Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Stanley Direct vs Webull, 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 Webull 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 Webull would cost 0.025% of trade value per year.
12 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year, while Webull would cost 0.025% of trade value per year.
36 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year, while Webull would cost 0.025% of trade value per year.
120 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year, while Webull would cost 0.025% of trade value per year.
3 fund trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £0 per year, while Webull 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 investment options, Charles Stanley Direct and Webull both stand out in different ways. Charles Stanley Direct is a strong contender with its impressive range of investment choices, including share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. In addition, it offers advisor services to users. On the other hand, while Webull supports share trading, it does not offer ETF trading, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), or investment trusts. Neither platform provides crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading.
Given their offerings, Charles Stanley Direct has a higher overall rating for investment choices, scoring 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, compared to Webull's 3-star rating. However, rankings from UK.StockBrokers.com among 18 brokers for investment choices are not available for either. Ultimately, if you seek diverse investment options along with professional advice, Charles Stanley Direct may be the superior choice, while Webull caters to those primarily interested in trading shares.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Webull, each platform offers unique features catering to different user needs. Charles Stanley Direct provides a browser-based trading platform with the ability to add index and stock overlays to charts, accommodating users interested in layered data analysis. It supports up to 14 technical indicators for charting and offers real-time market data alongside the ability to set alerts for stock price updates, allowing traders to stay informed as the market moves. However, its charting tools are limited to just one drawing tool, and traders cannot display corporate events on charts or add personal notes, which might hinder those needing more interactive charting experiences.
On the other hand, Webull excels in offering a highly interactive charting experience, showcasing corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts. The platform boasts 17 drawing tools, but provides slightly fewer technical indicators with 12 available. Users can enhance their analysis by adding notes to charts, although, unlike Charles Stanley Direct, Webull doesn’t support index overlays. Webull also offers a browser-based platform, stock overlays, real-time data, and price alerts, making it suitable for traders keen on detailed annotations and visual event tracking within their chart analysis. Both platforms ensure that users have access to essential trading alerts and up-to-date market information, but the choice between them may hinge on whether a trader prioritizes interactive chart capabilities or a broader range of technical indicators.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 12 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 17 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing the retirement account offerings of Charles Stanley Direct and Webull, it’s clear that Charles Stanley Direct provides more options for UK investors. Charles Stanley Direct offers both ISA (Individual Savings Account) and SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) accounts, catering to those looking for tax-efficient savings and retirement planning. In contrast, Webull does not offer ISA or SIPP accounts, which makes it less appealing for UK investors focused on these particular retirement savings options. Those looking to maximize their retirement investment benefits in the UK may find Charles Stanley Direct to be a more suitable choice.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both Charles Stanley Direct and Webull provide iPhone and Android apps for investors seeking mobile access to their brokerage services. While Charles Stanley Direct's app enjoys a solid rating of 3.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, Webull's app is a notch higher with a commendable 4.5-star rating. Although neither platform has a specific ranking for mobile apps among 18 brokers on UK.StockBrokers.com, these ratings offer useful insights into user satisfaction and functionality, making Webull's mobile experience particularly appealing to users seeking a robust trading platform on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources of Charles Stanley Direct and Webull, both online brokers provide information on share trading and funds to help new investors get started. However, Charles Stanley Direct goes a step further by offering educational content on retirement, which Webull does not. While neither broker provides live educational webinars, Charles Stanley Direct archives its webinars for on-demand access, a feature not available with Webull. In terms of overall beginner education, Charles Stanley Direct receives a rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, while Webull is rated 3.5 stars. Despite their differences, neither broker is ranked by UK.StockBrokers.com out of 18 brokers for beginner education.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Webull, Charles Stanley Direct emerges as the more comprehensive platform for investors seeking in-depth insights. Charles Stanley Direct provides research reports for funds and allows users to visualize portfolio allocation by asset class, both features not available with Webull. Additionally, Charles Stanley Direct offers research for shares, ETFs, and funds, surpassing Webull, which only covers shares and lacks robust research on ETFs and funds. Neither platform offers research on CFDs or bonds, making them equal in this specific aspect. For investors prioritizing a wide array of research tools, particularly in funds and ETFs, Charles Stanley Direct may be the preferable choice over Webull.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No |
| 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 Webull? 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
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Webull
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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When comparing online brokers Charles Stanley Direct and Webull, potential investors should note that as of now, neither platform offers cryptocurrency trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Webull Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 - £10 | 0.025% | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £10 | 0.025% | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £10 | 0.025% | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £57.50 | 0.025% of trade value | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £138 | 0.025% of trade value | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £414 | 0.025% of trade value | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,380 | 0.025% of trade value | |
| 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 | N/A | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £10 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 minimum | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 12 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 17 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Mobile App |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Webull Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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