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 both let UK investors trade shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Neither supports crypto or CFD trading, and spread betting isn’t listed by either provider.
The key difference is advice: Halifax offers access to adviser services, while Interactive Investor does not. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Investor at 5 stars (ranked 3rd of 21) and Halifax at 4.5 stars (ranked 7th of 21). Pick Interactive Investor if top-tier investment choice is your priority, or Halifax if you value optional financial advice alongside a wide range of assets.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Interactive Investor edges Halifax for charting tools. It can show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts and supports stock overlays for side-by-side share comparisons—both missing at Halifax. Interactive Investor also offers 104 technical indicators versus Halifax’s 95. Both let you add notes to charts, and neither supports index overlays. Halifax lists 8 drawing tools; Interactive Investor doesn’t publish a specific count.
Both brokers provide a browser-based trading platform and let you set price alerts, but neither includes real-time market data as standard. If you want deeper chart analysis and comparison features, Interactive Investor is the stronger choice. For straightforward web charting with alerts, Halifax covers the basics.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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.
For beginner investors in the UK comparing Interactive Investor vs Halifax on educational resources: neither broker offers client webinars or on-demand webinar archives, but both provide learning content covering share trading, funds, and retirement. Interactive Investor stands out with a 5-star beginner education rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks #2 out of 21 brokers, while Halifax earns 4 stars and ranks #18, making Interactive Investor the stronger choice if education is a priority.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | 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.
Interactive Investor vs Halifax for market research: both offer research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, and each provides fund research reports. The key difference is portfolio insight—Interactive Investor lets you view your portfolio allocation by asset class, helping you check diversification, while Halifax does not. For UK investors who want simple research tools plus a clear portfolio breakdown, Interactive Investor has the edge; if you only need share, ETF, fund and bond research, Halifax covers the basics.
| 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 | Yes |
| 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.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Halifax
|
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| Overall Rating |
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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 | 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 | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £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 | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| 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 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | 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 | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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