Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs Halifax, 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, eToro offers better pricing than Halifax 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 eToro vs Halifax for UK investors: both offer share dealing, ETFs, and investment trusts. eToro adds crypto trading and CFDs, which Halifax does not provide. Halifax, on the other hand, gives access to funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), plus optional advisor services—none of which are available on eToro.
On investment choice, both earn 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, but Halifax ranks higher (#7 of 21) than eToro (#15 of 21). If you want crypto and CFD trading alongside shares and ETFs, eToro fits well. If you need funds, bonds, gilts, and guidance, Halifax is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
eToro
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Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | 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.
eToro vs Halifax for trading tools: UK investors will find stronger charting depth with eToro, which offers 106 technical indicators and 9 drawing tools, compared with Halifax’s 95 indicators and 8 tools. Neither platform shows corporate events on charts. eToro supports both index overlays and stock overlays, while Halifax doesn’t. However, Halifax lets you add notes to charts, a feature eToro lacks.
Both brokers provide a browser-based platform and stock price alerts. For data speed, eToro includes real-time market data, whereas Halifax does not. If you want richer indicators, overlays, and real-time quotes, eToro is the better fit; if adding notes to charts matters most, Halifax has the edge.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
For UK investors considering retirement accounts, both eToro and Halifax provide options suited to different needs. eToro offers Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing users to invest tax-efficiently in the stock market. However, eToro does not provide Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), which may limit those focusing on long-term retirement planning. On the other hand, Halifax offers both ISAs and SIPPs, giving investors more flexibility to manage their retirement savings and benefit from tax advantages across different account types. Choosing between the two platforms depends on your investment goals, whether they are focused on tax efficiency through an ISA or long-term growth with a SIPP.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both eToro and Halifax offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring you can manage your investments on the go. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, eToro shines with a 5-star rating for its mobile app, placing it impressively at #5 out of 21 brokers evaluated. In contrast, Halifax's app receives a 3.5-star rating and ranks #18, suggesting room for improvement compared to eToro's higher user satisfaction and functionality.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Comparing eToro and Halifax for beginner education: neither offers live webinars or on‑demand replays, and both cover share trading. eToro’s materials focus on shares only, while Halifax also provides guides on funds and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates eToro at 5 stars (ranked 11th of 21) and Halifax at 4 stars (18th of 21). If you want broader topic coverage, Halifax includes funds and retirement; if you prefer higher‑rated beginner content, eToro edges it.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| 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 features, online broker eToro suits those who want to see portfolio allocation by asset class and need research on shares and ETFs, but it lacks fund research reports and bond research. Halifax, by contrast, provides research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, including research reports for funds, yet it does not show portfolio allocation by asset class. If you prioritise broader research coverage, Halifax is stronger; if visualising your asset mix matters most, eToro has the edge.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, eToro or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found eToro to be a better trading platform overall.
eToro offers a wide range of assets and instruments and is well-known for its ‘social trading’ approach. It has among the lowest fees and best mobile app experiences of brokers we tested in the U.K., and offers a great starting point for those new to stock trading. Our analysis finds it better suited to short-term traders than long-term investors.
| Feature |
eToro
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Halifax
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| Overall Rating |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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eToro offers crypto trading, providing a comprehensive platform for trading digital currencies, whereas Halifax does not support crypto trading, focusing instead on traditional investment options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | eToro | Halifax | |
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| Review | eToro Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | eToro | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | eToro | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| 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 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | N/A | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | N/A | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | N/A | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | N/A | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | Halifax | |
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| Platforms & Tools | eToro | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | eToro | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | eToro | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | eToro | Halifax | |
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| Review | eToro Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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