Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity International 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, Halifax offers better pricing than Fidelity International 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.
Fidelity International vs Halifax: both UK online brokers offer share dealing, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts across their accounts, and each provides access to adviser services. Neither supports cryptocurrency or CFD trading.
The key difference is in fixed income. Halifax lets you buy corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts), while Fidelity International does not. Both are rated 4.5/5 for Investment Choices by UK.StockBrokers.com; however, Halifax ranks #7 of 21 brokers, compared with Fidelity International at #12—useful if bond access is important to you.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | 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, Fidelity International and Halifax take different approaches to charting. Fidelity lets you display corporate events like earnings, splits and dividends directly on charts, and supports both index and stock overlays for side‑by‑side comparison—features Halifax doesn’t offer. Halifax counters with more chart tools: 8 drawing tools versus Fidelity’s 5, plus 95 technical indicators compared with Fidelity’s 21. Halifax also lets you add notes to charts, whereas Fidelity does not.
Both brokers provide a browser-based trading platform and allow you to set price alerts. Neither offers real-time market data as standard. In short, choose Halifax if you prioritise a wide range of indicators and on‑chart notes; pick Fidelity International if seeing corporate events and overlaying indices or peer stocks on your charts is more important.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 21 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 5 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers in the UK for retirement savings, both Fidelity International and Halifax offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) to their users. These types of accounts provide tax-efficient ways to save for the future. Whether you choose Fidelity International or Halifax, both platforms allow you to take control of your retirement planning. Consider factors such as fees, investment options, and digital tools to determine which broker best suits your financial goals and investing style.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing mobile apps of online brokers, Fidelity International and Halifax both offer iPhone and Android apps. Fidelity International's app is rated 4 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com, while Halifax's app receives a rating of 3.5 stars. In terms of rankings out of 21 brokers, Fidelity International holds the 15th spot for mobile apps according to UK.StockBrokers.com, whereas Halifax is positioned at 18th. These ratings and rankings can help users choose the mobile banking experience that best suits their needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Fidelity International vs Halifax for beginner investor education in the UK: both cover the basics of share trading, funds and retirement, but Fidelity goes further with live educational client webinars that are also available on demand, while Halifax offers no webinars. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Fidelity 5/5 stars and ranks it #7 of 21 brokers for beginner education, compared with Halifax’s 4/5 stars and #18 ranking. If you value webinars and a higher-rated learning hub, Fidelity is the better fit, while Halifax still covers the essentials.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Comparing market research features, both Fidelity International and Halifax provide research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, and both include fund research reports. However, Fidelity International goes further by letting you view your portfolio allocation by asset class, a useful tool for checking diversification that Halifax does not offer. If you want complete coverage across asset types plus an at‑a‑glance asset class breakdown, Fidelity International has the edge; if you mainly need standard research on shares, funds, ETFs and bonds, Halifax still covers the basics.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Fidelity International or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Fidelity International to be a better trading platform overall.
Fidelity offers thousands of investments to choose from and also offers financial advice for those wanting more direction. It's best suited to traditional investors who hold a range of accounts through the platform, enjoy the great research material available and who may also use Fidelity for financial advice. The platform can be expensive for those with portfolios of less than £20,000 and those with portfolios above £40,000.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
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Halifax
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| Overall Rating |
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| Mobile App |
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Both Fidelity International and Halifax do not offer crypto trading, highlighting a gap in their online brokerage services for investors interested in digital currencies.
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↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
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| Review | Fidelity International Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1000 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | £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 | £90 - £875 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £500 - £1,000 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £1,000 - £2,000 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £2,000 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £7.50 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £7.50 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £30 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 21 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 5 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Fidelity International | Halifax | |
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| Review | Fidelity International Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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