Written by StockBrokers.com
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.
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, Saxo UK 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.
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
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Barclays
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | 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 | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
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
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
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.
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.
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
|
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.
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
|
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, 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.
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Barclays
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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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Barclays Smart Investor is an investment platform offered by Barclays Bank that offers a wide range of investments and accounts. Non-Barclays customers may find it complicated to open an account. Barclays is good value whether you are a beginner investor or have a large portfolio as its fees are, overall, very low.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Saxo UK | Barclays | |
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| Review | Saxo UK Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Saxo UK | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | 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 | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Saxo UK | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €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 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | €20 minimum | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | €20 minimum | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | From $1 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | 0.03/0.06/0.08% | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo UK | 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 | Saxo UK | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Saxo UK | 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 | Saxo UK | 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 | Saxo UK | Barclays | |
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| Review | Saxo UK Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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