Charles Stanley Direct vs Robinhood UK 2025
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.
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, Charles Stanley Direct offers better pricing than Robinhood UK 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.
When comparing Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, both platforms allow for share trading, but that's where their similarities end. Charles Stanley Direct offers a broader spectrum of investment choices, including the trading of ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. Additionally, they provide advisor services to help guide your investment decisions. In contrast, Robinhood UK focuses more narrowly on share trading, without support for ETFs, funds, or bond trading. Neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, making them more traditional in their offerings.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com gives Charles Stanley Direct an impressive 5-star rating, reflecting its extensive range of available investment options. Robinhood UK, on the other hand, lags with a 3-star rating, indicating a more limited selection for investors. If you're looking for varied investment opportunities and guidance, Charles Stanley Direct stands out, while Robinhood UK might appeal to those content with basic share trading.
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 |
When comparing the trading tools of Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, investors might notice some notable differences. Although neither platform allows users to display corporate events on charts or add notes, Charles Stanley Direct offers a more robust charting package. It provides users with a single drawing tool, 14 technical indicators, and the ability to add both index and stock overlays to charts, giving traders more options to analyze market trends. Robinhood UK, on the other hand, offers no drawing tools and only three technical indicators, without any options for data overlays.
Both Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK support browser-based trading platforms, making them accessible and user-friendly for traders online. They also both offer essential features like the ability to create alerts for stock price updates and access to real-time market data, ensuring users stay informed about market movements. While their basic functionalities are similar in keeping traders up to date, Charles Stanley Direct's more advanced charting options might appeal to those who value comprehensive market analysis tools.
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 retirement account options between Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, it's essential to consider their available offerings. Charles Stanley Direct provides both Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making it a versatile option for UK investors interested in tax-efficient saving and planning for retirement. On the other hand, Robinhood UK does not currently offer these accounts, focusing instead on commission-free stock trading. For those specifically seeking retirement accounts or tax advantages in the UK, Charles Stanley Direct stands out as the more comprehensive choice.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, both platforms offer accessibility through iPhone and Android devices, providing a convenient way for users to manage their investments on-the-go. However, there is a noticeable difference in user experience ratings. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Charles Stanley Direct's mobile app is rated at 3.5 out of 5 stars, while Robinhood UK's app holds a slightly higher rating of 4 stars. Although the specific mobile app rankings among 18 brokers are not available, these ratings suggest that Robinhood UK offers a more favorable mobile app experience compared to Charles Stanley Direct.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK for educational resources aimed at beginner investors, it's clear that Charles Stanley Direct offers more comprehensive materials. While neither platform provides live webinars, Charles Stanley Direct archives webinars for on-demand viewing, unlike Robinhood UK. Both platforms cover share trading, however, Charles Stanley Direct goes further by also offering educational content on funds and retirement, which Robinhood UK does not. In terms of ratings, UK.StockBrokers.com gives Charles Stanley Direct a higher score of 4.5 stars for beginner education, while Robinhood UK receives a rating of 3.5 stars. However, specific rankings among 18 brokers were not provided for either platform.
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 |
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Charles Stanley Direct and Robinhood UK, Charles Stanley Direct emerges as the more comprehensive option. It provides research reports for funds, unlike Robinhood UK, which lacks this feature. Charles Stanley Direct also allows users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, a functionality absent in Robinhood UK. Both platforms offer research on shares and ETFs, but Charles Stanley Direct goes a step further by including research capabilities for funds, which Robinhood UK does not provide. Neither platform offers research on CFDs or bonds. Overall, Charles Stanley Direct offers a more robust suite of research tools, making it a strong contender for investors who value detailed market insights.
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.
Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Robinhood UK
|
---|---|---|
Overall Rating | ||
Charges & Fees | ||
Investment Choices | ||
Mobile App | ||
Website | ||
Ease of Use | ||
Education |
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 5Overall Rating | Charles Stanley Direct | Robinhood UK | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall Rating | |||
Charges & Fees | |||
Investment Choices | |||
Mobile App | |||
Website | |||
Ease of Use | |||
Education | |||
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 | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall Rating | |||
Charges & Fees | |||
Investment Choices | |||
Mobile App | |||
Website | |||
Ease of Use | |||
Education | |||
Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
Winner | check_circle |