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.
Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax both let UK investors buy and sell shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts), plus investment trusts. Neither platform supports crypto or CFD trading, and both offer access to advice services if you want guidance.
In ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com for Investment Choices, Hargreaves Lansdown earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks 4th of 21 brokers, while Halifax scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 7th. If you’re weighing Hargreaves Lansdown vs Halifax for range of investments, Hargreaves Lansdown nudges ahead; Halifax remains a solid pick for diversified, everyday investing.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Hargreaves Lansdown vs Halifax: for charting tools, Hargreaves Lansdown has the edge on breadth, with 11 drawing tools and 109 technical indicators, compared with Halifax’s 8 drawing tools and 95 indicators. Neither platform shows corporate events or index overlays on charts. Only Hargreaves Lansdown supports stock overlays, while only Halifax lets you add notes to charts.
Both offer browser-based trading and price alerts. If live prices are important, note that Hargreaves Lansdown provides real-time market data, while Halifax does not. In short, choose Hargreaves Lansdown for deeper chart analysis, or Halifax if you value the ability to annotate your charts.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| 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 in the UK comparing educational resources, Hargreaves Lansdown offers free client webinars live and on demand, while Halifax does not provide webinars or an on‑demand library. Both cover key topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement, helping newcomers learn the basics. However, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Hargreaves Lansdown higher for beginner education (5/5, ranked 4th of 21) than Halifax (4/5, ranked 18th), reflecting Hargreaves Lansdown’s wider learning formats.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
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.
For UK investors comparing Hargreaves Lansdown vs Halifax on market research, both provide fund research reports and offer research on shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. The key difference is portfolio insight: Hargreaves Lansdown lets you view your portfolio allocation by asset class, making it easier to see your mix at a glance, while Halifax does not include this breakdown. If you want straightforward research plus an allocation view, Hargreaves Lansdown edges it; if you only need share, ETF, fund, and bond research, Halifax covers the basics.
| 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 | Yes |
| 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.
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Hargreaves Lansdown
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Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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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 | Yes | |
| 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 | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £11.95 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £11.95 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| 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 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | 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 | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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