Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Freetrade 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, Freetrade 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.
Freetrade vs Charles Stanley Direct: both UK brokers let you trade shares, ETFs, funds, investment trusts, and UK government bonds (gilts). Neither supports crypto trading or CFD trading.
The main differences are in fixed income and advice. Charles Stanley Direct offers corporate bond dealing and adviser services; Freetrade does not. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade 4.5/5 (ranked 9th of 21) and Charles Stanley Direct 5/5 (no ranking stated). Choose Charles Stanley Direct if you want corporate bonds or guidance, and Freetrade if you mainly want straightforward share and ETF investing.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | 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.
Freetrade vs Charles Stanley Direct for trading tools: both offer browser-based platforms and stock price alerts, but only Charles Stanley Direct provides real-time market data. Neither platform displays corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts or lets you add notes. For charting, Freetrade is very limited with no drawing tools or technical indicators, whereas Charles Stanley Direct includes 1 drawing tool and 14 indicators.
For added context on charts, Charles Stanley Direct also supports index and stock overlays, which Freetrade doesn’t. UK investors who want straightforward monitoring may be fine with Freetrade, but those seeking deeper chart analysis and live prices may lean toward Charles Stanley Direct.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
Freetrade vs Charles Stanley Direct: both UK online brokers offer the key tax-efficient wrappers most investors want—an ISA for tax-free investing and a SIPP for pension saving. Freetrade provides a Stocks and Shares ISA and a SIPP, and Charles Stanley Direct also provides a Stocks and Shares ISA and a SIPP, so UK investors can manage long-term investing and retirement planning with either provider under one roof.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing mobile investing in the UK, both Freetrade and Charles Stanley Direct offer iPhone and Android apps, but their reviews differ: UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade’s mobile app 4.5/5 and ranks it 7th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Charles Stanley Direct’s app scores 3.5/5 with no ranking available in that category. If mobile experience on iOS or Android is a priority, Freetrade has the edge, though Charles Stanley Direct still provides apps on both platforms.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing education, Freetrade and Charles Stanley Direct both cover key topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement, but they differ in format: neither hosts live client webinars, yet Charles Stanley Direct offers on-demand recordings while Freetrade does not. Independent ratings back this up: UK.StockBrokers.com gives Freetrade 4 out of 5 stars and ranks it 13th of 21 brokers for beginner education, while Charles Stanley Direct scores a higher 4.5 stars (overall ranking not available). If you want straightforward guides either broker fits, but for recordings you can watch anytime, Charles Stanley Direct has the edge.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| 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.
For UK investors comparing market research features, Freetrade is limited: it doesn’t offer research reports for funds and has no in-app research for shares, ETFs, funds, or bonds, though it does show your portfolio split by asset class. Charles Stanley Direct, by comparison, provides research on shares, ETFs, and funds, along with fund research reports, and also shows portfolio allocation by asset class; its bonds research wasn’t specified. If you want integrated research tools, Charles Stanley Direct is the stronger pick, while Freetrade suits those who do their own research and just want simple allocation tracking.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Freetrade to be a better trading platform overall.
Overall Freetrade is a great platform to help you get to grips with investing. Costs are low, and its user-friendly mobile app offers great investment inspiration. Sophisticated investors, however, may find that other platforms offer a wider range of investment options and tools.
| Feature |
Freetrade
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Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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Freetrade and Charles Stanley Direct both do not offer crypto trading options, providing a clear comparison for investors seeking digital asset opportunities through online brokers.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £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) | |||
| 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 | £59.88 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £59.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £59.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £59.88 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | 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 | Freetrade | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Freetrade | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Freetrade | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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