Written by StockBrokers.com
Is Freetrade better than Halifax? After scoring the best share dealing accounts across 46 different variables, IG is better than Freetrade. IG stands out as a top U.K. broker, thanks largely to its excellent online trading platform. Strong functionality comes with industry-standard commission rates and fees, a huge variety of trading tools, and user-friendly mobile apps.
| Overall Rating | Freetrade | Halifax | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | |||
| Commissions & Fees | |||
| Offering of Investments | |||
| Mobile Trading | |||
| Platforms & Tools | |||
| Research | |||
| Ease of Use | N/A | ||
| Education | |||
| Review | Freetrade Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | Halifax | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | Halifax | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0.0 | £0.0 | £0.0 |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.5 | £3 to £8 |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.5 | £3 |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.5 | £3 |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £83.5 | £30-£40 |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £150 | £96 |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £450 | £108 |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £1500 | £360 |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £64.5 | £24 |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £36 | £96 (can reduce by trading) |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £36 | £96 |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £36 | £96 |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £36 | £96 |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £36 | N/A |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | N/A |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £9.5 | £8 |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £9.5 | £8 |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 | £40-£50 |
| Platforms & Tools | Freetrade | Halifax | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | No | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 83 | 33 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 17 | 19 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No | Yes |
| Research | Freetrade | Halifax | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes | No |
| Education | Freetrade | Halifax | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has Education - Share Trading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Has Education - Funds | No | Yes | Yes |
| Has Education - Retirement | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | Halifax | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | |||
| Commissions & Fees | |||
| Offering of Investments | |||
| Mobile Trading | |||
| Platforms & Tools | |||
| Research | |||
| Ease of Use | N/A | ||
| Education | |||
| Review | Freetrade Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
For our 2022 Review, we assessed the best trading platforms in the UK for online share dealing. Let's compare Freetrade vs Halifax.
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 IG 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 N/A per year, while Halifax would cost £83.5 per year.
12 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £450 per year.
120 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £1500 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Freetrade would cost N/A per year, while Halifax would cost £64.5 per year.
Freetrade offers investors access to ISA, SIPP, Share Trading, ETFs and Investment Trusts, while Halifax offers investors access to ISA, SIPP, Share Trading, Funds, ETFs, Bonds - Corporate, Bonds - Government (Gilts), Investment Trusts and Advisor Services, neither have CFD Trading, Spread Betting and Crypto Trading. Investing encompasses a wide variety of asset classes, so finding a broker that offers every investment type you are interested in is important.
Our testing concluded that IG is better for research than Freetrade. IG offers more research options, including research reports, articles, and analyst ratings.
To compare the trading platforms of both Freetrade and Halifax, we tested each broker's website, trading platform, trading tools and stock trading app. All features compared, IG offers a better share dealing platform and IG offers a better stock app for mobile trading.
Overall winner: IG
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