Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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 Investor 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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor 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.
When comparing Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors can expect a full range of investment options from both online brokers. Both platforms support standard share trading and the trade of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), funds, investment trusts, and corporate as well as government bonds (gilts). Charles Stanley Direct additionally offers advisor services to its clients. Despite their comprehensive offerings, neither broker provides options for crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading.
Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct both receive a perfect 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, reflecting their extensive investment choices. However, Interactive Investor secures a higher position, ranking 3rd out of 21 brokers, compared to Charles Stanley Direct’s 6th place. This slight difference in ranking highlights Interactive Investor’s appeal among those seeking a rich variety of investment avenues. Both platforms meet the needs of UK investors looking for diverse investment opportunities.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 | |
| 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 Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors will find distinct differences. Interactive Investor stands out by offering the ability to display corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on charts, whereas this feature is absent in Charles Stanley Direct. Additionally, Interactive Investor provides a comprehensive suite of 18 drawing tools and 104 technical indicators for chart analysis, exceeding the modest offerings of Charles Stanley Direct, which features only 1 drawing tool and 14 technical indicators. Both platforms support index and stock overlays, along with browser-based trading, stock price alerts, and real-time market data.
For those who value detailed chart annotation capabilities, Interactive Investor also allows users to add notes to their charts—another feature not available with Charles Stanley Direct. While both platforms cater to the essential needs of investors with shared features like browser-based accessibility and market data, Interactive Investor clearly takes the lead when it comes to advanced charting tools and customization options, providing a more versatile experience for traders looking to gain insight from a variety of data points.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct both provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) to UK investors, making them strong options for retirement planning. With each platform offering both ISAs and SIPPs, investors can enjoy tax-efficient savings and invest for retirement with ease. Each broker caters to those looking to manage their financial futures through diverse investment choices and user-friendly platforms, ensuring flexibility and accessibility in building a secure retirement nest egg.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
In the UK, both Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, making it easy for investors to manage their portfolios on the go. Interactive Investor stands out with its highly-rated app, earning 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, which places it 7th out of 21 brokers. Meanwhile, Charles Stanley Direct’s app, while convenient, holds a more modest 3.5-star rating and ranks 20th. These ratings indicate that Interactive Investor's app may offer a more user-friendly and efficient experience compared to Charles Stanley Direct.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct both offer educational resources, including webinars and guidance on topics like share trading, funds, and retirement. Both platforms archive their webinars for on-demand viewing, making learning convenient. In terms of ratings, Interactive Investor shines with a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 2nd among 21 brokers for beginner education. Meanwhile, Charles Stanley Direct also provides valuable materials but holds a slightly lower 4.5-star rating, placing it at 12th in the same ranking. Interactive Investor stands out for those prioritizing comprehensive educational support.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 Investor and Charles Stanley Direct, both platforms provide research reports for funds, as well as portfolio allocation by asset class. They each offer research on shares, ETFs, and funds, ensuring investors access essential information across these investment types. However, while Interactive Investor extends its research offerings to include bonds, Charles Stanley Direct does not provide bond research. Neither platform includes research for CFDs, making them comparable in this aspect. Overall, Interactive Investor presents a slightly broader research spectrum for UK investors with its inclusion of bond research.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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, Interactive Investor or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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In comparing Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct, it's important to note that neither online broker currently offers crypto trading services, highlighting a shared limitation for users interested in digital currency investment opportunities.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | 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 |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £10 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £57.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £138 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £414 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £1,380 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | £90 - £102 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | 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 | Interactive Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | 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 Investor | 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 Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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