Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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 Investor 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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while Barclays would cost £105 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor 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 considering investment options, both Interactive Investor and Barclays offer a range of choices to meet your trading needs. Both platforms provide opportunities for share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. However, neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, which might be a consideration for those interested in more diverse trading options. Additionally, Barclays offers advisor services, which can be beneficial for those looking for guided investment advice, a service not offered by Interactive Investor.
For investment choices, both Interactive Investor and Barclays receive a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. However, when looking at their rankings among 21 brokers, Interactive Investor holds a higher position at #3, compared to Barclays at #9. This suggests that while both brokers excel in offering a broad range of investment products, Interactive Investor might have a slight edge in terms of overall investment choice satisfaction and market perception.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | 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.
When comparing the trading tools provided by Interactive Investor and Barclays, it's clear that Interactive Investor offers a more comprehensive suite for active traders. Users can easily display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, an option Barclays doesn't provide. Interactive Investor also impresses with 18 drawing tools and 104 technical indicators for charting, whereas Barclays offers none. Notably, Interactive Investor supports adding notes and both index and stock overlays to charts, enhancing the analysis experience for investors, while Barclays lacks these features.
Both Interactive Investor and Barclays offer browser-based trading platforms and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates. However, Interactive Investor goes a step further by delivering real-time market data, a feature not available with Barclays. This makes Interactive Investor an attractive choice for those seeking detailed charting capabilities and timely market information.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers Interactive Investor and Barclays for UK retirement accounts, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This makes either option suitable for investors looking to save for retirement or manage their investments in a tax-efficient manner. With both providing these essential account types, potential users should consider factors like fees, tools, and customer service when making a decision best suited to their financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For investors in the UK looking for mobile trading options, Interactive Investor and Barclays both offer apps compatible with iPhones and Android devices. Interactive Investor shines with a 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, earning a commendable 7th place out of 21 brokers for its mobile app experience. In contrast, Barclays receives a modest 2.5-star rating, placing it at 21st position among the same group. This comparison highlights Interactive Investor as the stronger choice for those prioritising a high-quality mobile app for their investment needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners seeking investment education, Interactive Investor outshines Barclays with its comprehensive educational offerings. Interactive Investor provides engaging client webinars that are also archived for convenient on-demand viewing, while Barclays does not offer webinars. Both brokers cover essential investment topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement, providing valuable insights for novice investors. However, the distinction is clear in their ratings; Interactive Investor garners a five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks as the second-best among 21 brokers for beginner education. Conversely, Barclays receives a respectable 4.5-star rating but ranks tenth, indicating Interactive Investor's superior support for new investors.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Investor and Barclays for UK investors, both platforms offer a comprehensive suite of tools to aid in making informed decisions. Investors can access research reports for funds on both platforms, with both providers also offering insights into portfolio allocation across different asset classes. They equally support research on shares, ETFs, and bonds, ensuring investors have access to critical information across a range of investment products. However, neither Interactive Investor nor Barclays provides research for CFDs, which may be a consideration for those interested in this type of instrument. Overall, both offer a robust set of research tools catering to a wide array of investment preferences.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| 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 Investor or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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When comparing online brokers, both Interactive Investor and Barclays do not offer crypto trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Barclays | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £6 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £105 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £75 or £147 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £75 or £291 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £75 or £795 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | £75 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Investor | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| 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 Investor | 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 Investor | Barclays | |
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| Mobile App |
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| Education |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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