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Saxo UK vs Barclays 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025
  Fact Checked

In this head to head comparison of Saxo UK vs Barclays, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Saxo UK
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
Barclays
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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, Saxo UK offers better pricing than Barclays for share dealing.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

Saxo UK and Barclays both give UK investors access to a wide range of investment choices in their accounts, including shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts. Both are also rated 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices. Saxo UK goes a step further by offering CFD trading, while Barclays does not.

For most everyday investing needs, both platforms cover the basics well, but the best fit depends on what you want to trade and whether you want extra support. Barclays offers adviser services, which may suit beginners who want guidance, while Saxo UK is ranked #2 out of 21 brokers for investment choices and may appeal more to self-directed investors looking for a broader trading range. Neither provider offers crypto trading or spread betting.

Feature Saxo UK logoSaxo UK
Barclays logoBarclays
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info
Advisor Services info No Yes
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

Saxo UK vs Barclays: For UK investors comparing trading tools, both brokers provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts, but neither supplies real-time market data. On-chart extras are limited at both: you can’t display corporate events, add notes, or apply index overlays.

Charting is where they differ. Saxo UK offers 20 drawing tools, 64 technical indicators, and stock overlays, giving far more scope for analysis on price charts. Barclays, by contrast, has no drawing tools, no indicators, and no stock overlays, making it better suited to basic monitoring rather than in-depth chart work.

Feature Saxo UK logoSaxo UK
Barclays logoBarclays
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 64 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 20 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No

ISAs and SIPPs

Saxo UK vs Barclays: both UK online brokers offer the key retirement accounts—Stocks and Shares ISAs and SIPPs—so you can save and invest tax-efficiently or build a private pension in one place. Since both provide ISA and SIPP options, choose between Saxo UK and Barclays based on factors like fees, investment choice, tools, and customer support.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

Comparing mobile trading apps in the UK, both Saxo UK and Barclays offer iPhone and Android apps, but their performance differs: UK.StockBrokers.com rates Saxo UK’s app 5 out of 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Barclays’ app scores 2.5 out of 5 stars with no ranking available. For a higher-rated trading experience on iOS and Android, Saxo UK clearly outshines Barclays.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For beginner investor education, Saxo UK has the edge over Barclays: it runs live client webinars and offers an on-demand webinar library, plus clear learning on share trading, funds and retirement. Barclays also covers shares, funds and retirement, but it does not provide webinars or archived sessions. On UK.StockBrokers.com, Saxo UK is rated 5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 21 for beginner education, while Barclays scores 4.5/5 with no published ranking.

Feature Saxo UK logoSaxo UK
Barclays logoBarclays
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

Saxo UK vs Barclays: For market research, both brokers tick the same boxes for UK investors. Each provides research on shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, offers research reports for funds, and lets you view your portfolio allocation by asset class. If you want clear insights across major asset types and an at-a-glance breakdown of your holdings, either platform covers it, so your choice may come down to fees, ease of use, or extra tools rather than research features.

Feature Saxo UK logoSaxo UK
Barclays logoBarclays
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes Yes
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

Saxo UK vs Barclays Winner

Which broker is better overall, Saxo UK or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Saxo UK to be a better trading platform overall.

Saxo’ trading platform is highly sophisticated and offers a huge range of international shares and funds. The biggest downside is the cost, as its charges are higher than its U.K. competitors. It's best suited for experienced investors rather than beginners.

Feature Saxo UK logoSaxo UK
Barclays logoBarclays
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Saxo UK or Barclays?

Saxo UK offers cryptocurrency trading through its platform, while Barclays does not currently provide direct crypto trading to retail customers, making Saxo UK the clearer choice for investors seeking access to digital assets.

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Saxo UK Barclays
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Review Saxo UK Review Barclays Review
Winner check_circle
Investments Saxo UK Barclays
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info
Advisor Services info No Yes
Trading Fees Saxo UK Barclays
Minimum Deposit info £0 £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info $1 / £3 / €3 £6
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info $1 / £3 / €3 £6
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info $1 / £3 / €3 £6
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% info £0 - £525
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% £525 - £650
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% £650 - £850
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% £850 and up
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info €20 minimum £6
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info €20 minimum £6
ETFs - Fee info From $1 £6
Investment Trusts - Fee info 0.03/0.06/0.08% £6
Telephone Dealing Fee info £50 £25
Broker Screenshots Saxo UK Barclays
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Saxo UK Barclays
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 64 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 20 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No
Research Saxo UK Barclays
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education Saxo UK Barclays
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Overall Summary Saxo UK Barclays
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Review Saxo UK Review Barclays Review
Winner check_circle
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