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.
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.
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.
For UK investors seeking an online broker, eToro and Halifax offer distinct choices tailored to different investment needs. eToro stands out with its offering of share trading, cryptocurrency trading, and the ability to trade ETFs and CFDs, making it an attractive option for those interested in a diverse range of global assets. However, eToro does not provide access to funds, corporate or government bonds, or investment trusts, which might be a drawback if you are looking to diversify into more traditional investments.
Meanwhile, Halifax caters to those who prefer conventional investment methods, offering trading in corporate and government bonds, funds, and investment trusts. While Halifax lacks options for share and crypto trading, its comprehensive range of traditional investments and advisor services might appeal to more conservative investors. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Halifax is rated slightly higher in investment choices with 5 stars, ranking 7th out of 21 brokers, compared to eToro's 4.5-star rating and 15th place, reflecting Halifax's broader traditional investment offerings.
| Feature |
eToro
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | No | 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.
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
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 56 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| 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.
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
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | No | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
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
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No |
| 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
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Mobile App |
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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 | No | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | 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) | £0 | £83.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £150 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £378 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £1,176 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £64.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | Halifax | |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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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 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 56 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | eToro | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | No | |
| 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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