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.
IG and Barclays both let UK investors buy and sell shares, ETFs and investment trusts, and both are rated 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices. IG also offers CFD trading, while Barclays does not. In the wider UK.StockBrokers.com comparison, IG is ranked #6 out of 21 brokers for Investment Choices.
Barclays has a broader selection in other areas, with access to funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and adviser services, while IG does not offer these. Neither broker is listed here as offering crypto trading or spread betting. For many everyday investors, the choice comes down to whether you want IG’s stronger trading-focused range or Barclays’ wider spread of long-term investment options.
| 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 | ||
| 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.
UK investors comparing mobile trading apps will find both online broker IG and Barclays offer iPhone and Android apps, but IG’s app scores much higher: UK.StockBrokers.com rates IG 5/5 stars and ranks it #2 of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, whereas Barclays is rated 2.5/5 stars with no ranking listed. If you prioritise app quality on iOS or Android, IG is the stronger option.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, IG beats Barclays on education access: IG runs client webinars and offers them on demand, while Barclays has no webinars. Topic coverage varies—Barclays includes share trading (IG does not), and both cover funds and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG earns 5 stars and ranks #1 of 21 brokers for beginner education, while Barclays scores 4.5 stars with no ranking listed. Choose IG if you want regular, watch-anytime learning; pick Barclays if you need share trading guides.
| 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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Barclays
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When comparing online brokers for cryptocurrency trading, IG provides the service, allowing users to trade crypto, whereas Barclays does not offer cryptocurrency trading capabilities.
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Barclays Smart Investor is an investment platform offered by Barclays Bank that offers a wide range of investments and accounts. Non-Barclays customers may find it complicated to open an account. Barclays is good value whether you are a beginner investor or have a large portfolio as its fees are, overall, very low.
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Capital.com is a U.K. broker primarily known for CFDs (contracts for difference) and spread betting. While it previously offered the chance to buy and sell shares commission-free, you can no longer buy shares directly through Capital.com. Trading is limited to an unleveraged CFD account.
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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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