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.
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, Halifax offers better pricing than Hargreaves Lansdown 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 - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.
120 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1 per year, while Halifax would cost £0 per year.
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.
When exploring online brokers for investment opportunities, Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax represent two popular choices. Hargreaves Lansdown offers a robust suite of investment options, including share trading, ETFs, funds trading, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. On the other hand, Halifax provides a similar selection without share trading. Both platforms abstain from crypto trading, spread betting, and CFD trading, providing a comparable yet limited landscape in these areas. Additionally, each broker offers advisor services for clients seeking guidance on their investment journey.
Despite their similarities, a closer inspection reveals some differences in their market standings. Both brokers receive a solid 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices, demonstrating their strong positions in this competitive arena. However, Hargreaves Lansdown distinguishes itself with a higher ranking, positioned at #4 compared to Halifax's #7 out of 18 competitors. These rankings reflect a slight edge for Hargreaves Lansdown in terms of investment diversity and customer satisfaction. Whether prioritizing comprehensive investment products or consumer ratings, both brokers offer credible pathways into the world of investing.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| 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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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools of Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax, several differences stand out. Hargreaves Lansdown provides a more robust charting experience, offering the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts—a feature that Halifax lacks. Additionally, Hargreaves Lansdown supports 11 drawing tools and 15 technical indicators, while Halifax does not offer any. Both brokers allow users to create alerts for stock price updates and operate through browser-based trading platforms, but Hargreaves Lansdown further enhances its offer with the ability to add index and stock overlays to charts, whereas Halifax does not support these features.
Hargreaves Lansdown also offers real-time market data, which can be a crucial tool for those making time-sensitive decisions, while Halifax does not provide this capability. Neither platform currently supports the addition of personal notes to charts, meaning users will need to find alternative ways to keep track of their insights and strategies. Ultimately, for traders looking for comprehensive charting and real-time insights, Hargreaves Lansdown offers more advanced tools compared to Halifax.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing retirement accounts, Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax both offer a range of options for personal investment. If you're considering an ISA (Individual Savings Account) for tax-efficient savings, both platforms provide this option, allowing you to save or invest up to the annual limit. For those looking to secure their retirement savings, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax offer Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) accounts, giving you control over your pension investments. Whether you're planning for the future or managing your savings, both of these online brokers offer comprehensive solutions tailored to meet diverse financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax have offerings for iPhone and Android users. However, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out with a higher rating of 4.5 stars compared to Halifax's 3.5 stars, as assessed by UK.StockBrokers.com. In a ranking of 18 brokers, Hargreaves Lansdown secures the 4th position for its mobile apps, while Halifax comes in at 14th. This suggests that Hargreaves Lansdown provides a more user-friendly and robust mobile trading experience in the online brokerage landscape.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors offered by Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax, it's clear that Hargreaves Lansdown provides a more comprehensive suite of learning tools. Hargreaves Lansdown offers engaging educational client webinars, although these are not available for on-demand viewing. In contrast, Halifax does not provide educational webinars at all. Additionally, Hargreaves Lansdown covers key investment topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement in their educational materials, whereas Halifax lacks resources on these subjects. Reflecting this broader educational offering, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Hargreaves Lansdown with an impressive 5 stars for beginner education and ranks them 4th out of 18 brokers. Meanwhile, Halifax receives a modest 3.5-star rating and ranks 16th, indicating that Hargreaves Lansdown is a stronger choice for novice investors seeking to deepen their investment knowledge.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Hargreaves Lansdown and Halifax, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out by providing research reports for funds and the ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class, offerings that Halifax does not match. Both platforms deliver robust research options for shares, ETFs, and funds, along with insights into bonds. However, neither Hargreaves Lansdown nor Halifax includes CFDs research in their services. Overall, Hargreaves Lansdown provides a broader range of research tools, especially for those interested in detailed fund analysis and portfolio breakdowns.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| 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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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 | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £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) | £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. | £83.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. | £150 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. | £378 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. | £1,176 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £64.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | Up to £1,125 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | Up to £625 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | Up to £1,250 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | Up to £1,000 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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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 | 15 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| 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) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | Halifax | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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