Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown, 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, Freetrade offers better pricing than Hargreaves Lansdown 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.
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown for UK investment choices: both let you trade shares, ETFs, funds, investment trusts, and UK government bonds (gilts). Neither offers cryptocurrency or CFD trading. A key difference is bonds—Hargreaves Lansdown lets you buy corporate bonds, while Freetrade does not.
If you want guidance, Hargreaves Lansdown provides adviser services, while Freetrade is execution-only. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade 4.5/5 (ranked 9th of 21) and Hargreaves Lansdown 5/5 (ranked 5th of 21).
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | 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.
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown: when it comes to charting tools, Hargreaves Lansdown is far more feature-rich. HL offers 11 drawing tools, 109 technical indicators, and stock overlays, while Freetrade has none of these. Neither broker lets you add notes to charts, plot index overlays, or display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts.
Both brokers provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts. For market data speed, HL supplies real-time data, whereas Freetrade does not. If you need in-depth chart analysis and live data, HL is the stronger choice; if you prefer simple charts with alerts, Freetrade may suffice.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 109 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 11 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
For UK investors comparing Freetrade and Hargreaves Lansdown, both platforms offer ISA and SIPP accounts, covering tax-efficient investing through an ISA and pension saving with a SIPP. Since the core account options are the same, your choice may come down to fees, investment range, ease of use, and customer support, but on ISAs and SIPPs both providers have you covered.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown for mobile trading in the UK: both offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade’s app higher at 4.5/5 and ranks it 7th out of 21 brokers, while Hargreaves Lansdown’s app scores 4/5 and ranks 11th. If app quality and rankings matter, Freetrade edges ahead, though both provide convenient investing on iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown on education, both brokers cover share trading, funds and retirement, but only Hargreaves Lansdown offers educational client webinars and keeps them on demand; Freetrade has no webinars. On UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown is rated 5/5 stars and ranks #5 of 21 for beginner education, while Freetrade scores 4/5 stars and ranks #13. If you want live and on-demand learning, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out; if you’re happy with topic guides, Freetrade covers the basics.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| 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.
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown: for market research features, UK investors will find clear differences. Freetrade lets you see your portfolio allocation by asset class but offers no research reports for funds and no research on shares, ETFs, funds, or bonds. Hargreaves Lansdown also shows allocation by asset class and adds research across the board, including fund research reports plus coverage of shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. Pick Hargreaves Lansdown if you want built-in research; choose Freetrade if allocation tracking is enough.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or Hargreaves Lansdown? 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.
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Freetrade
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Hargreaves Lansdown
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Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown: neither online broker currently offers crypto trading.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £100 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £11.95 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £8.95 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £5.95 | |
| 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 | £59.88 | Up to £1,125 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £59.88 | £1125 - £1750 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £59.88 | £1750 - £3000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £59.88 | £3,000 - £4,000 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £20 - £50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | £20 - £50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £11.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £11.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £20 - £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 109 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 11 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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