Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity International vs Charles Stanley Direct, 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, Fidelity International offers better pricing than Charles Stanley Direct 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 Fidelity International with Charles Stanley Direct for investment choices, both let you buy and sell shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), funds, and investment trusts, and both offer adviser services. Neither supports cryptocurrency or CFD trading, and spread betting isn’t listed by either provider.
The key difference is fixed income access: Charles Stanley Direct offers trading in corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), while Fidelity International does not. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Charles Stanley Direct at 5 stars and Fidelity International at 4.5 stars; rankings among brokers were not provided.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools provided by Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct, a UK investor will find distinctive features in each. Fidelity International stands out with the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, offering additional context for traders. However, Charles Stanley Direct does not provide this feature. Both brokers allow the addition of index and stock overlays on charts, but Fidelity International offers more customization in terms of drawing tools and technical indicators, with 5 drawing tools and 21 technical indicators compared to Charles Stanley Direct's 1 drawing tool and 14 technical indicators.
In terms of platform functionality, both brokers support browser-based trading and provide the ability to set price alerts for stocks, ensuring traders stay informed about market movements. Fidelity International, although lacking in real-time market data, equips investors with a broad range of charting tools, while Charles Stanley Direct compensates with real-time data access, keeping investors abreast of the latest market fluctuations. Neither platform allows for adding notes to charts, leaving traders to use other methods for personal annotations.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 21 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 5 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When planning for retirement, both Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct offer attractive options for investors in the UK. Fidelity International provides ISA and SIPP accounts, enabling savers to grow their investments with tax efficiency. Similarly, Charles Stanley Direct also offers both ISA and SIPP accounts, providing a range of investment choices for those preparing for their financial future. Choosing between the two largely depends on personal preferences and specific services desired, but both firms cater to those looking for flexible and beneficial retirement savings solutions.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing UK online brokers Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct on mobile: both offer iPhone and Android apps for managing your investments on the go. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Fidelity International’s app is rated 4 out of 5 stars, while Charles Stanley Direct’s app scores 3.5 out of 5. Overall rankings among 21 brokers for mobile apps were not available for either provider, but if ratings are your guide, Fidelity International has a slight edge.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing education, Fidelity International stands out by running live client webinars and archiving them for on-demand viewing, while Charles Stanley Direct does not host live webinars but does provide on-demand webinar recordings; both cover share trading, funds and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Fidelity at 5 stars for beginner education versus 4.5 stars for Charles Stanley Direct (rankings not available). If you want live sessions plus catch-up content, Fidelity is the better fit; if you prefer self-paced, on-demand materials, Charles Stanley Direct still covers the essentials well.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When choosing an online broker for market research features, UK investors might consider Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct. Both platforms provide research reports for funds and allow users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class. Additionally, they both offer research across diverse financial products, including shares, ETFs, and funds. However, Fidelity International has an edge with its inclusion of bonds research, a feature that Charles Stanley Direct does not offer. This slight difference might help investors make more informed decisions based on their specific research needs.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Fidelity International or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Fidelity International to be a better trading platform overall.
Fidelity offers thousands of investments to choose from and also offers financial advice for those wanting more direction. It's best suited to traditional investors who hold a range of accounts through the platform, enjoy the great research material available and who may also use Fidelity for financial advice. The platform can be expensive for those with portfolios of less than £20,000 and those with portfolios above £40,000.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Neither Fidelity International nor Charles Stanley Direct offers cryptocurrency trading, making them both unsuitable choices for investors looking to trade digital assets.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Fidelity International Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1000 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | £10 | |
| 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 | £90 - £875 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £500 - £1,000 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £1,000 - £2,000 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £2,000 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £7.50 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £7.50 | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £30 | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 21 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 5 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Fidelity International Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
IG Group Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Freetrade Review
XTB Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Saxo Review
eToro Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review
CMC Invest Review