Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Stanley Direct vs Webull UK, 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, Charles Stanley Direct offers better pricing than Webull UK 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.
Comparing Charles Stanley Direct and Webull UK for investment choices, both platforms offer UK share dealing, but neither supports crypto or CFD trading. If you’re simply after buying and selling shares, either will do the job.
For wider choice, Charles Stanley Direct stands out: it offers ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts, plus access to adviser services. Webull UK does not offer these options. Reflecting this breadth, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Charles Stanley Direct 5 stars for investment choices, while Webull UK receives 3 stars.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Mutual 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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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK traders comparing charting tools, Webull UK shows corporate events like earnings, splits and dividends directly on charts and lets you add notes, while Charles Stanley Direct does not. Webull UK also packs in more drawing tools (17 vs 1). Charles Stanley Direct counters with a slightly larger set of technical indicators (14 vs 12) and supports index overlays, which Webull UK lacks. Both providers allow stock overlays.
Beyond charts, both Charles Stanley Direct and Webull UK offer a browser-based trading platform, real-time market data and custom price alerts. If you value event markers, rich drawing tools and on-chart notes, Webull UK is the stronger pick; if you prefer more indicators and index overlays, Charles Stanley Direct may fit better.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull UK
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Comparing Charles Stanley Direct vs Webull UK for retirement accounts: Charles Stanley Direct offers both a Stocks and Shares ISA and a SIPP, giving UK investors tax-efficient ways to save and invest for the future, while Webull UK does not offer an ISA or a SIPP. If you want ISA and pension (SIPP) wrappers, Charles Stanley Direct fits the bill; if you’re fine with a general investing account without ISA/SIPP allowances, Webull UK may be an alternative.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing mobile trading, both Charles Stanley Direct and Webull UK offer iPhone and Android apps. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, the Charles Stanley Direct app scores 3.5 out of 5 stars, while the Webull UK app earns 4.5 out of 5, pointing to a stronger mobile experience with Webull UK. Ranked positions out of 21 brokers are not available for either provider.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing online brokers, Charles Stanley Direct offers stronger education than Webull UK: neither runs live educational webinars, but Charles Stanley Direct provides archived, on-demand sessions while Webull UK does not. Both cover share trading and funds, yet only Charles Stanley Direct includes retirement education. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Charles Stanley Direct 4.5/5 for beginner education versus Webull UK’s 3.5/5; rankings out of 21 brokers are not available for either.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull UK
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
UK investors comparing online brokers Charles Stanley Direct and Webull UK for market research will find Charles Stanley Direct more fully featured: it offers shares, ETFs and funds research, publishes fund research reports, and shows portfolio allocation by asset class. Webull UK supplies shares research only and does not provide ETFs or funds research, fund research reports, or portfolio allocation tools. Bonds research is not offered by Webull UK; availability at Charles Stanley Direct is not specified.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Webull UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Bonds | 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 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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Webull UK
|
|---|---|---|
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Charles Stanley Direct vs Webull UK: both online brokers do not offer cryptocurrency trading, so UK investors seeking crypto access will need an alternative platform.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull UK | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Webull UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||
| 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 | £60 - £600 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £600 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £600 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £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 UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Bonds | No | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Webull UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 UK | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Webull UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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