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 comparing the investment choices offered by eToro and Charles Stanley Direct, both platforms provide opportunities for share trading and ETF trading. However, eToro distinguishes itself by allowing crypto trading and CFD trading, whereas Charles Stanley Direct does not support these options. On the other hand, Charles Stanley Direct offers a wider range of traditional investments, including funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, which eToro does not provide. Additionally, Charles Stanley Direct offers advisor services to its users, while eToro does not have this feature.
From a ratings perspective, eToro receives 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices and ranks 15th out of 18 brokers. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct boasts a full 5-star rating and ranks 6th, reflecting its broader range of traditional investment offerings. Thus, investors seeking cryptocurrency and CFDs might gravitate towards eToro, while those interested in a comprehensive selection of traditional financial instruments and advisory services may prefer Charles Stanley Direct.
| 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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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing eToro to Charles Stanley Direct for charting and trading tools, a clear distinction emerges in terms of versatility and features. eToro excels with an impressive suite of 56 drawing tools and 106 technical indicators, offering traders extensive options for detailed analysis. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct provides only 1 drawing tool and 14 technical indicators, which might appeal to those seeking simplicity. Both platforms, however, lack the feature to display corporate events like earnings or dividends directly on their charts.
In terms of additional features, eToro allows users to add notes to charts, a useful tool not available on the Charles Stanley Direct platform. Both brokers do offer index and stock overlays on their charts, facilitating a broader perspective for analyzing market trends. Additionally, both eToro and Charles Stanley Direct provide real-time market data and the ability to set up alerts for stock price updates, ensuring traders stay informed with up-to-date information. With both offering browser-based trading platforms, accessibility remains straightforward, catering to a broad range of trading preferences.
| 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 |
For UK investors considering online brokers for retirement accounts, eToro and Charles Stanley Direct provide different options. Both platforms offer stocks and shares ISAs, allowing you to invest tax-efficiently. However, when it comes to self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), there's a clear distinction; eToro does not provide SIPP accounts, while Charles Stanley Direct does, making it a suitable choice for those looking to manage their retirement savings personally with a wider range of investment options. In summary, if your priority is an ISA, either broker is suitable, but for SIPPs, Charles Stanley Direct is the provider to choose.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing online brokers eToro and Charles Stanley Direct for their mobile app offerings, both platforms provide apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. However, their performance and user satisfaction diverge significantly. UK.StockBrokers.com rates eToro’s mobile app with an impressive 5 stars, placing it 5th out of 18 brokers for mobile app quality. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct's mobile app is rated at 3.5 stars, coming in at 20th position in the same ranking. This suggests eToro provides a superior mobile experience for users seeking a reliable and accessible online trading platform via their smartphones.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing eToro and Charles Stanley Direct for beginner investor education, UK users will find both brokers provide quality resources, rated equally at 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com. While neither offers live educational webinars, Charles Stanley Direct stands out by offering archived sessions for on-demand access, aiding flexible learning. Both platforms offer insights into share trading, but Charles Stanley Direct provides additional education on funds and retirement, enhancing its breadth of topics. Interestingly, eToro ranks slightly higher at #11 compared to Charles Stanley Direct's #12 in a field of 18 brokers. Both options are commendable for new investors, with eToro narrowly edging out in rankings despite Charles Stanley Direct's broader educational offerings.
| 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 |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing eToro and Charles Stanley Direct for market research features, each platform offers unique strengths for UK investors. eToro stands out with research offerings on shares, ETFs, and CFDs, although it does not provide research reports on funds or bonds. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct excels with detailed research reports for funds, alongside insights on shares and ETFs, but lacks research on CFDs and bonds. Both platforms allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, ensuring clear insights into investment distribution. This comparison highlights varied research capabilities, catering to different investor 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
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Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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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 | |
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| 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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