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Freetrade vs Halifax 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

August 06, 2024

In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs Halifax, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Freetrade
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
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, Freetrade 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 - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.

12 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.

36 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.

120 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.

3 fund trades per year - Freetrade would cost £1 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

When considering Freetrade and Halifax for your investment accounts, there are notable differences in their offerings. Freetrade provides share trading, which Halifax does not, but both platforms allow trading of ETFs and investment trusts. However, Freetrade lacks the ability to trade funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds — options that Halifax does offer. If you're looking for advisory services, Halifax is equipped to provide such support, unlike Freetrade. Neither platform offers crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading.

In terms of ratings, Freetrade is scored with 4 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices, landing in the 13th position among 18 brokers. Meanwhile, Halifax receives a higher rating of 5 stars, securing the 7th spot. Halifax's comprehensive range of investment choices gives it an edge, making it appealing for those seeking variety and guidance, while Freetrade is ideal for investors focused on share, ETF, and investment trust trading without the additional services.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
Halifax logoHalifax
Share Trading info Yes No
CFD Trading info No No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Funds info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info No No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Investment Choices 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Trading Tools

When comparing Freetrade and Halifax in terms of their trading tools, both platforms present similar capabilities with a focus on simplicity. Neither Freetrade nor Halifax offers advanced charting features such as displaying corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends, or providing drawing tools and technical indicators for those who wish to engage in more detailed technical analysis. Additionally, both brokers do not support adding notes, index overlays, or stock overlays on charts, which may limit the depth of analysis for traders seeking these functionalities.

However, both Freetrade and Halifax do provide browser-based trading platforms, ensuring a user-friendly trading experience accessible directly from the web. For those requiring timely alerts, both services allow users to set alerts for stock price updates. A notable difference is in their approach to market data—Freetrade offers real-time market data, potentially giving its users a slight edge in responsiveness, while Halifax lacks this feature. Ultimately, both platforms cater to users looking for straightforward trading solutions, but with Freetrade offering an advantage in access to real-time data.

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

ISAs and SIPPs

When comparing Freetrade and Halifax for retirement accounts, both platforms provide Investment ISA and SIPP accounts, making them viable choices for those planning their financial future. Freetrade offers a user-friendly, app-based experience that caters to those who enjoy managing their investments from their smartphone, allowing for easy access and real-time updates. On the other hand, Halifax, part of a well-established bank, delivers a robust online platform with the added assurance of an extensive financial network, appealing to users who value traditional financial backing. Both options give customers the flexibility to invest for retirement while enjoying the tax benefits associated with ISA and SIPP accounts.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

When comparing the mobile app offerings of online brokers Freetrade and Halifax, both provide applications for iPhone and Android users. Freetrade's mobile app excels with a rating of 4 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the 8th spot out of 18 brokers for its mobile app experience. On the other hand, Halifax offers a slightly lower-rated app, receiving 3.5 stars and ranking 14th among its peers. This comparison highlights Freetrade's superior mobile app performance, making it a favorable choice for tech-savvy investors looking for a robust trading platform on their smartphones.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

When comparing the beginner investor educational resources offered by Freetrade and Halifax, both online brokers fall short in providing client webinars, either live or on-demand. However, Freetrade distinguishes itself by offering educational resources on share trading, funds, and retirement, whereas Halifax does not cover these topics. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both Freetrade and Halifax receive a rating of 3.5 stars for beginner education. Nonetheless, Freetrade ranks higher at 9th place among 18 brokers, suggesting a more favorable perception compared to Halifax, which is positioned at 16th place.

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

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

When comparing Freetrade and Halifax for their market research features, both platforms provide research options for shares and ETFs, ensuring investors have access to essential market insights. However, Freetrade stands out by allowing users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature not available with Halifax. On the other hand, Halifax offers more comprehensive research capabilities for funds and bonds, areas where Freetrade falls short. Neither platform provides research reports for funds or CFDs, making them equal in this regard. Overall, the choice between Freetrade and Halifax may depend on whether you prioritize portfolio visibility or more diverse research options.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
Halifax logoHalifax
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info No 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

Freetrade vs Halifax Winner

Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Freetrade to be a better trading platform overall.

Overall Freetrade is a great platform to help you get to grips with investing. Costs are low, and its user-friendly mobile app offers great investment inspiration. Sophisticated investors, however, may find that other platforms offer a wider range of investment options and tools.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
Halifax logoHalifax
Overall Rating 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Freetrade or Halifax?

Both online broker Freetrade and Halifax do not offer crypto trading options, making them similar in this particular feature for investors seeking cryptocurrency trading capabilities.

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Compare

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Overall Rating Freetrade Halifax
Overall Rating 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Freetrade Review Halifax Review
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Investments Freetrade Halifax
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes No
CFD Trading info No No
Funds info No Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info No No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Trading Fees Freetrade Halifax
Minimum Deposit info £1 £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 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £83.50
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £150
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £378
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £1,176
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info N/A £64.50
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 info £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £36
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K info £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £36
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m info £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £36
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over info £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) £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 £0 £9.5
Telephone Dealing Fee info N/A £25
Broker Screenshots Freetrade Halifax
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Freetrade 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 0 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 0 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No
Research Freetrade Halifax
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info No 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 Freetrade Halifax
Education (Share Trading) info Yes No
Education (Funds) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes No
Client Webinars info No No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No No
Overall Summary Freetrade Halifax
Overall Rating 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Freetrade Review Halifax Review
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