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.
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.
Comparing Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct for UK accounts, both offer wide investment choice: share dealing, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts), plus investment trusts. Crypto is the main divider—Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading, while Charles Stanley Direct does not. Neither supports CFD trading, and spread betting is not listed for either provider.
Both earn 5 out of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices, though Interactive Brokers ranks #2 of 21 brokers versus Charles Stanley Direct at #6. Choose Interactive Brokers if crypto access matters; pick Charles Stanley Direct if you want an online broker that also provides adviser services.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Charles Stanley Direct
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Interactive Brokers vs Charles Stanley Direct: for charting tools, Interactive Brokers is fuller featured with 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators, while Charles Stanley Direct offers 1 drawing tool and 14 indicators. Neither platform shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and neither lets you add notes. Interactive Brokers doesn’t support index or stock overlays, whereas Charles Stanley Direct supports both.
Both brokers provide a browser-based platform and price alerts. The key difference is market data: Interactive Brokers does not offer real-time quotes, while Charles Stanley Direct does. In short, choose Interactive Brokers if you want a wider set of charting tools, or pick Charles Stanley Direct if real-time data and simple overlays matter more.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Charles Stanley Direct
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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.
For UK beginner investors comparing educational resources, Interactive Brokers has the edge over Charles Stanley Direct. Interactive Brokers runs live client webinars, offers on‑demand archives, and provides clear guidance on share trading, funds, and retirement. Charles Stanley Direct covers the same topics and supplies on‑demand webinar recordings but does not host live client webinars. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5/5 stars and ranks 8th out of 21 for beginner education, while Charles Stanley Direct scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks 12th.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 it comes to market research features for investors in the UK, both Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct offer comprehensive research reports for funds and shares. Investors with either broker can view portfolio allocations across different asset classes, which helps in assessing diversification. Both platforms provide insights into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and funds, aiding informed investment decisions. However, a key difference lies in bond research: Interactive Brokers provides extensive resources, whereas Charles Stanley Direct does not currently offer this feature. Overall, both brokers present solid research options, with Interactive Brokers having the edge if bond insights are a priority.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | 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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Charles Stanley Direct
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When comparing interactive brokers, it's important to note that Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading options, unlike Charles Stanley Direct which does not provide such services, giving crypto investors an edge with Interactive Brokers.
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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 | No | No | |
| Mutual 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 | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | 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) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £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 | £3 | £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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| 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 | 94 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| 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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