Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo 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, Barclays offers better pricing than Saxo 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.
Comparing Saxo vs Barclays for UK investors: both brokers offer share dealing, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. If you want guidance, Barclays provides adviser services, while Saxo does not.
The key differences are in product range. Saxo includes crypto and CFD trading, which Barclays does not. Despite both earning 5 stars for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, Saxo ranks #1 out of 21 brokers, while Barclays ranks #9—useful context if you’re looking for the widest set of trading options.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 vs Barclays: For trading tools, Saxo’s platform offers far more for chart analysis. You get 20 drawing tools, 64 technical indicators and the ability to add stock overlays. Barclays has no drawing tools or indicators and doesn’t support stock overlays. Both brokers provide browser-based platforms and let you set price alerts, but neither shows corporate events on charts, supports index overlays, allows adding notes to charts, or supplies real-time market data.
For UK investors who want to study price action and build trading setups on charts, Saxo is the stronger pick. If you only need a simple web platform to place trades and basic alerts, Barclays can suffice—just remember that with either provider you’ll be working without real-time market data or corporate events plotted on charts.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 |
When comparing online brokers Saxo and Barclays for UK retirement accounts, both platforms cater to individuals seeking tax-efficient savings options. Saxo and Barclays each provide ISA accounts, allowing users to save and invest up to the annual limit without paying tax on returns. In addition to ISAs, both brokers also offer Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) accounts, giving more control over pension investments with the added benefit of tax relief. Whether you choose Saxo or Barclays, both offer comprehensive solutions for growing your retirement savings while maximizing tax efficiencies.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking top-tier mobile trading solutions, comparing Saxo and Barclays highlights significant differences. Both brokers provide iPhone and Android apps, ensuring wide accessibility. However, Saxo leads the pack with a 5-star mobile app rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the #1 position among 21 brokers. Conversely, Barclays falls behind with a 2.5-star rating, landing at #21 in the same rankings. This contrast suggests Saxo's mobile services are highly sought after for their superior user experience, while Barclays may not meet the same benchmark of satisfaction for mobile users.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing Saxo vs Barclays, Saxo stands out for education: it offers client webinars and makes them available on demand, while Barclays provides no webinars or archives. Both brokers cover share trading, funds and retirement, but independent ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com award Saxo 5/5 stars and 3rd place out of 21 brokers, versus Barclays at 4.5/5 stars and 10th. If live and catch‑up learning matter to you, Saxo is the stronger pick; if you only need basic guidance on core topics, both will do.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 offered by online brokers Saxo and Barclays, both platforms provide extensive resources for UK investors. Saxo and Barclays each offer research reports for funds, allowing users to make informed investment decisions. Additionally, both brokers provide tools to view portfolio allocation by asset class, helping investors maintain a balanced approach. In the realm of investment research, Saxo and Barclays cover shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, ensuring investors have access to comprehensive insights across different asset types.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Saxo 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 |
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Barclays
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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Online broker Saxo offers crypto trading, whereas Barclays does not, making Saxo the preferable option for investors seeking cryptocurrency exposure.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Saxo | Barclays | |
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| Review | Saxo Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Saxo | 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 | 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 | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Saxo | 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 | 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 | 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 | Barclays | |
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| Review | Saxo Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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