Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Stanley Direct vs Halifax, 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, Halifax 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.
Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax both offer share trading and ETFs, plus access to funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Each also provides adviser services. Neither broker supports crypto trading or CFD trading, and details on spread betting weren’t provided for either.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Charles Stanley Direct at 5 stars (ranked 6th of 21) and Halifax at 4.5 stars (ranked 7th of 21). Both deliver a wide selection, with Charles Stanley Direct edging ahead on this measure.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
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Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax both offer browser-based platforms and price alerts. Only Charles Stanley Direct provides real-time market data, while Halifax does not. Neither broker displays corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts.
Charting features differ sharply: Halifax caters to technical analysis with 8 drawing tools, 95 indicators, and the option to add notes to charts. Charles Stanley Direct is simpler with 1 drawing tool and 14 indicators, and no notes, but it uniquely supports index and stock overlays that Halifax lacks. Choose Halifax if you want lots of indicators and drawing tools; pick Charles Stanley Direct if overlays and real-time data are priorities.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax for UK retirement account options, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP). This means that whether you're looking to save tax-efficiently with an ISA or take control of your retirement savings via a SIPP, both Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax provide these accounts to help meet your financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax for UK investors, both brokers provide apps for iPhone and Android devices. Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax each receive 3.5 out of 5 stars for their mobile apps as rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, highlighting a similar performance level in the eyes of users. However, when considering the overall mobile app rankings out of 21 brokers, Halifax edges ahead slightly at 18th place, while Charles Stanley Direct ranks 20th. This subtle difference may guide users seeking a comparative evaluation of these two services.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing education, Charles Stanley Direct edges Halifax. Neither broker runs live webinars, but Charles Stanley Direct offers archived, on‑demand webinars while Halifax does not. Both provide guides on share trading, funds and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Charles Stanley Direct scores 4.5/5 and ranks 12th of 21 for beginner education, whereas Halifax scores 4/5 and ranks 18th, making Charles Stanley Direct the stronger choice for learning resources.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| 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.
Charles Stanley Direct vs Halifax for market research: both offer research reports for funds, plus research on shares, ETFs and funds. Charles Stanley Direct also shows your portfolio allocation by asset class, which Halifax does not. Halifax provides bonds research, while Charles Stanley Direct does not list dedicated bonds research. For UK investors, Charles Stanley Direct suits those who want to track asset mix, while Halifax may appeal if you need bond insights.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
Which broker is better overall, Charles Stanley Direct or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Charles Stanley Direct to be a better trading platform overall.
Charles Stanley Direct allows you to invest in a wide range of products, including stocks and ETFs, using various accounts like tax-advantaged ISAs and SIPPs. However, fees are more expensive than similar platforms, although clients receive £50 worth of credit every six months to bring down the overall trading cost.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
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Halifax
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In comparing online brokers Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax, neither platform offers cryptocurrency trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 - £10 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £10 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £10 | £9.50 | |
| 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 | £60 - £600 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £600 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £600 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £600 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £25 | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £25 | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £10 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £10 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 minimum | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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