Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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, Interactive Brokers 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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 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.
Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct both offer a wide array of investment options suitable for UK investors. Both platforms enable share trading, ETF trading, funds trading, corporate bond trading, government bonds (gilts) trading, and investment trusts. While Interactive Brokers also offers crypto trading and CFD trading, it lacks spread betting and advisor services. On the other hand, Charles Stanley Direct does not provide crypto trading or CFD options but offers advisor services to its clients.
In terms of investment choices, both brokers are highly rated, earning 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. Despite their equal star ratings, Interactive Brokers is ranked slightly higher at number 2 out of 21 brokers, compared to Charles Stanley Direct, which holds the 6th rank. Both platforms cater to varied investment needs, yet they bring unique offerings that may appeal to different types of investors.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK investors seeking advanced trading tools, Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct both offer online platforms with distinct capabilities. Interactive Brokers stands out with its ability to display corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on charts, a feature not available with Charles Stanley Direct. Additionally, Interactive Brokers provides a robust suite with 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators for charting, while Charles Stanley Direct offers just 1 drawing tool and 14 technical indicators. Both platforms allow index and stock overlays on charts, and offer a browser-based experience, but only Charles Stanley Direct provides real-time market data for its users.
Interactive Brokers further enhances its charting functionality by allowing users to add notes directly to charts, a feature absent in Charles Stanley Direct. Both platforms enable users to set alerts for stock price updates, but Interactive Brokers packs more tools for those seeking a comprehensive trading experience. While both are competent platforms, Interactive Brokers’ more extensive feature set may appeal to traders looking for advanced charting options, whereas Charles Stanley Direct offers basic tools complemented by real-time data access.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
For UK investors seeking retirement accounts through online brokers, both Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Interactive Brokers provides a platform for diverse international investments, making it suitable for those interested in accessing a wide range of global markets. Charles Stanley Direct, known for its straightforward service, may appeal to investors who prefer guidance and a user-friendly experience for managing domestic investments. Whether seeking global market access with Interactive Brokers or straightforward services from Charles Stanley Direct, both options support ISAs and SIPPs, offering flexibility for retirement savings strategies.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking mobile trading convenience, both Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct offer iPhone and Android apps, catering to users of major smartphone platforms. However, when evaluating the quality and user satisfaction of these apps, Interactive Brokers stands out significantly. Rated 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com, it ranks an impressive 4th out of 21 brokers for its mobile app offerings, indicating a highly effective and user-friendly experience. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct, with a 3.5-star rating, places 20th, suggesting that while functional, its app may not meet the same high standards or innovation as its competitor. Whether prioritizing advanced features or ease of use, Interactive Brokers appears to lead the way in mobile trading solutions within the UK market.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Both Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct offer valuable educational resources for beginner investors, each providing client webinars that can be accessed on demand. They cover essential investment topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement, making it easier for newcomers to gain a comprehensive understanding. While both platforms receive an impressive 4.5-star rating for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers holds a slightly higher rank, coming in at number 8 out of 21 brokers, compared to Charles Stanley Direct’s 12th place. This suggests a marginal advantage for Interactive Brokers in terms of user experience and educational offerings for those new to investing.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | 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.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct, both platforms provide a range of comprehensive tools useful for UK investors. They each offer detailed research reports for funds, as well as insights into shares, ETFs, and overall portfolio allocation by asset class. Interactive Brokers further expands its offerings with research on CFDs and bonds, areas where Charles Stanley Direct seems to be lacking specific information. This varied suite of resources can help investors make informed decisions, whether they are managing funds, exploring stocks, or diversifying with bonds and derivatives. Ultimately, while both brokers cover many essential research aspects, Interactive Brokers provides a slight edge with its additional focus on diverse financial instruments.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| 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, Interactive Brokers or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.
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Interactive Brokers
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Charles Stanley Direct
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When comparing online brokers, Interactive Brokers caters to cryptocurrency traders while Charles Stanley Direct does not offer crypto trading services, making Interactive Brokers a more versatile option for investors interested in digital assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £10 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £15 | £57.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £138 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £414 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £1,380 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | £90 - £102 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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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 | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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