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.
Your capital is at risk.
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.
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.
Comparing IG vs Barclays for UK investment accounts: both online brokers offer share dealing, ETFs and investment trusts. IG also provides crypto trading and CFDs, which may appeal to traders seeking leveraged or digital asset exposure. Barclays does not offer crypto or CFDs, but does provide funds, corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts), along with access to adviser services. IG does not offer funds, bonds, gilts or advice.
Both firms earn 5 out of 5 stars for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, with Barclays ranked 9th out of 21 brokers and IG ranked 11th. In short, IG suits traders who want shares, ETFs, investment trusts, plus crypto and CFD trading, while Barclays suits investors who want shares, ETFs and investment trusts alongside funds, bonds, gilts and the option of advice.
| Feature |
IG
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Comparing IG vs Barclays for trading tools in the UK, IG clearly offers more for charting and analysis. IG provides 19 drawing tools and 33 technical indicators, plus the ability to show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, add notes, and apply index and stock overlays. Barclays lacks these charting features entirely (0 drawing tools and indicators, and no events, notes, or overlays). Both brokers offer a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts.
IG also supplies real-time market data, while Barclays does not—important if you want up-to-the-minute pricing when placing trades. If you value in-platform charting and analysis, IG’s toolkit is far more complete; if you only need a basic web platform with alerts, Barclays may be enough.
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When considering online brokers for retirement accounts in the UK, both IG and Barclays offer flexible options to suit various financial goals. IG provides access to both Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), allowing for tax-efficient growth and personal control over your investments. Similarly, Barclays offers a range of retirement solutions with their ISAs and SIPPs, catering to individuals looking to manage and invest their savings prudently. Both platforms are designed to support your financial future, making it important to evaluate your personal needs and preferences when choosing between these two reputable providers.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing mobile trading apps from IG and Barclays, both offer compatibility with iPhone and Android devices, ensuring accessibility for all users. However, the quality of the apps is where they diverge significantly. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG's app stands out with an impressive 5-star rating, securing the #2 spot out of 21 brokers for mobile app excellence. In contrast, Barclays lags with a 2.5-star rating, placing it at the bottom as #21. This suggests that IG provides a more reliable and user-friendly experience for mobile trading compared to Barclays, making it a preferred choice for tech-savvy investors in the UK.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing education, IG stands out with live client webinars and an on‑demand library, while Barclays offers no webinars. Topic coverage differs: IG skips share trading content but teaches funds and retirement; Barclays covers share trading plus funds and retirement. Independent scores support this: UK.StockBrokers.com rates IG 5 stars and ranks it 1st of 21 for beginner education, versus 4.5 stars and 10th for Barclays—making IG the better pick if you value webinars and easy access to learning.
| Feature |
IG
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing IG vs Barclays on market research, both provide fund research reports, show portfolio allocation by asset class, and offer research on shares and ETFs. Barclays goes further with dedicated research on both funds and bonds, while IG lacks a funds research hub and has no bonds research—making Barclays better for broader coverage, with IG suited to core equity and ETF insights plus basic fund reports.
| Feature |
IG
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | 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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IG
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Barclays
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In the IG vs Barclays comparison of online brokers, IG offers cryptocurrency trading while Barclays does not, making IG the better choice for investors seeking crypto exposure.
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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 | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | N/A | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | N/A | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | N/A | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | N/A | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
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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 | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | 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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