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.
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.
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 - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.
120 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £0 per year, while Halifax 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 Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax for their investment choice offerings, both online brokers provide a variety of options for investors. Charles Stanley Direct stands out by offering share trading, while Halifax does not provide this option. Both brokers offer trading in ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Neither broker supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, emphasizing their focus on more traditional investment vehicles. Furthermore, both Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax offer advisory services to assist investors in making informed decisions.
Despite the similarities in their investment offerings, both Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax have earned impressive ratings of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices. While Charles Stanley Direct has a notable presence, Halifax is ranked #7 out of 18 brokers, showcasing its strong reputation within the investment community. Whether you're interested in straightforward share trading with Charles Stanley Direct or seeking a well-regarded investment firm like Halifax, both brokers offer robust options to suit various investment strategies.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| 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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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools of online brokers Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax, Charles Stanley Direct provides a richer feature set for users. While neither platform offers the option to display corporate events on charts or to add notes, Charles Stanley Direct stands out with one drawing tool and 14 technical indicators. In contrast, Halifax lacks any drawing tools or technical indicators. Additionally, Charles Stanley Direct facilitates more comprehensive charting features, allowing users to add both index and stock overlays, a capability Halifax does not provide.
Both Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax offer browser-based trading platforms and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates, ensuring users can closely monitor their investments. However, Charles Stanley Direct edges ahead by offering real-time market data, a critical feature that Halifax does not extend to its users. This live data access can be a significant advantage for traders looking to make informed decisions quickly.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax for your retirement account needs, both brokers offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This means that whether you choose Charles Stanley Direct or Halifax, you have the flexibility to invest tax-efficiently in ISAs or grow your pension pot through SIPPs, making both platforms suitable choices for managing your long-term financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax provide mobile apps to cater to their clients' trading needs on the go, with compatible versions available for both iPhone and Android devices. When it comes to user satisfaction, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both apps at 3.5 out of 5 stars, suggesting a comparable experience in terms of functionality and user interface. While Charles Stanley Direct does not hold a specific ranking for its mobile app among 18 brokers, Halifax secures the 14th position, giving it a slight edge in visibility. Overall, both platforms offer accessible mobile trading solutions backed by similar user ratings.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax for beginner investor educational resources, Charles Stanley Direct stands out with its more comprehensive offerings. While neither platform provides live educational webinars, Charles Stanley Direct archives its webinars, allowing users to access them on demand anytime, a feature not available with Halifax. Moreover, Charles Stanley Direct offers education on share trading, funds, and retirement, whereas Halifax does not cover these topics. In terms of ratings, Charles Stanley Direct is highly rated at 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education, compared to Halifax's 3.5 stars. While Halifax is ranked 16th among 18 brokers, Charles Stanley Direct's ranking was not specified.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research capabilities of Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax, Charles Stanley Direct stands out with its comprehensive research reports for funds and detailed portfolio allocation insights by asset class, features not available with Halifax. Both platforms offer robust research options for shares, ETFs, and funds, ensuring investors have access to substantial information for making informed decisions. However, neither platform provides research on CFDs, while Halifax uniquely offers research on bonds, adding an extra layer for bond investors to consider with Halifax. Overall, Charles Stanley Direct offers superior market research tools for fund investors and those interested in asset class distribution, while Halifax caters to those in need of bond insights.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| 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.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| 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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| Education |
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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 | No | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| 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) | £57.50 | £83.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £138 | £150 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £414 | £378 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,380 | £1,176 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £90 - £102 | £64.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £60 - £600 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £600 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £600 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £600 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £25 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £25 | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £10 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £10 | £9.5 | |
| 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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| Education 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 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Education |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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