Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG 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, IG offers better pricing than Barclays 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 - IG would cost £136 per year, while Barclays would cost £105 per year.
12 trades per year - IG would cost £96 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year.
36 trades per year - IG would cost £108 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year.
120 trades per year - IG would cost £360 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year.
3 fund trades per year - IG 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 comparing investment options between IG and Barclays, both platforms support share and ETF trading, providing investors with a solid foundation for stock market participation. IG prominently offers CFD and investment trust trading, which might appeal to those interested in leveraged and diverse market approaches. However, Barclays showcases a broader array of investment options with access to funds and both corporate and government bonds, catering to investors seeking traditional and diversified financial instruments.
Neither IG nor Barclays ventures into crypto trading or spread betting, maintaining a focus on more conventional financial products. Barclays stands out with the addition of advisor services, providing guidance for clientele who prioritize professional advice in their investment journey. This extensive range of offerings has earned Barclays a perfect 5-star rating for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking them 6th out of 18 brokers. In contrast, IG receives a commendable 4.5-star rating, positioned at 10th for its specific strengths in the investment trusts and CFD realms.
| Feature |
IG
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing online broker IG to Barclays in terms of trading tools, IG clearly stands out with a range of features that enhance trading efficiency. IG provides the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, a capability that Barclays lacks. Additionally, IG comes equipped with 19 drawing tools and 33 technical indicators for charting, offering traders a more in-depth analysis, while Barclays does not provide any drawing tools or technical indicators. IG also allows traders to add notes to charts, a feature that is missing from Barclays' offering.
Both IG and Barclays offer browser-based trading platforms and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates, making real-time tracking convenient. However, only IG provides real-time market data, giving its users a crucial edge during time-sensitive trading. While neither broker offers index or stock overlays on charts, IG’s comprehensive toolset offers traders more flexibility and insight than what is available from Barclays. Overall, IG's trading tools are more robust, making it the preferable choice for traders seeking detailed charting capabilities and real-time data access.
| Feature |
IG
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers IG and Barclays for retirement account options, both platforms cater to individual savings and investment needs by offering ISA and SIPP accounts. IG provides a flexible ISA account, ideal for managing tax-efficient savings, alongside a SIPP account for long-term retirement planning. Similarly, Barclays offers both ISA and SIPP accounts, allowing you to save and invest with potential tax benefits. Whether you're focused on growing your savings or planning for retirement, both IG and Barclays present robust solutions to help you meet your financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of online brokers IG and Barclays, both companies provide apps for iPhone and Android users. However, there's a notable difference in customer satisfaction: IG’s mobile app is highly rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, earning an impressive 5 out of 5 stars, while Barclays’ app only receives 2.5 stars. Additionally, among 18 brokers, IG is comfortably positioned at rank #6 for its mobile app performance, whereas Barclays lags behind at rank #16. This suggests that IG provides a more user-friendly and efficient mobile trading experience compared to Barclays.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors between IG and Barclays, IG offers live educational webinars that can also be viewed on demand—a feature not provided by Barclays. Both brokers offer education on share trading and retirement topics, but only Barclays covers education on funds. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG is highly rated with 5 stars for beginner education, while Barclays follows closely with 4.5 stars. Despite this, Barclays is ranked slightly higher at #5 compared to IG's #7 among 18 brokers. Whether you value webinars or diverse topics in your learning journey, each broker presents unique advantages for beginners.
| Feature |
IG
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | 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 online brokers IG and Barclays, both platforms provide research reports for funds, shares, and ETFs. However, Barclays outshines IG with the ability to analyze portfolio allocation by asset class—crucial for investors seeking a diversified approach. While IG offers research on CFDs, it lacks resources for funds and bonds, areas where Barclays stands out with comprehensive research offerings. In summary, investors prioritizing diverse research options and insights into portfolio composition may find Barclays better suited to their needs, whereas those interested in CFDs might prefer IG.
| Feature |
IG
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, IG or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found IG to be a better trading platform overall.
IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.
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Barclays
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Neither IG nor Barclays offer cryptocurrency trading, positioning both online brokers similarly for investors interested in crypto assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | Barclays | |
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| Review | IG Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0-£10 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £6 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £136 | £105 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £96 | £75 or £147 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £75 or £291 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £75 or £795 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £75 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 / £96 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 / £96 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 / £96 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 / £96 | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 - £8 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 - £8 | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | IG | Barclays | |
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| Review | IG Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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