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.
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, Interactive Investor 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.
Interactive Investor and Barclays both give UK investors a wide range of account investment choices. With either provider, you can trade shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts, and both also offer adviser services. Neither broker offers CFD trading, while the details provided do not show crypto trading or spread betting as available options.
For investment choice, both Interactive Investor and Barclays are rated 5 out of 5 by UK.StockBrokers.com. Interactive Investor also stands out in the wider rankings, placing 3rd out of 21 brokers for investment choices, which may make it a strong option for anyone wanting a broad mix of investments in a UK account.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing Interactive Investor and Barclays for trading tools, Interactive Investor comes out ahead for charting. It offers 12 drawing tools, 104 technical indicators, the option to add notes, and stock overlays, while Barclays does not provide these chart features. Neither platform lets you show corporate events such as earnings, splits or dividends on charts, and neither supports index overlays or real-time market data.
Both Interactive Investor and Barclays do offer a browser-based trading platform and price alerts, so each gives UK investors a simple way to trade online and keep track of market moves. If chart analysis matters to you, Interactive Investor is the stronger choice, while Barclays provides a more basic set of trading tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 12 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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.
Interactive Investor and Barclays both offer iPhone and Android trading apps in the UK, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates them very differently: Interactive Investor’s app earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 8th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Barclays’ app is rated 2.5 out of 5 stars with no ranking listed. For a higher‑rated mobile experience on iOS or Android, Interactive Investor looks the stronger choice, whereas Barclays covers the essentials with a lower review score.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, Interactive Investor has the edge over Barclays on educational resources, offering live client webinars that can also be watched on demand, alongside guides on share trading, funds and retirement. Barclays also covers share trading, funds and retirement, but does not provide educational webinars or archived sessions. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Investor 5 stars for beginner education and ranks it #3 out of 21 brokers, while Barclays scores 4.5 stars.
| 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 |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Investor and Barclays, both platforms offer a comprehensive range of resources beneficial for UK investors. Interactive Investor provides research reports on funds, just like Barclays. Investors can also view their portfolio allocation by asset class on both platforms, helping them better understand their investment distribution. In terms of specific investment types, both Interactive Investor and Barclays offer research on shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, ensuring you have access to detailed information no matter your investment focus.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 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.
Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
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Barclays
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Interactive Investor does not offer crypto trading, while Barclays also does not provide crypto trading services, making them similar in their offerings concerning cryptocurrency options.
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↓×Compare
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 | |
| 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £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) | |||
| 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 | £71.88 / £179.88 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £179.88 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £179.88 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £179.88 | £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 | |
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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 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 | 12 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | 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 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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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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