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.
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, Barclays offers better pricing than Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers vs Barclays: both give UK investors access to share dealing, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Interactive Brokers also offers crypto trading, which Barclays does not, while neither provides CFD trading. If you want advice, Barclays offers adviser support, whereas Interactive Brokers does not.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both brokers 5 out of 5 stars, yet ranks Interactive Brokers higher at 2nd of 21 compared with Barclays at 9th of 21. Choose Interactive Brokers if you prioritise breadth of markets and asset types, or Barclays if you value guidance alongside a wide selection of investments.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | 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.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, Interactive Brokers pulls ahead on charting. It offers 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators, while Barclays provides none. Neither broker shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and both lack the ability to add notes, index overlays, or stock overlays.
On platforms and alerts, both Interactive Brokers and Barclays offer a browser-based trading platform and let you set stock price alerts. Real-time market data isn’t available from either provider, so expect delayed quotes.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
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 beginners comparing Interactive Brokers vs Barclays for investor education, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering client webinars and an on-demand library, while Barclays provides no webinars. Both brokers cover core topics—share trading, funds, and retirement—but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers higher for beginner education (5/5, ranked 8th of 21) than Barclays (4.5/5, ranked 10th of 21). If webinars and flexible catch-up learning matter, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you just need topic guides, either broker will do.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| 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.
For UK investors seeking detailed market research features, both Interactive Brokers and Barclays present comprehensive options. Each platform provides research reports for various funds, allowing for informed decision-making. Users can easily view portfolio allocations by asset class through both services. When it comes to research offerings, Interactive Brokers and Barclays excel equally, offering insights into shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. This parity in research capabilities ensures that investors can fully explore and understand their investment options on both platforms.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | 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 |
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Barclays
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Interactive Brokers provides the opportunity for crypto trading, unlike Barclays, which does not offer such services.
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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 | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | 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) | |||
| 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 | £0 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £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 | £3 | £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 | 94 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| 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 | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Barclays | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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