Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown 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, Hargreaves Lansdown offers better pricing than Halifax 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.
UK investors comparing Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax will find that both online brokers offer a diverse selection of investment options, including trading in ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. Notably, while Hargreaves Lansdown allows for share trading, Halifax does not, which may factor into an investor's decision depending on their preference for direct stock purchases. Neither broker provides platforms for crypto or CFD trading, aligning their services more with traditional asset classes.
Both Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax provide advisor services to their clients, supporting investors in making informed decisions. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both firms boast a solid 5-star rating for their investment choices, though Hargreaves Lansdown holds a slightly higher rank at 4th place out of 21 brokers, compared to Halifax's position at 7th. This ranking may appeal to those looking for a trusted name in the investment community with a range of advisory services available to guide their investments.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For charting tools, Hargreaves Lansdown offers far more than Halifax. HL includes 11 drawing tools and 109 technical indicators, plus the option to add stock overlays. Halifax has no drawing tools, no indicators, and no stock overlays. Neither broker shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and neither lets you add notes or index overlays.
Both Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax provide a browser-based trading platform and let you set price alerts. For data, HL supplies real-time market prices, while Halifax does not. If you want richer chart analysis inside your share dealing account, Hargreaves Lansdown is the stronger choice; if you only need basic trading and alerts without advanced charts or live data, Halifax may suit.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax both offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making them appealing options for UK investors planning for retirement. Whether you're looking to maximize your tax-free savings with an ISA or manage your pension investments more actively with a SIPP, both brokers provide these essential retirement account types. Choose between Hargreaves Lansdown's diversified investment choices and extensive resources, or Halifax’s straightforward approach and seamless integration with existing banking services, to find the right fit for your retirement saving needs. With both options supporting ISAs and SIPPs, investors have access to tax-efficient financial tools to help secure their financial future.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax for mobile investing in the UK: both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Hargreaves Lansdown’s mobile app higher at 4/5 stars with a rank of 10th out of 21 brokers, while Halifax’s app holds 3.5/5 stars and ranks 18th—so if app quality matters most, the Hargreaves Lansdown app edges ahead.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors comparing Hargreaves Lansdown vs Halifax on education, Hargreaves Lansdown leads: it runs educational client webinars with on‑demand replays and offers education covering share trading, funds, and retirement. Halifax does not provide webinars, on‑demand replays, or dedicated education on those topics. Reflecting this, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Hargreaves Lansdown 5 stars and ranks it #4 out of 21 for beginner education, while Halifax earns 3.5 stars and ranks #18.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax both provide research on shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, catering well to investors seeking a variety of insights. However, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out by offering additional benefits such as detailed research reports for funds and the capability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, which Halifax does not provide. These features can be particularly valuable to investors looking to dive deeper into fund particulars and better understand their investment distribution. For those prioritizing comprehensive market research and allocation insights, Hargreaves Lansdown might be the preferred option.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Hargreaves Lansdown or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Hargreaves Lansdown to be a better trading platform overall.
As the U.K.’s biggest investment platform for individual investors, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment choices for either beginners or seasoned investors. However, its fees are generally more expensive than rival brokers, which can become an issue for large investment pots.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
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Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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When comparing online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax, neither offers crypto trading, but both provide extensive investment options, robust platforms, and reliable customer support, catering to UK investors seeking diverse portfolios despite the absence of cryptocurrency markets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | £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 | Up to £1,125 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £1125 - £1750 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £1750 - £3000 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £3,000 - £4,000 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £11.95 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £11.95 | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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