Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Stanley Direct vs Barclays, 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 - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year, while Barclays would cost £105 per year.
12 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year.
36 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year.
120 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £0 per year, while Barclays 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.
When it comes to investment choices, both Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays offer an extensive range of options for their customers. Both platforms allow individuals to trade shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, catering to a broad spectrum of investment strategies. However, neither provides options for more speculative investments such as cryptocurrency trading, spread betting, or CFD trading. This clear focus on traditional investment products might appeal to those looking for stability and security in their trading activities.
Despite similarities in their offerings, there are differences in rankings and ratings. Both Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays have earned a perfect 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for their investment choices, signaling high customer satisfaction and robust offerings. However, Barclays stands out with a ranking of #6 out of 18 brokers for investment choices, while Charles Stanley Direct's exact rank isn't listed. Both platforms also offer advisor services, which can be beneficial for those seeking professional guidance in their investment journey.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| 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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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When it comes to trading tools, Charles Stanley Direct provides a more robust package compared to Barclays. Charles Stanley Direct offers a solitary drawing tool and 14 technical indicators, which outperform Barclays’ offerings, as Barclays does not provide any drawing tools or technical indicators. Additionally, Charles Stanley Direct allows users to enhance their charting experience with the ability to add index and stock overlays, unlike Barclays which lacks these features. Both platforms, however, fall short in displaying corporate events on charts and do not offer the option to add notes to charts.
Both Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays offer browser-based trading platforms and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates. Nevertheless, for those in need of real-time market data, Charles Stanley Direct stands out, as Barclays does not provide this feature. For individuals prioritizing comprehensive charting capabilities and real-time data, Charles Stanley Direct is the more suitable option between the two brokers.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing Charles Stanley Direct to Barclays for online retirement account options, both brokers provide access to Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This makes either choice suitable for individuals looking to manage their retirement savings with flexibility and tax efficiency. Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays offer these popular account types, ensuring that investors can select the provider that best aligns with their personal financial goals. By choosing either, you can enjoy the benefits of a tax-efficient savings account and control over your retirement planning.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays, both brokers offer apps on iPhone and Android devices. Charles Stanley Direct earns a 3.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, suggesting a more favorable user experience compared to Barclays, which holds a 2.5-star rating. While Charles Stanley Direct's precise ranking among 18 brokers for mobile apps is not available, Barclays stands at 16th place, indicating there may be more competitive options in the market. For everyday investors seeking user-friendly mobile platforms, these ratings and rankings can be key factors in making an informed decision.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner investors, both Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays offer comprehensive education on share trading, funds, and retirement. However, Charles Stanley Direct stands out by providing archived webinars that clients can watch on demand, whereas Barclays does not offer webinars in any format. Both platforms are rated 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education, indicating a high level of satisfaction among users. Despite this, Barclays holds a notable rank of #5 among 18 brokers, although Charles Stanley Direct's specific ranking isn't available.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays, both online brokers offer a range of research tools. They provide comprehensive research reports for funds and share insights, including the ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class. Both platforms deliver research on shares, ETFs, and funds, ensuring you have ample information for investment decisions. However, neither broker provides research for CFDs. A notable difference is that Barclays stands out by offering bonds research, a feature not available through Charles Stanley Direct.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Charles Stanley Direct or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Charles Stanley Direct to be a better trading platform overall.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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Both Charles Stanley Direct and Barclays do not offer crypto trading, making them comparable for investors seeking platforms without cryptocurrency options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 - £10 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £10 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £10 | £6 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £57.50 | £105 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £138 | £75 or £147 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £414 | £75 or £291 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,380 | £75 or £795 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £90 - £102 | £75 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £60 - £600 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £600 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £600 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £600 | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £25 | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £25 | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £10 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £10 | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 minimum | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Education |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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