Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Stanley Direct vs Robinhood UK, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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, Robinhood UK 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 - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £0 per year, while Robinhood UK 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.
For UK investors seeking a comprehensive online trading platform, Charles Stanley Direct provides a wide range of investment choices. This broker supports share and ETF trading, alongside funds, corporate and government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Remarkably, clients have access to advisor services for more informed decision-making. Rated 5 stars for investment choices and ranked 6th out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com, Charles Stanley Direct is ideal for those looking for diverse investment options without the inclusion of crypto or CFD trading.
Conversely, Robinhood UK offers a more limited selection, only facilitating share trading with no access to ETFs, funds, bonds, or investment trusts. The absence of spread betting, crypto, and CFD trading aligns both brokers, yet Robinhood's narrower investment range and lack of advisor services earn it 3 stars for investment choices and the 20th rank out of 18 brokers according to UK.StockBrokers.com. This platform might appeal to investors focused on simple share trading without additional asset types or portfolio support.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools of Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, UK investors will find that both platforms lack the option to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on their charts. Charles Stanley Direct distinguishes itself with one drawing tool and 14 technical indicators available for charting, while Robinhood UK offers none and three respectively. Although neither platform supports adding notes to charts, Charles Stanley Direct allows users to include index and stock overlays in their chart analysis, a feature Robinhood UK does not provide.
Both Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK supply browser-based trading platforms offering real-time market data and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates. However, Charles Stanley Direct provides more advanced charting features compared to Robinhood UK, appealing to those who favor in-depth technical analysis. Ultimately, your choice depends on whether you prioritize comprehensive chart tools or prefer a simpler platform for trading.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 3 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing the online brokerage options for retirement accounts in the UK, Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK offer distinct features tailored to different investor needs. Charles Stanley Direct provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making it a versatile choice for those looking to save for the future with tax-efficient options. In contrast, Robinhood UK does not offer ISAs or SIPPs, missing out on these popular retirement and savings account types. As such, Charles Stanley Direct might be the better fit for UK residents prioritizing long-term retirement planning through ISAs and SIPPs while Robinhood UK may be more appealing for users seeking a different investing experience without those specific account types.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, both platforms provide apps for iPhone and Android users. However, Robinhood UK edges out with a higher mobile app rating of 4 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, compared to Charles Stanley Direct's 3.5 stars. Furthermore, Robinhood UK is ranked 13th out of 18 brokers for its mobile apps, whereas Charles Stanley Direct is ranked 20th. These differences indicate that UK investors may find Robinhood UK’s app experience more favorable overall.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK provide different educational resources. Charles Stanley Direct excels with on-demand webinar content and extensive educational support on share trading, funds, and retirement planning, earning it a 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. In contrast, Robinhood UK lacks archived webinars and offers educational resources on share trading only, resulting in a lower rating of 3.5 stars. Positioned 12th among 18 brokers, Charles Stanley Direct outshines Robinhood UK's 20th place, making it a more attractive option for novices eager to broaden their financial knowledge.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, UK investors will find notable differences in their offerings. Charles Stanley Direct provides extensive insights with research reports for funds and allows users to view portfolio allocation by asset class—features that Robinhood UK lacks. Both platforms offer research on shares and ETFs, but only Charles Stanley Direct extends this coverage to include funds, leaving Robinhood UK behind in this area. Neither platform offers research on CFDs or bonds, making them less ideal for those focused on these investment types.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Charles Stanley Direct or Robinhood UK? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Charles Stanley Direct to be a better trading platform overall.
Charles Stanley Direct allows you to invest in a wide range of products, including stocks and ETFs, using various accounts like tax-advantaged ISAs and SIPPs. However, fees are more expensive than similar platforms, although clients receive £50 worth of credit every six months to bring down the overall trading cost.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
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Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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Both Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK do not offer crypto trading, making them similar in this aspect for UK investors seeking traditional investment platforms without cryptocurrency options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 - £10 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £10 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £10 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £57.50 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £138 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £414 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,380 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £90 - £102 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £60 - £600 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £600 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £600 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £600 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £25 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £25 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £10 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £10 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 minimum | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 3 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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