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.
Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax both offer a variety of investment opportunities tailored to suit different investor needs. Those looking to participate in share trading will find both platforms accommodating, as Charles Stanley Direct provides this service. While neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, both make up for it by offering robust selections in other areas. For instance, you can trade Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts through both Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax, ensuring a well-rounded experience for investors.
When it comes to advisory services, both brokers can assist investors in making informed decisions. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax receive impressive ratings of five stars each for their investment choices. However, their rankings differ slightly, with Charles Stanley Direct edging ahead in sixth place out of 21 brokers, while Halifax follows closely in seventh. This subtle distinction could be a deciding factor for investors prioritizing a wider range of investment choices in their online brokerage experience.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| 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 Charles Stanley Direct with Halifax for trading tools, UK investors will find some notable differences. Charles Stanley Direct stands out with its enhanced charting capabilities, offering 14 technical indicators and a single drawing tool for chart analysis, whereas Halifax lacks both drawing tools and technical indicators. Additionally, Charles Stanley Direct allows users to apply index and stock overlays to charts, a feature not specifically provided by Halifax. Both platforms offer browser-based trading, as well as the ability to set alerts for stock price updates, making market monitoring convenient for their users.
In terms of data insights, Charles Stanley Direct offers real-time market data, providing users with timely and accurate information, while this feature is not clearly available with Halifax. However, neither of the platforms mention support for displaying corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends directly on their charts, nor do they offer the ability to add notes to charts. These differences in charting and data features highlight Charles Stanley Direct’s strengths in delivering a more enriched trading and analysis platform compared to Halifax.
| 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 | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
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.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources of Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax, Charles Stanley Direct holds a distinct advantage. It provides on-demand, archived educational webinars covering key topics like share trading, funds, and retirement, while Halifax lacks these features. In terms of beginner education, Charles Stanley Direct earns a commendable 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 12th among 21 brokers, which outshines Halifax’s 3.5-star rating and 18th position ranking. This makes Charles Stanley Direct a more comprehensive choice for UK beginners seeking to enhance their investment knowledge.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing market research features between Charles Stanley Direct and Halifax, UK investors may find subtle differences that could impact their investment choices. Charles Stanley Direct excels with comprehensive research reports for funds and offers insight into portfolio allocation by asset class, something Halifax lacks. Both brokers provide thorough research on shares, ETFs, and funds. However, Halifax stands out with its coverage on bonds, which Charles Stanley Direct currently does not offer. These nuances in research capabilities can cater to different investment strategies, making it essential for users to align their broker choice with their specific needs.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
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
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
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| Mobile App |
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When comparing online brokers, Charles Stanley Direct does not offer crypto trading, while Halifax also does not provide cryptocurrency trading services.
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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 | ||
| CFD Trading | |||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| 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) | £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 | |
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| 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 | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | |||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | ||
| Education (Funds) | Yes | ||
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Halifax | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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