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Interactive Brokers vs Charles Stanley Direct 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

January 23, 2025

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.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
Charles Stanley Direct
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Fees

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.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

When comparing Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors will find both platforms offering a wide range of investment options. Both brokers provide access to share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. However, those interested in crypto trading or spread betting will need to look elsewhere, as neither broker supports these. Notably, Interactive Brokers offers CFD trading, which is absent from the offerings at Charles Stanley Direct. On the other hand, Charles Stanley Direct does provide advisor services, an area where Interactive Brokers does not.

In terms of performance ratings, both brokers have earned high marks for investment choices, receiving 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. Yet, Interactive Brokers holds an edge, being ranked #2 out of 18 brokers, while Charles Stanley Direct sits at #6. This suggests a slight preference for Interactive Brokers' offerings in the investment community, potentially providing a bit more diversity for motivated investors. Whether you prioritize breadth of products or additional services, both platforms offer solid choices for UK investors.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Charles Stanley Direct logoCharles Stanley Direct
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Funds info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes Yes info
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info No No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

IG
4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Trading Tools

When comparing the trading tools of Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors will find distinct differences in features and capabilities. Interactive Brokers stands out for its sophisticated charting tools, offering the ability to display corporate events like earnings and splits directly on charts, a feature not found on Charles Stanley Direct. Additionally, Interactive Brokers equips users with 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators, significantly surpassing Charles Stanley Direct, which provides only 1 drawing tool and 14 technical indicators. Moreover, Interactive Brokers allows users to add notes to their charts, enhancing personal analysis capabilities, while Charles Stanley Direct does not support this feature.

Both platforms permit the addition of index and stock overlays to charts and offer browser-based trading platforms. In terms of market alerts for stock price updates, each platform efficiently serves this need. However, when it comes to the immediacy of data, Charles Stanley Direct gains an edge with its real-time market data, a service not available with Interactive Brokers. This key difference could influence the choice of platform depending on an investor's need for up-to-the-minute data versus a more comprehensive charting package.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Charles Stanley Direct logoCharles Stanley Direct
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 96 14
Charting - Drawing Tools info 80 1 info
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes Yes

ISAs and SIPPs

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.

Mobile App

For UK investors deciding between Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct, both offer handy mobile apps for iPhone and Android users. However, when it comes to app performance, Interactive Brokers boasts a higher rating of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it impressively at 4th among 18 brokers. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct holds a 3.5-star rating, ranking 20th according to the same source. If superior mobile trading experience is a priority, Interactive Brokers clearly edges ahead in this comparison.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For beginner investors in the UK, Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct offer a range of educational resources, yet there are notable distinctions. Interactive Brokers provides live client webinars, a feature lacking in Charles Stanley Direct's offerings. Both platforms, however, archive these sessions for convenient on-demand access. When it comes to learning about share trading, funds, and retirement, each broker delivers comprehensive educational materials. Despite having the same UK.StockBrokers.com rating of 4.5 stars for beginner education, Interactive Brokers is positioned higher, ranking 8th out of 18, while Charles Stanley Direct ranks 12th. This makes Interactive Brokers slightly more appealing for those prioritizing structured beginner-friendly content.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Charles Stanley Direct logoCharles Stanley Direct
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

For UK investors seeking comprehensive market research features, both Interactive Brokers and Charles Stanley Direct offer valuable options. Both platforms provide research reports for funds and allow investors to view portfolio allocation by asset class. Additionally, they offer research on shares, ETFs, and funds, catering to a variety of investment interests. However, Interactive Brokers stands out with research offerings on CFDs and bonds, which Charles Stanley Direct does not provide. This distinction may be particularly important for those looking to diversify their research resources in these specific areas.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Charles Stanley Direct logoCharles Stanley Direct
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info Yes No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

Interactive Brokers vs Charles Stanley Direct Winner

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.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Charles Stanley Direct logoCharles Stanley Direct
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Charles Stanley Direct?

Neither Interactive Brokers nor Charles Stanley Direct offer crypto trading options, highlighting a limitation in cryptocurrency investments for users of these online brokers.

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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Charles Stanley Direct Review
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Investments Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes Yes info
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes info No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
Minimum Deposit info £0 £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £3 £0 - £10 info
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £3 £10
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £3 £10
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £15 £57.50
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £36 £138
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £108 £414
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £360 £1,380
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 / £14.85 info £90 - £102
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 info £0 £60 - £600
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K info £0 £600
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m info £0 £600
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over info £0 £600
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) £25
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) £25 info
ETFs - Fee info £3 £10 info
Investment Trusts - Fee info N/A £10
Telephone Dealing Fee info £25 £25 minimum
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
Website Gallery (click to expand)
The home page of the Interactive Brokers website (demo account). The order ticket on the IBKR website. List of available indicators for the charts when viewing a share price on the IBKR website.
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
The home screen of the IBKR mobile app. The customisation screen for the homepage of the IBKR mobile app. The watchlist on the IBKR mobile app. Share price information for Barclays stock on the IBKR mobile app. Viewing a stock chart for Lloyds Bank on the IBKR mobile app. The order ticket on the IBKR mobile app (slide to buy). Order fulfillment screen on the IBKR mobile app. Various order types available on the IBKR mobile app. Setting advanced order conditions on the IBKR mobile app. The Learn page of the IBKR mobile app. IBKR GlobalTrader home page. The trade ticket on the IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app. Order preview for purchasing Apple stock on the IBKR GlobalTrader app.
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 96 14
Charting - Drawing Tools info 80 1 info
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info Yes No
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Overall Summary Interactive Brokers Charles Stanley Direct
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Charles Stanley Direct Review
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