Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays vs Bestinvest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, Barclays offers better pricing than Bestinvest for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - Barclays would cost £105 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £144.75 per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £119.40 - £179.40 per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £238.20 - £357.60 per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £654 - £714 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays would cost £0 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £50 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
For UK investors exploring online brokers, both Barclays and Bestinvest offer a variety of investment options. Barclays allows trading in shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, and it offers advisor services. On the other hand, Bestinvest provides the ability to trade shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. It also offers advisor services but does not support trading in corporate or government bonds. Notably, both brokers do not offer crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading.
When rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays received 5 stars for its investment choices, placing it 9th out of 21 brokers, reflecting its diverse offerings. Bestinvest, while slightly behind, earned a respectable 4.5 stars and holds the 10th spot in the same ranking. These ratings show that both platforms are well-suited for investors seeking a range of investment opportunities, with Barclays having a slight edge in available bond trading.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tool features of Barclays and Bestinvest, both lack the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts. Barclays, however, provides a more basic experience with no drawing tools, technical indicators, or options to add notes to charts, offering a straightforward browser-based trading platform. In contrast, Bestinvest enhances the user experience with nine drawing tools and 36 technical indicators, along with the ability to add notes to charts, catering to users who appreciate more detailed chart analysis.
Both Barclays and Bestinvest offer browser-based trading platforms and the capability to set alerts for stock price updates. Although neither provides real-time market data, Bestinvest stands out with its added functionality to overlay stock information on charts—something Barclays does not offer. If you seek a feature-rich charting experience, Bestinvest might align more closely with your trading needs.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers Barclays and Bestinvest, both offer appealing options for UK residents considering retirement and savings accounts. Barclays provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), allowing investors to save efficiently with tax advantages. Similarly, Bestinvest offers ISAs and SIPPs, making it a strong contender for those seeking a flexible and tax-efficient approach to savings and retirement planning. With both brokers supporting these popular account types, UK investors have the freedom to choose based on other factors such as customer service and additional features to best suit their investment goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing online brokers Barclays and Bestinvest for UK investors looking for mobile trading convenience, both firms offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. However, in terms of user experience as rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, Bestinvest's mobile app outshines Barclays with a rating of 3.5 stars compared to Barclays' 2.5 stars. Additionally, Barclays lands at the bottom of the rankings at 21st place among 21 brokers for its mobile app, while Bestinvest sits higher at 16th. This indicates that while both offer the essential tools for trading on-the-go, Bestinvest provides a more user-friendly mobile experience according to these ratings.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors seeking educational resources from online brokers, both Barclays and Bestinvest offer information on share trading, funds, and retirement. However, Bestinvest stands out by providing live educational webinars, which are also archived for on-demand viewing—a feature Barclays doesn't offer. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Bestinvest earns a higher overall rating of 5 stars compared to Barclays' 4.5 stars. In a ranking of 21 brokers for the quality of beginner education, Bestinvest holds the 6th position, while Barclays comes in at 10th place, suggesting Bestinvest may be the more comprehensive choice for those new to investing.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When evaluating the market research features of Barclays and Bestinvest for UK investors, both online brokers offer comprehensive research reports for shares, ETFs, and funds, making them equally suitable for those interested in these investment products. They also both allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, aiding in informed decision-making. However, Barclays stands out with the inclusion of bonds research, providing an edge for investors who prioritize access to this information, whereas Bestinvest does not offer this feature. Neither broker provides research on CFDs, so investors must seek alternative sources for this particular asset class.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Barclays or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Barclays to be a better trading platform overall.
Barclays Smart Investor offers a wide range of investments and accounts and is a good value for those with a midsize portolio who like flat fees. On the downside, it can be complicated to open an account as a non-Barclays bank customer, and you can’t buy or sell investments through the app if you don’t have a Barclays bank account.
| Feature |
Barclays
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Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
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Both Barclays and Bestinvest do not offer crypto trading, making them similar options for investors who are not seeking cryptocurrency investment opportunities.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £144.75 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | £119.40 - £179.40 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | £238.20 - £357.60 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | £654 - £714 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | £60 or £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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