Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs Charles Stanley Direct, 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, eToro offers better pricing than Charles Stanley Direct 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 - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - eToro would cost $50 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct 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.
When it comes to investment choices, eToro and Charles Stanley Direct both offer share trading and access to ETFs, but they differ significantly in their available options beyond those. eToro attracts investors interested in modern digital assets with its crypto trading and CFD trading features. However, it does not cater to those interested in traditional funds, bonds, or investment trusts. Charles Stanley Direct, on the other hand, provides a broader array of such conventional investment options, including funds, corporate and government bonds, and investment trusts, alongside dedicated advisor services to support users.
In terms of recognition, eToro earns a solid 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices, securing the 9th spot among 18 brokers. Charles Stanley Direct, although not specifically ranked in the same list, enjoys a superior 5-star rating for its extensive investment options, appealing more to those who prefer traditional investments complemented by advisory services. Both platforms cater to different types of investors, making it important to choose the one that aligns best with your personal investment strategy.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | 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 eToro and Charles Stanley Direct, eToro clearly stands out with its extensive range of functionalities. While both platforms offer the ability to add index and stock overlays to charts and support browser-based trading with real-time market data and stock price alerts, eToro offers a more advanced charting experience. It provides users with 56 drawing tools and 106 technical indicators, and the capability to add notes to charts—features that greatly enhance the analytical capabilities for traders.
In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct offers only one drawing tool and 14 technical indicators, and lacks the feature to add notes to charts. Both platforms do not support displaying corporate events like earnings or dividends directly on charts, leaving room for traders to manually track these events. Overall, for traders seeking a more robust suite of charting tools, eToro seems to offer a more comprehensive package compared to Charles Stanley Direct.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 56 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When comparing eToro and Charles Stanley Direct for retirement accounts, it's important to note that both platforms offer ISA accounts, making them accessible options for UK investors looking to save tax-efficiently. However, for those specifically seeking a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), Charles Stanley Direct holds the advantage as it provides SIPP accounts, whereas eToro does not offer this option. Therefore, if you're looking to centralize your retirement savings with a SIPP account, Charles Stanley Direct would be the more suitable choice between the two.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile applications of online brokers eToro and Charles Stanley Direct, both offer apps for iPhone and Android users. However, eToro shines brighter in user satisfaction and rankings. Rated 5 out of 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com, eToro holds a commendable rank of #5 among 18 brokers for its mobile app offerings. Meanwhile, Charles Stanley Direct receives a respectable 3.5-star rating, although it lacks a specific ranking in the same review. For individuals seeking a seamless trading experience on mobile devices, eToro appears to be the more favored option.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources of online brokers eToro and Charles Stanley Direct, both offer strengths and some limitations. While neither provides live educational webinars, Charles Stanley Direct archives their sessions for on-demand viewing, a feature not available with eToro. Both brokers cover share trading in their educational content, but Charles Stanley Direct also extends its offerings to topics like funds and retirement, areas where eToro lacks resources. Despite these differences, both platforms have been highly rated by UK.StockBrokers.com with 4.5 stars for beginner education. However, eToro is ranked 10th out of 18 brokers for this category, while Charles Stanley Direct did not receive a specific ranking.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of eToro and Charles Stanley Direct, there are some key differences to consider. Charles Stanley Direct excels in providing comprehensive research reports for funds, a service that eToro does not offer. Both platforms allow users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, making it easier to manage investments strategically. For research on shares, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), and Contracts for Difference (CFDs), eToro provides robust resources, while Charles Stanley Direct offers solid research on shares and ETFs, but does not support CFDs research. Neither platform offers research on bonds. Thus, depending on your investment focus, each platform has unique strengths to suit different financial research needs.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, eToro or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found eToro to be a better trading platform overall.
eToro offers a wide range of assets and instruments and is well-known for its ‘social trading’ approach. It has among the lowest fees and best mobile app experiences of brokers we tested in the U.K., and offers a great starting point for those new to stock trading. Our analysis finds it better suited to short-term traders than long-term investors.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Ease of Use |
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eToro offers cryptocurrency trading, while Charles Stanley Direct does not, providing investors the opportunity to engage in digital asset transactions with eToro but not with Charles Stanley Direct.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | eToro Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £10 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £57.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £138 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £414 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £1,380 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £90 - £102 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 56 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | eToro | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | eToro Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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