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 comparing Barclays and Halifax as online brokers for UK investors, both platforms provide a comprehensive selection of investment options. Barclays offers an extensive range, including share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Similarly, Halifax provides a robust lineup with trading capabilities in shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts as well. While neither platform offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, they both provide advisor services to assist with investment decisions.
On investment choice ratings, both Barclays and Halifax earn an impressive 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. Despite sharing top ratings, Halifax edges slightly ahead in rankings, positioned at #7 among 21 brokers, while Barclays holds the #9 spot. This slight distinction may influence investors looking for a broker with top-tier investment variety and rankings. Ultimately, both brokers present UK investors with quality investment choices and reliable advisory support.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | 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 comparing the trading tools of Barclays and Halifax, both online brokers cater to UK traders with some core features. Barclays and Halifax each provide a browser-based trading platform, ensuring access to trading tools without the need for additional software. Both platforms allow users to set alerts for stock price updates, keeping investors informed of market changes. However, neither broker excels in advanced charting capabilities, as they both lack drawing tools, technical indicators, and the ability to display corporate events on charts.
While neither Barclays nor Halifax supports adding notes, index overlays, or stock overlays to charts, the platforms cover the basics needed for straightforward trading. Unfortunately, neither broker offers real-time market data, which may be a consideration for traders seeking up-to-date information. Despite these limitations, Barclays and Halifax provide essential features that serve everyday trading needs for UK investors.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
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.
For UK beginners seeking educational resources from online brokers, Barclays offers a more comprehensive selection compared to Halifax. While neither provides live webinars or archived sessions for later viewing, Barclays excels in offering educational content on key investment topics like share trading, funds, and retirement planning. Halifax, on the other hand, lacks explicit educational offerings for these areas. This difference in educational resources is reflected in their ratings by UK.StockBrokers.com, where Barclays receives a higher rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, compared to Halifax's 3.5 stars. In terms of ranking among 21 brokers, Barclays stands at 10th place, notably ahead of Halifax, which is ranked 18th for beginner education. Overall, Barclays proves to be a more informative choice for novice investors starting their investment journey.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | ||
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Barclays and Halifax, both online brokers provide comprehensive research tools for shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, catering well to investors seeking detailed insights. However, Barclays extends its services by offering research reports for funds, a feature Halifax does not appear to provide. Additionally, Barclays enables investors to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, allowing for a clearer understanding of their investments, whereas Halifax lacks this feature. While both brokers equip users with solid resources for core investment categories, Barclays stands out with its additional asset allocation and fund research capabilities.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
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
|
|---|---|---|
| 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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When comparing online brokers Barclays and Halifax, it's important to note that neither Barclays nor Halifax currently offer crypto trading services.
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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 | ||
| 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 | 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 | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | |||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | |||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
| Research | Barclays | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | Barclays | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | ||
| Education (Funds) | Yes | ||
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Halifax | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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