Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs Charles Stanley Direct, 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, XTB offers better pricing than Charles Stanley Direct 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.
When comparing online brokers XTB and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors have distinct options based on their preferences. XTB provides share trading, CFD trading, and ETF trading, making it a viable choice for those interested in these specific areas. However, XTB does not offer crypto trading, spread betting, or any bond trading, which may limit its appeal for some investors looking for a comprehensive range of investment products.
In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct offers a wider variety, including shares, ETFs, funds, corporate and government bonds, as well as investment trusts. This breadth of options, combined with available advisory services, makes Charles Stanley Direct a strong candidate for those who prefer a more traditional investment route. The distinction in offerings is reflected in their UK.StockBrokers.com ratings, granting Charles Stanley Direct a full 5 stars for investment choices, positioning it at #6 out of 21 brokers, while XTB holds a respectable 4.5 stars, ranked at #13.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, XTB’s charts are more feature-rich for analysis: it can display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) directly on charts, lets you add notes, and includes 4 drawing tools plus 13 technical indicators. Charles Stanley Direct offers 1 drawing tool and 14 indicators, but it doesn’t show corporate events or allow chart notes. Both brokers support index and stock overlays, provide real-time market data, and run on browser-based platforms.
The key difference is alerts. XTB does not offer price alerts, while Charles Stanley Direct does, which may suit hands-off monitoring. Choose XTB if you want clearer context on charts with events and annotations, or pick Charles Stanley Direct if price alerts and a simple indicator set are more important to you.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 13 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 4 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When comparing online brokers XTB and Charles Stanley Direct for UK investors interested in retirement accounts, notable differences emerge. Both brokers provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing investors to grow their savings tax-efficiently. However, when it comes to Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), Charles Stanley Direct stands out by offering this option, enabling individuals to manage their own pension investments with more flexibility. Meanwhile, XTB does not currently provide SIPP accounts, which might be a consideration for those specifically looking to invest for retirement through a pension account. Ultimately, your choice may depend on whether SIPP access is a priority in meeting your retirement goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK users seeking an intuitive mobile trading experience, both XTB and Charles Stanley Direct provide apps for iPhone and Android devices. XTB's mobile app stands out with a stellar 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the 6th spot among 21 brokers for mobile app performance. In comparison, Charles Stanley Direct's app has a 3.5-star rating and ranks 20th, suggesting that while both platforms offer mobile accessibility, XTB's app potentially offers a more satisfying experience for users on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK investors just starting out, comparing the educational resources of XTB and Charles Stanley Direct highlights some key differences. While both platforms earn a commendable 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education, there's variation in their offerings. XTB provides learning resources specifically focused on share trading; however, it lacks materials on funds and retirement, and doesn't offer educational webinars, either live or on demand. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct covers a broader range, offering educational content on share trading, funds, and retirement. Additionally, while Charles Stanley Direct does not host live webinars, they do provide archived sessions available for on-demand viewing. When ranked among 21 brokers for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com, XTB stands at #9, outpacing Charles Stanley Direct, which is ranked #12.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing market research tools, XTB offers research on shares and ETFs but lacks funds and bonds research, fund research reports, and a way to view your portfolio split by asset class. Charles Stanley Direct also covers shares and ETFs, and adds funds research, research reports for funds, and a portfolio allocation view by asset class; its bond research availability is not specified.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, XTB or Charles Stanley Direct? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found XTB to be a better trading platform overall.
XTB has set itself up as a strong competitor in commission-free share trading. Its low fees and solid educational content will make XTB particularly attractive to newer investors. It does not, however, offer an ISA or SIPP.
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Charles Stanley Direct
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Both XTB and Charles Stanley Direct do not offer cryptocurrency trading, making them comparable for investors focused on traditional financial assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | XTB | 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) | |||
| 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 | N/A | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | N/A | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | N/A | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | N/A | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 13 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 4 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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