Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 vs Charles Stanley Direct, 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, Trading 212 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 - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £1 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.
Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct both provide a platform for share trading and dealing in ETFs and investment trusts, making them attractive choices for those interested in these investment options. However, there are notable differences in their offerings. Trading 212, with its 4.5-star rating in investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, shines through with CFD trading as part of its options, whereas Charles Stanley Direct does not. On the other hand, Charles Stanley Direct caters to a broader spectrum of traditional investments, supporting funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), alongside offering advisory services, unlike Trading 212.
The choice between Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct will largely depend on individual investment strategies and preferences. For those seeking a comprehensive range of traditional investment products along with advisory services, Charles Stanley Direct could be the preferred choice, reflecting its 5-star rating for investment choices. Conversely, if you're drawn to a more focused investment platform with competitive rankings such as CFD trading, Trading 212's offerings may better align with your goals, despite its ranking as 11th among 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com. Both platforms avoid the realms of crypto trading and spread betting, providing a similar stance on these more volatile markets.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| 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 offered by Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct, there are some notable differences that can impact the experience of traders at all skill levels. Trading 212 provides a robust set of 27 drawing tools for charting, significantly surpassing Charles Stanley Direct, which offers just one. Additionally, Trading 212 impresses with 106 technical indicators, far ahead of the 14 available from Charles Stanley Direct. Traders can also add personal notes to charts within Trading 212, a feature absent from Charles Stanley Direct. However, on the flip side, Charles Stanley Direct allows users to add both index and stock overlays to charts, while Trading 212 does not.
Both platforms facilitate online trading through browser-based applications, ensuring accessibility for users. Moreover, they provide the ability to create alerts for stock price updates and offer real-time market data, keeping traders informed and responsive to market changes. Though neither platform currently supports displaying corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends directly on charts, these platforms each offer unique strengths in other areas, catering to diverse trading preferences and strategies.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 27 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
When comparing online brokers Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct for retirement account options, it's important to note their key offerings for UK investors. Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct both provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing investors to save and invest their money in a tax-efficient way. However, if you're seeking a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) to boost your retirement savings, Charles Stanley Direct stands out as the preferred choice since Trading 212 does not offer SIPP accounts. Understanding these differences can help investors choose the right platform tailored to their retirement planning needs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct, both platforms offer applications for iPhone and Android devices, ensuring users can trade on-the-go regardless of their smartphone preference. Trading 212’s app shines with a stellar 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking it 9th out of 18 brokers for mobile app performance. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct's app holds a lower rating of 3.5 stars, and its specific rank among competitors is not available, indicating a potentially less favorable experience for users seeking advanced mobile trading features. Whether you're evaluating convenience or functionality, Trading 212 seems to have a clear edge in mobile app satisfaction.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources of Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct, each platform has its strengths and shortcomings. Trading 212 provides solid educational materials on share trading and funds, boasting a UK.StockBrokers.com rating of 4 stars and ranking 11th out of 18 brokers. However, it lacks webinars and does not cover retirement. Meanwhile, Charles Stanley Direct offers a more comprehensive educational suite, featuring archived on-demand webinars and resources covering share trading, funds, and retirement, earning a higher rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, although its overall ranking is not available. Both platforms are beneficial for beginners, with Charles Stanley Direct offering a slightly more robust array of learning options.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct, both platforms offer the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, shares research, and ETFs research, making them robust options for diversified investment insights. However, Charles Stanley Direct stands out by providing research reports for funds, a feature not available with Trading 212, which instead focuses on CFDs research—a service Charles Stanley Direct lacks. Neither platform offers research on bonds, leaving a gap for users seeking detailed bond insights. Overall, the choice between Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct will largely depend on whether your focus is on funds research or CFDs analysis.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Trading 212 or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Trading 212 to be a better trading platform overall.
Trading 212 offers commission-free share dealing and is a great option for those looking to simply execute share or ETF trades. Novice investors or those looking for more diversification through mutual funds may find better options elsewhere.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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Both Trading 212 and Charles Stanley Direct do not offer crypto trading, making them similar in terms of cryptocurrency availability for investors.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Trading 212 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Trading 212 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £10 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £57.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £138 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £414 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £1,380 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £90 - £102 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £600 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | 0 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | 0 | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | 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) |
| Platforms & Tools | Trading 212 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 27 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Trading 212 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Trading 212 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Trading 212 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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