Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs Barclays, 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, XTB 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 - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Barclays would cost £105 per year.
12 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year.
36 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year.
120 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year.
3 fund trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Barclays 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.
XTB and Barclays both offer a variety of investment choices tailored to meet the needs of investors in the UK. XTB provides access to share and ETF trading, along with CFD opportunities, making it a suitable option for those interested in dynamic trading formats. On the other hand, Barclays extends its offerings beyond these, allowing customers to engage in share and ETF trading as well as funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. For investors seeking advisory services, Barclays stands out with its comprehensive advisor offerings, enhancing support for strategic investment decisions.
When it comes to ratings, XTB is awarded 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices, placing it at the 13th position among 21 brokers. While XTB shines with its focus on a few key investment formats, Barclays achieves a higher rating of 5 stars, securing the 9th spot in the rankings. This indicates a broader and more diversified range of options for investors who value extensive choices. Local investors looking for a wide array of services and investment opportunities might find Barclays particularly appealing, whereas those interested in a focused selection of trading options might lean toward XTB.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| 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 XTB and Barclays, XTB stands out with its comprehensive offerings. XTB allows users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, an option not available with Barclays. With 20 drawing tools and 39 technical indicators, XTB provides traders with a versatile suite for detailed charting, whereas Barclays offers none. Additionally, XTB lets users add notes to charts, enhancing the analysis experience.
Both XTB and Barclays offer browser-based trading platforms and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, catering to those who need to stay informed on the go. However, XTB goes a step further by offering real-time market data, crucial for making informed trading decisions. Overall, for traders seeking powerful charting tools and real-time information, XTB is the more suitable choice compared to Barclays.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
In the UK, when comparing online broker XTB to Barclays for retirement accounts, it's clear that both institutions offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), making them both appealing options for those looking to save tax-efficiently. However, when it comes to Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), only Barclays provides this option, catering to individuals keen on having more control over their pension investments. If your focus is solely on ISAs, either provider can accommodate, but for those interested in SIPPs, Barclays is the solid choice. Understanding these differences can help UK investors make informed decisions about their retirement planning.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors considering mobile trading apps, both XTB and Barclays provide options for iPhone and Android users. However, there's a notable difference in quality and user satisfaction. XTB's mobile app receives a commendable 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks 6th among 21 brokers, indicating a smooth and effective user experience. In contrast, Barclays' app garners a modest 2.5-star rating, placing it at the bottom of the ranking at 21st position, suggesting room for improvement in its functionality and user experience. For a seamless trading experience, XTB seems to be the better choice for mobile trading in the UK.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK seeking educational resources, both XTB and Barclays provide a solid foundation. XTB and Barclays each offer educational content on share trading, but only Barclays extends its educational offerings to include topics on funds and retirement. While XTB doesn’t hold live educational webinars, Barclays does, accompanied by the benefit of on-demand archived webinars. Both brokers are rated 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education, indicating strong educational support. In a ranking of 21 brokers, XTB is positioned slightly higher at number 9, compared to Barclays at number 10, showcasing a slight edge in their educational offerings for beginners according to this specific ranking system.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | ||
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing market research features between XTB and Barclays for UK investors, there are distinct differences worth highlighting. Barclays stands out for providing comprehensive research reports on funds, which XTB lacks. Both platforms offer the ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class, ensuring investors have a clear view of their investments. In terms of shares and ETFs research, both XTB and Barclays provide these resources, allowing investors to make informed decisions. However, XTB offers research on CFDs that Barclays does not provide, while Barclays excels with research on bonds, a service XTB doesn’t offer. Overall, each platform offers valuable research tools, but the choice depends on whether you prioritize comprehensive fund and bond insights (Barclays) or a focus on CFDs (XTB).
| Feature |
XTB
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, XTB or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found XTB to be a better trading platform overall.
XTB has set itself up as a strong competitor in commission-free share trading. Its low fees and solid educational content will make XTB particularly attractive to newer investors. It does not, however, offer an ISA or SIPP.
| Feature |
XTB
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Barclays
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|---|---|---|
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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When comparing online broker XTB to Barclays, one notable difference is that XTB offers crypto trading services, while Barclays does not provide this option.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | XTB | Barclays | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | XTB | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | ||
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | ||
| Spread Betting | Yes | ||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| Trading Fees | XTB | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £105 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £75 or £147 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £75 or £291 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £75 or £795 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £75 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | 0 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | 0 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | 0 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | 0 | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Barclays | |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | XTB | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | |||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
| Research | XTB | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | ||
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) |
| Overall Summary | XTB | Barclays | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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