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.
Your capital is at risk.
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 stand out in the UK for their comprehensive range of investment choices. For those looking to engage in share trading, both brokers provide this option. Additionally, they support trading of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, making them versatile choices for diverse portfolios. However, neither offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, which may require investors to consider additional platforms if those services are needed.
In terms of advisory services, both Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct offer assistance to clients looking to make informed investment decisions. When rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, each broker received a top score of five stars for their investment choices. However, Barclays ranks 9th out of 21 brokers in this category, while Charles Stanley Direct edges ahead at 6th place, providing a slightly higher ranking for those comparing overall offerings.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| 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 examining the trading tools offered by Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct, distinct differences emerge in their charting capabilities. Charles Stanley Direct provides a more comprehensive suite of features, including the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts. While it offers one drawing tool and 14 technical indicators, Barclays does not provide any drawing tools or technical indicators for charting. Additionally, Charles Stanley Direct allows users to add index and stock overlays to charts, a feature not available with Barclays.
Both platforms offer browser-based trading platforms and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates. However, Charles Stanley Direct enhances its offerings further with access to real-time market data, giving traders a more dynamic trading experience. In contrast, Barclays lacks some of these advanced features. Consequently, for UK investors seeking rich charting tools, Charles Stanley Direct may be the more appealing choice.
| 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 | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | 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.
Both Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, catering to the needs of UK investors who prefer managing investments on the go. While Barclays' app receives a modest rating of 2.5 out of five stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, Charles Stanley Direct fares slightly better with a rating of 3.5 stars. In terms of overall ranking among 21 brokers for mobile app performance, Barclays sits at the bottom at #21, whereas Charles Stanley Direct takes a marginally higher position at #20, suggesting a more favorable user experience with Charles Stanley Direct's app.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing educational resources for beginner investors, both Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct provide accessible options for UK users, but there are a few differences. Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct both offer education on share trading, funds, and retirement, making them suitable choices for diverse investment interests. While Charles Stanley Direct archives its educational webinars for on-demand viewing, which is ideal for learners with busy schedules, Barclays does not offer this feature. Both platforms are commendable, sharing a solid 4.5-star rating for beginner education as per UK.StockBrokers.com. However, Barclays slightly edges ahead in ranking, securing the 10th spot out of 21 brokers, while Charles Stanley Direct comes in at 12th place. These rankings indicate that either option would benefit novice investors, with specific advantages to be considered based on personal preferences for webinar accessibility.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | 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 comparing the market research features of Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct for UK investors, both platforms offer research reports for funds and the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class. Additionally, Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct provide insights and research on shares, ETFs, and funds, empowering investors with valuable information for decision-making. However, Barclays has the edge in bond research, offering this feature, whereas Charles Stanley Direct does not provide any bond research. If you're interested in CFDs, it's important to note that neither platform offers research in this area.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| 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 |
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Charles Stanley Direct
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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Barclays and Charles Stanley Direct both do not offer crypto trading, providing investors with traditional investment options rather than access to the cryptocurrency market.
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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 | |||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| 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 | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | |||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Barclays | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| 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 | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | 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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