes clearly better once your total savings interest would otherwise be taxed.
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