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Interactive Brokers vs Halifax 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Halifax, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
Halifax
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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, Interactive Brokers offers better pricing than Halifax for share dealing.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) and Halifax both cover core investments such as ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, UK government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Neither offers CFD trading. Where they differ: IBKR supports share dealing and cryptocurrency trading, while Halifax does not offer share or crypto trading. Halifax provides adviser services, whereas IBKR does not. Spread betting availability is not specified for either provider in this comparison.

According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both earn 5 out of 5 stars for investment choices; however, IBKR ranks #2 of 21 brokers, while Halifax ranks #7 of 21. In short, choose Interactive Brokers if you want access to share dealing and crypto alongside ETFs and bonds; pick Halifax if adviser support is a priority.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Halifax logoHalifax
Share Trading info Yes No
CFD Trading info No No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


IG
4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

Interactive Brokers vs Halifax for UK traders: both platforms keep charts simple, with no corporate events, no notes, and no index or stock overlays. The big difference is charting depth—Interactive Brokers offers 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators, while Halifax offers none. If chart analysis matters, Interactive Brokers gives you far more to work with, whereas Halifax is very basic for charts.

Both brokers provide a browser-based trading platform and let you set stock price alerts, but neither offers real-time market data. For web access and alerts, either could fit; for deeper chart study, Interactive Brokers is the clear step up.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Halifax logoHalifax
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 94 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 16 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No

ISAs and SIPPs

When comparing Interactive Brokers and Halifax for UK retirement accounts, both platforms provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering to investors seeking tax-efficient options. Interactive Brokers stands out with its competitive fees and global market access, appealing to those who value low-cost trading and international diversification. In contrast, Halifax offers a user-friendly experience with straightforward account management, making it an attractive choice for individuals who prefer simplicity and a well-established UK bank. Both brokers serve diverse investor needs by providing essential retirement account options, though the best choice will depend on individual preferences regarding cost, ease of use, and investment reach.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

For UK investors seeking a convenient trading experience on their phones, both Interactive Brokers and Halifax offer mobile apps available for iPhone and Android users. Interactive Brokers stands out with a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and is ranked 4th out of 21 brokers for its mobile app, reflecting its strong performance in the mobile trading arena. On the other hand, Halifax provides a functional mobile app, earning a 3.5-star rating and placing 18th in the same ranking. While both brokers offer comprehensive mobile solutions, Interactive Brokers provides a higher-rated experience for those prioritizing top-tier mobile trading capabilities.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For beginner investor education in the UK, Interactive Brokers outshines Halifax: it offers live and on-demand client webinars plus beginner lessons on share trading, funds, and retirement, while Halifax has no webinars, no on-demand archive, and no education on those topics. Reflecting this, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5/5 and ranks it 8th out of 21 brokers, whereas Halifax scores 3.5/5 and ranks 18th.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Halifax logoHalifax
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Education (Share Trading) info Yes No
Education (Funds) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes No
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

When comparing the market research features of Interactive Brokers and Halifax, UK investors will find that Interactive Brokers offers a broader range of tools. Notably, Interactive Brokers provides research reports for funds and lets users view portfolio allocations by asset class, which Halifax does not. Both platforms offer research on shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, catering to diverse investment needs. However, the additional insights from Interactive Brokers make it a more comprehensive choice for those seeking in-depth market analysis.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Halifax logoHalifax
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes Yes
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No

Interactive Brokers vs Halifax Winner

Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.

Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Halifax logoHalifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Halifax?

Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading, providing a diversified platform for investors, while Halifax does not support crypto trading, making Interactive Brokers a more comprehensive choice for those interested in cryptocurrency investments.

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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Halifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Halifax Review
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Investments Interactive Brokers Halifax
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes No
CFD Trading info No No
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes info
Advisor Services info No Yes
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers Halifax
Minimum Deposit info £0 £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £3 £9.50
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £3 £9.50
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £3 £9.50
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info £0 £36
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info £0 £36
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info £0 £36
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info £0 £36
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) £9.5
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) £9.5
ETFs - Fee info £3 £9.5
Investment Trusts - Fee info £3 £9.5
Telephone Dealing Fee info £25 £25
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Halifax
Website Gallery (click to expand)
The home page of the Interactive Brokers website (demo account). The order ticket on the IBKR website. List of available indicators for the charts when viewing a share price on the IBKR website.
A chart showing the Lloyds share price on the Halifax website. Filling out a trade ticket to purchase Lloyds stock on the Halifax website. Trade ticket confirmation page when purchasing stock on the Halifax website. Available research on Lloyds stock on the Halifax website. Browsing the ETF Quicklist on the Halifax website. Selecting a ready-made investment on the Halifax website. Opening an account for a person aged 18 to 25 on the Halifax website. Landing page of the Halifax website.
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
The home screen of the IBKR mobile app. The customisation screen for the homepage of the IBKR mobile app. The watchlist on the IBKR mobile app. Share price information for Barclays stock on the IBKR mobile app. Viewing a stock chart for Lloyds Bank on the IBKR mobile app. The order ticket on the IBKR mobile app (slide to buy). Order fulfillment screen on the IBKR mobile app. Various order types available on the IBKR mobile app. Setting advanced order conditions on the IBKR mobile app. The Learn page of the IBKR mobile app. IBKR GlobalTrader home page. The trade ticket on the IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app. Order preview for purchasing Apple stock on the IBKR GlobalTrader app.
The Save and Invest home page on the Halifax mobile app. Investing home page on the Halifax mobile app. Filling out a trade ticket on the Halifax mobile app. Filling out a trade ticket for international stock on the Halifax mobile app. Finding funds to invest in on the Halifax mobile app. Fund pricing page on the Halifax mobile app.
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Halifax Share Dealing mobile funds education Halifax Share Dealing website education ETF Academy
Platforms & Tools Interactive Brokers Halifax
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 94 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 16 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No
Research Interactive Brokers Halifax
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No
Education Interactive Brokers Halifax
Education (Share Trading) info Yes No
Education (Funds) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes No
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Overall Summary Interactive Brokers Halifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Halifax Review
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