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.
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.
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 - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year.
12 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year.
36 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year.
120 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year.
3 fund trades per year - XTB would cost £0 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.
When considering XTB and Charles Stanley Direct for your investment needs, both brokers provide attractive options for UK investors. XTB covers essential trading needs with share trading, ETF, and CFD options, appealing to those interested in these areas. However, Charles Stanley Direct offers a more comprehensive array of investment choices, including share trading, ETF, and funds trading. Furthermore, it expands the horizon with corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, complemented by advisor services. This extensive selection has earned Charles Stanley Direct an impressive 5-star rating for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking it at #6 overall.
In contrast, XTB, with its 4.5-star rating for investment choices, ranks #13 among 21 brokers. While it excels in share and ETF trading, its offerings are more limited compared to Charles Stanley Direct, particularly if you're interested in bonds or seeking advisory support. For a UK investor, Charles Stanley Direct might present more diversified opportunities, especially in traditional investment areas like bonds and trusts, thanks to its comprehensive range and high customer ratings.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of XTB and Charles Stanley Direct, XTB stands out with its ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, a feature not offered by Charles Stanley Direct. XTB also provides an impressive array of 20 drawing tools and 39 technical indicators for charting, enhancing analysis flexibility. Additionally, traders on XTB can add personal notes to their charts, providing an extra layer of customization. Both platforms offer browser-based trading with real-time market data, ensuring UK investors remain updated with the latest market movements.
In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct supports unique features such as the inclusion of index and stock overlays on charts, adding comparative insights that XTB doesn't provide. However, Charles Stanley Direct offers only one drawing tool and 14 technical indicators, which may be limiting for some investors looking for a more detailed analysis toolkit. Both platforms enable users to set stock price alerts, making it convenient for investors to maintain oversight of their portfolios with timely notifications. Overall, the choice between XTB and Charles Stanley Direct may come down to specific feature preferences and individual trading needs.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
XTB and Charles Stanley Direct both offer options for UK investors, but there are key differences in their retirement account offerings. XTB provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISA), making it a viable option for those looking to save and invest with tax advantages. However, for investors interested in a self-invested personal pension (SIPP), Charles Stanley Direct stands out as it offers both ISAs and SIPPs, catering to a wider range of retirement strategies. Both brokers provide ISA accounts, allowing UK investors to explore tax-efficient investment opportunities. With these options, investors can choose based on their specific retirement planning needs and preferences for account types.
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.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources offered by XTB and Charles Stanley Direct, both brokers emerge as strong contenders, each with unique offerings. XTB provides a 4.5-star educational experience with its focus on share trading, backed by their solid ranking as the ninth-best broker for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com. However, XTB does not offer educational client webinars or cover topics such as funds and retirement. In contrast, Charles Stanley Direct also boasts a 4.5-star rating but ranks twelfth among brokers for educational support. It compensates with on-demand webinars covering share trading, funds, and retirement planning, providing a more comprehensive educational package for those interested in a wide array of investment topics. Thus, XTB excels in ranking, whereas Charles Stanley Direct shines in offering a diverse educational experience.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of XTB and Charles Stanley Direct, UK investors will find distinct offerings. XTB provides research capabilities for shares, ETFs, and CFDs, and allows users to see their portfolio allocation by asset class. However, it does not offer research reports for funds or bonds. On the other hand, Charles Stanley Direct offers comprehensive research options for shares, ETFs, and funds, with the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class. Unlike XTB, Charles Stanley Direct does provide research reports for funds, but lacks research on CFDs and bonds. This comparison highlights XTB's strengths in CFDs research and Charles Stanley Direct's in fund research.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | 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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Online broker XTB offers crypto trading, while Charles Stanley Direct does not provide this service.
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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 | Yes | ||
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | ||
| Spread Betting | Yes | ||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| Trading Fees | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £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) | N/A | £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 | 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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| Education 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 | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | |||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | ||
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | 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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