Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays vs Capital.com, 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, Capital.com offers better pricing than Barclays 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 Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays would cost £0 per year, while Capital.com would cost £20 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.
When comparing Barclays and Capital.com for online brokerage services, there are significant differences in the investment options they provide. Barclays stands out with a robust offering that includes share trading, ETF trading, funds trading, corporate and government bonds, as well as investment trusts. These options are complemented by advisor services, making Barclays a comprehensive platform for diversified investing. In contrast, Capital.com offers a more limited selection focused on share and CFD trading. Notably, neither platform provides options for crypto trading or spread betting.
In terms of recognition, Barclays receives a strong endorsement, rated 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices and is ranked 6th out of 18 brokers. Capital.com, however, is rated 2.5 stars and ranks 17th, reflecting its narrower range of investment products. For investors seeking diverse investment avenues and advisory support, Barclays appears to be the more comprehensive choice, while Capital.com may appeal to those specifically interested in share and CFD trading.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the online trading tools of Barclays and Capital.com, Clear advantages emerge for Capital.com. While both platforms offer browser-based trading and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, differences in charting capabilities are striking. Barclays offers no tools for drawing or technical analysis on charts, whereas Capital.com provides 18 drawing tools and a robust suite of 77 technical indicators. Additionally, only Capital.com allows users to add notes to their charts, enhancing traders' ability to analyze and strategize effectively.
Both platforms lack the feature to display corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on charts, and neither supports index or stock overlays. However, Capital.com offers real-time market data, giving its users an up-to-the-minute trading experience. In contrast, Barclays does not provide real-time data, which could be a crucial deciding factor for more active traders. Overall, if you're prioritizing comprehensive charting and real-time data, Capital.com stands out as the more equipped platform for in-depth market analysis.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 77 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 18 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing Barclays and Capital.com for managing your retirement accounts, Barclays emerges as the more versatile option. Barclays offers both ISA and SIPP accounts, providing a broader range of investment choices tailored for tax-efficient savings and retirement planning. In contrast, Capital.com does not offer these types of accounts, limiting their appeal for individuals focused on long-term retirement savings. If you're looking specifically for ISA and SIPP accounts, Barclays clearly stands out as the go-to choice.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both Barclays and Capital.com offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, making them accessible for traders on the go. However, when it comes to user satisfaction and performance, Capital.com's app stands out with a commendable 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 11th out of 18 brokers. In contrast, Barclays' mobile app has a lower rating of 2.5 stars and ranks 16th, indicating room for improvement. Therefore, for users prioritizing mobile trading experience, Capital.com's app offers a more robust option compared to Barclays.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to beginner investor educational resources, Barclays outshines Capital.com with a wider array of topics covered and higher ratings. While neither platform currently offers educational webinars, Barclays provides comprehensive education on share trading, funds, and retirement, unlike Capital.com, which lacks offerings in these areas. This robust educational support earns Barclays a commendable 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the 5th spot among 18 brokers for beginner education. Meanwhile, Capital.com trails behind with a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 17th. For novices seeking substantial educational resources, Barclays offers a more favorable learning environment.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Barclays and Capital.com, Barclays stands out for its comprehensive offerings. Barclays provides research reports for funds and detailed insights into portfolio allocation by asset class. It also covers a wide range of research areas including shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. In contrast, Capital.com lacks research reports for funds, and does not offer research on shares, ETFs, or bonds. However, Capital.com does offer research on CFDs and includes resources for understanding portfolio allocation by asset class. Both platforms cater to different investment needs, with Barclays leaning more towards traditional asset research, while Capital.com offers CFD-specific insights.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Barclays or Capital.com? 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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Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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| Ease of Use |
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Both Barclays and Capital.com are online brokers that do not offer crypto trading options, making them similar choices for investors not seeking cryptocurrency services.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Capital.com | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Capital.com Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Barclays | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £20 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | N/A | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | N/A | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | N/A | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | N/A | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | N/A | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Capital.com | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Barclays | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 77 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 18 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Barclays | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No | |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Barclays | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Capital.com | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Capital.com Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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