Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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, Barclays offers better pricing than Interactive Brokers 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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while Barclays would cost £105 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers 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 online brokers, both Interactive Brokers and Barclays provide a wide array of investment options for UK investors. Interactive Brokers offers a comprehensive suite of trading choices, including shares, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, CFDs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Barclays also provides solid investment options, offering share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. While Barclays delivers reliable advisor services, Interactive Brokers shines in crypto and CFD trading.
Both brokers receive a commendable five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for their investment choices. However, Interactive Brokers is ranked slightly higher at #2 out of 21 brokers, compared to Barclays' respectable #9 position. This distinction underscores Interactive Brokers as a standout for its wide variety of investment avenues, especially for those keen on crypto and CFD trading, while Barclays remains a trusted choice for investors valuing advisor services.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK traders seeking comprehensive online trading tools, Interactive Brokers and Barclays present distinct offerings. Interactive Brokers stands out by allowing users to display corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on charts, a feature not visibly supported by Barclays. Moreover, Interactive Brokers provides a vast array of 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators for charting, whereas Barclays currently does not offer these charting resources. The ability to enhance one's trading experience with notes, index overlays, and stock overlays directly on charts is also a unique feature available with Interactive Brokers, setting it apart in the realm of online trading tools.
Both Interactive Brokers and Barclays support browser-based trading platforms, making it easy to trade directly from your web browser. Additionally, both allow users to set alerts for stock price updates, ensuring traders can stay informed about market changes. However, despite these similarities, the depth and breadth of charting functionalities offered by Interactive Brokers lend it an edge for those who heavily rely on detailed market analysis tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
When comparing Interactive Brokers and Barclays for UK retirement account options, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving investors flexibility in choosing tax-efficient savings solutions. Interactive Brokers, well-regarded for its comprehensive trading tools, makes these accounts available with its diverse investment offerings. Barclays, a well-known banking institution, provides ISAs and SIPPs alongside its range of traditional banking services, ensuring familiarity and accessibility. Whether prioritizing advanced trading capabilities or preferring established banking convenience, both Interactive Brokers and Barclays present viable options for managing retirement savings with ISAs and SIPPs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of Interactive Brokers and Barclays, both provide apps for iPhone and Android users in the UK. However, Interactive Brokers stands out with a top-notch rating of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the 4th spot among 21 brokers. In contrast, Barclays' mobile app is rated at 2.5 stars, placing it at the bottom of the list in the 21st position. This stark difference highlights Interactive Brokers as a superior choice for a seamless mobile trading experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors seeking educational support, both Interactive Brokers and Barclays offer valuable resources. Interactive Brokers provides educational webinars, which can be conveniently watched on demand, whereas there is no information about Barclays offering similar sessions. Both brokers cover key investment topics, including share trading, funds, and retirement planning, which are crucial for novices. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both Interactive Brokers and Barclays receive a commendable 4.5-star rating for beginner education, indicating a high level of satisfaction among users. However, when ranked among 21 brokers, Interactive Brokers holds the 8th position, slightly outperforming Barclays, which is positioned 10th. This suggests that while both are strong contenders, Interactive Brokers might offer a slight edge in the early learning phase.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When it comes to market research features, both Interactive Brokers and Barclays provide UK investors with a comprehensive suite of options. Each offers research reports for funds, as well as insights into portfolio allocation by asset class, ensuring tailored advice that aligns with personal investment strategies. Both brokers support research for shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, granting access to a wide spectrum of market data. However, Interactive Brokers has the edge with dedicated CFDs research, a feature not mentioned for Barclays, which could be a key consideration for those specialising in contract for difference trading.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Barclays
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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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Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading services, whereas Barclays does not provide options for trading cryptocurrencies.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £6 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £15 | £105 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £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) | £0 / £14.85 | £75 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
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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 | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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