Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown vs Bestinvest, 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, Hargreaves Lansdown offers better pricing than Bestinvest 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 - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. per year, while Bestinvest would cost £144.75 per year.
12 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. per year, while Bestinvest would cost £119.40 - £179.40 per year.
36 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. per year, while Bestinvest would cost £238.20 - £357.60 per year.
120 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. per year, while Bestinvest would cost £654 - £714 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1 per year, while Bestinvest would cost £50 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.
Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest both cater to UK investors seeking diverse investment options, with each platform offering share trading, ETF trading, funds trading, and opportunities with investment trusts. However, only Hargreaves Lansdown gives users access to trading corporate bonds and government bonds, enhancing its range of investment choices. Neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading. For investors seeking broader opportunities, Hargreaves Lansdown's additional offerings might be particularly appealing.
In terms of ratings, Hargreaves Lansdown receives a full five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices, securing a position as the 4th best among 18 brokers evaluated. Meanwhile, Bestinvest maintains a strong 4.5-star rating but ranks 10th, reflecting its competitive offerings that may still suit many investors' needs. Both platforms also provide advisory services, supporting users in making informed investment decisions.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools of Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest for UK investors, each platform offers unique advantages. Hargreaves Lansdown allows users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on their charts, a feature Bestinvest lacks. While both platforms provide stock overlay options, only Hargreaves Lansdown offers the ability to add index overlays. On the other hand, Bestinvest lets users add notes to their charts, a feature missing from Hargreaves Lansdown.
In terms of charting tools, Hargreaves Lansdown provides 11 drawing tools compared to Bestinvest's 9, but Bestinvest offers a superior selection of 36 technical indicators, significantly more than Hargreaves Lansdown's 15. Both platforms feature browser-based trading platforms and enable users to create alerts for stock price updates. However, for those seeking real-time market data, Hargreaves Lansdown delivers this capability, unlike Bestinvest. These differences reflect varying strengths that cater to traders with different priorities and investment styles.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest for your retirement account needs in the UK, both platforms present appealing options. Both Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing you to grow your investments tax-efficiently. Furthermore, if you're looking to secure your future with a pension plan, both brokers provide Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving you control over your retirement savings with a range of investment choices. Whether you're starting an ISA or planning for retirement with a SIPP, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest have accessible options to help tailor your financial strategy.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest provide iPhone and Android apps to cater to their UK investors' needs. Hargreaves Lansdown's mobile app enjoys a higher user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, reflecting a more favorable user experience compared to Bestinvest's 3.5-star rating. In terms of ranking among 18 brokers, Hargreaves Lansdown holds the 10th position, indicating a stronger mobile offering, while Bestinvest is positioned at 16th, suggesting room for improvement in their app services.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest offer comprehensive educational resources, including webinars and guidance on share trading, funds, and retirement. While both brokers excel in educational content, receiving 5-star ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown edges ahead with a higher ranking at #4 compared to Bestinvest's #6. However, Bestinvest provides an added convenience with archived webinars for on-demand viewing, which might appeal to those who prefer learning at their own pace.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| 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 online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest for their market research features, both platforms provide comprehensive research reports for funds and detailed insights into portfolio allocation by asset class, making them suitable choices for investors interested in understanding their investments. Both brokers offer research on shares, ETFs, and funds, ensuring investors have access to critical information across a range of investment types. However, for those specifically looking for bonds research, Hargreaves Lansdown holds a slight edge by providing this feature, whereas Bestinvest does not. Neither platform offers CFDs research, maintaining a focus on more traditional investment categories.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Hargreaves Lansdown or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Hargreaves Lansdown to be a better trading platform overall.
As the U.K.’s biggest investment platform for individual investors, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment choices for either beginners or seasoned investors. However, its fees are generally more expensive than rival brokers, which can become an issue for large investment pots.
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Hargreaves Lansdown
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Bestinvest
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Neither Hargreaves Lansdown nor Bestinvest offer crypto trading, directing users to explore alternative platforms for cryptocurrency investments.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | £0 - £4.95 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. | £144.75 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. | £119.40 - £179.40 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. | £238.20 - £357.60 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. | £654 - £714 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £60 or £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | Up to £1,125 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | Up to £625 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | Up to £1,250 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | Up to £1,000 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | Bestinvest | |
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| Mobile App |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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