Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown 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, Hargreaves Lansdown 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 - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1 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.
Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct both stand out as top UK online brokers, offering a comprehensive range of investment options to investors. Both platforms facilitate share trading, ETF trading, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Additionally, they provide access to advisor services, catering to the diverse needs of investors. However, neither broker offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, which might be necessary for those seeking these specific investment types.
When it comes to ratings, Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct both received an impressive 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for their array of investment choices. Despite both earning top marks, Hargreaves Lansdown is ranked slightly higher, securing the 4th position out of 21 brokers, compared to Charles Stanley Direct's 6th place. This subtly positions Hargreaves Lansdown as having a slight edge in investment offerings, while both remain strong contenders in the UK brokerage landscape.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | 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 the trading tools of Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors will find some notable differences. Hargreaves Lansdown offers the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts, a feature not mentioned for Charles Stanley Direct. Additionally, Hargreaves Lansdown's charting suite includes 11 drawing tools and 15 technical indicators, providing traders with more options for analysis compared to Charles Stanley Direct's 1 drawing tool and 14 technical indicators. Both platforms allow users to add index and stock overlays, utilize browser-based trading platforms, create stock price alerts, and access real-time market data. However, it's unclear whether either provider supports the ability to add notes to charts.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When comparing Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct, both online brokers provide a solid array of retirement accounts that cater to UK investors. Hargreaves Lansdown offers Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), ensuring customers have options tailored to their savings and retirement needs. Similarly, Charles Stanley Direct matches these offerings, providing both ISA and SIPP accounts, making it easy for UK investors to manage and grow their retirement funds effectively. Whether you are planning to save with tax efficiency or aiming for a self-managed pension plan, both brokers present valuable choices for varied financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking reliable mobile trading platforms, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct provide iPhone and Android apps, catering to a range of devices. Hargreaves Lansdown's app has earned a higher rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the #10 spot out of 21 brokers, which highlights its superior user experience and functionality. In comparison, Charles Stanley Direct's app is rated at 3.5 stars and ranked at #20, indicating room for improvement in its mobile service offerings. These insights are crucial for those choosing between these two brokers based on their mobile app performance.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing beginner investor educational resources, Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct both offer valuable learning materials, including guidance on share trading, funds, and retirement. While Hargreaves Lansdown provides live educational webinars, it does not archive them for on-demand viewing. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct offers archived webinars, allowing users to learn at their convenience. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown excels in beginner education with a 5-star rating and ranks 4th out of 21 brokers, whereas Charles Stanley Direct holds a commendable 4.5-star rating and ranks 12th. Both platforms offer comprehensive resources to support novice investors on their journey.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | 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 seeking comprehensive market research features, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct offer a solid range of tools. They each provide research reports for funds and a view of portfolio allocation by asset class. Both brokers also cater to those interested in shares, ETFs, and funds research. However, when it comes to bonds research, Hargreaves Lansdown takes the lead by offering detailed insights, while Charles Stanley Direct does not extend this feature. It’s important to note that neither platform offers CFDs research, making them a choice tailored to those not seeking this specific market analysis.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Hargreaves Lansdown or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Hargreaves Lansdown to be a better trading platform overall.
As the U.K.’s biggest investment platform for individual investors, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment choices for either beginners or seasoned investors. However, its fees are generally more expensive than rival brokers, which can become an issue for large investment pots.
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Hargreaves Lansdown
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Charles Stanley Direct
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|---|---|---|
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When it comes to online broker services, Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct differ in their offerings, particularly with Hargreaves Lansdown not supporting crypto trading, while Charles Stanley Direct also does not provide crypto trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | 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 | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | £10 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. | £57.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. | £138 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. | £414 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. | £1,380 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £90 - £102 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | Up to £1,125 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | Up to £625 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | Up to £1,250 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | Up to £1,000 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | 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) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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