Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays vs Halifax, 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 Halifax 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 Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays would cost £0 per year, while Halifax 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 options, both Barclays and Halifax offer a variety of choices for UK investors. Barclays stands out by allowing share trading, a feature not available with Halifax. Both brokers support trading of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. Although neither offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, they both provide advisor services to help guide your investment decisions.
In terms of customer ratings, UK.StockBrokers.com awarded both Barclays and Halifax a notable five-star rating for their range of investment choices. However, there's a slight difference in ranking, with Halifax being placed slightly ahead at 7th out of 18 brokers, compared to Barclays at 9th. Whether you choose Barclays for its share trading option or Halifax for its slightly higher ranking, both platforms ensure a solid array of investment avenues for your portfolio.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| 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.
When comparing the trading tools available through Barclays and Halifax, both online brokers offer certain conveniences, such as browser-based trading platforms and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates. However, there are notable similarities in their limitations. Neither platform provides charting features that display corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends. Furthermore, both Barclays and Halifax lack any drawing tools or technical indicators on their charts, making them less appealing for traders who rely heavily on visual data analysis.
Additionally, users of both Barclays and Halifax cannot add notes, index overlays, or stock overlays to their charts, which might limit the analytical capabilities traders often seek. Moreover, real-time market data is not available from either broker, which might be a critical factor for those needing up-to-the-minute information. Overall, while they cover some basics like stock alerts, both platforms fall short in offering more advanced charting and data features.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing Barclays and Halifax for retirement accounts, both financial institutions offer options for Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering to UK investors looking to plan for their future. Barclays provides investors with a user-friendly platform to manage both ISAs and SIPPs, while Halifax also delivers comprehensive options for those interested in ISAs and SIPPs, making it easy to tailor retirement savings. Both brokers enable account holders to invest and save, accommodating various preferences and financial goals. Whether you choose Barclays or Halifax, you can expect to find straightforward investment solutions to help you secure your retirement.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors considering online trading platforms with strong mobile options, both Barclays and Halifax offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. When it comes to user ratings, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Barclays' mobile app at 2.5 stars out of five, while Halifax receives a slightly higher rating of 3.5 stars. In a ranking of mobile app performance among 18 brokers, Barclays holds the 21st spot, whereas Halifax is positioned at 18th. These insights might guide users in selecting a platform that best suits their on-the-go trading needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors offered by Barclays and Halifax, Barclays holds a distinct advantage. While neither Barclays nor Halifax host live or archived webinars for educational purposes, Barclays does offer resources for learning about share trading, funds, and retirement. In contrast, Halifax lacks educational materials on these topics. Consequently, when evaluated by UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays earns a higher rating of 4.5 stars for beginner education and ranks 10th out of 18 brokers, whereas Halifax receives 3.5 stars and ranks last at 18th. For UK investors starting their financial education journey, Barclays seems to provide more comprehensive resources than Halifax.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features between Barclays and Halifax, UK investors might find notable differences. Barclays provides research reports for funds, an advantage over Halifax, which does not offer this feature. Additionally, Barclays allows users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, a useful tool Halifax lacks. Both brokers offer research on shares, ETFs, and funds, making them equally informative in these areas. However, neither provides research on CFDs. Barclays and Halifax both support bonds research, ensuring investors have access to information regarding these financial instruments. Overall, Barclays seems to offer a slightly more comprehensive suite of market research tools compared to Halifax.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Barclays or Halifax? 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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Halifax
|
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| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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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 Barclays and Halifax online brokers do not offer cryptocurrency trading, providing traditional investment options without access to crypto markets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Halifax | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | £9.50 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £83.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | £150 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | £378 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | £1,176 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | £64.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Barclays | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Barclays | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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