Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays vs Robinhood UK, 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, Robinhood UK offers better pricing than Barclays 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 - Barclays would cost £105 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays would cost £0 per year, while Robinhood UK 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.
For UK investors exploring online brokerage options, Barclays and Robinhood UK offer contrasting choices. Barclays offers a comprehensive suite of investment opportunities, ranging from share trading and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to corporate and government bonds, funds, and investment trusts. Additionally, Barclays provides advisor services, making it a compelling choice for those looking to diversify their portfolio. In contrast, Robinhood UK is more streamlined, focusing predominantly on share trading, with a narrower selection of investment options. Neither platform currently supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading.
Barclays is highly rated for its diverse range of investment choices, earning a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranking 9th out of 21 brokers reviewed. In comparison, Robinhood UK receives a 3-star rating in the same category and ranks 20th, reflecting its more limited offerings. UK investors seeking a broad array of investment options and advisor support may find Barclays to be the more suitable choice, while Robinhood UK may appeal to those who prefer a more straightforward, share-focused platform.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| 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 of Barclays and Robinhood UK, both platforms provide a browser-based trading experience and allow users to set alerts for stock price updates, making it easier to keep track of market movements. However, Barclays and Robinhood UK both lack the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts, and neither offers drawing tools, index overlays, or stock overlays, nor the ability to add notes to charts.
Where Robinhood UK stands out is its inclusion of three technical indicators for charting, offering users additional insight into market trends. Furthermore, Robinhood UK provides real-time market data, allowing traders to respond swiftly to changes. In contrast, Barclays does not offer real-time market data, which may be a decisive factor for traders who prioritise immediacy and precision in their trading activities.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 3 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When considering online brokers for retirement savings in the UK, Barclays and Robinhood UK present distinct differences in their offerings for individual savings accounts (ISAs) and self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs). Barclays stands out by providing both ISAs and SIPPs, offering UK investors a comprehensive choice for tax-efficient investing and retirement planning. In contrast, Robinhood UK does not currently offer ISA or SIPP options, limiting its appeal for those seeking such accounts for long-term savings strategies. Opting for Barclays may offer more flexibility for individuals aiming to maximize their retirement savings through tax-advantaged accounts.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Barclays and Robinhood UK both offer mobile apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, providing users flexibility and convenience for trading on the go. However, according to UK.StockBrokers.com, the user experience varies significantly between the two. Barclays’ mobile app has a rating of 2.5 stars, placing it last among 21 brokers. In contrast, Robinhood UK's app is much more favored, with a 4-star rating and a 13th place ranking. UK investors seeking a reliable and user-friendly mobile trading app might lean towards Robinhood UK for a more satisfying experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors between Barclays and Robinhood UK, Barclays stands out by offering comprehensive education on share trading, funds, and retirement. In contrast, Robinhood UK provides educational material on share trading only, lacking information on funds and retirement. Neither platform offers educational client webinars, live or on demand. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays is rated 4.5 stars for beginner education, ranking them 10th out of 21 brokers, while Robinhood UK has a 3.5-star rating and ranks 20th. This makes Barclays a more reliable choice for those new to investing, especially for those interested in a broader range of topics beyond just share trading.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Barclays and Robinhood UK for market research features, Barclays provides more comprehensive options for UK investors. Barclays delivers research reports for funds, allowing investors to delve into details not available with Robinhood UK. Additionally, Barclays enables users to assess their portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature absent in Robinhood UK. Both platforms offer research on shares and ETFs, catering to varied investment interests. While Barclays also covers research for bonds, Robinhood UK lacks this feature, and neither offers research on CFDs. Overall, Barclays offers a broader spectrum of research tools for investors looking to make informed decisions.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Barclays or Robinhood UK? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Barclays to be a better trading platform overall.
Barclays Smart Investor offers a wide range of investments and accounts and is a good value for those with a midsize portolio who like flat fees. On the downside, it can be complicated to open an account as a non-Barclays bank customer, and you can’t buy or sell investments through the app if you don’t have a Barclays bank account.
| Feature |
Barclays
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Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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| Ease of Use |
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Both Barclays and Robinhood UK do not offer cryptocurrency trading, making them similar in this aspect for investors seeking platforms without crypto trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 3 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Barclays Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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