Written by StockBrokers.com
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.
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, Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers and Halifax both offer a variety of investment choices for UK investors, but they cater to different needs. Interactive Brokers excels by providing a comprehensive range of opportunities such as share trading, crypto trading, ETFs, funds, CFDs, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts. Though it lacks advisor services, its broad spectrum of options has earned it a high evaluation, being ranked 2nd out of 21 by UK.StockBrokers.com, with a perfect 5-star rating for investment choices.
Conversely, Halifax focuses on traditional investment avenues, offering trading in ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts. It sets itself apart by offering advisor services, making it a reliable choice for investors seeking guidance. While Halifax does not support share trading, crypto trading, or CFDs, it still achieves a commendable rank of 7th out of 21 brokerages with a 5-star rating for its investment offerings according to UK.StockBrokers.com. This makes Halifax a strong choice for those prioritizing advisory support over a more diversified trading portfolio.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | 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.
When comparing the trading tools of Interactive Brokers and Halifax, Interactive Brokers stands out with a wide range of features that cater to more detailed and technical chart analysis. Interactive Brokers offers the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, a feature Halifax lacks. Furthermore, traders with Interactive Brokers can utilize 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators to enhance their trading strategies, while Halifax provides none. The added functionalities include adding notes and overlays—both index and stock—to charts, which further enhances the customization options available with Interactive Brokers. These features are not available with Halifax.
Both Interactive Brokers and Halifax offer browser-based trading platforms and the capability to create alerts for stock price updates, providing some level of convenience and accessibility to traders. However, it's noteworthy that neither platform currently provides real-time market data. For UK traders who prioritize comprehensive charting tools and customization in their trading activities, Interactive Brokers clearly offers a more feature-rich environment compared to Halifax.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
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.
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.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors between Interactive Brokers and Halifax, Interactive Brokers stands out with a comprehensive offering. Interactive Brokers provides educational client webinars which are also available on demand, covering vital topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement. In contrast, Halifax does not offer educational webinars or resources on these key investment areas. Reflecting their commitment to investor education, Interactive Brokers earns a solid 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing them 8th out of 21 brokers, while Halifax receives a 3.5-star rating, ranking 18th. For UK beginners looking to enhance their investing knowledge, Interactive Brokers clearly emerges as the more resourceful choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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.
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
|
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, 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
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Halifax
|
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| Mobile App |
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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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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Halifax | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | 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 | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £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 | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Halifax | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers | Halifax | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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