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.
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.
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 - Fidelity International would cost £127.50 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £108 or £180 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £144 or £360 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £270 or £990 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £1000 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.
Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct are popular choices for UK investors, each offering a variety of investment account options to meet diverse needs. Both platforms provide access to share and ETF trading, making them suitable for those looking to invest in a broad array of equities and funds. However, neither platform offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, which might limit options for investors interested in these areas. Fidelity International also does not provide opportunities to trade corporate bonds or government bonds (gilts), which are available through Charles Stanley Direct. Additionally, both brokers offer investment trust trading and advisory services to assist investors in making informed decisions.
In terms of ratings, Charles Stanley Direct receives high praise with a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices, placing it 6th out of 21 brokers. Fidelity International follows closely with a 4.5-star rating, ranking 12th overall. The primary distinction between the two lies in Charles Stanley Direct's support for corporate and government bond trading, adding more diversity in investment options compared to Fidelity International. Whether you are looking for comprehensive advisory services or aiming to access a broader spectrum of investment types, these features are key considerations when choosing between these two brokers.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
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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.
Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct both offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, making it convenient for investors on the go. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Fidelity International's mobile app is rated 4 out of 5 stars, placing it at 15th out of 21 brokers for mobile app quality. Meanwhile, Charles Stanley Direct's app is rated slightly lower at 3.5 stars, ranking 20th among the same group. These ratings suggest that while both apps provide essential brokerage services, users might find a smoother experience with Fidelity International's offering.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investment educational resources of Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors will find notable differences. Fidelity International stands out by offering live client webinars, while Charles Stanley Direct does not. Both platforms, however, provide archived webinars for convenient on-demand viewing covering essential topics like share trading, funds, and retirement planning. Fidelity International achieves a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its exceptional beginner investor education, ranking 7th among 21 brokers. Charles Stanley Direct follows closely with a respectable 4.5-star rating, holding the 12th position. Despite both platforms offering robust educational content, Fidelity International's slight edge in live interaction and top-tier ratings make it an attractive choice for those starting their investment journey.
| 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.
For UK investors seeking comprehensive market research, both Fidelity International and Charles Stanley Direct provide valuable resources, including research reports for funds and insights into portfolio allocation by asset class. They each offer detailed research on shares, ETFs, and funds, providing investors with essential data to make informed decisions. While both platforms fall short on CFDs research, Fidelity International has an edge by also offering valuable research on bonds, which Charles Stanley Direct does not. When comparing the two, Fidelity International's inclusion of bond research could be a deciding factor for investors interested in a broader range of investment options.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| 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, 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
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Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
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Neither Fidelity International nor Charles Stanley Direct offers cryptocurrency trading, making them both unsuitable choices for investors looking to trade digital assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Fidelity International | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| 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 | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| 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) | £127.50 | £57.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 or £180 | £138 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £144 or £360 | £414 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £270 or £990 | £1,380 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £90 - £102 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £90 - £875 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £500 - £1,000 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £1,000 - £2,000 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £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) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| 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 | 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 | 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 | |
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| Review | Fidelity International Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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