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.
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 Investor vs Charles Stanley Direct: both UK brokers let you invest in shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts. Neither offers crypto or CFD trading. Spread betting isn’t listed by either provider.
When it comes to guidance, Interactive Investor does not provide adviser services, while Charles Stanley Direct does. For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both at 5/5; Interactive Investor ranks 3rd out of 21 brokers, while no ranking is available for Charles Stanley Direct.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | 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 Investor vs Charles Stanley Direct for UK investors: Interactive Investor leans into chart analysis with 104 technical indicators, the ability to show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, notes on charts, and stock overlays. The exact number of drawing tools isn’t specified, and it doesn’t support index overlays or real-time market data. Charles Stanley Direct offers 14 indicators and one drawing tool; it can’t display corporate events or add notes, but it does provide index overlays, stock overlays, and real-time market data.
Both brokers have browser-based platforms and let you set price alerts. Pick Interactive Investor if you want indicator-heavy charts and the option to annotate; choose Charles Stanley Direct if live prices and index overlays are higher on your list.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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.
Interactive Investor vs Charles Stanley Direct: both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps for UK investors. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Investor’s mobile app 4.5/5 and ranks it 8th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Charles Stanley Direct’s app scores 3.5/5 with no published ranking. If a higher-rated app and a clear league-table position matter to you, Interactive Investor has the edge; if you already use Charles Stanley Direct, its iOS and Android apps still cover everyday needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct both offer beginner-friendly guidance on share trading, funds and retirement, but their webinar options differ: neither runs live educational client webinars, yet Charles Stanley Direct provides archived sessions to watch on demand, while Interactive Investor does not. For quality, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Investor 5 stars (ranked 3rd of 21 for beginner education) versus Charles Stanley Direct at 4.5 stars with no published ranking. Choose Charles Stanley Direct if on-demand webinars matter, or Interactive Investor if you want the higher-rated beginner learning overall.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | 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 for UK investors, both platforms deliver comprehensive options. Interactive Investor excels by offering detailed research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds, alongside an easy-to-use portfolio allocation view by asset class. Similarly, Charles Stanley Direct matches these offerings with research reports on funds, shares, and ETFs, also providing portfolio allocation insights. However, it doesn't offer specific research on bonds, giving Interactive Investor a slight edge for those seeking comprehensive fixed-income insights. Overall, both platforms cater well to investors, with Interactive Investor providing a more complete research package.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 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.
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
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|---|---|---|
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Both Interactive Investor and Charles Stanley Direct do not offer crypto trading, positioning them as traditional online brokers focused on stocks and investment funds rather than digital currencies.
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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 | 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £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) | |||
| 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 | £59.88 / £143.88 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £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 | |
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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 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 | 1 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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 | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | 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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