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.
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.
When comparing investment choices between Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct, both brokers offer a wide range of options suitable for UK investors. You'll find that both platforms support share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. However, neither offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading. For those in need of guidance, both also provide advisor services, making them comprehensive options for various investment needs.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct each receive a top rating of 5 stars for their investment choices. Hargreaves Lansdown holds a slightly higher ranking, positioned at number 4 out of 18 brokers, compared to Charles Stanley Direct's respectable 6th place. This makes Hargreaves Lansdown a slightly more favored choice when it comes to selecting a platform with diverse and competitive investment options in the UK market.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct, investors will find several differences and similarities. Hargreaves Lansdown provides a more comprehensive charting experience, allowing users to display corporate events, such as earnings and dividends, directly on charts—a feature not available with Charles Stanley Direct. Charting enthusiasts might also prefer Hargreaves Lansdown for its 11 drawing tools compared to just one offered by Charles Stanley Direct. Additionally, Hargreaves Lansdown includes 15 technical indicators, slightly edging out Charles Stanley Direct's offering of 14.
Both platforms allow users to add stock and index overlays to charts and provide browser-based trading platforms where investors can create alerts for stock price updates and access real-time market data. However, neither platform offers the ability to add notes to charts, which could be a consideration for some users. These features offer a robust suite of tools for UK investors to manage their trading activities effectively.
| 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 | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| 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 a reliable mobile trading experience, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct offer iPhone and Android apps, catering to a broad range of users. Hargreaves Lansdown's app is highly rated at 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com, positioning it as the 10th best out of 18 brokers for mobile apps. By comparison, Charles Stanley Direct's app is rated 3.5 stars, ranking it 20th among its peers. These ratings highlight Hargreaves Lansdown's stronger performance in delivering a user-friendly mobile experience, helping traders manage their investments with greater ease.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources offered by Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct, UK readers will find distinct differences between the two. Hargreaves Lansdown provides educational client webinars, catering directly to new investors, although these sessions are not available for on-demand viewing. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct does not offer real-time educational webinars; however, they make recorded sessions accessible for convenient viewing at any time. Both platforms deliver comprehensive education on share trading, funds, and retirement planning. Hargreaves Lansdown stands out with a 5-star rating for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, achieving the 4th spot out of 18 brokers, whereas Charles Stanley Direct holds a commendable 4.5-star rating, placing them at 12th in the same ranking.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When it comes to market research features for UK investors, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct provide strong options. They each offer research reports for funds and the capability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, allowing investors to make informed decisions. Clients of either platform can access detailed insights into shares, ETFs, and funds, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of these investment vehicles. However, where they differ is in bonds research; Hargreaves Lansdown extends this feature to its users, while Charles Stanley Direct does not. Neither of the brokers offers research for CFDs, which may be relevant for those interested in this specific area. Overall, both platforms equip investors with ample research tools for most investment needs, with a slight edge to Hargreaves Lansdown in terms of bond research availability.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| 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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Charles Stanley Direct
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When comparing online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and Charles Stanley Direct, both platforms do not offer cryptocurrency trading, focusing instead on a range of traditional investment options.
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2 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 | 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 | 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 | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | 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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