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.
Barclays and Halifax are two prominent online brokers in the UK, each providing a range of investment options tailored to different needs. Barclays allows users to engage in share trading, making it a favored platform for those interested in buying and selling stocks directly. Both brokers support the trading of ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, providing a variety of choices for investors looking for diverse financial products. However, neither Barclays nor Halifax offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading. Their mutual lack in these areas might influence individuals seeking more modern or high-risk investment avenues.
Advisor services are available with both Barclays and Halifax, assisting investors in making informed financial decisions. Each broker has received a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for their range of investment choices, though their rankings differ slightly, with Halifax positioned at #7 and Barclays at #9 out of 21 brokers. This ranking suggests that while they offer similar investment products, Halifax may hold a slight edge in overall investor satisfaction. Ultimately, both brokers provide comprehensive options that cater to traditional investment strategies, but the choice for investors can rest on other criteria, personal preferences, or specific financial goals.
| 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 seeking a user-friendly mobile trading experience, both Barclays and Halifax offer mobile apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. However, when it comes to app quality, Halifax slightly outperforms Barclays. Rated at 3.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com, Halifax's mobile app offers a competitive edge over Barclays, which receives a 2.5-star rating. Furthermore, out of 21 online brokers assessed for their mobile app offerings, Halifax ranks 18th, while Barclays trails at the 21st position. Whether prioritizing app functionality or ease of use, these rankings provide valuable insights for prospective users in choosing a preferred online brokerage.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginner investors, Barclays stands out against Halifax. While neither Barclays nor Halifax host educational client webinars or offer on-demand access, Barclays provides comprehensive educational content on share trading, funds, and retirement, areas where Halifax lacks coverage. This depth of content likely contributes to Barclays receiving a higher beginner education rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking it 10th among 21 brokers. In contrast, Halifax is rated 3.5 stars and ranked 18th, making Barclays a more appealing choice for novices seeking to enhance their investment knowledge.
| 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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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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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 | |
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| 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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| Review | Barclays Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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