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eToro vs Halifax 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

April 17, 2025

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.

eToro
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $50 info
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: No
Halifax
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Fees

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.

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 - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.

12 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.

36 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.

120 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.

3 fund trades per year - eToro would cost $50 per year, while Halifax would cost £0 per year.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

eToro and Halifax cater to different investment preferences within the UK market, offering varied options to suit diverse investor needs. eToro stands out with accessible share and crypto trading, as well as the ability to trade ETFs and CFDs, appealing to those interested in dynamic and modern trading avenues. However, eToro does not offer spread betting, funds, bonds, or investment trusts. Despite these limitations, eToro has secured a commendable 4.5-star rating for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it 15th among 21 brokers.

In contrast, Halifax excels in more traditional investment opportunities like funds and bonds, including both corporate and government bonds (gilts), coupled with services in investment trusts and advisory. However, it lacks support for share and crypto trading or CFDs. With these comprehensive offerings, Halifax enjoys a full 5-star rating for its investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 7th out of 21 brokers. Each platform offers unique advantages that align with varying investor strategies and preferences.

Feature eToro logoeToro
Halifax logoHalifax
Share Trading info Yes No
CFD Trading info Yes No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Funds info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info No Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

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Trading Tools

For UK traders looking to enhance their online trading experience, eToro and Halifax present distinct features in their tool offerings. eToro shines with a rich collection of 56 drawing tools and 106 technical indicators, providing traders with extensive charting capabilities. Although both platforms lack the option to display corporate events on charts, eToro allows users to personalize their charts by adding notes, index overlays, and stock overlays, giving traders a more comprehensive analysis toolkit.

Both eToro and Halifax offer browser-based trading platforms and provide the ability to set up alerts for stock price updates. However, real-time market data is exclusive to eToro, offering traders the advantage of timely information. While Halifax offers a more basic platform without any drawing tools or technical indicators, eToro stands out for traders seeking deeper charting functionality and data features.

Feature eToro logoeToro
Halifax logoHalifax
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 106 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 56 0
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No

ISAs and SIPPs

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.

Mobile App

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.

Beginners and Education

When comparing eToro and Halifax for beginner investor educational resources in the UK, eToro stands out with a higher overall rating. While neither broker offers educational webinars or on-demand webinar archives, eToro provides education on share trading, unlike Halifax. Both brokers lack content on funds and retirement topics. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, eToro is rated 4.5 stars for beginner education and holds the 11th rank among 21 brokers, while Halifax comes in with a lower rating of 3.5 stars, ranking 18th. This indicates that eToro offers more appealing educational resources for newcomers in the investment world compared to Halifax.

Feature eToro logoeToro
Halifax logoHalifax
Client Webinars info No No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No No
Education (Share Trading) info Yes No
Education (Funds) info No No
Education (Retirement) info No No
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

When comparing eToro and Halifax for market research features, there are noteworthy distinctions that traders in the UK might consider. While both eToro and Halifax provide research for shares and ETFs, eToro stands out by offering insights into CFDs, a feature absent from Halifax. However, Halifax brings an advantage with its funds and bonds research, areas where eToro falls short. eToro users benefit from seeing their portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature not available with Halifax. Both platforms lack research reports for funds, making other features a crucial factor in choosing between these brokers for your investment needs.

Feature eToro logoeToro
Halifax logoHalifax
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info Yes No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info No No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No

eToro vs Halifax Winner

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 logoeToro
Halifax logoHalifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with eToro or Halifax?

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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Compare

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Overall Rating eToro Halifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review eToro Review Halifax Review
Winner check_circle
Investments eToro Halifax
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info No Yes
Share Trading info Yes No
CFD Trading info Yes No
Funds info No Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info No Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Trading Fees eToro Halifax
Minimum Deposit info $50 info £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £0 £9.50
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £0 £9.50
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £0 £9.50
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £83.50
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £150
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £378
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £1,176
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info N/A £64.50
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 info £0 £36
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K info £0 £36
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m info £0 £36
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over info £0 £36
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info N/A £9.5
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info N/A £9.5
ETFs - Fee info £0 £9.5
Investment Trusts - Fee info N/A £9.5
Telephone Dealing Fee info N/A £25
Broker Screenshots eToro Halifax
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools eToro Halifax
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 106 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 56 0
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No
Research eToro Halifax
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info Yes No
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info No No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No
Education eToro Halifax
Education (Share Trading) info Yes No
Education (Funds) info No No
Education (Retirement) info No No
Client Webinars info No No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No No
Overall Summary eToro Halifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review eToro Review Halifax Review
Winner check_circle
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