Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays vs Charles Stanley Direct, 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 Charles Stanley Direct 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 Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £0 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.
Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct both provide a diverse range of investment choices, catering to UK investors who seek various ways to grow their financial portfolios. They each offer the ability to trade shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. For investors seeking comprehensive advice, both brokers also offer advisory services. However, neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, or contracts for difference (CFD) trading, making them more suitable for traditional investments.
Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct both receive a commendable five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com regarding their investment options. Despite this, Charles Stanley Direct edges out Barclays slightly, ranking 6th, while Barclays holds the 9th position out of 18 brokers for investment choices. This ranking may inspire potential investors to consider what each service provider can uniquely offer them within the bounds of their comprehensive yet traditional investment opportunities.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
For UK investors seeking comprehensive trading tools, Charles Stanley Direct distinguishes itself from Barclays with a range of enhanced features. Charles Stanley Direct provides the ability to add index and stock overlays to charts, offering investors insightful perspectives that Barclays lacks. Additionally, with 14 technical indicators at your disposal, compared to none offered by Barclays, Charles Stanley Direct prioritizes in-depth analysis for more informed trading decisions. Although both platforms provide browser-based trading and stock price alerts, Charles Stanley Direct further benefits from real-time market data access, a service not available with Barclays.
Both online brokers lack the option to display corporate events on charts and do not allow notes to be added, but Charles Stanley Direct edges ahead with one drawing tool available for charting, compared to none with Barclays. When evaluating these platforms for trading tools, Charles Stanley Direct appears more favorable for those seeking a richer, data-driven trading experience.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
When comparing online brokers Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct for your retirement account options in the UK, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This similarity makes both brokers appealing for investors seeking flexibility in growing their retirement savings, allowing UK residents the opportunity to benefit from tax-efficient savings. Deciding on the right broker can depend on additional features such as fees, customer support, and investment options provided by each platform, ensuring you get an account that aligns with your financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct, both offer dedicated iPhone and Android apps, catering to today's smartphone-savvy investors. However, there's a difference in user satisfaction. Barclays' app earns a 2.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, while Charles Stanley Direct receives a more favorable 3.5-star rating. Moreover, when ranked among 18 brokers, Barclays stands at #21 for their mobile offering experience, whereas Charles Stanley Direct is slightly better positioned at #20. This indicates that while both firms provide app solutions for investors on-the-go, Charles Stanley Direct appears to offer a more polished mobile experience according to user ratings and rankings.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors offered by Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct, both online brokers provide valuable information on share trading, funds, and retirement topics, making them excellent choices for those new to investing. Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct are both rated 4.5 stars for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com, which indicates a strong level of customer satisfaction. Despite this, Barclays edges ahead in the rankings, securing the 10th spot out of 18 brokers, while Charles Stanley Direct is positioned 12th. A key point of difference is that Charles Stanley Direct offers archived educational webinars for on-demand viewing, while Barclays does not provide this feature.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When it comes to market research features, both Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct provide comprehensive resources for UK investors. Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct both offer research reports for funds, allowing investors to access detailed insights. Each platform provides the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, helping users understand the composition of their investments. Both services present research on shares, ETFs, and funds, making it easy for investors to stay informed about various investment options. However, Barclays goes one step further by offering research on bonds, a feature that Charles Stanley Direct does not provide. Neither platform offers research on CFDs, but overall, both Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct equip users with the essential tools for making informed investment decisions.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Charles Stanley Direct? 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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Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
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Both Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct do not offer crypto trading, providing investors with traditional brokerage services without cryptocurrency options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Barclays | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | £10 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £57.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | £138 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | £414 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | £1,380 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | £90 - £102 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Barclays | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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