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 vs Barclays for investment choices: both brokers offer share dealing, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Saxo UK also supports crypto trading and CFDs, which Barclays does not. Adviser services are available with Barclays but not with Saxo UK; spread betting options are not specified by either provider.
UK.StockBrokers.com rates both Saxo UK and Barclays 5 stars for investment choices, with Saxo UK ranked #2 out of 21 brokers (Barclays ranking not available). Choose Saxo UK if you want crypto or CFD exposure alongside mainstream assets, or pick Barclays if you prefer access to adviser services and a traditional range of investments.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | 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.
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.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
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Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
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Saxo UK vs Barclays: only Saxo UK offers crypto trading, while Barclays does not.
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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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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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