Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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 Investor 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 Investor and Halifax each offer a wide range of investment options for UK investors. Both platforms provide access to trading ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. While Interactive Investor supports share trading, Halifax does not. Neither platform offers crypto or CFD trading. A key difference lies in advisor services: Halifax includes them, while Interactive Investor does not.
When it comes to user ratings for investment choices, both Interactive Investor and Halifax achieve a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. However, Interactive Investor stands out with a higher ranking, securing the 3rd spot out of 21 brokers, whereas Halifax is ranked 7th. This distinction highlights the strong investment offerings and reputation of Interactive Investor among its peers.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 | 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 Investor and Halifax, UK investors might note significant differences in their offerings. Interactive Investor provides a comprehensive set of features for charting, including the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts. They offer 18 drawing tools and a remarkable 104 technical indicators, allowing users to make detailed analyses. Furthermore, users can add notes, index overlays, and stock overlays to enhance their charting experience. By contrast, Halifax lacks these advanced functionalities, providing no drawing tools or technical indicators and no options for chart annotations or overlays.
Both brokers offer a browser-based trading platform and come with the capability to create alerts for stock price updates, ensuring users stay informed. While Interactive Investor provides real-time market data, a crucial feature for making timely trading decisions, Halifax does not support this service. Investors who prioritize comprehensive charting tools and real-time updates might find Interactive Investor to be a more suitable choice for enhancing their trading strategies.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When considering retirement account options for UK investors, both Interactive Investor and Halifax present solid choices with their Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Interactive Investor provides a comprehensive platform with accessible ISA and SIPP accounts, catering to a wide range of investment needs. Similarly, Halifax offers ISA and SIPP accounts designed to help individuals plan effectively for retirement. Investors looking for reliable options will find both platforms accommodating, as they provide the essential accounts to help manage and potentially grow their retirement savings.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors choosing between online brokers Interactive Investor and Halifax, both platforms provide convenient mobile apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, catering to on-the-go trading needs. Interactive Investor's mobile app stands out with a higher rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it at number 7 among 21 brokers for mobile app quality. In contrast, Halifax's mobile app holds a rating of 3.5 stars, ranking it 18th, indicating a less favorable user experience compared to Interactive Investor. These ratings suggest that those prioritizing mobile app performance may find Interactive Investor a more appealing choice over Halifax.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors, Interactive Investor stands out over Halifax. Interactive Investor offers a comprehensive range of educational client webinars, which are also available on demand for convenient viewing. In contrast, Halifax does not provide webinars. For those keen on learning about share trading, funds, and retirement, Interactive Investor covers all these topics extensively, whereas Halifax does not offer such educational content. Reflecting this strong educational offering, Interactive Investor has been awarded a stellar 5-star rating by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education, ranking 2nd out of 21 brokers. Halifax, on the other hand, holds a 3.5-star rating and is positioned at 18th, indicating fewer resources available for newcomers. These differences make Interactive Investor a more appealing choice for those starting their investment journey in the UK.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 Interactive Investor with Halifax in terms of market research features, there are notable differences and similarities for UK investors. Interactive Investor stands out by providing research reports for funds and the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, features that Halifax does not offer. Both brokers, however, provide comprehensive research options for shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, ensuring a solid foundation for making informed investment decisions. With these differentiators, Interactive Investor may appeal to those seeking additional insights into fund research and portfolio analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 Investor or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
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Halifax
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| Mobile App |
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Both Interactive Investor and Halifax do not offer crypto trading options for their users.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | 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 | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £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 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £143.88 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | 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 Investor | 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 Investor | Halifax | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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